squirrel hunting as a polisher for deer season.

[kellory]

There is not much meat on a squirrel, and the bag limit is only 6 per day, which seems pretty low, IMO, but it does get me out in the woods before deer season, and serves double duty as scouting public lands for deer as well. I don't waste what I hunt, I got a guy just begging for the squirrels if I don't care for the taste, and MEPS (the guys who make fishing lures) will buy the tails and pay in cash(not much) or fishing lures. If this interests you, go to their website and check how they want the tails prepared. Be advised though, it takes about 50 tails to be cost effective for shipping. The biggest thing I get from squirrel hunting is the feel of the hunt, the woodscraft, the crack of the rifle, and the knowledge that my aim was true .And of course, I can't help but notice deer sign, It is roughly an hour drive to where I can legally hunt squirrels (and later deer) and as I said there is not much meat involved. I would like to get the most out it. Does anyone have any suggestions as to best recipe, or method of preparation? It has been a few years since I kept squirrels for myself.

[Mac]

Sounds like fun. I haven't been squirrel hunting since I was a little kid.
I say do whatever you can to stay active in the sport of hunting. It helps keep your mind sharp and your skills honed.
I love going to the lease and stalking deer in the sanctuary. (A place where I don't go often)

This year I started shooting 3D tournaments. Awesome fun and a great challenge.
I'm not a big fan of were the rings are on the 3D targets (usually to far back and high - liver shot)
So I usually aim where I'd like for my arrow to hit a live target unless there's a chance I could win. I know a few shooters at the local range where we hold the shoots and if they're competing then it's pointless... So I'll aim for the kill zone.
If they're shooting for fun or aren't there, I'm shooting at the x rings! Lol

[jonny5buck]

There is not much meat on a squirrel, and the bag limit is only 6 per day, which seems pretty low, IMO, but it does get me out in the woods before deer season, and serves double duty as scouting public lands for deer as well. I don't waste what I hunt, I got a guy just begging for the squirrels if I don't care for the taste, and MEPS (the guys who make fishing lures) will buy the tails and pay in cash(not much) or fishing lures. If this interests you, go to their website and check how they want the tails prepared. Be advised though, it takes about 50 tails to be cost effective for shipping. The biggest thing I get from squirrel hunting is the feel of the hunt, the woodscraft, the crack of the rifle, and the knowledge that my aim was true .And of course, I can't help but notice deer sign, It is roughly an hour drive to where I can legally hunt squirrels (and later deer) and as I said there is not much meat involved. I would like to get the most out it. Does anyone have any suggestions as to best recipe, or method of preparation? It has been a few years since I kept squirrels for myself.

Squirrel meat is tough no doubt..but just like rabbit try a pressure cooker....and than pull the meat off with a fork...than place back in the pot and add some barbecue sauce...the pressuer cooker keeps it a little more tender..good luck

Im also not a fan of walking and shooting any gun before season on the same ground that gets deer hunted..i have a buddy who squirrel hunts before deer season every yr also...i prefer to ''scout''' for deer sign at the end of season..in march..when rubs and trails are easy to spot...pre-season..is minimal [at least to me] and if i do it its without a gun ...honestly hunting squirrels most of your attention is looking up and if you happen to come across sign thats a bonus.....i prefer to make a quick short trip to look while in camo...and get the hell out of there...not worth scaring a buck out that might be using that ground as his core bedding...IMO--not trying to say your doing anything wrong,just my opinion that it ''could happen'' and you might not even know you pushed a big deer out...

[kellory]

True, but my squirrel hunting is done on public lands, and my deer hunting is done mostly on private land, If I happen to notice something that I want to return for (deer or squirrel groups) I mark them with the GPS and return later.Think of it more as remedial stealth training, or stealth rehab. I use it to shift my mindset from repair work and tech problems to the hunter/gatherer we were. If you can sneak up on a squirrel, it's a fair bet you can sneak up on a deer. (did I mention, I hunt squirrels and rabbits with a slingshot as well as a gun?) And when we do a drive or a group hunt, I don't want to spook deer because a rabbit steps out of the brush just ahead of me, I will take him with the slingshot, silently, on the way in and pick him up on the way out.Stealth is good!

