Eating squirrels

[Mitch Rapp]

A friend of mine has a "squirrel problem" and I have a 22 mag......

Was curious if anyone has any good ways to skin/cook these things, and what do they taste like?

 

[Roadking Larry]

Amazingly enough they taste just like squirrel.
skin them like you would any small rodent. Once you get them cleaned quarter them out and give them a soak in cold salt water and vinegar for about an hour or so.
Here are some interesting looking recipes
http://www.bowhunting.net/susieq/squirrel.html

Me, I'll just dredge them in some flour and fry them a little in some bacon grease then make up some gravy with whats in the pan and let them cook in that till done and make up a mess of biscuits to go with them. Squirrel and dumplings is pretty good too, like chicken and dumplings except with tree rat.

 

[ignerntbend]

Braaains!

 

[Shifty]

Dude, you made a post about this? Did you loose my number or something?

 

[Mitch Rapp]

Dude, you made a post about this? Did you loose my number or something?

ROFL, ok, DETAILS MAN!!!

 

[deerwhacker444]

This method looks easy. I've tried it and I'm just not as good as this guy, but I think it works if you don't cut too much of the tail off.

Mr. Squack

 

[POSITIVE DISCONTENT]

This method looks easy. I've tried it and I'm just not as good as this guy, but I think it works if you don't cut too much of the tail off.

Mr. Squack

Thats about it... I do them (4-6) in salt water over night in the fridge. Drop them in a roasting pan with onion, carrot, potato and cabbage. 325 until the spuds and other veggies are tender. Don't get carried away with the pepper because the meat has a peppery taste naturally....

 

[Shifty]

ROFL, ok, DETAILS MAN!!!

Expect a phone call later.

 

[Glocktogo]

Taste like chicken!

Actually they taste pretty good. The meat is pretty close to rabbit, only a little darker. The younger ones are tender and you can fry them up like chicken. I like to soak them in a saltwater solution overnight to draw out any blood and help tenderize them. Then salt, pepper and roll in flour. Make a slice or two in the larger pieces so they will fry up evenly like the smaller ones before rolling them in flour. Once you're done cooking them, you can use the stuff left over in the pan to make squirrel gravy, which is delicious.

Older squirrels can be tough and you may have to use alternative cooking methods such as these: http://www.state.tn.us/twra/breakfree/recipebook.pdf or http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/game/squirrels2.html

To clean them, cut a small slit in the center of the back crossways. Tuck a couple of fingers in each side and pull towards the ends. On the older ones you may have to cut all the way around, but on the younger ones it should tear around to the belly. Leave the skin on the paws and head to have something to hold onto till you gut them. If you happen to have any damage to the entrails, make sure you cut out any meat that may have residue on it, as that can ruin the flavor.

Hope this helps!

 

[ewheeley]

You'd be better off using a .17 HMR or a .22LR if you have one. .22 WMR will definitely dispatch the little guys, but unless you get a clean headshot every time you'll lose a lot of the meat.