Author Topic: squirre[, it's what for dinner  (Read 3100 times)

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Offline hedgeapple

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squirre[, it's what for dinner
« on: November 28, 2015, 03:49:14 am »
With the weather forecast calling for near 60 degrees and a full moon, my wife decided we needed "date night." Her idea for "date night" was a bonfire to burn off one of her raised vegetable beds, grill some burgers, stocked cooler and enjoy the full moon in camp chairs while eating under the stars. Gotta love a woman who'll combine the practical with the romantic; a honey-do list with beer.

I had some split firewood on a trailer at the back of the farm which would need to come to the house.

This fall, I've seen a phenomenon I've not seen in the prior 15 years on the farm, "prairie squirrels." While bow hunting or driving around the farm, I'll see all these grey squirrels in the fields, digging, scampering, digging. Sometimes they have a hickory nut or walnut in their mouth that they were burying other times--not. In my tree stand I've 3 to 6 grey squirrels sit up like prairie dogs in my young winter wheat plots.

Thinking that fried squirrel, squirrel gravy, fried potatoes and biscuits would be a good Black Fried meal, I tossed my H & R .410 Tamer in the truck just in case dinner presented itself to me.

Driving into the back field, I saw no "prairie squirrels". I went about the task of hooking up the trailer. "I"ll just walk up the back wooded fence line and check the feeder at the top of the hill, maybe I'll get a shot at a squirrel." Before I got to the fence line, I see a squirrel. He was too far for a .410 shot, but I didn't think he saw me. He was just moving. I cut the distance quickly and pretty quietly, but he spotted me. I shot low and behind him as he ran out a limb. OK it's been awhile since I shot this short stock gun. After practicing bringing the gun to my shoulder a few time and finding the sights, I headed on up the hill where another old fence line of trees T into the back fence. One of bow stands and feeders if at this T. I've seen several squirrels there while deer hunting.

The fallen leaves sound like potato chips with each step. But, the wind is blowing 8 to 10 miles an hour. I walk as quietly as possible with the wind. I see a squirrel moving away from me. He probably saw/heard me but he wasn't leaving out very quickly, just in front of me. With a 12 gauge, he'd been in the pouch. With a short barrel/ short stock 410, I let him go.

I could hear a squirrel cutting on a walnut at the T. I moved up as slowly and quietly as conditions allowed. I see movement--a squirrel on the ground. Scanning the area, I see her on a limb that's abour 10 off the ground (just above the under story of honeysuckle bushes) at 15 yards from me. She's sat down to chew on a hickory nut. Boom... thud.

I keep moving toward the squirrel that's still gnawing on the walnut. As I go by the limb the previous squirrel had been setting on, I made a mental note to mark the spot so I could find that squirrel on my way back to the truck. To my surprise there sat a 2nd squirrel on the same limb, but, now only 7 yards away. I slowly raised the Tamer, aimed an inch off it's nose--Boom... thump.

The squirrel with the walnut was still cutting. I moved up another 10 yards and saw her setting on a limb just above the honeysuckle bushes--Boom...thump.

In less than an hour of an impromptu hunt, I had Black Friday's dinner and 1 1/2 squirrels to be vacuumed seal for later. I call that a good afternoon.
« Last Edit: November 28, 2015, 03:53:59 am by hedgeapple »
Dave   Richmond, KY
26" draw

Offline chamookman

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2015, 04:56:35 am »
Cool hunt - bad thing is now I'm HUNGRY ! Bob
"May the Gods give Us the strength to draw the string to the cheek, the arrow to the barb and loose the flying shaft, so long as life may last." Saxon Pope - 1923.

Offline Zuma

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2015, 09:29:23 am »
Love it :)
I weaned myself on rabbits and squirrels.
Mom would make pot pies. I had a 14"
Beagle/Blue Tick cross. That ole gyp would
run rabbits, tree squirrels, coons and locate
downed pheasants and grouse. ???
The dinner plate you posted looks so
Yummy. ;)
Zuma
If you are a good detective the past is at your feet. The future belongs to Faith.

Offline RyanR

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2015, 12:12:34 pm »
Tasty lookin eats there. I am waiting for firearm deer season to end so I can go squirrel hunting.

Offline unkieford

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2015, 12:22:18 am »
I got one a few weeks back with the quiet rifle. It was tasty.
The wife was kinda speechless when she found me gnawing on squirrel and listening to Flat and Scruggs.
Tanned the skin, and just waiting for the right project to use it on.
Congrats on a successful hunt and a fine lookin' meal.

---Ford---

Offline Knoll

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2015, 06:25:58 am »
Can't beat an opportunity to combine a bit of work with a bit of fun. Congrats on successful hunt!

