Going hunting Monday

[Saltwater60]

Man it's been a long time since I went out hunting. I'm finally getting together with a friend for some small game hunting. We're going for squirrels, there's some grouse on my parents property, then we will go to a wild life area for some rabbits, released pheasants, and some good old Canadian geese. I'm sure we will end up with some squirrels and geese, but I'd love some pheasants. Just not sure how many will be left from the release in October. We will find out I guess. I'm just happy to be getting out. I'll get to shoot my new Henry .22 lever action.

 

[Blimey]

Hope the weather works out for you! I went out a couple dozen times during deer season. Have never gone hunting for anything else.

 

[Gunner57]

That sounds like a full day. Happy hunting!

 

[S&W Fan]

Have fun and good luck. Squirrels with your .22 should be reletivly easy. Geese and pheasant, not so much, unless you can hide in a headgerow and catch em on the ground.

 

[Saltwater60]

Have fun and good luck. Squirrels with your .22 should be reletivly easy. Geese and pheasant, not so much, unless you can hide in a headgerow and catch em on the ground.

I think the geese should be not too bad. It think they will be sitting at the waters edge and I think I'll be able to plink a few. We will see how it goes. Best laid plans right. I think they will be pretty used to people here so I hope it's kind of like shooting fish in a barrel. I'll be happy with one goose. If not I'm just happy to be getting out with a friend of mine.
And yes we are going the full day. We will leave about 7 am break for lunch then head back at dark. It will be ok though. We will have some sitting and some walking around. I have not hunted in I think 22 years so I don't really know how it will go. Maybe I won't hit a damn think. I'll let you guys know.

 

[Saltwater60]

Have fun and good luck. Squirrels with your .22 should be reletivly easy. Geese and pheasant, not so much, unless you can hide in a headgerow and catch em on the ground.

That's kind of my plan with the geese. I think I can sneak up on them and we can each get one.

 

[GUNSICK]

Sounds like fun!

 

[S&W Fan]

I've killed geese with a .22 before. You will be better off body shooting them. I tried head shooting them once, but you have to be extremely accurate. They have tiny brains and if you miss it they will just run or flop around, even with a couple of rounds to the head. I ended up having to run up to them and twist their neck

 

[Saltwater60]

I've killed geese with a .22 before. You will be better off body shooting them. I tried head shooting them once, but you have to be extremely accurate. They have tiny brains and if you miss it they will just run or flop around, even with a couple of rounds to the head. I ended up having to run up to them and twist their neck

That's good to know. That was my plan was to plonk them in the head. I am a very good shot with my .22, but it does not sound like it's worth the risk. I hate geese, but I still respect them and want to be fair to them.

 

[Saltwater60]

View attachment 5757
Sounds like fun!

Not a bad day. I'd be happy with one or two. I think they'd be hard to freeze. I suppose I could freeze just the breasts.

 

[S&W Fan]

That's good to know. That was my plan was to plonk them in the head. I am a very good shot with my .22, but it does not sound like it's worth the risk. I hate geese, but I still respect them and want to be fair to them.

If your a good shot, then head shooting them shouldn't be an issue.
I should have added that the geese that I was talking about were big farm raised geese that were running around. Not sitting stationary on the water or ground.

 

[GUNSICK]

Not a bad day. I'd be happy with one or two. I think they'd be hard to freeze. I suppose I could freeze just the breasts.

That's from earlier this week. 2 bird a day limit. I get a few breasted out and give away or donate the rest.

 

[phatfarmerbob]

Check the regs not sure you can use lead for waterfowl, or a .22 for that matter and you need a duck stamp and HIP number. Not that I care personally but if you get jammed up with a dec or encon guy it will ruin your day.

 

[Saltwater60]

Check the regs not sure you can use lead for waterfowl, or a .22 for that matter and you need a duck stamp and HIP number. Not that I care personally but if you get jammed up with a dec or encon guy it will ruin your day.

I have the HIP number already and I will get my hunting liscense tomorrow and get the duck stamp. Thanks for that, but I was aware of that. I will try to find some non toxic .22, but not sure I'll be able to. I was aware of that as well. I will get some brass shot tomorrow while picking up my HL. There are plenty of opportunities to take them on land so I figured if I was not on the water the lead .22 was ok. I could be wrong though. As for where I'm going the bag limit is 5 per day. I sure don't want to get jammed up by the DEC. I know that's big time and they don't mess around.

 

[Saltwater60]

That's from earlier this week. 2 bird a day limit. I get a few breasted out and give away or donate the rest.

How do you cook them. I was looking at some recipes earlier. Some sound pretty good.

 

[phatfarmerbob]

I have the HIP number already and I will get my hunting liscense tomorrow and get the duck stamp. Thanks for that, but I was aware of that. I will try to find some non toxic .22, but not sure I'll be able to. I was aware of that as well. I will get some brass shot tomorrow while picking up my HL. There are plenty of opportunities to take them on land so I figured if I was not on the water the lead .22 was ok. I could be wrong though. As for where I'm going the bag limit is 5 per day. I sure don't want to get jammed up by the DEC. I know that's big time and they don't mess around.

