Squirrel

[Pferdestarke]

I'm looking out from the dining room on to our garden where there has been lots of activity (including some digging) from 3 squirrels.

Shall I shoot one with my air rifle and treat it in much the same way I would a rabbit?

I know Hugh would.

[AndyAudi]

Why not?
(just don't eat it's nuts)

[Reidy10_0]

My mate cooked one once.
Taste like chicken, no suprise there then.

[JayBM]

I've had squirrel a few times in the past (all shot with the air rifle). The taste is similar to chicken however I think it almost has a slightly artificial/chemical taste.

I've stopped eating it now as a number of squirrels that have been killed locally and subsequently tested by DEFRA have been positive for TB.

For me the pleasure gained from the meat (very little) was not worth the risk.

HTH
Jay

[Pferdestarke]

JayBM said:

squirrels that have been killed locally and subsequently tested by DEFRA have been positive for TB.

For me the pleasure gained from the meat (very little) was not worth the risk.

HTH
Jay

It does Jay. I won't bother!

Thanks all the same but I don't fancy a bout of TB!

[Fatbloke]

i shoot them and let the fox have em

i have eaten Squirrel, didn't like it myself
not sure about the chicken comments but may have been
the way it was cooked

[FTJoe]

They started selling them in Taste recently in Bristol. A friend bought a couple and we're planning on having a woodland animal feast at some point with various treats made from squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, hare, venison and anything else interesting we can find (a bit of badger would go down well but is rather more difficult to get hold of).

It's fairly cheap though about £2.50 a squirrel

[Mobile Chicane]

FTJoe said:

They started selling them in Taste recently in Bristol. A friend bought a couple and we're planning on having a woodland animal feast at some point with various treats made from squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, hare, venison and anything else interesting we can find (a bit of badger would go down well but is rather more difficult to get hold of).

It's fairly cheap though about £2.50 a squirrel

I'll eat most things but I draw the line at badger since they're scavengers.

[OllieWinchester]

Without wishing to sound too gay, I couldn't kill a squirrel again, they are too sweet. I shot one once, right in the head and it just rotated round the branch and stayed hanging on bu its feet, dripping blood. I felt reallybad, don't kill anything any more.

[madbadger]

Mobile Chicane said:

FTJoe said:

They started selling them in Taste recently in Bristol. A friend bought a couple and we're planning on having a woodland animal feast at some point with various treats made from squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, hare, venison and anything else interesting we can find (a bit of badger would go down well but is rather more difficult to get hold of).

It's fairly cheap though about £2.50 a squirrel

I'll eat most things but I draw the line at badger since they're scavengers.

Step away from the badgerburgers.

[Mobile Chicane]

madbadger said:

Mobile Chicane said:

FTJoe said:

They started selling them in Taste recently in Bristol. A friend bought a couple and we're planning on having a woodland animal feast at some point with various treats made from squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, hare, venison and anything else interesting we can find (a bit of badger would go down well but is rather more difficult to get hold of).

It's fairly cheap though about £2.50 a squirrel

I'll eat most things but I draw the line at badger since they're scavengers.

Step away from the badgerburgers.

And they're rather lovely too. By far my favourite animal

[Mobile Chicane]

OllieWinchester said:

Without wishing to sound too gay, I couldn't kill a squirrel again, they are too sweet. I shot one once, right in the head and it just rotated round the branch and stayed hanging on bu its feet, dripping blood. I felt reallybad, don't kill anything any more.

They aren't native to the UK so kill away. If there's one creature I don't feel sorry for whenever I see one squashed on the road it's the grey squirrel. I'd shoot them for food were it not for the fact that I see them scratching themselves as though they have fleas.

A neighbour traps them in cage traps and then drowns them in the water butt. I'm not sure I approve of that level of cruelty, but I am glad to be rid of the things. They steal bird's eggs and dig up my bulbs.

[sherman]

Shoot the grey ones as they are vermin

Dont shoot the red ones as they are protected and the police will want a word with you.


HTH

[Reidy10_0]

Prince Charles has added his support to a campaign to cull grey squirrels which pose a threat to red squirrels.

The Country Land and Business Association said a cull was needed in order to save the threatened red squirrel and protect woodlands.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8084471.stm

[Reidy10_0]

Squirrel with Chocolate Sauce

I like the sound of this.


Ingredients:
1 Young squirrel (old squirrels are too tough and take too long to cook).
1 Onion, chopped.
2 Cloves of garlic, crushed.
2 Tablespoons of soy sauce.
1 Large bar of luxurious dark chocolate.
Large portion of strawberries.
Large glass of red wine.

Method:
Cut squirrel into bite-size chunks from meat on thighs and haunch.
Marinate squirrel chunks in onion, garlic and soy sauce for at least 2 hrs in a fridge.
Place marinated chunks onto a skewer and place on barbeque for approx 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate over a pan of warm water.

When squirrel is cooked throw it away.
Sit back with large glass of wine and dip strawberries in melted chocolate. Delicious!

[tog]

Mobile Chicane said:

[
A neighbour traps them in cage traps and then drowns them in the water butt.

Once you've caught them it is illegal to release them I understand. I remember a news story of some chap who used to catch them in his garden and release them in the woods, until someone reported him!

[filski666]

Mobile Chicane said:

A neighbour traps them in cage traps and then drowns them in the water butt.

That is actually illegal, as is beating them to death or shooting with bow and arrows and many other ways considered in-humane - you must shoot them with an air rifle, shotgun or smallbore rifle, best way is to trap them if you can (peanut butter makes good bait) and shoot them where they can't run away if you don't kill with first shot.

Also - don't eat badger - especially roadkill - they are rife with TB and the roadkill ones have often been killed by farmers and dumped on the road to look like roadkill - trouble is they kill them with arsenic or cyanide, so if you chomp down on your scavenged badgerburger, you are also eating arsenic/cyanide......nice....can anyone smell almonds?

[FTJoe]

Mobile Chicane said:

FTJoe said:

They started selling them in Taste recently in Bristol. A friend bought a couple and we're planning on having a woodland animal feast at some point with various treats made from squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, hare, venison and anything else interesting we can find (a bit of badger would go down well but is rather more difficult to get hold of).

It's fairly cheap though about £2.50 a squirrel

I'll eat most things but I draw the line at badger since they're scavengers.

Badgers are opportunistic omnivores. They may scavenge from time to time but they're certainly no vultures. I'd still eat one, the threat of TB is vastly overrated and my garden badger looks pretty tasty as he's huge (a diet of chicken scraps, peanuts and other junk seems to appeal to him).