Originally posted by Mr Bassie That is just way too funny....
But the author neglects to mention why there were no squirrels. Squirrels used to be food, and still are in the most backwoods areas. I've talked to squirrel hunters in both the United States and Canada. 12 squirrels equals about 1 chicken, in terms of feeding your family and given the conditions in much of the country 100 years ago, that was just too much to pass up. Natives in Cherokee NC used to hunt them with blow guns made from the native bamboo that grows there. Last time I was in Cherokee, I met a white guy with a horrible rash on his leg. I asked him about it "I got into some poison oak when I was out squirrel hunting." I commented to a Cherokee elder during a little talk, that I hadn't seen any Squirrels in my camp ground. He said " If you see any let me know." Everyone in pre-refrigeration times that lived in isolated place with little agriculture supplemented their diet with squirrel as far as I can tell. We didn't stop eating squirrel until we got to be too wealthy for our own good. But I can tell you for sure, if it's the middle of the winter where I live even 50 years ago, and you had no meat, and you'd already killed all the grouse and rabbits, squirrel is pretty darn good. Haven't had it myself, but I've heard tell.
What you learn from the old timers, is what you have to do if civilization falls apart. I wouldn't advocate eating squirrel, but if it's ever them or me, it's going to be them.
I feed them peanuts to fatten them up, just in case.
Ours are little smaller than the ones down south, I might need 15 or 20 for a meal. They are more like snack food up here.
It's like keeping the freezer plugged in. It keeps the tidbits plump and tasty, without spoilage.
Recent pictures of local
tidbits , ummm, squirrels...