GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Hunting Gate => : shadow July 21, 2007, 10:21:37 AM
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I decided today that I would take the 2240 out for a hunt so I grabbed a tin of Predators and headed out back to the grove of tree's. The temp's been pretty warm, 80's so I knew that the CO2 would be throwing some lead and it's a good day to hunt anyway. I worked my way out through the wheat field and slowed to a crawl when I came to the shade coming from the grove of tree's knowing that something would be resting there. As I dropped to a knee I scanned the tree's, working my way down to the ground cause they could be anywhere. As I was getting ready to head in further I noticed a object with a bushy tail twitching in the tree about twenty yard's ahead of me. I slowly dropped to the ground and slid over to a fallen tree and using it as a rest I sighted in on him with the Red dot scope. He turned alittle and I pushed off the safety, relaxed and squeezed the trigger. The report from the 2240 and the impact were music to my ear's as I watched him tumble from the limb and hit the ground about ten feet below. I got up and loaded another hoping that I didn't have to use it and made my way to my harvest. Clean and to the point, the Predator entered into his neck and out his upper skull. I picked up my kill and headed out saving the loaded round , I shot it into my target board when I got home, what a waste hehe. Ed
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Nice shooting. How do you cook the squirrels? I am surprised there are any left near you, lol.
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Thank's David, here's how I cook em recipe. 1 squirrel, 1tsp salt,1tsp pepper,1tsp garlic powder,1tsp onion powder. Boil squirrel for 1/2 hour with the salt,pepper,garlic powder and onion powder. Put squirrel on a hot grill, add hickory chip's and cover and smoke for a hour.Add BBQ sauce, I make my own and smoke for another 1/2 hour. Add some mash spud's, sweet corn and some bisquit's . Injoy...Ed
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Dang Ed, that sure is a fat one you bagged buddy..:) Loved your hunt and the bbq'ed squirrel....:) I think I am more interested in coming over for dinner... hehe
That 2240 can sure knock em down..:) Nice!
Gene
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Dang that sounds good. Do you cook rabbits the same way? That sounds like it is worth trying out, thanks.
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Thank's buddy, I like her more each time I shoot her. Ed
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YEp, that's how I cook em too. Ed
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Hey Ed,
Good hunt, Great shootin, and GREAT Pict !!! A triple header !
I'm happy that you and Jeff hunt so often, and are nice enough to post your adventures. This way I, and perhaps others as well,have a chance to hunt with both of you.
Keep on being you Ed !!!
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Big thank's Bill and I injoy hunting with dem Airgun's and bringing home some pic's for my fellow member's. Ed
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Got another one today buddy but if your heading over for dinner I'm sure that I can get another for you before you get here hehe. Ed
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So which one of your babies killed the squirrel today bud..:)
Gene
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The ShadowSport took em down today, check em out on my other hunt post buddy. Ed
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How do you clean a squirrel, exactly? And how do you make the fur usable? I have had a few good shots on them, but decided not to take'm, since I have no clue how to make them ready to cook.
Thanks, Randy
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Make a horizontal cut across the underside of the squirrel's tail at the base. Slice through the skin and tailbone, but don't cut the skin on the upper side of the tail. Next, extend that cut, from each of it's end's, about a inch down the inside of each hind leg, put the squirrel on the ground, place your foot on the base of the tail, grab the hind leg's and pull slowly. This will peel the hide from the animal's back and around to the middle of it's belly, leaving a V- tipped patch of fur on the belly, with it's point facing the head. Continue until you've pulled the skin down over the foreleg's and neck. Then use your other hand to slip the front leg's out of the skin. With that done, grab the V, pull it toward's the squirrel's anus, and skin out the hind leg's. Remove the anus and intestines, cut off the head and feet and soak the meat in cool, salted water ( a tablespoon of salt per quart of water) for several hour's before cooking. As for saving the fur, there are some tanning tech. out there, I dont save the hide just the tail's. Ed
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I use the same technique,,, works great. I tried posting a video of it but the link doesn't seem to work anymore.
Give the tree rats a try Gene,, they really are extremely good eating :)
Jeff
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Thanks, What kinda things should I look for, to ensure the meat is safe? I'm hoping to start taking some once my gun comes back =)
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One of the easiest ways to detect a rabbit or squirrel that may not be fit to eat is to check the liver when you clean the animal. The liver should be a nice consistent color and clean in appearance. If the liver has white, or sometimes yellowish, spots on it then there is a good chance that the animal has some sort of disease or internal parasite and you should probably not eat it. Other than that other indicators would be the general overall appearance of the squirrel. Plainly put,,, it should look healthy,,,,, fur clean and full, free of lesions and the animal should appear normal and healthy when observing it's ability to run, climb, etc.
It's very rare that you will run across a squirrel that is unfit to eat. Mother nature is very efficient when it comes to eliminating, or culling, sick or diseased animals. They usually don't last long or are easily killed and taken by predators.
Hope this helps ya.
Jeff
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Most if not all squirrel meat is good for eating, younger squirrel's meat is not as tough. I've found that what ever the squirrel's been eating a lot of like sweet corn and even fruit's, the meat will have a taste of it. The squirrel's around here eat sweet corn and there's a few pear tree's and a black walnut tree around me. Just remember, when you harvest your squirrel and you field dress him, keep the meat as cool as possable. Warm meat will spoil. I've never had a squirrel with meat problem's myself but if there's a something on the meat that seem's unusual best pass on it. Jeff will jump in with some info also, he's has great advice also. Good luck and happy hunting and cookin. Ed
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Thanks again guys, always good to be sure the game I am eating isn't gonna kill me ;)
Randy
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Hey Randy,
Finally found that squirrel skinning video again, take a look at this, this is the technique Shadow and I were talking about.
http://members.localnet.com/~nickdd/
Jeff
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Never seen a video like that before. Pretty neat
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Works like a charm. The key is not to make the cut any larger than the guy in the video demonstrates,,, otherwise when you go to pull up the skin will just tear....
Jeff
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Got it, I'll try it out the next time I bag a squirrel.
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All right, Thanks, that made it allot clearer. Now I just need to convince my mom into cooking them for me ;)
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Randino - 7/27/2007 4:12 PM
... Now I just need to convince my mom into cooking them for me ;)
Hey Randy, I bet you'd score some points with your Mom if you were to come up with a coupla good sounding recipes for squirrel, and do the cookin' yourself (you may want to do a practice run once or twice). It's never too early learn the art, and I expect you'd enjoy the hunt that much more, too- besides, chicks dig a guy who can cook ;~)
Bryan
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Better yet Bryan, I think Randy should hunt down a few rabbits or squirrels, skin em and wait till his mom and dad are away for a day and then he should prepare them a nice dinner. Of course not telling them what they are eating...:) They would probably just love it until he was asked what kind of meat is this... hehehe
Gene
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LOL buddy, that' how my little woman came to love squirrel too........don't tell me what it is, just give me a taste to see if I like it. The rest is history, squirrel for two please. Ed
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Definitely a better idea, Gene.
Go for it Randy, and make sure if you do to let us know how it turns out. If you could come up with some fancy French-sounding name for the dish, she'd never have to know and you'd be in like Flynn; LOL!
Bryan
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That sounds like allot of fun. I will try it, if I get a good chance. How long can I keep a squirrel froze? I'd hate to kill my parents, who would be left to buy me air guns? ;)