Yea I just wanted to give a heads up, sometimes folks just don't know. As for cooking goose, just breast them out marinate in Italian and grill.. that's what we do. Pheasant can be skinned and baked just cover in bacon so it doesn't dry out ( throw some apple slices on too. As far as tree rat....google it

 

[GUNSICK]

How do you cook them. I was looking at some recipes earlier. Some sound pretty good.

Slow cooker. It tastes like shit. Wish they were ducks.

 

[Criticalt]

So I take phatfarmerbobs advice and googled some squirrel recipes. I find a website with a bunch of recipes. This was one of them

Squirrel Sobet
Directions:
First, remove squirrel ears. Put in fridge.

Then, blend whole squirrel for 2 minutes. Add 400g of sugar and 4 egg whites, and blend for a further 2 minutes. The texture should be quite grainy, but reasonably smooth. If there are any large squirrel parts left, blend again for 30 seconds. Next, pour into a plastic tub, and refrigerate overnight.

Voila! Squirrel Sorbet! Kids especialy love this with chocolate sauce. On a special occasion, garnish with the ears. Otherwise, save the ears, they are a delicious low-fat snack.

 

[Saltwater60]

I just read the regulations and no riffles for waterfowl. So there goes that plan. Also the duck stamp is $25.00. I might have to think about that. It would cost $100.00 by the time I get the hunting liscense, duck stamp, and brass shot. I also knew about the plug for the shot gun.

 

[Criticalt]

Slow cooker. It tastes like shit. Wish they were ducks.

Canadian geese do taste pretty awful. I suggest gravies and sauses.

 

[dubleuhb]

I'm gonna say you'll be up shit creek without a paddle you get caught shooting waterfowl with a rifle.
Check page 47 of the regs under "Prohibitions on methods of take".

 

[dubleuhb]

Grind the breast and make jerky, lots of spice. Use a jerky cannon to make snack sticks in the smoker, they'll make a turd.

 

[Saltwater60]

I'm gonna say you'll be up shit creek without a paddle you get caught shooting waterfowl with a rifle.
Check page 47 of the regs under "Prohibitions on methods of take".

Yep I read that. Oh well that sounded like fun.

 

[S&W Fan]

Like rabbit, about all that you can do with squirrel is make soup or a stew using some chicken stock as a base.
Screw that 'sorbet" crap!
If you wanna get fancy, you can make meat pies with them, or your own version of a pot pie.

 

[dubleuhb]

My mom made a rabbit cacciatore, browned in a fry pan then slow cooked in red sauce. I could go for some, to bad the wabbitz are pretty scarce around here lately.

 

[S&W Fan]

My mom made a rabbit cacciatore, browned in a fry pan then slow cooked in red sauce. I could go for some, to bad the wabbitz are pretty scarce around here lately.

Now that sounds good. I hadn't thought of that.
I have cottontails all over the place in my back yard. I think I know what's on the menu soon.

 

[Saltwater60]

So we scrapped goose due to the cost and then not tasting too good. I spoke with my mom and she told me where there are a lot of grouse. I'm ip for the challenge and we will see what happens. If I get 1-2 squeriels, 1-2 grouse, and a rabbit I'll be happy. If I get a pheasant I'll be thrilled. There's and open area where the grouse sit by the side of an old logging road. I think we will each take one side of the old road and see what happens. Thanks guys your all the best. We're both really looking forward to it and I got to buy a new set of boots. I looked and the last time I was out hunting was 97. So 20 years ago. My old tag was still in my back tag pouch.

 

[Saltwater60]

We went today and man it was beautiful. A bit of rain on and off and the snow was really crunchy and loud. We saw some grouse and never made it to the pheasant place. We hunted my parents property and surrounding areas hard. I got one rabbit and my friend nothing. We both had a blast and the land was beautiful. We could have had more in sure of it, but he did not want to cross my parents creek or hit the hard stuff. I went arcossed the creek and hit the hard stuff and not 2 minutes in I had the rabbit. I covered one small area and bagged it. Actually the first patch of thickets is where I bagged it. They were hunkered down in the thick stuff. Tons of rabbit tracks. The grouse took off about 30 yards out due to the crunchy snow giving us away. Rabbits all skinned and quartered now how to cook him tomorrow.

 

[GOYABEAN]

Lots of carrots and potatoes and beer

 

[Saltwater60]

I

Lots of carrots and potatoes and beer

thays what I was thinking. Braise it and roast it. Nice big back straps on this one. The tenderloins should be good. Good clean shot to. About 2 pellets on the shoulder other than that it was a head shot and a few pellets broke its back. My wife love that is shot it since she works for a rabbit rescue.