Pennsylvania Game News - May 2011 - 15

mighty leap to a maple tree; hung on precariously for a few seconds, regained its footing and scampered down the tree. At the moment the red squirrel stopped to watch the gray make its leap, I had it in the scope. It wasn’t fast enough to escape the 2,500 fps ballistic tip .17 bullet. The piney hit the ground with a small thud. I never moved, just mentally marked the spot. I didn’t want to have to wait another 15 minutes for the squirrels to begin moving again. By this time the first red I had spotted was now only 35 yards away and sitting quite calmly. One bark from my Savage and it, too, met the ground. A few minutes later another red ran within three feet of my boots — never seeing me. I waited until it scurried up and down the rotting logs some 30 yards away before moving into shooting position. Very slowly, I brought my rifle into position, and it made number three. I got up, gathered my reds, then moved closer to the black walnuts, to position the sun behind me. The gray squirrels really carried on, barking back and forth, and a crow came swooping in to see what all the ruckus was about. It landed in the top of a towering oak about 75 yards away. I got it in the scope just as it was hunkering down to push off into flight. I touched the accu-trigger and it tumbled headfirst into a brushpile below. Wow, I thought, one of those spectacular off-hand shots you make when no one is around and no one will believe you when you tell them anyway. Still-hunting pesky squirrels is much like deer hunting to me. I have to wait for open shots that allow correct bullet placement; keep very still and move slowly if I have to; and possess lots of patience. By the end of the morning I had five reds and a crow. Not bad for a 2-hour outing. I hunted for an hour or so for three more mornings and ended up with 16 red squirrels. I hoped this would ease the
MAY 2011

Meat from 4 red squirrels; 2 Tbsp light brown sugar; 2 Tbsp soy sauce; 2 Tbsp chopped garlic; 1/4 cup soy sauce 4 leeks cut into 1-inch lengths; 2/3 cup orange juice; 2 Tbsp cornstarch; 4 Tbsp red wine; 2 tsp ginger; 4 cups broccoli florets; 2 tsp water; 1/2 cup salted cashews; and 2 Tbsp peanut oil • Place cut up squirrel meat, brown sugar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce and garlic in a zip-lock bag. Toss to coat meat, let stand two hours or refrigerate overnight. • Microwave broccolli and water on high for two minutes. • In bowl combine leeks, orange juice, the 1/4-cup soy sauce, cornstarch, red wine and ginger. • Heat peanut oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add squirrel/marinade and stir-fry three minutes. Add broccoli and stir-fry two minutes. Add cashews and stir-fry one minute. Stir in orange juice mixture and cook three minutes or until sauce thickens. • Serve over wild rice.

chewing in our camp. I had plenty of squirrel tails for a friend who ties flies, and some delicious tablefare. There isn’t much meat on a red squirrel, but with enough of them they make a delicious stir-fry. Just try the recipe here. I also use their nutty-flavored meat in baked squirrel pie — a flaky crust filled with red squirrel stew with chunks of carrots and peas. A week after I had last seen a red at camp, I went out to the spring for a bucket of water one morning and a red squirrel ran from under our back porch, almost between my legs. It jumped onto the lid of the spring and sat there chirring at me! I threw the bucket at it as it dashed off, laughing to itself, I’m sure: Time to get the old rimfire out again! 
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Pennsylvania Game News - May 2011

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