Squirrel hunting question

ghostsniper1

So I've killed a many tree rat and let the meat go to waste in my younger days (flame me if you may.) but anyway. I'm going legit this year, actually Saturday. So I just have to ask, although we have had a few frosts now, but what guarantees against rabbies??? Got no problem with skinny and gutting, but what should I look out for?

jbp-ohio

Never heard of a rabid squirrel. Possible I guess. Use latex gloves when cleaning to keep blood off your hands and cook well.

I've seen squirrel with ticks, fleas, lice, and warbles.

woodsrunner

From a wildlife biology standpoint, not much to worry about with healthy squirrels. From a cultural standpoint if there was much danger in cleaning/eating squirrels, half of the Rural South and about all of the folks from the Southern Mountains would have died!

ghostsniper1

Okay, thanks fellas. Just never done it before so I wasn't sure.

Buffco

ghostsniper1 wrote: »

So I've killed a many tree rat and let the meat go to waste in my younger days (flame me if you may.) but anyway. I'm going legit this year, actually Saturday. So I just have to ask, although we have had a few frosts now, but what guarantees against rabbies??? Got no problem with skinny and gutting, but what should I look out for?

Guys, he wasn't talking about rabid squirrels. See his post? He's asking about rabbies.

5280 shooter II

Are you trying to infere he meant Rabbis?

Anyway....to Ghost....are you going after Greys or Red-Fox squirrels?

ghostsniper1

5280 shooter II wrote: »

Are you trying to infere he meant Rabbis?

Anyway....to Ghost....are you going after Greys or Red-Fox squirrels?

Grey squirrel. All this time I never really went "hunting," for lack of a place to do so until a buddy of mine informed me that you can hunt in the state park that's fairly close to us. So I'm picking up a license at Wally World and heading out in the morning.

5280 shooter II

Awesome! All I really see around here are Red-fox and the little black Pine squirrels in the mountains.....assassinated many of of the Reds....the mountain ones we'd eat....the city ones....I'm still on the fence about them.....but I always get the annual fish/small game license just in case a ranger visits us camping with a cook-out going on......:tooth: Good luck and good hunting! :up:

ghostsniper1

Do you know if I need a "fur bearer" license by chance? I'm sure I can ask the guy at wal mart since I ain't sure, but I figure someone here will know. And about 90% of the squirrels I've shot around these parts (a lot city,) were grey. I hear its good eats.

breamfisher

Looking at the Ohio state hunting regs http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/regulations/hunting_smallgame.aspx squirrels aren't fur-bearers. They're small game.

WSJ

O H I O has all three species, all of which can be eaten (although I don't recommend the reds), and all which should be hunted with a 22 rifle!

Fox squirrels will test your skinning skill.

Any mammal can have rabies but squirrels are not commonly found with it.

Shoot some, skin some, eat some - they'll be just fine (although I recommend a stew or pressure cooking for fox squirrels). -WSJ

ghostsniper1

Thank you all, I appreciate the advice.

Razorbacker

WSJ wrote: »

O H I O has all three species, all of which can be eaten (although I don't recommend the reds), and all which should be hunted with a 22 rifle!

Fox squirrels will test your skinning skill.

Any mammal can have rabies but squirrels are not commonly found with it.

Shoot some, skin some, eat some - they'll be just fine (although I recommend a stew or pressure cooking for fox squirrels). -WSJ

Concur both on the .22 thing and the Fox squirrels. And that stew needs to be slow cooked in a crock pot or something. But I even at least parboil the greys.
To my taste the best way to eat squirrel is in squirrel and dumplings. I'll give you my secret recipe for same as follows:

First secure the services of a red headed black woman who weighs at least 300lbs. Although 400 is prefered.
Give her the dressed squirrels with instructions to let you know when it's all done.
Enjoy!

Zee

Fond memories hunting squirrels as a boy. First game animal I ever took, in fact. Wonderful times.

ghostsniper1

Yeah it's a good memory I have the first time I took a squirrel as a kid with my pellet gun and my old man. Showed me how to skin and gut it just how his dad taught him and his dad taught him too. Never ate that one though because it was mid summer IIRC.

NN

For tough old ones, simmer in your seasoning of choice [that is par-boil for you Johnny
Rebs]. I use poultry seasoning.

After 2-2.5 hours, pick the meat of the bones.

Now you can make pot pie/sheppard's pie or mix it in a package of rice
pilaf.


cpj's way is the best as long as the rats are young enough.