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It's been a few years since I picked off a mess of these critters.

This guy uses scissors, pliers and a cleaver - knife combination act. I make do with a large hunting knife with a heavy blade. Old boy here only brings back one squirrel from his hunt; I'll want at least 6 or so to make a decent stew.

Shot him in the head, he did, likely with a scoped .22 rifle. I'd rather use a .22 pistol, but if I was getting hungry, I might even 'cheat' and use a shotgun. Or set a game trap.

But only if I was getting hungry.

"Why in the hell are you posting a video about cleaning a thrice-damned mangy-assed squirrel", you ask? Well, glad you did!

Check out this link.

Oh, here's the reason I don't like using a shotgun: the damned shot is difficult to remove. And, it's so much like cheating. If you can't hit a squirrel with a .22 pistol, you need to practice your technique a bit more.

Recipe for Squirrel Dumplings...

Squirrel Dumplings

~ 3 squirrels, cut up (All hair and shot removed.)
~ 1 egg
~ 2 cups plain flour
~ 3/4 cup broth
~ 1 teaspoon salt
~ salt and pepper

Boil squirrels in four quarts of water until tender. Remove squirrels from broth, let cool, then remove meat from bones. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix flour, egg and one teaspoon of salt with 3/4 cup of broth and roll into ball.

Strain the broth to remove any stray shot then resume boil. Return meat to boiling broth.

On a floured cutting board, use rolling pin to roll the dough ball to a thickness of 1/16 inch. Cut into 1-inch wide strips and drop strips one at a time into the boiling broth. Gently shake pot after last dumpling is added to prevent sticking.

Cook approximately 10-15 minutes until dumplings are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and Enjoy!

Meh. I prefer a squirrely stew; a big 3-quart iron pot, boil then simmered with whatever vegetables you have fresh or canned. Big chunks of squirrel and tomato and potato; green beans and corn if it's available.