[Sca-cooks] Tasty Exotics- Squirrels and such

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> Here is SoCal, our native California Gray
> Squirrels are rapidly being pushed out by the
> Eastern Fox Squirrel, who were brought to the
> Los Angeles area in 1904 by Civil and
> Spanish-American war veterans who were living
> in a large Vet hospital here in LA.  I have
> no idea why.  However, now 100 years later, you
> can only find a gray squirrel in wilderness areas
> and you find millions of the fox squirrel all
> over LA, including too many in my back yard.

Apparently, someone decided to bring Norwegian Black Squirrels into the
Dover/New Philadelphia area of Ohio, and they've pretty well taken over both
towns. Was talking to the mayor of Dover one day, and he was seriously
considering hiring me to help get rid of them. After some thought, though,
he decided not to- there were too many old ladies in town with "pet"
squirrels.

I know at my place in McConnelsville, I'd allow hunting rabbits, but no
squirrels because my neighbor lady had her pets or pests... whatever ;-)
Also had a 'coon tree right off my property, and I'd let hunters cross to
train their dogs, but no shooting allowed- figured the little bandits needed
somewhere safe to grow up ;-)

Also had a small herd of deer who used to hide out on my place during
hunting season, let by a beautiful 10 point buck. Never allowed any hunting
out there, and never mentioned him, although a couple of times he and his
ladies would be napping in the bushes, and I'd walk out- be a question of
which of us scared the other worst ;-)

But, back to squirrels- I like them best as gravy or with dumplings, for the
most part.

Do have to admit to a real liking for chipmunks as pets. Had one as a kid-
Chrismunk because my mother gave him to me for Christmas. Very amusing
little dude ;-)

Saint Phlip,
CoD

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....