Small game?

ampersat · 11-19-2007, 07:03 PM

Just curious who out there hunts small game for the table, rabbits, squirrels and the like. I was reading a magazine the other night extolling the virtues of smaller quarry (readily available access, longer seasons, etc.) and I'm quite tempted to give it a try. Can't say as I'd like to cook up "tree rats" myself but rabbit has possibilities. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Friendly Fisher · 11-19-2007, 07:08 PM

I can't tell you how many squirrels almost died this season. Little buggers always blowing my cover. If someone posts that they taste great I too will be out exterminating. FF

bait dunker · 11-19-2007, 07:22 PM

squirrels and rabbit are great eating. roll squirrel quarters in cornmeal and fry em up! ee wilson is a decent place to hunt rabbit. lots of cottontail early in the season

s20055 · 11-19-2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bait dunker

squirrels and rabbit are great eating. roll squirrel quarters in cornmeal and fry em up! ee wilson is a decent place to hunt rabbit. lots of cottontail early in the season

They are really good stewed in the crock pot with the normal assortment of veggies too.

There is nothing funner than working a bunch of beagles through the briars down at EE Wilson for cottontails. I introduced both of my daughters to hunting that way. We took our beagle down there and bumped into some others doing the same thing. After talking and trading stories, we decided to combine our dogs and had a great day busting rabbits out of the blackberries. That is some very fast action.

Cornbread · 11-19-2007, 07:34 PM

Grew up eating squirrel and rabbit. I like squirrel but it can be pretty gamey for some especially if they live off pine nuts and aren't eating grains from farmers fields. Silver Grey season here in Oregon isn't very long but bunny season is. We used to raise rabbits for meat as well. Most small game eats pretty good. I like my squirrel done in BBQ sauce in a crock pot until the meat is soft. Some squirrels are pretty tough if you just fry em up but I like them that way too as long as the squirrel wasn't too old.

Rank Amateur · 11-19-2007, 07:35 PM

I guess we are talking about silver grey squirels, I think all the others are protected, although I sent a lot of red bellies to an early grave as a kid.

Cornbread · 11-19-2007, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rank Amateur

I guess we are talking about silver grey squirels, I think all the others are protected, although I sent a lot of red bellies to an early grave as a kid.

That's what I don't get in the regs it says "Western Grey Squirrel" and the season is about 2+ months long. What about all the eastern Grey squirrels and Fox Squirrels we have in the nut orchards in the Willamette valley? Also I don't see anything about rabbits in the regs either. I know we have lots of eastern cotton tails in the valley and big hares and small bunnies in the mountains but I am not sure if the little bunnies in the mountains are eastern cotton tails or not. The big hares look like jack rabbits or snow shoe hares. What about hunting them? Anyone know the regs?

Rank Amateur · 11-19-2007, 07:51 PM

We have eastern grey squirels and fox squirels????

Cornbread · 11-19-2007, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rank Amateur

We have eastern grey squirels and fox squirels????

Lots of them. Most of the woods around the filbert orchards in the Willamette valley are chuck full of them. I know Eastern Grey squirrels were introduced in the early 1900's and no one knows exactly when fox squirrels showed up but there are quite a few of them especially down towards Eugene.

DRUNK COWBOY · 11-19-2007, 08:16 PM

What are protected and what are not protected. I thought all squirrels except the grays were protected?

Hooked up · 11-19-2007, 08:17 PM

Rabbit is really good. I love it. I have never had squirrel before but I would try it if I had a chance to.

JustCallMeDave · 11-19-2007, 08:46 PM

That's a great list, GSD. Definitely one to know if you're gonna be out in the wild shooting at small game, cuz the last thing you'd wanna do is shoot something you're not supposed to and then post the results in public. That wouldn't be a good idea.

It's the responsibility of the harvester to know the laws regarding the harvest of game in your area. Know the laws before you go out.

duckboy · 11-19-2007, 08:58 PM

Well,

You just single handedly ruined my hunt that I have been planning for the past 3 years for Western small-footed myotis.

Thanks Loads,

and no,

I did not just call you "Loads"..

JustCallMeDave · 11-19-2007, 09:28 PM

Check the health food section at Freddy's, duckboy. I think that there is a tofu version of that available.

ampersat · 11-20-2007, 06:04 AM

If I'm reading the regs properly, rabbits are open all year without bag limits. They are listed as "predatory animals" where they are or may be destructive to agricultural crops (it's really exciting to watch a rabbit stalk a poor defenseless head of lettuce). Also, it appears that no special or additional licensing is required for rabbits since they are not classed as furbearing animals.

Buck Fever · 11-20-2007, 08:53 AM

Yup. rabbits are "unprotected mammals", and are open all year, no sex or bag limit. Read the regs a little closer you'll find it on page 85 of the 07' regs or under the "definitions" section of the new regs. Unfortunately, wetern gray squirrel season is over...

MossyOarReelCreek · 11-21-2007, 03:50 PM

This is a list I was able to find in the regs.. and the list from Oregon's Administrative Rules.

�Unprotected Mammals and Birds�
means European starling, house
sparrow, rock dove, and any mammal
species for which there are no closed
seasons or bag limits. However,
all general hunting regulations and
licensing laws still apply. Common
unprotected mammals include coyote,
badger, gophers, moles, mountain
beaver, marmots, porcupine, skunks,
cottontails, black-tailed jackrabbit, rats,
mice, opossum, nutria, and weasels.

(9) "Unprotected mammals" means, for the purposes of OAR 635-050-0015 through 635-050-0210, badger, coyote, gophers (Thomomys bottae, T. bulbivorus, T. mazama, T. talpoides and T. townsendii), moles (Scapanus townsendii, S. orarius and S. latimanus), mountain beaver (Apolodontia rufa), yellowbellied marmots (Marmonta flaviventris), nutria, opossum, porcupine, spotted skunk, striped skunk, and weasel.

Beamerfish · 11-21-2007, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Friendly Fisher

I can't tell you how many squirrels almost died this season. Little buggers always blowing my cover. If someone posts that they taste great I too will be out exterminating. FF

Thought about offing a few of those little chattering buggers myself. Ever notice how they wait until you are past and they feel safe to really let you have it? I'm thinking though that it would take a few of those skinny brown ones to make a meal.