squirl season
 

starts here in mississippi a week from tommorrow...last year i used a 3 frame 12 ga with high brass no 5..sure would reach out there....got to sharpen my knife up for sure..got a nephew who wants to go with me ...will be his first squirl hunt on opening day si hope we see a few...charlie

Maybe your nephew would like to skin the squirrels you boys get... with your nice sharp knife...:eek:

I know I'll never skin another one - and I don't care how good they are to eat!





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how come you so down on squirls dean...charlie

They're just the hardest critters to skin I've ever seen. I know they're good eating.





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Dean, you just have to know a few tricks and then they are relatively simple.

I cut a 1/2 inch slit at the base of the neck on top. Grasp the back edge of the slit with a pair of pliers with good serrated jaws, put your foot on the head and pull. It all comes off in one swipe with no hair on the body. It is pretty simple, quick, and easy. Don't gut until after the hide is off.

Thanks!

I get it - kind of like skinning a perch.





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Here you go Dean:

if i get any squirls i m gona try this method again...them boys make it look easy don t they...charlie

Growing up dirt poor, I thought squirrels were their own food group. Kinda like beef, pork, and chicken, although of the three I'd only eaten chicken a few times. I guess skinning squirrels would be like working up any other kind of mammal. After you've done it enough times you don't think about it much. You just do it. I dressed a nice mess of gray squirrels last weekend down at my mother's (she lives about a hundred miles away in the foothills) and it seemed to take about 10-15 minutes. I need to lay a couple of those out to thaw tonight and get them in the crock pot early tomorrow morning. Thanks for the reminder!

For what it's worth, I cut a slit with my pocketknife right in the center of their back and start working the skin off from there towards both ends. I leave the feets, head, and tail "gloved" and sever the joints with my knife. Some people like the brains and jowls but I never cared much for them. Skin the heads out if it appeals to ya. Then, remove the entrails and cut 'em up into six pieces (front and hind legs, back strap, and rib cage) and soak them in salt water for a while. Salt water draws the blood out. Cook 'em however appeals to you and enjoy!

I enjoy hunting squirrels but like Dean always thought they were tough to skin ! My method these days is the same as my Deer ,skin as soon after the kill as possible while old Bushy Tail is still nice and warm and Gut after skinning ! I take a couple of quart size Freezer Baggies and a folded up roll of paper towels to clean my hands and can do one Squirrel up nicely while waiting on the next ! I skin and cut the squirrel into pieces while in the woods ,leave the skin and Entrails and bring the used towels in one Baggie and the Squirrel in the other then give them a good cleaning once home !

now russ im going to have to clean them things in the woods...i like your idea always hated to clean my squirls after its dark....but if you hunt till late like i do ...charlie

If you boys are skinning them any other way than cutting them under the tail and stepping on it you're doing it the hard way. I can have one skinned and gutted in about three minutes if it's not a tough old fox.

DLH

them old fox are a devil to skin and if you fry him and try eatin him you need good choppers to bite him with...best to put him in the crock pot for several hours....well i decided to hunt with my old 3 frame 12 thursday..it was a toss up between the d grade 20 with damascus barrels 28 inch bored improved cly.and full....decided since all the leaves are still on i had better use the 12 ga with no 5 shot 1 1/4 ounce ....charlie

Take a pair of wire side cut pliers with you and you can easily cut through the bones.

try soaking the squirrels in MILK over night. My family tradition.
Thanks
Rufus

I love being in the woods squirrel hunting but like others here never cared for skinning them. I'll have to give the methods mentioned a try. My favorite tree rat gun is a Kimber 22 rifle.

A Kimber 22 is my favorite as well.

I like pulling the skin from the neck back to the tail as it all comes off in one piece. Less chance to get that darned hair on the carcass which is a pain to get off.

With Squirrel season upon us , I will go to our recipe page in the next few days and put down my Father in Laws Squirrel Recipe ! BEST EVER !!!!!

A nice fall morning in a hardwood stand with a quality 22 rifle is tough to beat. Also it's good scouting and practice for the upcoming deer season.

i should be setting under a big oak about 6 in the morning...it looks rainey so what i got the rain gear set out gun greased up...suppose to have a big squirl dinner tommorrow if we get some...as always i cannot go to sleep on the night before opening day..deer season opens tommorrow with bows....granddaughter said she would be up a tree before daylight....charlie

Good luck.

