I have about 15 acres of woods and an abundance of squirrels. I have taken out about a dozen of them and have gotten much better about skinning them and getting more and more meat off of them. I have tried frying them, pressure cooking, pressure cooking and frying etc etc. I just can't get into eating them. I have been preparing shredded chicken for my 100# American bulldog for the last 6 months and started to feed him small portions of squirrel and he loves it. Basically, as long as someone or something is eating is that ethical so long as you aren't just leaving it for rodents etc?
Does "only kill what you will eat " include feeding your dog?
- Thread starter Jshepherd70
- Start date
Totally ethical, you are harvesting protein for to feed your dog. You are not letting them go to waste.
Upvote 0
I soak waterfowl in Allegro steak sause over-night before I cook it. This takes the gaminess away and really improves the flavor, even my daughter eats it. There are many recipes to tame the flavor. I never really liked the taste of rabbit until this old Greek guy made a tomato based rabbit stew. It tasted amazing. that said, if your dog loves it, well, then it is not going to waste.
Upvote 0
I've tried a few things and did a brine solution for a week this last time. It isn't the game taste, it is more the texture/toughness. I find that younger grays are fine but a big old red is like rubber.
Upvote 0
A squirrel is an athletic rat with a furry tail and long sharp toenails!
From the squirrel's perspective, it could care less who eats it. I do remember you would fry the young grey ones, but the older ones, and the larger red squirrels, were shredded into meat for stews and heavy soups.
Back in olden times (1940's/50's), when I was young, the local hunters would have a "Burgoo" (bur-gue) also known as a "Chowder". The ingredients were mixed/shredded wild game meats, assorted vegetables, corn cut from the cob, beer and several secret ingredients. While this selling of game animal meat for profit was eventually outlawed by the Feds, it was a yearly festival enjoyed by the whole county. $5.00 would buy you a quart of this stew, or $1.00 a bowl, and it was delicious! I believe it was either the American Legion or the VFW that used it for a yearly fundraiser. (https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kentucky_burgoo/)
"Volunteers" would spend a couple of nights setting up and cooking the huge cauldron of stew, while they themselves became stewed in a different manner. Back then no one much cared. All we knew was it happened once a year and it was a special event.
If your dog likes squirrel meat , more power to it. After all, his ancestors were chasing and eating squirrels long before humans walked upright! Today, my trusty dog BO eats a dry mixture of bison and venison. He's a happy camper!!!
For light reading...go here: https://practicalselfreliance.com/squirrel-recipes/ 40 recipes for squirrel meat.
I grew up eating frog legs, rabbit, squirrels, quail, ducks, geese, bluegill, bass. That experience, along with chasing fireflies and playing "Red Roover" after dark, are now just distant memories...
Regards,
Kindly 'Ol Uncle Hoot
From the squirrel's perspective, it could care less who eats it. I do remember you would fry the young grey ones, but the older ones, and the larger red squirrels, were shredded into meat for stews and heavy soups.
Back in olden times (1940's/50's), when I was young, the local hunters would have a "Burgoo" (bur-gue) also known as a "Chowder". The ingredients were mixed/shredded wild game meats, assorted vegetables, corn cut from the cob, beer and several secret ingredients. While this selling of game animal meat for profit was eventually outlawed by the Feds, it was a yearly festival enjoyed by the whole county. $5.00 would buy you a quart of this stew, or $1.00 a bowl, and it was delicious! I believe it was either the American Legion or the VFW that used it for a yearly fundraiser. (https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kentucky_burgoo/)
"Volunteers" would spend a couple of nights setting up and cooking the huge cauldron of stew, while they themselves became stewed in a different manner. Back then no one much cared. All we knew was it happened once a year and it was a special event.
If your dog likes squirrel meat , more power to it. After all, his ancestors were chasing and eating squirrels long before humans walked upright! Today, my trusty dog BO eats a dry mixture of bison and venison. He's a happy camper!!!
For light reading...go here: https://practicalselfreliance.com/squirrel-recipes/ 40 recipes for squirrel meat.
I grew up eating frog legs, rabbit, squirrels, quail, ducks, geese, bluegill, bass. That experience, along with chasing fireflies and playing "Red Roover" after dark, are now just distant memories...
Regards,
Kindly 'Ol Uncle Hoot
Upvote 0
Your not letting the meat go to waste and that's awesome. I feed plenty of game to my dogs and it doesn't bother me at all.
