Squirrels
An Ode to Squirrel Camp: How Small Game Camps Can Inspire Young Hunters
I can still smell the gravy. It would wake me up in the early morning darkness, causing me to scramble out from beneath the itchy wool blanket on my cot and shuffle into the kitchen of the cabin. My grandmother would be there, bent over the stove as she stirred the bubbling pan. She’d smile at me...
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Squirrels
How to Hunt Spring Squirrels
Spring is here, and you might have a fired-up gobbler or a fat rainbow trout on your mind. But there’s another reason to get outside with a gun in hand. Several US states have spring squirrel seasons, which means you can hit the woods like it’s September or October and fire up the crock pot when you...
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Small Game
How to Hunt Late Winter Cottontails
Cottontail hunting is consistently underrated. The practice has declined in popularity over the years, and I can’t see why—it’s exciting, accessible, inexpensive, and offers some of the best table fare you can find in the woods. And while popular practice and opinion may say differently, one person...
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Small Game
Skunting: The Ancient Art of Hunting on Skis
Post-holing through knee-deep snow is the preferred method of winter hunting in America. On the other hand, skiing is generally embraced by those who lap groomed runs until the legs give out or the après booze starts flowing. There's nothing wrong with this contemporary version of skiing, but it's...
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Small Game
Clay Newcomb's 8 Best Squirrel Hunting Tips
In Episode 5 of MeatEater Season 10, Steve, Janis, and Clay load up the mules and dogs for an Arkansas squirrel hunt. Here are some of Clay’s best tips and tricks to get squirrels from the woods, skinned, and into the crockpot, preferably served with dumplings. Find the Food, Find the Squirrels Clay...
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Small Game
'Every Chunk of Rabbit:' A Tribute to Ursula
For as long as I knew her, she was ready to die. Damn her. No one treasured work, love, laughter, family, and devotion more than she did. But for her last 30-plus years, if the bucket were sitting there, you knew she would kick it without fear. Loved ones saw no bravado in her attitude. That was...
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Small Game
Video: How to Make a Raccoon Baculum Toothpick
It seems like every southern state has adopted the raccoon baculum as their own. You may have heard it called the "Texas Toothpick," "Arkansas Toothpick," or "(insert your favorite state) Toothpick." Regardless of where it originated, the curved penis bone of the raccoon is one of the most unique...
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Small Game
Porcupine Meat: Novelty Meal, Ultimate Survival Food
During the survival adventure of a lifetime, I got to experience firsthand what it’s really like to live in the woods without outside help for as long as possible. Of the many things I learned in the Canadian sub-Arctic as a contestant on the History Channel show “Alone,” I found out that rabbit...
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Small Game
How to Kill a Limit of Rabbits with a Bow
As big game seasons close across the country, it’s a good time to turn your focus to small game. Not only are rabbits great table fare, but they also offer an excellent opportunity to sharpen your archery skills. After all, this is probably the time of year when bows are neglected most. Lessons...
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Small Game
Video: How to Skin a Raccoon
On a dark winter night in 1994, my best friend’s uncle taught me how to skin a raccoon using a short rope, two green sticks, and a knife. He emphasized getting green sticks just the right size and not cutting too shallow around the ears and eyes. He didn’t refer to it this way, but the method he...
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Small Game
Video: How to Skin a Squirrel in 1 Minute
In my experience, this is the best method for skinning squirrels, especially if they were killed with a shotgun or have a torn-up hide. I call it the “Batesville Method,” but a more descriptive name would be the dip-and-snip. First, dip the squirrel in water. This keeps most of the hair off the meat...
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