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Shooting and eating squirrels

brock ratcliff

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I went to the groundblind this afternoon to pull the card in the camera. I figured I had an hour to kill, so I took along my air rifle to bust a couple of squirrels.

I wasn't in the seat 5 minutes before missing the first one. Maybe another 5 minutes and I killed a big fox squirrel. I sat maybe a half hour before another gray came along and I managed to put a 22 cal pellet in him. Was an awesome way to waste a little time before checking the camera!

I have always loved squirrel hunting, but with the exception of the very first squirrel I killed when I was 6 or 7 years old (that my mother fried), every squirrel I have ever tried to eat tasted horrible to me. They are usually tough as a cheap shoe, and taste just like they smell...which to me is gross. Well, since I can only justify hunting what I will eat, and the fact that I am running out of old folks to give squirrels to, I decided I would try my hand at frying these little rats up myself. I have not tried frying one myself since I was broke while attending college, my bride as well as my FIL have tried, but I have never had one that I would actually call "good". I got 'em home, dressed them, gave 'em an egg bath and a dip into floor/bread crumb mixture and fried them really slow with a lig on the skillet. Boys, (and girl), I kid you not... they were GOOD! They were not overly tough, nor were they "gamey" at all. I'll be frying more up in the same manor again! And, I WILL be fully enjoying squirrel hunting again as I know they are fit to eat if handled properly! Too bad season is almost closed for the year...
 

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Diane

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Congrats! I've never eaten squirrel, but do want to learn to shoot 'em and eat' em!

I ate frog legs for the first time last night. Not too bad.

Diane
 

Mike

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I had fried squirrel for the first time this yer. I liked it a lot! Brock, what air rifle do you have there?
 

brock ratcliff

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Its a Beeman, a cheap one my bride bought at Walmart or somewhere after I broke one of my others. It's actually a decent gun for the price (about 100), and came with a scope and both barrels (22 and 177). Like any of them, you have to feed it good ammo to get good groups, but for a cheapy, it's pretty impressive.
 

brock ratcliff

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Congrats! I've never eaten squirrel, but do want to learn to shoot 'em and eat' em!

I ate frog legs for the first time last night. Not too bad.

Diane

Funny you mention frog legs, Diane. That is one thing I love to hunt, but usually give away. They are ok, and I like them about once a year... I just like to hunt them a lot more than I need to. :)
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
I can remember my grandma making squirrel pot pie. It was sooooooo good! She made it just like chicken pot pie but she would just use the 4-5 squirrels I would shoot and clean that afternoon. To top it off she would always make the crust and lid from scratch. It was scrumptious.
 

brock ratcliff

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I've tried about every way imaginable to eat squirrels. Like you, I prefer rabbit, but today's batch was as good as any I've ever had. I think the trick was in frying them really slow, with relatively low heat in a covered skillet. Honestly was good.

I've never had squirrel pot-pie, but may have to try it someday! That sounds like the kinda dish I could hide them in and get my teenage daughter to eat. :)
 

xbowguy

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The Very Best Squirrel I Ever ate was fried until brown. Then put in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes. It all fell off the bone and none was tough!
 

brock ratcliff

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Great, Rick! I just received a pressure cooker from my Grandfather's estate! Was there anything put in the pressure cooker along with the squirrel? Sorry, but I got the itch to get out and shoot some more and want to try a few things. :)
 

xbowguy

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Great, Rick! I just received a pressure cooker from my Grandfather's estate! Was there anything put in the pressure cooker along with the squirrel? Sorry, but I got the itch to get out and shoot some more and want to try a few things. :)

She put the pieces on the "Plate" (that keeps the jars from being directly on the bottom of the pan) and then poured in about a cup of water. That was all I saw. She got the rocker rocking and turned it down to barely rocking (10# she said) and 30 minutes later it was time to eat.
I kid you not Brock, the most tender Squirrel I EVER ate!
 

brock ratcliff

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Good enough for me to try! I'll give it a whirl, of course I'm going to have to go kill a few more... hehe Got a plan for tomorrow now!
 

bowhunter1023

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Good stuff Brock! I've been stock piling tree rats this fall so I can experiment with recipes at some point. We always did squirrel gravy on biscuits growing up. I'm going to attempt Badgers squirrel noodle soup!
 

brock ratcliff

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I'll have to try making the gravy too. I didn't make any today as I was sorta in a hurry. I just wanted to see if it was possible for me to fix 'em in such a way they didn't make me gag... mission accomplished.
 
Great read Brock! Been a while since we had some as well. Usually pre-boil them for about 10 minutes then throw them on the grill and slap some Open Pit on them and they're more than edible. Worst tree rat to eat is the black squirrel.....greasy little bastards is what they are. Thought about the next time I do a bunch is to throw them in a crock pot w/ some onion soup mix and make a stew or soup.
 

brock ratcliff

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Went back to the squirrel blind for a bit today. I took my little Ruger, which I hadn't shot in quite a while. I missed the first two I shot at, and it looked like I hit to the right of their lil rat heads. The third one I aimed to left, and bang, right in the noggin. I just resighted the scope, and plan to go again tomorrow. I have to go out there anyway as the dang deer ate all my squirrel bait last night.:) Got 120 pics since yesterday...they ate a LOT of corn!
 

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