Quicky Squirrel Hunt w/Scope Cam

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That's warbles growth on the squirrel. It's the larva stage of a botfly. The larva uses that hole on top to breathe. I got a survey from the PA game Commission wanting me to fill out the survey on harvested lactating females and squirrels with botfly larva. Here's the INFO from the game commission.

"Information for hunters who harvested game with warbles

Rabbits, squirrels, and other game mammal species host warbles. Warbles are more common in warmer climates, especially during the summer and can sometimes be confused with fibromas and other lumps (see Fibromas). When a botfly lays its eggs on a mammal's hide, the larvae hatch and burrow under the skin. When a hunter skins a harvested animal, the warbles appear as large, raised bumps on the surface of the meat. While warbles are gross and unsightly, they can easily be removed with a knife. Even if they're not removed, the meat is perfectly edible. Warbles don't spread diseases to humans, and cooking kills them. There is no need to discard a harvested animal with warbles."
 
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Glad you folks are enjoying the videos. @Blackpaw, I plan to make a video or two showing how I clean, prep, age, and cook the critters with some recipes in there. The Bushy tails are tender and delicious when it's done right! @paulemar, somebody had mentioned that in the YT comments as well. Certainly quite interesting, thanks for sharing that write-up. I've been guilty myself of sometimes discarding the squirrels that had "deformities" because I wasn't sure how safe they may have been to eat, so definitely good to know.
 
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