I will not be hunting Tree Rats anymore
- Thread starter intenseaty22
- Start date
Git you some! I have never eaten squirrel, and our ground squirrels around home are not that appetizing (yet).
I have eaten, and greatly enjoy rabbit. Deep fried (all things are better with batter
) and in green chili enchiladas. In addition to Corona, there is an outbreak in New Mexico of a blood borne bacterial infection that is wiping out the wild and domestic rabbits. The USDA trapper for my county is a family friend. He warned me about letting my dogs get to rabbits in the field, and related that there are wide swaths of the county where all the rabbits are laying dead on the ground. Bad stuff.
Shoot'em good and eat what tastes good
I have eaten, and greatly enjoy rabbit. Deep fried (all things are better with batter
) and in green chili enchiladas. In addition to Corona, there is an outbreak in New Mexico of a blood borne bacterial infection that is wiping out the wild and domestic rabbits. The USDA trapper for my county is a family friend. He warned me about letting my dogs get to rabbits in the field, and related that there are wide swaths of the county where all the rabbits are laying dead on the ground. Bad stuff. Shoot'em good and eat what tastes good
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My parents are temporarily renting a house situated in the middle of a 16 acre organic apple orchard. So all they eat is orchard grass and apples. I shot about 12 ground squirrels last summer. I will be eating them this year.
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No 'tree chicken' in my area and no legal season on them either ):
I eat my share of cottontail-times will have to be very bad for me to add ground squirrel to my menu-hope it doesn't come to that!
I live on some acreage that is being organically farmed so I shouldn't starve. I do wish there were a few more collared dove around-they're tasty!
I eat my share of cottontail-times will have to be very bad for me to add ground squirrel to my menu-hope it doesn't come to that!
I live on some acreage that is being organically farmed so I shouldn't starve. I do wish there were a few more collared dove around-they're tasty!
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Funny you started this subject. I told all my buddies that I wouldn’t shoot them because I may have to eat them. They are having their young right now so even more potential food is being made.
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No 'tree chicken' in my area and no legal season on them either ):
I eat my share of cottontail-times will have to be very bad for me to add ground squirrel to my menu-hope it doesn't come to that!
I live on some acreage that is being organically farmed so I shouldn't starve. I do wish there were a few more collared dove around-they're tasty!
John, if you EVER even think of selling that gun.....Can I have first dibs????
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I would tell anyone who is thinking of or already eating ground squirrels to do some research. In California, they are known to carry bubonic plaque.
Check to see if there are problems in your area. I shoot them and leave them in the field. I don't get near them
Check to see if there are problems in your area. I shoot them and leave them in the field. I don't get near them
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Yum yum. The key is to cook them long enough to get tender. A slow cooker or pressure cooker works, but I usually just sear them in a little olive oil and butter then add an eighth cup of water and cook them on low for an hour.
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Thanks for sharing this. I did just do a little research. And it does have me second guessing the handing these ground squirrels.
I’ll keep looking into the subject.
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Loving all the comments. Laughing Out Loud! The Squirrel Helper is awesome! The cooked squirrel looks delicious!
And yes, I have heard the same thing about the Ground Squirrels. Due diligence is always good.
And yes, I have heard the same thing about the Ground Squirrels. Due diligence is always good.
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I ate sparrow when I was about 12. A friend and I shot a bunch in our cherry orchard and my mom cooked them for us. The breasts are very tiny and it took all afternoon to prep them, but I remember enjoying them with a gravy over noodles, or maybe it was rice.
I've read that robin breast is very tasty.
When you're an airgunner, the options are many.
I've read that robin breast is very tasty.
When you're an airgunner, the options are many.
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You guys got me hungry now. Guess I have to pull some out of the freezer. 12 min at 15 lbs pressure and then 5 min each side in the broiler. No wait! Pot pie sounds better.
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This thread is Great! 
In the early 90s, as kids, one of my still-best-friends and I used to do a lot of air rifle shooting together..
His dad decided to take us out, and teach us to 'hunt'. Ohhh what comedy that was. haha
After hours and hours in the woods, and not really seeing much of anything, we packed up and headed home..
On the way, we stopped at a somewhat local state-park.. When you drive in, there's a huge building,
huge kiddie pool, and some other random things.. One thing ya can't miss is the ginormous tree front and center..
Dad says 'alright boys', get your guns!
Luke and I look at each other like... OKAY?! and eventually end up seeing a squirrel...
