We have a very good friend who had her husband put a gun port in the
kitchen window right over the sink. He put a plexiglas pane in place
of the glass storm window, cut a 3" diameter hole in the center, then
made a nice swivelling plexiglas cover for the port that easily pivots
out of the way for the pellet gun. Squirrels beware!

Pete Stanaitis
--------------------

SteveB wrote:
I have just about solved the gopher problem around here by learning to trap
them. Not so with squirrels. We have a particularly annoying subspecies
around here that lives in the rock outcroppings of the canyon next to my
home. They raid the back yard, the bird feeders, the dog dishes, the
garden, the almond trees, the apple trees, and whatever else they can get,
and that includes electrical wiring and plastic products.

Sooooooo, I found a steel 3/8" plate that is two feet by two feet. It
stands vertical behind a nice squirrel nut dispenser with a T perch made out
of wood. The plate is painted white for good visibility of the squirrel in
my scope.

We have lots of old pecan trees, and I just go on main street and collect
nuts from public streets. When asked what I am going to do with them, I
just say, "Feed the squirrels this winter."

"Ahhhh, what a kind person," is the usual response.

I surely know that this spring and summer will have a lot less squirrel
problems.

I forgot to mention the platform I put over the plate to offer up the
squirrels to the local raptors.

Now, what else can I get into during this snowy weather.....................

Steve

"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote:


Sooooooo, I found a steel 3/8" plate that is two feet by two feet. It
stands vertical behind a nice squirrel nut dispenser with a T perch made out
of wood. The plate is painted white for good visibility of the squirrel in
my scope.



I'm jealous.

Sounds fun. The effect on squirrel population will be not much,
though.

i

I have just about solved the gopher problem around here by learning to trap
them. Not so with squirrels. We have a particularly annoying subspecies
around here that lives in the rock outcroppings of the canyon next to my
home. They raid the back yard, the bird feeders, the dog dishes, the
garden, the almond trees, the apple trees, and whatever else they can get,
and that includes electrical wiring and plastic products.

Sooooooo, I found a steel 3/8" plate that is two feet by two feet. It
stands vertical behind a nice squirrel nut dispenser with a T perch made out
of wood. The plate is painted white for good visibility of the squirrel in
my scope.

We have lots of old pecan trees, and I just go on main street and collect
nuts from public streets. When asked what I am going to do with them, I
just say, "Feed the squirrels this winter."

"Ahhhh, what a kind person," is the usual response.

I surely know that this spring and summer will have a lot less squirrel
problems.

I forgot to mention the platform I put over the plate to offer up the
squirrels to the local raptors.

Now, what else can I get into during this snowy weather.....................

Steve

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote:


Sooooooo, I found a steel 3/8" plate that is two feet by two feet. It
stands vertical behind a nice squirrel nut dispenser with a T perch made
out
of wood. The plate is painted white for good visibility of the squirrel
in
my scope.



I'm jealous.

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This is
for an entire neighborhood:

BRUNSWICK STEW

About 70 squirrels, cut up
2 large stewing chickens, cut up
6 gals. water
2 1/2 lbs. salt pork, chopped
2 1/2 gals. butter beans(lima beans)
3 1/2 gals. cubed peeled potatoes
4 gals. chopped peeled tomatoes
1 gal. cubed peeled carrots
2 1/2 gals. freshly cut corn
1 gal. shredded cabbage(optional)
1 pod red pepper, chopped
3/4 c. black pepper
1 3/4 c. salt
2 1/4 c. sugar

Directions:
Clean, dress and cut up squirrels and chickens. If your folks are not ardent
squirrel hunters, increase the number of chickens. If you use all chickens,
this recipe will take 24 stewing chickens.

Bring 4 gals. water to boil in 30-gal. iron kettle. Add squirrel and chicken
pieces. Cook, stirring often, until meat comes off the bone. (Take out
pieces of bone before serving to small children.) Add remainder of water, as
needed.

Chop salt pork, fry out and add pork and drippings to boiling mixture. Add
beans, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and corn in order as each is prepared.
Continue cooking and stirring until vegetables are tender.

Add cabbage and seasonings, and cook, stirring, 1 hour, until stew is thick
and flavors well blended. Remove kettle from coals to serving area by
hooking handle over a heavy pole, several helpers carrying each end. Makes
15 gallons.


Enjoy! Tomorrow, we'll make stewed black bear with dumplings for a small
town...