i was up at 4.00 this morning..i went outside to see if it had rained no rain..i checked the weather update no rain showing but the way it looked i carried the rain suit any way...wind was gusting up to 20 mile an hour at times i was hoping it would calm down..it being cloudy daylight was about 30 minutes off but i was in the woods backed up under a big oak boy the wind never stopped...after 20 minutes under the oak i decided to move i had gone about a hundred yards when i stopped i could hear a squirl knawing on a pine cone i stayed there 15 minutesand decideto move to be able to maybe spot that squirl...but there was another huntertrying to spot the squirl too when i moved one of those blue darter hawks made a pass for that squirl but missed both of us hunters came up empty handed on that squirl...i moved on and found a giant oak den tree i stayed there for about 45 minutes but i reckon since the wind was blowing and it was cool the boys decided to sleep in...i moved on as i was getting chilly i went down a small ditch i then heard a squirl barking..was not long before i spoted him the range was about 45 yards but i knew that old 3 frame 12 would bring him out with ease....well i took good aim and pulled the rear trigger for the left barrel and out that squirl came...i reloaded and as i did i seen a squirl run a short piece as i walked to the spot were the squirl was suppose to that squirl was behind a big pine it ran with in 3 feet of me pellmell on the ground i shot the first barrel to quick with a clean miss at 20 feet... then i shot the other barrel at about 15 steps well guess what missed again and into a big hole in the ground went the squirl...so much for the 3 frames record opening day last year it took 6 squirls with all one shot kills...i then moved on to another spot and hunted till it was time to go to the squirl dinner....as i traveled to the squirl camp i thought the way the winds bloed this morning i bet there want be 10 squirls killed this morning...boy i was right...i drove up and not another person in sight...i called my grandson to see what was up but no answer did i get...i was fixeng to leave and a guy pulled up with a load of lumber and some saws and hammers i asked him were every body was he said o were not camping till tommorrow night dinner will be at 12 saturday...its tuff getting old and getting things mixed up....well anyway the guy and me as his helper and my nephew assisting me we reworked the old camp eating table....the nephew and i then went back to my house and then went arrow head hunting...we found a small but prett bird point of unque color and then almost a perfect big arrow head....wind was still blowing so we called it a day...charlie

will get the old parker out in the morning and try the squirls again.. it has rained late this evening and the wind is still blowing hard...hope the winds die down by morning i did not hunt today on account of the high winds....but we are haveing a squirl dinner tommorrow if we get any dont a chicken leg will do....charlie

I haven't been this year. the weather has cooled off enough I may go one day this week. Hope you get a few tomorrow.

got up at 5 am got dressed and was in the woods at 6 am but it being cloudy it was not light until 6.30...i was watching some big red oaks the sky was getting lighter and i could see the top of those trees good...there was 6 squirls working that tree over real good...what was sad i could not take a shot because if they had fell to the ground it was in a place that only a snake could crawl through so i left them to there business...i had gone about 30 yards farether and i saw a squirl crossing over into a big black walnut tree the 3 frame 12 barked and we had our first squirl of the morning.i killed 2 squirls in this spot before picking them up...i then heard a 22 go off and it was my nephew and his dadthe nephew got it with a little 20 ga single barrel..he got 2 squirls in all 0 for the dad.. i moved farther on and i spoted a squirl really working on a acorn way up in a giant red oak but that left full choke barrel shooting no 4 shot took care of this squirl musta been a 45 yard shot....i then moved on and found a big pine that the squirls were cutting the pine burrs pretty good...at about 10 yards here came a young squirl down a small tree he was so close i decided to pull off target some as to not tenderize this squirl..well it worked when i shot out he came but to my surprize he was still alive..i could not catch him on the ground because of the thick brush so i decided just to shoot him in the head only well took aim at 5 foot and bang a neat miss...well i looked and stepped toward the squirl but in the brush pile he went...for 5 minutes i could not see or find a hair of this thing ...i was about to quit the search but i found a small hole in the ground under a small bush i picked up a stick and punched in the hole and i was nearly run over by the squirl..he ran about 10 foot and this time the head shot worked.... in all i killed 5 squirls one had a wolf in him so left him in the woods...i then worked my way back to the truck picked up my other hunters and off to squirl camp we went....we got there first several had camped that night but were off hunting squirls or deer...we got the fire going good as it was in the 50 s here this morning and windy...slowly the rest of the crew began to come in every body telling us what a bad morning of hunting it was....in all these other boys only brought in 4 more squirls...geez.....this boys are good i should say vetran hunters i hated there bad scores but kinda made me feel good with my 5........ yep charlie was top hunter for once in a long time....well we cleaned the squirls got the oil hot dropped in chicken first then the squirls then tatars and thenpoodle sop gravy....i swear i believe this was the best squirl dinner i have ever had don t it just get better with years...one fellow brought out some pictures of the old bunch of huntersi looked around and out of all the fellows at the dinner another hunter and i were the only two of the old bunch...i fondly rememered most of the old hunts and great squirl dinners we had had at this place...then i thought i hope all of us old hunters had left a few good points for the young hunters to carry on....i had a great day hope ya ll have....charlie

Just wanted to let any one that hunt's these little fellas know , I posted ," Ralph's Squirrel Recipe " In the recipe section ! This truly is the best Squirrel Recipe ,I have ever eaten ,it seems like a lot of trouble but really is worth doing ! I told a Buddy of mine about this nearly twenty years ago and when he and his very large Family go to Deer Camp, this has turned into their Family Tradition for Sunday Fixins , and it gets them together a couple of other weekends a year to hunt for their dinner together ! Jim says they are up to two Granite Pans full of Squirrel and every bite still gets eaten !!!!!!!!!!

