2017-18 Bambi wacking thread

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  • AlBeight

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 30, 2017
    4,371
    Hampstead
    Instead of bow hunting tonight my son wanted to go after squirrels. No sooner do we get in the stand and he loads his .22 when here comes a 6pt meandering on through the clearing in front of us and we have no bow. The evening wasn't a total loss though, that buck was barely out of sight when he shot his 1st squirrel.
    And my fone is screwed up. I took a pic of him holding 5 squirrels and sent to his Mom but I cant take it from the message app and post it here.
    I never knew they were so hard to skin. They're soaking in brine and I'll be looking up recipies.
    Squirrels are very hard to skin, and to clean. Their fur doesn’t come off in one piece like a rabbit’s. It comes off in small chunks, and usually leaves a thousand hairs embedded seemingly permanently in the meat. Love hunting squirrels, loved eating squirrels, despised the rest. They’re a tough little animal, often they’ll take a shotgun blast of #6 load from 20 yds, and when you skin it only 1 or 2 pellets actually made it thru the kevlar-like hide, then 10-15 pellets drop out onto the table in pristine condition. Great eating IMHO if you make it thru to that point, at least without swearing to never do it again....
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Squirrels are very hard to skin, and to clean. Their fur doesn’t come off in one piece like a rabbit’s. It comes off in small chunks, and usually leaves a thousand hairs embedded seemingly permanently in the meat. Love hunting squirrels, loved eating squirrels, despised the rest. They’re a tough little animal, often they’ll take a shotgun blast of #6 load from 20 yds, and when you skin it only 1 or 2 pellets actually made it thru the kevlar-like hide, then 10-15 pellets drop out onto the table in pristine condition. Great eating IMHO if you make it thru to that point, at least without swearing to never do it again....

    I went squirrel hunting a bunch last year and literally one time I got 2 squirrels, nothing the rest. Of course saw TONS when deer hunting. I haven’t bothered this year. Maybe next year I’ll try again. Yeah, skinning was a nightmare. One I ended up with the rear legs as I tore that one apart. Other one I sort of managed most of it. Cooked up with a little EVOO rosemary and a dash of salt. It was good. The one I tore apart I had hit with two #5 turkey loads from about 25 yds (I was out turkey hunting, knocked some from a roost, gave up after a few more hours, that was winter turkey hunting).

    Nearest I could tell about 5 pellets made it through and through. About 5-6 were embedded just inside the meat. Maybe 5-8 were barely under the skin. From two shots (first one hit it, but it was crawling off).
     

    67temp

    Active Member
    Jun 25, 2009
    901
    Gettysburg, PA
    Squirrels are very hard to skin, and to clean. Their fur doesn’t come off in one piece like a rabbit’s. It comes off in small chunks, and usually leaves a thousand hairs embedded seemingly permanently in the meat. Love hunting squirrels, loved eating squirrels, despised the rest. They’re a tough little animal, often they’ll take a shotgun blast of #6 load from 20 yds, and when you skin it only 1 or 2 pellets actually made it thru the kevlar-like hide, then 10-15 pellets drop out onto the table in pristine condition. Great eating IMHO if you make it thru to that point, at least without swearing to never do it again....

    Check out youtube, there are plenty of videos of how to skin a squirrel quick. Basically make a slit below the tail then cut to in front of the back legs. Step on tail and pull the back legs. It should just peel the whole front half off. It takes a little practice. The first few times I tried it I ripped the squirrel in half.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjjpW-To3Ms
     

    hi3cho

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 16, 2012
    1,306
    Edgemere
    I have never skinned squirrel but I saw a guy on the an episode of MeatEater skin one in a few seconds, he was a huge small game hunter. I don't remember the details but something like cut behind the tail and step on the tail and pull the legs. Something like the link below. Maybe I am missing something as I said I have never done it myself.

    https://www.wikihow.com/Skin-a-Squirrel
     

    newmuzzleloader

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 14, 2009
    4,765
    joppa
    Just a tip, brine will toughen them. Soak in butter milk. The acidity will help tenderize.