--
Ed Huntress

On 2008-12-15, Ed Huntress wrote:

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This is
for an entire neighborhood:

BRUNSWICK STEW

About 70 squirrels, cut up
2 large stewing chickens, cut up

Have you ever tried to eat squirrels?

I tried once to do what Steve B is trying. Killed squirrels from air
rifle. Decided to eat them by cooking with vegetables.

I was right after losing 45 lbs then and was very hungry all the
time. (could explain the decision to cook squirrels) I am now 20 lbs
heavier.

Despite me being hungry, the squirrels were the vilest and most
disgusting food that I recall in recent years (perhaps besides old
MREs that I also tried to eat).

What a ****ing puke that squirrel meat is.

STAY AWAY

i

Ignoramus23050 wrote:

On 2008-12-15, Ed Huntress wrote:

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This is
for an entire neighborhood:

BRUNSWICK STEW

About 70 squirrels, cut up
2 large stewing chickens, cut up

Have you ever tried to eat squirrels?

I tried once to do what Steve B is trying. Killed squirrels from air
rifle. Decided to eat them by cooking with vegetables.

I was right after losing 45 lbs then and was very hungry all the
time. (could explain the decision to cook squirrels) I am now 20 lbs
heavier.

Despite me being hungry, the squirrels were the vilest and most
disgusting food that I recall in recent years (perhaps besides old
MREs that I also tried to eat).

What a ****ing puke that squirrel meat is.

STAY AWAY

i

Having tried squirrels personally, I'd have to say you did a poor job
preparing / cooking them. The ones I had were stewed with tomatoes and
peppers and were rather like a bit darker meat chicken wings. Not a lot
of meat on those critters, but what there is is perfectly tasty.

"Ignoramus23050" wrote in message
...
On 2008-12-15, Ed Huntress wrote:

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This
is
for an entire neighborhood:

BRUNSWICK STEW

About 70 squirrels, cut up
2 large stewing chickens, cut up

Have you ever tried to eat squirrels?

Ha-ha! Yes, probably more than a hundred of them.


I tried once to do what Steve B is trying. Killed squirrels from air
rifle. Decided to eat them by cooking with vegetables.

I was right after losing 45 lbs then and was very hungry all the
time. (could explain the decision to cook squirrels) I am now 20 lbs
heavier.

Despite me being hungry, the squirrels were the vilest and most
disgusting food that I recall in recent years (perhaps besides old
MREs that I also tried to eat).

What a ****ing puke that squirrel meat is.

STAY AWAY

Eeewww! You ate ILLINOIS squirrels? What were you trying to do, poison
yourself? d8-)

Seriously, Iggy, you must have done something really bad. Squirrels are
good. I fry the young ones, and either braise the older ones, or cook them
in stew.

It's pretty hard to wreck a squirrel unless you overcook them and dry them
out. They have no fat on them to speak of. The old ones can be a bit tough
if you fry them, but braising takes away some of their unique flavor.
However, it's a surer thing, unless you're good at guessing their age. g
Braised squirrel tastes a lot like turkey dark meat.

You DID take the guts out first, didn't you? Did you skin them before you
cooked them? ggg

--
Ed Huntress

On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:54:03 -0600, Ignoramus23050
wrote:

On 2008-12-15, Ed Huntress wrote:

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This is
for an entire neighborhood:

BRUNSWICK STEW

About 70 squirrels, cut up
2 large stewing chickens, cut up

Have you ever tried to eat squirrels?

I tried once to do what Steve B is trying. Killed squirrels from air
rifle. Decided to eat them by cooking with vegetables.

I was right after losing 45 lbs then and was very hungry all the
time. (could explain the decision to cook squirrels) I am now 20 lbs
heavier.

Despite me being hungry, the squirrels were the vilest and most
disgusting food that I recall in recent years (perhaps besides old
MREs that I also tried to eat).

What a ****ing puke that squirrel meat is.

STAY AWAY

i
It must be what the squirrel ate that made it so bad. I used to eat
squirrels that I shot in the Santa Cruz Mountains. These mountains lie
between the San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Cruz. The squirrels
tasted good and the meat was dark.
ERS

"Ignoramus23050" wrote in message
...
On 2008-12-15, Ed Huntress wrote:

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This
is
for an entire neighborhood:

BRUNSWICK STEW

About 70 squirrels, cut up
2 large stewing chickens, cut up

Have you ever tried to eat squirrels?

I tried once to do what Steve B is trying. Killed squirrels from air
rifle. Decided to eat them by cooking with vegetables.