[Woods Walker]

Squirrel hunting is a great way to brush up for deer hunting, especially stillhunting. I like to stillhunt squirrels, because when you can walk through a woods at what I call "squirrel speed", so that they not only don't pay any attention to you, but they also come close enough to you to RUN OVER YOUR TOES, then you are ready to try and hunt deer that way. With the ghillie suit on, I've had them literally come right up the log I was sitting on, to the point where I had to make a slight movement so that they wouldn't run over me!!!!

[kellory]

And all this time I thought it was because you smelled like a nut! A word of caution, do NOT shoot them when the run across your toes! Bad JU-JU! Very bad! Not a good idea! Even with a slingshot, that would be a bad idea! (though, come to think of it, from the squirrel's point of view, you must have scared the crap out of them! (AND THEN THAT DANG BUSH TRIED TO EAT ME!!!)

[kellory]

Follow-up. went out on public lands Saturday. saw three other hunting parties in the same area, only one of them saw us though. I found lots of squirrel sign, but few live ones, the area has been picked over pretty good already, and my hunting partner showed up 3 hours late. That got us out there much later than I expected. And though we had no squirrel to show for it, the guns have been sighted in, and I marked 3 places with the GPS, that I may return to during deer hunting, including a little raised delta with lots of converging trails and fresh tracks from several big ones and one I think is a large buck. The delta and the surrounding area have several good trees for a climber with descent cover as well. That spot looks real promising! Lots of shell casings, lost of different brands. All of them old, not 1 new one in all I saw, and all of them were shot shells, no slugs. Two scraps found. This high traffic spot shows no sign that any other humans have been there in the last couple of years. but has been hunted heavily with small game loads in the past. No long range shots here, but I may return here for bow season, if my private lands don't work out for some reason.

[kellory]

So much changes in a year. I followed my GPS back to these three spots, with an Old Timer friend of mine. He would be a Stump Sitter you never met, though he might become a member soon. He is a life time hunter as well and in his 80s. I hoped to set him up on a hot spot and get him some squirrel gravy out of the deal, but the squirrels refused to show, and we got chased out of the woods by a thunderstorm just after noon. Opening day was a bust.
I had a bit of trouble with my gun as well. It's a glenfield #60, with the original scope,(1.5X15mm I think) and in the heat and very high humidity, the scope fogged up and I couldn't hardly see through it, except in bright light. My gun never came off safety.
There were deer trails in plenty, but nothing like I found last year, and the ambush points I picked out last year, will not quite work this year (if I come back for deer here) but it is always a learning experience.
When the rains hit, it took more than an hour to clear out of the woods and back to the truck. I carrying my pack and both guns, him with his walking stick, and for a while I thought I might have to carry him too, Water soaked everything, and if feels like you double in weight, with the humidity making it harder to breath.
I think I will take him down to my land, it's got to be easier on him and there is a clear road to enter, I can set him up with a chair, and if needed a bed to rest in, and a shorter walk. There are a few squirrels that I know of there, when they chatter during dear season, so he should do all right.
The rifle will see a full cleaning, and a new scope. A buddy has promised one for a year now, I think it's time.

[Cut N Run]

There's more squirrels in the woods I hunt than at a city park. I don't care anything about hunting squirrels during or before deer season. I don't want anybody in there hunting until after I've had plenty of time to bowhunt that land for deer. Those bushy-tailed tree rats will bust you and fuss if they catch you moving. They keep the owls pretty well fed though. Each winter before the squirrel season goes out, I get a couple buddies of mine and we hunt the squirrels hard for a few days to thin the numbers of those pesky buggers down some. One friend who hunts with us loves squirrel and will take as many as he can get. I'm happy to share my limit with him.

Jim

[shaman]

I like Squirrel Curry. Basically, all it takes is some Kourma Curry Paste. Look for it in the International Section at Krogers or visit the local Indian store. Follow the instructions and serve on top of rice. Figure that just about anything you'd do to a chicken wing, you can do to a squirrel.

My son, who is much bigger into squirrel, takes a squirrel and loads it up with a lot of spices, wraps it in foil and slow cooks it on a grill. You can come close to what he's doing with one of those bottled marinades you get at the supermarket-- something like Sesame Garlic, or Mesquite or Lemon Pepper or. . . whatever you want. Follow the instructions for chicken and enjoy.