Upvote 0
I see no problem with that at all. My daughter and son-in-law have a bull terrier and the breeder they purchased him from recommended feeding him raw chicken. I fed him many of squirrels hind legs including the bones,He absolutely loves it.
Upvote 0
You'd be surprised at how many of these internet ethics police will dictate to you with which caliber and level power of hunting tool to use to dispatch their revered game animal. And what is about as bad, they preach about not taking a shot at the revered deer of it stands over 51 yards away. But then these same people will shoot a "pest" only to let it rot in the woods or to throw it in the garbage can after they shot it for trespassing in their back yard, all without a second thought. I find it noble that you are taking the time to feed the dog this source of protein in this way.
Upvote 0
If opportunity presents itself, I will take out a dove and give it to my doberman. He absolutely loves it.
Upvote 0
Thanks again guys. Of course, there is no denying the fact that they are just fun to shoot but I do have a valid reason as well. It took me a while to figure out what was trying to chew its way into my heated garage. I finally set up a trail cam and caught them in the act. I tried repainting the cedar siding and door weather strips thinking that would deter and they came right back.
Chipmunks, on the other hand, are tossed into the woods. I have no mercy on them as they have caused so much destruction it isn't even funny, They surely arent worth trying to salvage any meat. I put them in the same spot in the woods and they go missing the next day so something is enjoying them.
As far as ethically killing them with the caliber. I am using an impact mk2 with .30 Jsb's A tad overkill on that but I also have a crown continuum .25 with the JSB hades that's been working well.
Chipmunks, on the other hand, are tossed into the woods. I have no mercy on them as they have caused so much destruction it isn't even funny, They surely arent worth trying to salvage any meat. I put them in the same spot in the woods and they go missing the next day so something is enjoying them.
As far as ethically killing them with the caliber. I am using an impact mk2 with .30 Jsb's A tad overkill on that but I also have a crown continuum .25 with the JSB hades that's been working well.
Upvote 0
My son and I have shot a 1000 ground squirrels a day. Saved the farmer 54# of hay for each a year. Raptors, coyotes and badgers have a feast. I don't think an educated public minds and if they do let them purchase the farm and raise ground squirrels.
Upvote 0
Actually a Squirrel's tail is not fur but rather it is in fact hair! Found that little tidbit on a site that buys tails for fishing lure manufacturing!
Upvote 0
I live in a rural area and manage the pest problem with my airguns. I serve the bodies as a buffet I put out on a stump and they usually disappear real quick. We have a local red fox who answers to the sound of a pellet smacking a grackle and a raven hangs out near by as well.
![31FcxlM.jpg](http://[url="https://i.imgur.com/31FcxlM.jpg"][img]https://i.imgur.com/31FcxlM.jpg)
[/url][/img]
Don't know what was up with the chipmunks this year as we were over run with them - shot an average of 3 a day all summer.
During season I hunt squirrels, eat the young ones and feed to tough old ones to the dogs. Keep all the tails for tying flies.
Don't know what was up with the chipmunks this year as we were over run with them - shot an average of 3 a day all summer.
During season I hunt squirrels, eat the young ones and feed to tough old ones to the dogs. Keep all the tails for tying flies.
Upvote 0
Ravens and Crows are on my hit list here for 2 reasons: They bother my Great Horned Owls and they take too many pecans from my 23 trees. You would think with that many nut trees I would have squirrels but never had a single one. Too many coyotes between here and a squirrel populated area. Now Racoons are a different story altogether. Took over 25 one year damaging my trees.
Upvote 0
Ok So I am not crazy, it is night and day one is good and the other like pure rubber. I wasn't sure if it was a gray vs fox or just age. I am in Ohio and the fox's that I see tend to be larger.
Chipmunks were insane this year for us as well. I could hear their chip chip sounds in my nightmares. I became borderline obsessed with getting rid of them.
Upvote 0
well...........
im gonna continue to shoot gophers, sparrows, and starlings and won’t eat a one.
maybe thats just me.
im gonna continue to shoot gophers, sparrows, and starlings and won’t eat a one.
maybe thats just me.
Upvote 0
Something is going to eat them, whether you shoot them or not. They are deemed pest by most, so have at them with a clear conscience. I don’t pest in my backyard unless it’s a known nuisance critter that I’ve caught or witnessed doing me harm. But at the dairies or farm all the pests are fair game.
Upvote 0
Sounds logical to me. I feed mine to the coyotes and foxes. I've hunted consecutive days in the same spots and never saw leftovers in the woods.
Upvote 0