I was right after losing 45 lbs then and was very hungry all the
time. (could explain the decision to cook squirrels) I am now 20 lbs
heavier.

Despite me being hungry, the squirrels were the vilest and most
disgusting food that I recall in recent years (perhaps besides old
MREs that I also tried to eat).

What a ****ing puke that squirrel meat is.

STAY AWAY

i


Iggy,

The key is to clean and skin them promptly, and let them soak *overnight
only* in salt-water. Then marinate in milk for 3 or 4 hrs, dredge in
seasoned flour, fry in a good iron skillet, make a thick pan-gravy,
bisquits, side dishes of tomatoes and okra, some pepper-slaw, and a big
glass of cold milk. Doesn't get any better than that.

One meal like this, your attitude would do a one-eighty, and you would be a
squirrel hunter for sure.

Flash

Ed Huntress wrote:
Snip:

You DID take the guts out first, didn't you? Did you skin them before you
cooked them? ggg

--
Ed Huntress

That is a good question. I've eaten squirel but after the
first couple I decided it just wasent worth the effort
to skin and gut the beasts for the mouthfull of good
meat. Same thing for rabbit. So I kept to deer which
gives a good "return on investment" for the labor. :-)
...lew...

Lew Hartswick fired this volley in
m:

Ed Huntress wrote:
Snip:

You DID take the guts out first, didn't you? Did you skin them
before
you cooked them? ggg

--
Ed Huntress

That is a good question. I've eaten squirel but after the
first couple I decided it just wasent worth the effort
to skin and gut the beasts for the mouthfull of good
meat.

But LEW! There ain't NOTHIN' better'n a pan full of Southern-Fried
squirrel with gravy. Nothin'!

LLoyd

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
m...
Ed Huntress wrote:
Snip:

You DID take the guts out first, didn't you? Did you skin them before you
cooked them? ggg

--
Ed Huntress

That is a good question. I've eaten squirel but after the
first couple I decided it just wasent worth the effort
to skin and gut the beasts for the mouthfull of good
meat. Same thing for rabbit. So I kept to deer which
gives a good "return on investment" for the labor. :-)
...lew...

That's true, at least regarding squirrels. You have to be into squirrel
hunting and the eat-what-you-kill approach to enjoy the whole thing with
squirrels. I hunted squirrels a lot as a kid in Pennsylvania, when they were
the handiest thing to hunt, and then later in Michigan, when I started
hunting with a handgun and it got interesting again.

Dressing squirrels is not very efficient. But if it takes you more than two
minutes to dress and skin a *rabbit*, you need to improve your technique.
You don't "take" the guts out. You fling them out, holding the rabbit by the
legs and whipping it over your head. This takes some practice to keep the
guts off your coat. g And you can case-skin a rabbit in no more than 20
seconds, unless it's winter season and the rabbit has lost all its fat.

--
Ed Huntress

"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
m...
Ed Huntress wrote:
Snip:

You DID take the guts out first, didn't you? Did you skin them before
you cooked them? ggg

--
Ed Huntress

My mom wasn't a good cook. I remember one Thanksgiving when we went to
carve the turkey, she pulled out the pack of giblets that she had not
taken out before cooking.

One time, I was having dinner at a friend's house. His wife was about as
good a cook as Mom. She brought some incinerated potatoes to the table.
My friend was obviously embarrassed and uneasy. I looked at the potatoes,
then at him. He was looking at me with a panicked expression.

I said, "Awwwwwwwwww. Will you LOOK at those potatoes? That's just the
same way Ma used to cook them." He was relieved and amused. His wife was
not amused.

Steve

Ha-ha! Oh, boy, profiles of culinary embarrassment.

Anyway, it reminds me of the one thing about dressing squirrels that you
have to be careful about. The bladder is pretty thin and easily punctured.
If you break it and urine gets on the meat, throw that squirrel out.

Gee, I'm wondering now if someone told Iggy that you're supposed to skin a
squirrel, not pluck it...

--
Ed Huntress

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
m...
Ed Huntress wrote:
Snip:

You DID take the guts out first, didn't you? Did you skin them before
you cooked them? ggg

--
Ed Huntress

That is a good question. I've eaten squirel but after the
first couple I decided it just wasent worth the effort
to skin and gut the beasts for the mouthfull of good
meat. Same thing for rabbit. So I kept to deer which
gives a good "return on investment" for the labor. :-)
...lew...

