Calling all suburban snipers

[Big Frank]

Many cities use oaks for street trees, squirrel's eat the acorns which are high in tannic acid and makes the meat bitter. Freinds have mentioned the same thing with deer.

I thought that's what they ate in the woods too but maybe it's different oaks. Reds oaks taste bad and white oaks taste good. I look for rounded leaves in the woods and not pointy ones when I hunt. Squirrels around here eat black walnuts and hickory nuts too. That stuff on the outside of black walnuts is nasty and they have to chew through it. Maybe that affects the meat too but I was thinking city = garbage, and they are rodents. Now I realize there's more to it.

[Teresa Heilevang]

Its amazing.  You give a rat a bushy tail and they are cute and good to eat.  BBQ raccoon is much tastier, and you can bait them with cat food.

Yep.. I hunt , clean , cook and eat those too..
But I still like squirrel better. Our critters around here eat good stuff.. ...meat is excellent.

[Big Frank]

My mom cooked a coon for my dad once and he wouldn't eat it. He said it looked like a dog on a platter. She should have cut it up first. I think I'll go squirrel hunting next week and any I get can stew and simmer until they're tender. They're too chewy grilled.

[ericire12]

I've had to rewire my phone lines twice due to squirrel damage in the attic. So first I got this.

Air Force Talon SS, 22, using Beeman Kodiak, 21.8 grn pellets, it shoots really well, 3/4" 5 shot groups at 50 yards.
But is too loud. And up close, the scope is too high above the muzzle, 25yard zero, it shoots 8" low at 20'.

Now I use a TC Contender carbine in .22lr, using Aquila, Colibri's, 20 grn bullet at 300 fps, very quiet, like using a suppressor, and put behind the ear, or in the back of the neck, drops them with one shot. I'm up to 68 squirrels in the last 3 years.

Being urban tree rats I just chunk them, although my wife has forgotten to put up the bird food, and I've got some fat squirrels due that, may be good eating.

I thought those would not fire properly in a rifle? Is there something I am missing here? They have a disclaimer that they will not cycle a semi auto or may even get logged in a rifle barrel, and thus should only be shot in a pistol?

[ericire12]

Many cities use oaks for street trees, squirrel's eat the acorns which are high in tannic acid and makes the meat bitter. Freinds have mentioned the same thing with deer.

I dont eat them either.... I just throw them back into the woods

[Sponsor]

[CJS3]

I thought those would not fire properly in a rifle? Is there something I am missing here? They have a disclaimer that they will not cycle a semi auto or may even get logged in a rifle barrel, and thus should only be shot in a pistol?

You have to manually cycle the action (unless it's a bolt or level action). If you're in the city limits and they have laws against discharging a firearm, you could be the object of unwanted LE attention. I have first hand knowledge of this. Fortunately the LEO was more interested on where he could get some of the ammo, and suggested that in my neighborhood I should switch to a pellet gun.

[m25operator]

Aguila does have that warning on their website, but in the TC or My Marlin 39a, have had no problems, it does not have the warning on the boxes of ammo I have.  It's really funny, with the 39a, with a scope, you can see the bullets before they hit the target.   This at about 20'.

[tumblebug]

 Not UUs again?

[DesertMarine]

Gamo makes a suppressed air rifle.  Velocity is around 1200 fps.  I have a Gamo, unsuppressed, very accurate with a Bushnell 4X scope.  Excellent for scary the hell out of cats at about 40 yds.  Makes a loud noise when you hit the cat in the ribs, they jump about two feet and never see them again.  I have seen the cats afterwards but never come into my yard.  No squirrels in my area, hell, no trees.

[Hazcat]

Funny thing is guys...I feed the squirrels around here every morning.  Sunflower seeds, must be at least a dozen that show up every am.  Heck, Strech doesn't even bother to chase them anymore!