You're dead on there. It's only about 5 mins from my front door!

 

Sad..sad...sad. Folks readin' some of the posts here concerning the taste of wild game concerns me. Folks one of the first things ya'll need to learn about wild game is... it's lean. That means overcooking it drys out the meat and destroys the flavor...makes it tough and turrible! Just like overcooking fish/seafood ruins it. Of course caring for the meat before cooking has a lot to do with how it tastes as well. Here's some tips. Regardless of the game, skin it a.s.a.p.! Allow it to cool quickly and out of direct sunlight. Keep it cool. Stop rinsing it off and no more marinadeing it in Uncle Joes Cajun Sauce! And stop soaking it for days in saltwater. Do ya'll do that with a cut of prime-rib or N.Y. strip steaks when ye bring 'em home from the grocery store? I didn't think so. Venison (deer) steaks need high heat and a short cooking time. Gas grill 'er charcoal is your choice. In any case cook it fast and hot..leave lots of pink in the middle. Saute a pan full'a wild morels/musheroons and some sweet Vidalia onions and serve it up hot alongside. Roasts and tough cuts of venison (roundsteak) need to simmer slowly in lots of liquids. (read crockpot cooking) Squirrels and rabbits? Dredge 'em in eggs and flour just like ya do chicken..panfry them golden brown and then turn the heat down and put the lid on the skillet for an hour. Gently lift the vittles from the pan and keep warm in the oven and add some flour and milk to the frying pan and make gravy. Serve it over the fried critters and mind yer fingers as ye go back for seconds and thirds! Bisquits 'er thick slices of homemade bread go well with all the above recipies. A side dish of greens is always welcome and Pa. has them in abundance! Wild asparagus, ramps, leeks, dandilion greens and such grows nearly everywhere in Pa. Learn to recognize them and saute them in a little bacon grease or butter and add them to the meal. Good eats is growin' just beneath yer feet. Now..gitter done! Audie...gittin' hungry!!

 

damn skippy well said. although i quick fry my squirrels but marinate them first



and dare i say make some jerky outta the butterflied backstraps

 

Old Fart - RIGHT ON - I grew up on a farm, so there was a lot of beef / pork. Hunting season was a 'special time'. We enjoyed camping but most of the time came back with "better" meat. Squirrel, pheasant and rabbit is fixed like chicken (a lot of different ways). My mom used a .22 pistol to hunt squirrel and rabbit, and was as good as dad (with his .22 rifle) at close range - up to 50 yards. Years back, i hunted pheasant w/ a .22 Stevens that use to be my grandfathers. I'm hoping to teach my grandaughters this summer how to shoot my .22. Right now, we're working on my air rifle. At 5 1/2 they're getting good.

 

Jerky out'a backstraps!! Perish the thought my friend!! Just thinking of drying out them tender morsels and seasoning them with various concotions brings tears to my fading old eyes! Nay I say! Save the road-kills fer jerky..and the front shoulders! But spare them fine loins! JMHO! Audie

 

Aye George, they're never too young to start. My own grandson, young Bryce Logan, has been dressed in camo since he left the hospital at birth. Together he and I have stalked the wary Missus cat and her squalking menagerie of cockatiels and conures with rubber-band guns and slingshots since he was old enough to crawl! I carried him and a goodly supply of diapers and bottles as we explored the fields and hills hereabouts when he was but 2yrs. old. At 3yrs. old he fired my Brown Bess. (A .75cal. ca. 1742 flintlock! ) He turned 4 this past Jan.3rd. and we're haunting the gun shops together to add even more to his arsenal. So far a .22 a .410, a 20ga. pump and a .44mag Browning lever action are in his gun safe. More will follow. And his sister, young Maddy..age 2.. looks to be an even better shot! Huzzzah! Grandfathers rule! Audie...the oldfart!

 

'Tis true... Mom hunts for the best bargain, or the best ears of corn in the store. Kids hunt for the best pair of jeans, wheather they be dark blue or faded or ?? The thing to stress ( at any age ) is safety. The 3 MOST important rules (amung others) was: 1. NEVER point a gun at anything unless you intend to shoot it. 2. DON'T pull the trigger unless you know where you want the bullet to 'land. 3. (OFF the range) DON'T pull the trigger unless you can put the bullet where you want it to 'land'. My parents & grandparents said that if you fire a 2d shot, that meant the 1st one was wasted. I know of 2 nice bucks shot this last season that were not found. They looked for days and found nothing. When I got wind of it (twice), I told the guys to let me take it down for them - we live within sight of each other. Daughter (26 & 4' 11") shoots my deer rifle almost as well as I. On the hill across from the house are cabbage- sized rocks and a few baseball size. My grandaughters (5 1/2 ) wear muffs and watch from their "fort" about 25' behind us when we "poof rocks". They're excellent spotters and have their own 8x35 glasses. I made swinging targets for them to shoot my air rifle at from the back porch. The targets are about 30 yards and 1" wide. They like,"Flipping targets".