Some friends and I are headin' out later this week for some camping, squirrel hunting, and lie-tellin'. Weapons of choice will be bows & slingshots, so our odds of matching your game bag aren't good.
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline hedgeapple

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2015, 08:45:18 pm »
Knoll, it seems to me that there are 3 types of hunts:
1.  A trophy where you try to take a record book quarry.  I don't trophy hunt, but I don't belittle those that do.  The closest I come to trophy hunting is Brian and I have this running competition as to who shoots the squirrel with the biggest testicles; it's not like you can determine this when you have a bead on a squirrel, but it's still fun.  So, far I've never been beaten for some reason. haha

2. A meat hunt where you're just wanting to fill the freezer.  This is more my style

3. A hunt of opportunity where you just grab a gun for a walk in nature.

I'm not about the "trophy of a life time" but more about the "hunt of a life time"--the hunt you'll remember for life time; the stories you'll tell around a campfire.  Combine any of the 2 above and you probably have the hunt of life time IMO. Of course there are other factors that play into a 'hunt of a life time", those being memories with friends.

Knoll, it sounds like you and your friends are planning a hunt of a lifetime.  Good luck.  I hope you take the squirrel with the biggest testicle and get bragging rights for the trophy squirrel of the hunt. ;)

I'm looking forward to the story and pictures.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2015, 08:49:43 pm by hedgeapple »
Dave   Richmond, KY
26" draw

Offline Danzn Bar

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2015, 08:49:57 pm »
Dave,
I've got to get back into the squirrel woods.......thanks for the inspiration... :)
DBar
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking

Offline Gsulfridge

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2015, 09:02:31 pm »
Oh man, a big smile on my face as I recall hearing first hand the parameters of Dave and Brian's squirrel contest.  Ha, really puts a different twist on squirrels packing nuts.  What a crew!
Greg Sulfridge, Lafollette, TN

Offline Pappy

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2015, 08:49:16 am »
Sounds like a fun hunt and great time spent with the better half. I love to hunt them little critters and plan on some of that when the deer season finely winds down. :)
 Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline Knoll

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2015, 10:08:47 am »
I'll be sure to share your competition parameters with my lil group. We'll try to get some pictorial documentation of the adventure!
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline stickbender

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Re: squirre[, it's what for dinner
« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2015, 12:24:52 am »
     Dang looks good!  When I was little boy, my whole Family, including my Grand Father, on my Mom's  side, Would go down to the big cypress swamp, and my Dad would deer hunt, and my Grand Father would turkey hunt, and then take my Brother, and I squirrel hunting.  We would bring back the squirrels, and skin, and cut them up, and my Mom would make Squirrel and dumplings, just like chicken and dumplings but with squirrel instead.  Sometimes she would make a stew, with gravy, and onions, and potatoes, and sometimes mushrooms, if we had any.  Some times she would fry them like you did, and make a gravy, and serve it with rice, and English peas, like you have.  Thanks for bringing up fond memories.  On a uh...... lighter note, thanks to the trophy "NUT" hunts, a good Friend of mine who works for the FD, and is a Chief, goes on a call in his chiefly car, and is getting in it to get some paper work, and he says he still doesn't know exactly what happened, but as he slid across the seat to reach for the binder with the paper work, he had somehow rolled the "Boys"!  He was in such a position, that he could not lift himself up, and the only way to get off the Boys, was to scoot back out, off of the seat.  Well that just rolled them again.  He was standing, or leaning on the car, deciding whether to throw up, or pass out, or a combination there of.  One of the medics, sees him, and asks if he is alright, and says no, and explains what had just happened, well the medic tells him to get in the rescue unit, and they take him to the hospital.  Coincidentally, the one, one his daughters works at.  Well long story short, the Dr. informs him, that one of the boys, is torn in half, and the other is badly bruised, but will survive, but the torn one will have to be removed!  While be sedated, it seems, he made some remarks, that he thought was funny, at the time, and in a flirting way, to the attending nurses, that his daughter, later, informed him, as did his wife, it was not funny!  So any way, he is telling his friends, including his clown friends, via email, as he is also a Fire fighter clown, about what had happened.  I am reading his story, and crossing my legs, and getting chills all over me, just imagining what he went through!  Well of course he got all kinds of good thoughts from his clown friends.  NOT!! being Clowns, and Firefighters, he did not get any sympathy, but a lot of joking remarks, and the best one was, "Well Fred look at this way, you're married, and still swinging single!"  Anyway, about a week later, I am on the internet, and looking at some funny "T" shirts, and I see one, that almost made me fall out of my chair, from laughing so hard!  it took me over 15 minutes, and a couple almost calls, to get control over myself to call Fred, to ask what size shirt he wears, and what color he likes.  After his many questions that went unanswered, I finally got the information.  At the Children's Burn Camp, I gave it to him, in front of some of our Clown Friends.  It showed a cartoon squirrel holding a nut, and the caption, "It's all fun and games, till someone loses a nut!"  He tried to wear it to the in laws for Thanksgiving dinner, but his wife would not let him!  Thanks again for bringing back great Family memories.  In fact I have a squirrel in the freezer right now, that my neighbor's Grandson shot with a pellet rifle.  I had told him, that if he shoots any more, to save them, and let me know, because I wanted them.  So he called me told me that his Grandson had gotten another garden robber, so they brought it over, and I cleaned it, and put it in the freezer, with a Grouse, a Friend of mine's wife tagged with her car.  Thanks,
                                   Wayne
« Last Edit: December 01, 2015, 12:31:13 am by stickbender »