That's true, at least regarding squirrels. You have to be into squirrel
hunting and the eat-what-you-kill approach to enjoy the whole thing with
squirrels. I hunted squirrels a lot as a kid in Pennsylvania, when they
were the handiest thing to hunt, and then later in Michigan, when I
started hunting with a handgun and it got interesting again.

Dressing squirrels is not very efficient. But if it takes you more than
two minutes to dress and skin a *rabbit*, you need to improve your
technique. You don't "take" the guts out. You fling them out, holding the
rabbit by the legs and whipping it over your head. This takes some
practice to keep the guts off your coat. g And you can case-skin a
rabbit in no more than 20 seconds, unless it's winter season and the
rabbit has lost all its fat.

--
Ed Huntress

It's been thirty years since I've been squirrel hunting (I lived on them a
couple of semesters in college and I don't think I need to eat them any
more), but Old Man Mullins showed me a technique for squirrels that made it
quick.

If I had a dead squirrel in front of me, muscle memory would take over, but
as it is I have to rely on the little gray cells.

Step on the hind feet with your right foot and grab the tail in your left
hand. Nick through hide under the tail with a knife and pull the tail up
hard. The hide will peel up the back. Then you grab the body around the
middle under the skin and turn the hide inside out and over the feet. Cut
off the head with your knife and the feet with a pair of dikes. Flick out
the innards and toss in the salt water. Done.

Rabbits were easier, you didn't even need a knife.

Paul K. Dickman

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
m...
Ed Huntress wrote:
Snip:

You DID take the guts out first, didn't you? Did you skin them before you
cooked them? ggg

--
Ed Huntress

My mom wasn't a good cook. I remember one Thanksgiving when we went to
carve the turkey, she pulled out the pack of giblets that she had not taken
out before cooking.

One time, I was having dinner at a friend's house. His wife was about as
good a cook as Mom. She brought some incinerated potatoes to the table. My
friend was obviously embarrassed and uneasy. I looked at the potatoes, then
at him. He was looking at me with a panicked expression.

I said, "Awwwwwwwwww. Will you LOOK at those potatoes? That's just the
same way Ma used to cook them." He was relieved and amused. His wife was
not amused.

Steve

"Paul K. Dickman" wrote in message
...

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
m...
Ed Huntress wrote:
Snip:

You DID take the guts out first, didn't you? Did you skin them before
you cooked them? ggg

--
Ed Huntress

That is a good question. I've eaten squirel but after the
first couple I decided it just wasent worth the effort
to skin and gut the beasts for the mouthfull of good
meat. Same thing for rabbit. So I kept to deer which
gives a good "return on investment" for the labor. :-)
...lew...

That's true, at least regarding squirrels. You have to be into squirrel
hunting and the eat-what-you-kill approach to enjoy the whole thing with
squirrels. I hunted squirrels a lot as a kid in Pennsylvania, when they
were the handiest thing to hunt, and then later in Michigan, when I
started hunting with a handgun and it got interesting again.

Dressing squirrels is not very efficient. But if it takes you more than
two minutes to dress and skin a *rabbit*, you need to improve your
technique. You don't "take" the guts out. You fling them out, holding the
rabbit by the legs and whipping it over your head. This takes some
practice to keep the guts off your coat. g And you can case-skin a
rabbit in no more than 20 seconds, unless it's winter season and the
rabbit has lost all its fat.

--
Ed Huntress

It's been thirty years since I've been squirrel hunting (I lived on them a
couple of semesters in college and I don't think I need to eat them any
more), but Old Man Mullins showed me a technique for squirrels that made
it quick.

If I had a dead squirrel in front of me, muscle memory would take over,
but as it is I have to rely on the little gray cells.

Step on the hind feet with your right foot and grab the tail in your left
hand. Nick through hide under the tail with a knife and pull the tail up
hard. The hide will peel up the back. Then you grab the body around the
middle under the skin and turn the hide inside out and over the feet. Cut
off the head with your knife and the feet with a pair of dikes. Flick out
the innards and toss in the salt water. Done.

Rabbits were easier, you didn't even need a knife.

Paul K. Dickman

That sounds slick. I think I've heard of that, or something close to it,
before, but I've never tried it.

Unless I start hunting in PA again, I think I'm done squirrel hunting. We
have to use a shotgun in NJ. The shame, the shame...

--
Ed Huntress

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"Paul K. Dickman" wrote in message
...