    Saw this too late... If they're too tough after cooking the chickens will eat them, not much gets wasted with them. I poured it off this morning and put more fresh water in. I think I'm going to slow cook them anyway, the oldest( from the size I think it's the oldest) I'll put in a little pressure cooker. I'm thinking some will be burrito meat some stew or pot pie and I saw a you tube of squirrel n gravy over rice that looked good.

    He was using a Ruger American Rimfire with a Weaver 4x28 scope shooting regular bulk federal 36 gr hp. so no pellets to deal with. 3 of them were headshots @ 30 yds so little meat was ruined.
     

    newmuzzleloader

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 14, 2009
    4,765
    joppa
    Check out youtube, there are plenty of videos of how to skin a squirrel quick. Basically make a slit below the tail then cut to in front of the back legs. Step on tail and pull the back legs. It should just peel the whole front half off. It takes a little practice. The first few times I tried it I ripped the squirrel in half.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjjpW-To3Ms

    I watched some videos of that being done, it does look to be fast n easy. I'll try that way next time.
     

    Lanceman_1

    Active Member
    Jul 14, 2011
    525
    I do the same as the video except I dunk in water so the hair isn't everywhere and I cut the feet off before I skin.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,815
    Saw this too late... If they're too tough after cooking the chickens will eat them, not much gets wasted with them. I poured it off this morning and put more fresh water in. I think I'm going to slow cook them anyway, the oldest( from the size I think it's the oldest) I'll put in a little pressure cooker. I'm thinking some will be burrito meat some stew or pot pie and I saw a you tube of squirrel n gravy over rice that looked good.

    He was using a Ruger American Rimfire with a Weaver 4x28 scope shooting regular bulk federal 36 gr hp. so no pellets to deal with. 3 of them were headshots @ 30 yds so little meat was ruined.
    Yeah if you're slow cooking, it should be fine. The buttermilk thing is more for pan frying. Be sure to run the meat under cool water and rub the flesh of excess brine.

    Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
     

    newmuzzleloader

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 14, 2009
    4,765
    joppa
    Yeah if you're slow cooking, it should be fine. The buttermilk thing is more for pan frying. Be sure to run the meat under cool water and rub the flesh of excess brine.

    Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

    Will do, Thanks. I'll try the buttermilk soak next time and fry some. I've never had squirrel before I don't want to screw it up and nobody want to try it again.
     

    govwontletmebuycoolguns

    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 3, 2010
    3,879
    DPRM
    When Bambi whacks itself....through the office window....

    IMG_2117.jpg
    IMG_2116.jpg
    IMG_2118.jpg
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,815
    Same thing happened to my dad's office in downtown Rockville right on the pike, 20+ years ago.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,815
    My sons youth day deer was hit in both lungs with a Federal Fusion 6.8 SPC....not a drop of blood :confused:

    I 'double lunged' one, one late ML season. Snow on the ground. Blood trail three feet wide through the first field. Second field, a constant drip. Third field...zippy. Aliens took him. Idaknow...
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    No luck today. Got in the woods at 2pm after work. Wandered a bit and I went back to grab my stand at the trail head and setup in a tree across the creek. But for took off when I was almost to my stand, 30yds from where I was planning to setup.

    Bah. Not sure if it was bedded there or wandering in and saw me. I think bedded. Oh well.

    No squirrels until sunset. I don’t think anything liked how windy it was. Did almost nails racoon back at my car. Tempted, but a racoon didn’t seem worth $15 worth of arrow and arrow head (well, mostly I couldn’t recall if racoons are in season or legal to be hunted after sundown. It didn’t seem rabid. Took off when I changed my headlamp from red to white light).
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Huh, looked it up. I guess I would have been legal. Still not going to chance destroying or losing a crossbow bolt and mechanical broadhead on a raccoon unless it is rabid.
     

    gtodave

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 14, 2007
    14,167
    Mt Airy
    I saw a giant buck out in the middle of a field in Cecil Co yesterday about 11:30, right off 95. Makes me think they're moving mid day now. I've had no late afternoon action recently.

    Edit: just checked Scoutlook...says major moving times are midnight to 2am, and 11:30am to 1:30pm, so I guess I was right.
     

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