Yep,.....seeing 6 squirrels off my deck chasing each other through the trees. Just kinda takes the thrill outa that hunt. Unless I had a young’un to teach.
Platters full of fried squirrel on Saturday morning or my mom’s squirrel & dumplings for Sunday lunch were truly a treat when I was growing up. Right up there with canned salmon, jack mackerel and salt fish fish cakes. I never saw it happen but heard some men licked the big squirrel/dumpling pot clean whenever she took it to the dinner on the ground Sunday’s.
I’ll never forget when my city cousins & their mama came to visit for a week one summer & mama always cooked her best, of course, The two girl cousins both said “what’s that?” When I passed the big platter to them first and proudly told them they could each have a head, my & grandpa’s favorite part for the brain of course. One said “like we see playing in Byrd Park?” And the other ran from the table crying. Boy-O, did Aunt Sandy give them a bit of whipping.
Anyway I’ve always and only shot my own hand loads in almost every hunting rifle. The .222 will shoot better than I can and I’ve not changed the load in over 25 years. A 50gr. Spitzer(Speer or Sierra) over 25.7gr of 748. I will shoot low back on a turkey at 125 with great confidence; 100 yard head shots. One of the two gobblers my 14 year old called in and shot was a 37 step neck shot....thin little piece of skin keeping the head and body together. The only turkey I’ve ever seen shot and not move, no flapping at all. Nothing.
Asked him why he aimed there and he said “it was all I could still hold on and I was afraid he was going to bust.” Well, okay then.
And I sware I thought Savage started making them again. At about $500.00. I see the older ones at auctions sometimes for $4-500.00 . Always think of my old $100.00 gun.