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hartswick" wrote in message
m...
Ed Huntress wrote:
Snip:

You DID take the guts out first, didn't you? Did you skin them before
you cooked them? ggg

--
Ed Huntress

That is a good question. I've eaten squirel but after the
first couple I decided it just wasent worth the effort
to skin and gut the beasts for the mouthfull of good
meat. Same thing for rabbit. So I kept to deer which
gives a good "return on investment" for the labor. :-)
...lew...

That's true, at least regarding squirrels. You have to be into squirrel
hunting and the eat-what-you-kill approach to enjoy the whole thing with
squirrels. I hunted squirrels a lot as a kid in Pennsylvania, when they
were the handiest thing to hunt, and then later in Michigan, when I
started hunting with a handgun and it got interesting again.

Dressing squirrels is not very efficient. But if it takes you more than
two minutes to dress and skin a *rabbit*, you need to improve your
technique. You don't "take" the guts out. You fling them out, holding
the rabbit by the legs and whipping it over your head. This takes some
practice to keep the guts off your coat. g And you can case-skin a
rabbit in no more than 20 seconds, unless it's winter season and the
rabbit has lost all its fat.

--
Ed Huntress

It's been thirty years since I've been squirrel hunting (I lived on them
a couple of semesters in college and I don't think I need to eat them any
more), but Old Man Mullins showed me a technique for squirrels that made
it quick.

If I had a dead squirrel in front of me, muscle memory would take over,
but as it is I have to rely on the little gray cells.

Step on the hind feet with your right foot and grab the tail in your left
hand. Nick through hide under the tail with a knife and pull the tail up
hard. The hide will peel up the back. Then you grab the body around the
middle under the skin and turn the hide inside out and over the feet. Cut
off the head with your knife and the feet with a pair of dikes. Flick out
the innards and toss in the salt water. Done.

Rabbits were easier, you didn't even need a knife.

Paul K. Dickman

That sounds slick. I think I've heard of that, or something close to it,
before, but I've never tried it.

Unless I start hunting in PA again, I think I'm done squirrel hunting. We
have to use a shotgun in NJ. The shame, the shame...

--
Ed Huntress

Ya, it is always a pain to pick pellets out of your squirrel gravy.

Paul K. Dickman

On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:54:03 -0600, Ignoramus23050
wrote:

On 2008-12-15, Ed Huntress wrote:

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This is
for an entire neighborhood:

BRUNSWICK STEW

About 70 squirrels, cut up
2 large stewing chickens, cut up

Have you ever tried to eat squirrels?

I tried once to do what Steve B is trying. Killed squirrels from air
rifle. Decided to eat them by cooking with vegetables.

I was right after losing 45 lbs then and was very hungry all the
time. (could explain the decision to cook squirrels) I am now 20 lbs
heavier.

Despite me being hungry, the squirrels were the vilest and most
disgusting food that I recall in recent years (perhaps besides old
MREs that I also tried to eat).

What a ****ing puke that squirrel meat is.

STAY AWAY

i

Either you shot the wrong squirrels or they weren't prepared right. My
dad hunted squirrels and fed us with them. They were delicious! Some
of this was done in Illinois, around Macomb.

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This is
for an entire neighborhood:


After my elderly mom drove her Jimmy across an intersection because she could not stop it
and Uncle and I later found 14 walnuts jamming the throttle, I don't care if they taste
good. I'm going on a squirrel jihad.

That was todays drama.

Wes

On 2008-12-18, Wes wrote:
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This is
for an entire neighborhood:


After my elderly mom drove her Jimmy across an intersection because she could not stop it
and Uncle and I later found 14 walnuts jamming the throttle, I don't care if they taste
good. I'm going on a squirrel jihad.

These may not be squirrels. I think that those were likely a different
kind of animal. These tend to make messes in my garage.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Well, pard', wrap your gums around this and satisfy your jealousy. This is
for an entire neighborhood:


After my elderly mom drove her Jimmy across an intersection because she
could not stop it
and Uncle and I later found 14 walnuts jamming the throttle, I don't care
if they taste
good. I'm going on a squirrel jihad.

That was todays drama.

Wes

Jeez, my wife hides chocolate like that, but what's your mom doing hiding
walnuts?

--
Ed Huntress

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:13:06 -0600, Paul K. Dickman wrote
(in message ):



Unless I start hunting in PA again, I think I'm done squirrel hunting. We
have to use a shotgun in NJ. The shame, the shame...

--
Ed Huntress

Ya, it is always a pain to pick pellets out of your squirrel gravy.

Paul K. Dickman



spendy, but... steel shot -- magnet
tom koehler

--
I will find a way or make one.