two.
“Why is this one grey?”
“The first two are fox
squirrels. This one is a grey squirrel. You can see the fox squirrels are a
little bigger than the greys.”
They searched the woods for
another hour but found no more squirrels. On the walk back towards camp they
crossed a small gently flowing creek. John stopped and asked Cameron for the
pocket knife.
“Take the squirrels off the
stick and hold one by the front legs for me.”
Cameron held a squirrel with
one leg in each hand. John held both of the rear legs in his left hand and cut
the animals belly from between the rear legs almost to the neck. He took the
animal from Cameron and pulled out all of the squirrel’s organs.
Cameron looked at the blood
on his grandpa’s hands and grimaced.
John smiled, “It is only
blood, it will wash off.”
He then cut off the feet and
head and tossed them into the brush with the organs. He turned the squirrel
over and made a cut in their hide across the back near the shoulder. He handed
Cameron the knife and used both hands to pull the hide from the squirrel. He
bent over and washed the skinned squirrel in the creek.
He handed it to Cameron and
told him to put it back on the stick.
They cleaned the second
animal the same as the first.
John knew the answer before
he asked, but he wanted to see his grandson’s reaction to the question. “Do you
want to clean the last one?”
Cameron smiled but emphatically
shook his head no.
When John finished washing
the third squirrel in the creek he washed his hands and picked up the rifle.
Cameron ran the last fifty
yards back to camp swinging the squirrels in the air and calling out, “We got
dinner! Grandpa shot some squirrels!”
He ran to his mother, “Can
you cook them momma?”
Lynn knelt on one knee and
looked at the squirrels still on the stick. “Uncle David has a fire going, give
them to him, he is tonight’s cook.”
David took the squirrels and
cleaned the meat with some of his drinking water. John cut two limbs from a
nearby sapling and trimmed the limbs so they ended up in the shape of the
letter Y. He shoved the bottom end of the Y into the ground on one side of the
fire and did the same with the other limb on the opposite side of the fire. He
cut a longer heavier limb from the sapling and sharpened one end with his
knife. He pushed the pointed end into the back end of one of the squirrels and
out the neck hole. He place the ends of that stick into the V portion of Y
stick. This placed the squirrel directly over the flames.
“I will make two more of
these so we don’t have to cook them one at a time.”
The meat cooked slowly and
would provide needed protein and energy. There were a few negative comments
about the meat being tough and not everyone enjoyed the fresh meat as much as
John. He had grown up eating wild meat, but the younger generation did not
appreciate the wild flavor.
But there was no hesitation
by the Husky pup. He ate the few small pieces given to him in gulps. The poor
dog must have been locked in the car for days with no food. Had they not found
him when they did, he would have died within hours. The kids gave the pup more
than his share of the three squirrels.
That evening was cool and the
warm fire felt good. In spite of the cool temperature, John walked the short
distance to the nearby pond and removed his clothes. The water was warm
compared to the cool air.
He carried his clothes into
the pond with him and washed them as best he could. Before he finished, he was
joined by David and Cameron.
As Cameron took off his
pants, he said, “Grandpa, if you see the girls coming, tell them to stay away,
ok?”
John looked back towards the
camp. “They are sitting around the fire. They can’t see you. It is too dark.
They waded around the pond
feeling the thick mud between their toes as they rubbed their
“Why is this one grey?”
“The first two are fox
squirrels. This one is a grey squirrel. You can see the fox squirrels are a
little bigger than the greys.”
They searched the woods for
another hour but found no more squirrels. On the walk back towards camp they
crossed a small gently flowing creek. John stopped and asked Cameron for the
pocket knife.
“Take the squirrels off the
stick and hold one by the front legs for me.”
Cameron held a squirrel with
one leg in each hand. John held both of the rear legs in his left hand and cut
the animals belly from between the rear legs almost to the neck. He took the
animal from Cameron and pulled out all of the squirrel’s organs.
Cameron looked at the blood
on his grandpa’s hands and grimaced.
John smiled, “It is only
blood, it will wash off.”
He then cut off the feet and
head and tossed them into the brush with the organs. He turned the squirrel
over and made a cut in their hide across the back near the shoulder. He handed
Cameron the knife and used both hands to pull the hide from the squirrel. He
bent over and washed the skinned squirrel in the creek.
He handed it to Cameron and
told him to put it back on the stick.
They cleaned the second
animal the same as the first.
John knew the answer before
he asked, but he wanted to see his grandson’s reaction to the question. “Do you
want to clean the last one?”
Cameron smiled but emphatically
shook his head no.
When John finished washing
the third squirrel in the creek he washed his hands and picked up the rifle.
Cameron ran the last fifty
yards back to camp swinging the squirrels in the air and calling out, “We got
dinner! Grandpa shot some squirrels!”
He ran to his mother, “Can
you cook them momma?”
Lynn knelt on one knee and
looked at the squirrels still on the stick. “Uncle David has a fire going, give
them to him, he is tonight’s cook.”
David took the squirrels and
cleaned the meat with some of his drinking water. John cut two limbs from a
nearby sapling and trimmed the limbs so they ended up in the shape of the
letter Y. He shoved the bottom end of the Y into the ground on one side of the
fire and did the same with the other limb on the opposite side of the fire. He
cut a longer heavier limb from the sapling and sharpened one end with his
knife. He pushed the pointed end into the back end of one of the squirrels and
out the neck hole. He place the ends of that stick into the V portion of Y
stick. This placed the squirrel directly over the flames.
“I will make two more of
these so we don’t have to cook them one at a time.”
The meat cooked slowly and
would provide needed protein and energy. There were a few negative comments
about the meat being tough and not everyone enjoyed the fresh meat as much as
John. He had grown up eating wild meat, but the younger generation did not
appreciate the wild flavor.
But there was no hesitation
by the Husky pup. He ate the few small pieces given to him in gulps. The poor
dog must have been locked in the car for days with no food. Had they not found
him when they did, he would have died within hours. The kids gave the pup more
than his share of the three squirrels.
That evening was cool and the
warm fire felt good. In spite of the cool temperature, John walked the short
distance to the nearby pond and removed his clothes. The water was warm
compared to the cool air.
He carried his clothes into
the pond with him and washed them as best he could. Before he finished, he was
joined by David and Cameron.
As Cameron took off his
pants, he said, “Grandpa, if you see the girls coming, tell them to stay away,
ok?”
John looked back towards the
camp. “They are sitting around the fire. They can’t see you. It is too dark.
They waded around the pond
feeling the thick mud between their toes as they rubbed their
Similar Books