Of course, it ran up that huge tree. We shot it a few times, but, it because stuck in a 'v' between a few branches..
Not wanting to go home empty handed, Dad stepped in and saved the day..
I Will Never Forget This!
He went to the trunk, and grabbed his 410/22 over-under, loaded a 410 round, and *KaBlam*
Blew the squirl outa' the tree! Hahahaha
We took it home, and he preceeded to show us the do's and don'ts of prepping it / cooking it, etc.
The other thing I'll never forget.. Him saying don't even puncture this part..
Then Luke and I proceeding to stab it with a knife - and the immediate Stink. lol
Anyways, a little butter, salt, pepper, some other random thing for seasoning..
That squirrel meat was actually pretty damn good! I remember really enjoying it!
I hate chicken, so it had to be way better than that. Closer to rabbit if I remember right.
Sam -
In the early 90s, as kids, one of my still-best-friends and I used to do a lot of air rifle shooting together..
His dad decided to take us out, and teach us to 'hunt'. Ohhh what comedy that was. haha
After hours and hours in the woods, and not really seeing much of anything, we packed up and headed home..
On the way, we stopped at a somewhat local state-park.. When you drive in, there's a huge building,
huge kiddie pool, and some other random things.. One thing ya can't miss is the ginormous tree front and center..
Dad says 'alright boys', get your guns!
Luke and I look at each other like... OKAY?! and eventually end up seeing a squirrel...
Of course, it ran up that huge tree. We shot it a few times, but, it because stuck in a 'v' between a few branches..
Not wanting to go home empty handed, Dad stepped in and saved the day..
I Will Never Forget This!
He went to the trunk, and grabbed his 410/22 over-under, loaded a 410 round, and *KaBlam*
Blew the squirl outa' the tree! Hahahaha
We took it home, and he preceeded to show us the do's and don'ts of prepping it / cooking it, etc.
The other thing I'll never forget.. Him saying don't even puncture this part..
Then Luke and I proceeding to stab it with a knife - and the immediate Stink. lol
Anyways, a little butter, salt, pepper, some other random thing
That squirrel meat was actually pretty damn good! I remember really enjoying it!
I hate chicken, so it had to be way better than that. Closer to rabbit if I remember right.
Sam -
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Ground squirrels are dangerous vectors- California has a bubonic plague map online:
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/ImpactSummary/index.html?appid=6627dfd8b7f1485cbdfda824965e49b3
Other states have their own version as well.
That being said, they taste great, particularly if you are hungry-. T = H+A
With H being hunger, A is available and T is for Taste.
I heard of this method years ago and see it's still being used by Native people in the Artic:
http://traditionalanimalfoods.org/mammals/rodents/page.aspx?id=6382
Arctic ground squirrel was a traditional food consumed by Yukon First Nations . The Chandalar Kutchin (Gwich’in) usually boiled or roasted it and did not remove the skin manually; they torched the fur and placed the carcass in a pot, opening the stomach and leaving the entrails inside. They also dried and stored the flesh, boiling the dried meat when needed. The children sucked the roasted tails as a between-meal snack
When I'm back in the hills, I'm tempted to try this w the large seirra ground squirrels to avoid the possibility of flea transference.
So far, I've skinned em like tree squirrels and roasted them over a fire when tired of freeze dried lasagna. Using the fat for flavoring sounds interesting as well- if you are desperate, everything looks like food.
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/ImpactSummary/index.html?appid=6627dfd8b7f1485cbdfda824965e49b3
Other states have their own version as well.
That being said, they taste great, particularly if you are hungry-. T = H+A
With H being hunger, A is available and T is for Taste.
I heard of this method years ago and see it's still being used by Native people in the Artic:
http://traditionalanimalfoods.org/mammals/rodents/page.aspx?id=6382
Arctic ground squirrel was a traditional food consumed by Yukon First Nations . The Chandalar Kutchin (Gwich’in) usually boiled or roasted it and did not remove the skin manually; they torched the fur and placed the carcass in a pot, opening the stomach and leaving the entrails inside. They also dried and stored the flesh, boiling the dried meat when needed. The children sucked the roasted tails as a between-meal snack
When I'm back in the hills, I'm tempted to try this w the large seirra ground squirrels to avoid the possibility of flea transference.
So far, I've skinned em like tree squirrels and roasted them over a fire when tired of freeze dried lasagna. Using the fat for flavoring sounds interesting as well- if you are desperate, everything looks like food.
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