This may sound lame, but I did not grow up with hunters. I've always had the interest, but never really knew how.

A year and a day ago, I bought a hunting license and have been occasionally trying to small game hunt with my 22 revolver (which hasn't worked well).

Friday, I bought a single shot 20 guage on a whim and today I GOT MY FIRST SQUIRREL!!

Cleaning it was harder than i envisioned and I'm not sure i got all the hair off, but It's cooking right now.

Yeah a squirrel's skin is really tough to get off. Congratulations though!!! Enjoy your time out in the woods hunting, it's very cathartic.

Yep, congrats! I've been deer hunting once, had a shot and didn't take it. I decided I didn't want to kill a deer, but stalking them is fun. Now I've blasted a couple of gophers with a 22 since, but can't claim I ate them. I had a squirrel 5 feet away (little guy kept lookin at me, but didn't really "see" me since I wasn't moving) for about 10 minutes yesterday while waiting for a gopher to pop up, but I didn't shoot that, either. I am looking forward to the day I go hog hunting.

I am in similar situation as you, tarkellyt. Grew up in a hunting state without anyone to show me anything about hunting or guns. I'm learning as I go. Started squirrel hunting a few years back. Got my first deer last year.

That’s great!

I’ve largely taught myself to hunt. Though, I do pheasant hunt with my dad, he didn’t start doing it until I was an adult.

Hunting can seem extremely daunting to the newb. You just have to do your research on YouTube & get out and scout locations. Scout, Scout, Scout!

I take my oldest son (16) as he is the only child with interest in it; and he learns along with me.

This year I’m teaching myself to Duck hunt. So far no “success,” but the internet tells me it’s still too early & warm for them to migrate. To me, success is getting out there! A delicious duck is only icing on the cake, and something that I will have earned by myself when it happens.
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I believe the very first two things i shot were a squirrel and a turtle (at about the age of 7). And my father made me eat both of them. And I got to carry the carcasses in my pack for a couple of days. There was no amount of salt, or charring on the fire, or boiling in water that made either of those palatable. I learned to only shoot what was willing to eat (coyotes preying on livestock being an exception). I reeked of dead turtle for days.

I truly and genuinely hope your squirrel tasted better than mine. However, I will never forget it.

Quo

Squirrel brunswick stew. I served this at our fall party this year. It was a hit.

https://dwr.virginia.gov/recipes/classi ... -squirrel/

I don't hunt. I was never taught to hunt. Yet there is a young person of my acquaintance who has expressed an interest in learning how, and I am one of the very, very few who might be of any assistance in this endeavor. I'm not looking forward to it. OTOH, we do have invasive pigs in state that I could be motivated to eradicate. And venison is nice.

One of my motivations, getting back into shooting, was being able to pass the tradition down to others. For whatever reason. I should look into classes. I'm in no rush.

cooper wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:06 pm Squirrel brunswick stew. I served this at our fall party this year. It was a hit.

https://dwr.virginia.gov/recipes/classi ... -squirrel/

How do you prep the squirrels?

Put the cleaned carcasses in a pressure cooker, then pick the meat off. A little more tender that way. Watch for small bones. I do the same thing to start when I make squirrel ravioli. I think I posted that one a while back.

My daughter wanted squirrel drumsticks, so I tried that. Cut off the back legs in buttermilk all day, then floured and fried them. Wouldn't recommend that.

I may have to try that some day. Thanks!

I grew up hunting ground squirrels in central California where they are an endemic pestilence for cattle and horses (broken legs in the holes), but we never ate them because they can carry bubonic plague. They are the only thing I hunt as an adult that I don't eat. Hogs, Rabbits, Turkey, Dove, those keep my freezer full. I'd like to hunt tree squirrels but we don't have many around here and I kind of like the ones we do have... they hang out in my backyard along with a couple of doves that I won't shoot either. I think most of us who hunt understand that just because something is there doesn't mean you have to shoot it. I love doves, squirrels, Turkeys, etc... I find them fascinating and they are part of my ecosystem. So I take some to eat every year and enjoy living alongside the rest.
Hogs though. Those get shot every chance I get. Invasive and incredibly destructive. And so so tasty.
-Crow

tarkellyt wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 9:09 pm Friday, I bought a single shot 20 guage on a whim and today I GOT MY FIRST SQUIRREL!!

Cleaning it was harder than i envisioned and I'm not sure i got all the hair off, but It's cooking right now.

WTG! Being out there is being out there. I like squirrel hunting to practice stalking and learning terrain. I love when I'm able to stalk through the woods and only hear a squirrel chatter without sounding off his "tfttftffttfttffttff" alarm at spotting me.

Crow wrote: I grew up hunting ground squirrels in central California where they are an endemic pestilence for cattle and horses (broken legs in the holes), but we never ate them because they can carry bubonic plague.

Will that not cook out? I'd be more concerned about handling them and their fleas than eating them if cooked through. Wondering the same about rabies.

Crow wrote: I grew up hunting ground squirrels in central California where they are an endemic pestilence for cattle and horses (broken legs in the holes), but we never ate them because they can carry bubonic plague.

Will that not cook out? I'd be more concerned about handling them and their fleas than eating them if cooked through. Wondering the same about rabies.
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It probably would, but from what I understand plague is both spread by fleas and bloodborne and thus there's a risk when butchering too. My buddy's grandpa used to eat them, but he's the only one I've ever heard of; no one else in his family would touch the stew he made... and these folks were about as "salt of the earth" as you could ever hope to meet.
On the other hand, I do eat rabbits, which can carry rabbit fever, so maybe I'm being hypocritical about it... Has anyone here ever eaten a ground squirrel? Let's hear some recipes!
-Crow

QuoVadis wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 8:46 pm

I truly and genuinely hope your squirrel tasted better than mine. However, I will never forget it.

Quo

It did. I cooked it in chicken stock for about 6 hours and then I deboned it and essentially prepared it the way I do chicken salad lol. Believe it or not, it was delicious!