Checked your recipe out Russ. Wow 6 hrs. Sounds good though. Glad to hear you got your first squirrels this year Charlie.

Thanks for posting that recipe, Russ! I've used one quite similar to that several times and it's a true winner. Just to share a tale with you guys, here's how it went for a me a couple of weekends ago when the weather, family obligations, and time off from work all came together...

The weather finally turned cool for a few days so my best friend Kyle and I hunted Clark State Forest in southern Indiana on Saturday. We saw a few squirrels but could never manage effective shots at them. He carried his old Iver Johnson .410 and I had my little Mossberg 20 ga. I knew we'd be climbing so I carried the lightest thing I had larger than a .410. Kyle insisted on wearing some orange on the state land and I think that hampered our cause more than a little. Still had a really good day afield, climbed a massive knob, and then we drove to Corydon, IN afterward to have a late lunch and spend money at Gun World.

I took the 12 ga. "Browning" (one of the Miroku-branded Citoris I bought for literally used-.22 rifle money because they didn't know what it was) squirrel hunting near Acton, KY on Sunday. This was down in the central part of the state not far from where I grew up. I took this particular gun because it offered the advantage of being choked full and improved cylinder. Went into the woods looking for a half limit and the old gun delivered handily. I think I saw fifteen total, but only took the shots that seemed proper. The Browning is big and heavy, but reduced the high-brass pheasant loads’ recoil to a solid shove. That was a nice change from the ultralight 16 ga. Parker that nearly beat me to death trap shooting the weekend before.

The woods were surprisingly cool and still as I slipped into them shortly before sunrise. I had crept some distance before seeing the first squirrel, which would not allow me within range for a shot. Moving along, I soon had a good longer shot at one flattened out on the base of a tree. I swung the gun up and centered him with the full-choke barrel, dropping him neatly into the weeds. A nice gray squirrel, he would make fine table fare. I trussed him onto my lanyard and moved on.

Lots of squirrels spotted over the next hour's hunting, but they were all skittish. This area is on public land and I suspect they still get hunted pretty heavily.

When unknowingly nearing Robinson Creek, I was startled by the guttural screaming of a heron that was only about 40 yards away, concealed by the thick undergrowth. It sounded like a pig! This all started while I was stalking a squirrel spotted about 80 yards distant in the treetops. As I slipped along, another materialized out of nowhere to my right and offered a clean shot at a little under twenty yards. Another little gray made the lanyard heavier. This helps explain my affinity for the tight/open choke setup for squirrel hunting in this particular area. The undergrowth makes for very close shots on the ground but the tall trees need some serious choke for the high ones.

Hunting along the creek for about a half mile produced almost no sign of game. The heron was still there making his terrible racket, but soon spotted me directly and flew out of sight, growling, barking, and generally offering his discontent with my presence in the hideous language of his species. Only one squirrel was spotted along this stretch and he was far too cautious to allow my approach. While hunting one of the ancient washes back toward the truck, another gray offered a shot as he bounded out of a tall, old walnut tree. I was unable to get a clean sight picture, as he was obscured by leaves just as I got the gun mounted. Waiting patiently, I soon saw him materialize in the weeds moving toward the adjoining corn field. I tracked the rustling grass with the bead until he passed a thin spot and I could clearly see him, and the lanyard was heavier, still.

Farther along still, the day was growing warm and the bright sunlight was a bit much to be standing in. I kept to the shadows and moved with a bit less stealth than exercised earlier, looking at spiders in their now-drying webs, bothering a box terrapin, and things like that. I suddenly spotted a big red squirrel on a tree trunk about forty yards ahead. I had come for three, but the red is the squirrel of my youth. More common than the gray in these areas I used to hunt back then, I grew accustomed to carrying home specimens the size of a smallish house cat. Properly handled in the kitchen (see Russ's recipe just recently posted!), they are every bit as tasty as the more appreciated gray. I fired the full-choke barrel and the squirrel appeared to fall, but in retrospect, I think he jumped at the shot. He was immediately out of the weeds and back upon the base of the tree, looking around as if to ask “what just happened?” I hit him with the open-choked under barrel and he was gone. A solid half hour of searching produced not a sign of squirrel or injury to him. I gathered my kit and bounty, laughed at the squirrel's good luck, and moved on to the truck.

It was a glorious morning:

http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/q...psxfexxsmb.jpg

The old "Browning" I like so much and three grays that didn't care for it one bit!

I just acquired an old Trojan 12 ga. a few weeks ago that will likely give this gun a run for its money in this particular setting. With any luck, I'll post another report in the near future telling you guys how it performed...

very good storey of your hunt..i really liked all the details makes me feel like i was there with you hunting...tommorrow i m going to a gun show so i will give the grays a morning off....charlie