The great squirrel slayers

TMHunt

TMHunt

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Well my favorite time of the year is upon us. I love the fall, for many reason, the cool weather, the beautiful fall colors, the list goes on. Another one of my favorite things is hunting season, unfortunately I hadn't had a chance to deer hunt for the last few years, but a couple of weeks ago I was able to catch up with my cousin and get out to hunt some bushy tails....
I love squirrel hunting. I love being out in the woods. The peacefulness, the quite sounds of the woods, seeing all of the wonders of nature everywhere you look, and the occasional BANG from the gun and the smell of the burnt powder when you bag one of these little delicious creatures :).

We had good luck, we both limited out in our couple hours in the woods. As I was cleaning my squirrels, I chuckled to myself wondering if anyone in the world cleaned squirrels the same way I did, which is with a T.M.Hunt friction folder and a M18 :).

Now, I didnt always do it that way. Many many years ago, I was taught how to clean squirrels by my father-in-law and his cousin. I have always done it this way, but incorporated the use of my own knives in the process when I got older.I always clear a spot from hair at the base of the tail with my small friction folder, and cut through the it pulling the hide free from the body all the way till the hide is pulled to the base of the skull and all four legs, then with one swing of the M18 all of it is quickly removed and the body and the hide are all left in one piece. The removal of the entrails is the final step and into salt water usually overnight before hitting the frying pan.

I've seen a lot of people quarter there squirrels as they clean them, seems like a pretty good process, so I wonder, how do you guys do it, and what are your tools of choice?





 
That's awesome! Wish we could bag squirrels out here but plague isn't something you can cook away. Congrats on a nice hunt!
 
Looks like a fun time Todd! I haven't been able to go hunting for a while either! Looks like your friction folder is serving you well too, very cool, thanks for sharing.
 
I've never had the pleasure of fried squirrel, can I ask what it reminds you of, please don't say chicken!
 
cchu518 said:
I've never had the pleasure of fried squirrel, can I ask what it reminds you of, please don't say chicken!
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Well, I d be lying if I said it wasn't at least similar to chicken. Maybe a little tougher, it all depends on how it fixed really. As far as frying it, I have to give kudos to my aunt for that because I wouldnt attempt it myself. I quartered the squirrels and she fried them using a old recipe that come from my grandma way back when they had the farm. (It sold in 1968)

When I'm fixing them myself. I put the whole body filled with potatoes, onions and whatever vegetables I want along with seasoning and a big scoop of butter in a foil bag and cook it over a canpfire.. Mmmmmmm!

I've also been known to put the whole bodies in pressure cooker until the meat falls off the bone, then used to meat to put with noodles or even made barbeque with it. :thumbup:
 
TMHunt said:
I've also been known to put the whole bodies in pressure cooker until the meat falls off the bone, then used to meat to put with noodles or even made barbeque with it. :thumbup:
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Hmmmm... Yea... Squirrelbeque. :thumbup:
 
soak the squirrel in beer for a couple hours, roll it in cornbread mix, and pan fry in bacon grease with raisins & sliced onion until thoroughly browned.
 
1066vik said:
soak the squirrel in beer for a couple hours, roll it in cornbread mix, and pan fry in bacon grease with raisins & sliced onion until thoroughly browned.
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That sounds real good until you got to the raisin part. You take turds out of the carcass when you clean them, I have no desire to put them back in for cooking purposes. :barf:
 
Two ways we fix up squirrel -

Either

- "chicken fried squirrel", made in a fashion similar to chicken fried steak - dipped in milk, rolled in corn meal and flour and then fried.

or

- squirrel stew - quarter the carcass, put in a pot cover with water and spices (mine are 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper, 1 Tablespoon of chili powder, 1/8th teaspoon of garlic powder), and a chopped up onion. Bring to boil, them simmer for an hour or until tender. Add sliced carrots, chopped bell pepper, cubed potatoes, a dash or two Worcestershire sauce and cook til potatoes and carrots are tender.
 
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