Hunting Season

[Pat]

As hunting season is neigh, I am getting in touch with my inner Jack Pine Sauvage. Literally everything is making me hungry...

P.S. We French shouldn't be trusted around horses...

[Rem700]

Been way to many years since hunting bushy tails, Wish I could find a place with huntable populations, Last time out was perhaps thirty years ago near Little Falls.

[Pat]

Been way to many years since hunting bushy tails, Wish I could find a place with huntable populations, Last time out was perhaps thirty years ago near Little Falls.

I grew up on the south side of Mille Lacs, and still live there much of the year. Back in that same 30-year-ago time period, Mepps in Isle used to pay $0.15 for a squirrel tail. They made trout spinners out of them (the trout fishermen will curse me for my ignorant verbiage, but hey, I'm a walleye guy...).

Don't get me wrong; trout are very yummy. Though I'd rather have them smoked than pan fried...

[Ramoel]

I used to hunt those gray ones when I was younger and lived in another state. We ate them for years. Here in MN we've got some nice hunting land up north but the only squirrels are those tiny red ones that like to disturb you when you're deer hunting. My yard in Eagan is full of nice fat gray's that would be quite tasty except you can't hunt in the city...

[45usp45]

Countless ones available here in Minneapolis.... My neighbors get cranky when they get too thick.

[Pinnacle]

A couple of years ago the area staged a summer long management hunt for the little bastards - especially the red ones. The count stood at around 450-465 by end of october... And guess what - they are all back in spades... Time for another management hunt.

[monschman]

I used to hunt those gray ones when I was younger and lived in another state. We ate them for years. Here in MN we've got some nice hunting land up north but the only squirrels are those tiny red ones that like to disturb you when you're deer hunting. My yard in Eagan is full of nice fat gray's that would be quite tasty except you can't hunt in the city...

Yeah, i got that silly rule down here in Apple Valley too, however, these are legal and silent from the bedroom window http://www.cabelas.com/link-12/product/ ... 490a.shtml

[Pinnacle]

Depiction of the management hunt

[nyffman]

[Jackpine Savage]

As hunting season is neigh, I am getting in touch with my inner Jack Pine Sauvage.

Me too

We kicked off the fall with a couple does in the early antlerless season and then started hunting pheasants. Since then we haven't eaten any domestic meat. Venison tenderloin, pheasant in orange sauce, venison fajitas, moose burgers, pheasant in orange sauce again, venison stir fry, and a few nights of leftovers in between.

Trapping season starts on Saturday. Has anyone eaten raccoon?

[cobb]

Has anyone eaten raccoon?

Yep, use to have it years ago quite regularly. Dad would never eat a coon that was run by dogs, he said the meat was bad from being chased.

[rtk]

Has anyone eaten raccoon?

Yep, use to have it years ago quite regularly. Dad would never eat a coon that was run by dogs, he said the meat was bad from being chased.

Does anyone else hear banjo music?

[nyffman]

The only way I've eaten racoon is BBQ'd. And it was good. And while we're at it, go ahead and laugh, the best fowl, no, not foul, I've eaten was pigeon. Good ol' dairy farm silo pigeon. When I was a kid, that's what we shot after pheasant season ended.

[cobb]

...the best fowl... I've eaten was pigeon. Good ol' dairy farm silo pigeon

Yes, very good also. With a group of friends that I have hunted with for over 40 years, this was one of our first hunting trips. Jump on the bicycles and go to a neighboring farms that had barn pigeon problems, scare them out of the barn and shoot them on the fly. Our mothers fixed the birds in a variety of ways and it was one of the best memories and meals that I have had in my hunting adventures.

Now for those of you that hunt morning doves and think they are tasty, maybe you should try some good old barn pigeons.

And for those of you that harvest woodcock and think they are such a tasty bird, well there is no hope for you. I don't care if you role a woodcock in bacon and barbecue it with the best recipe available, it still taste like,,,,,well, I bet it would taste worst than raccoon poop.

So take that...

[DeanC]

Some squab for the swab, eh?