Beka is a hunting mama in Ohio. Beka grew up hunting and fishing, and continued doing so even after having her baby girl. She is a traditional bow hunter, and inspires thousands of mamas to get out in the woods with their babies and kids.
She is a huge inspiration, and we are so thankful to have her as a seasonal writer for us here at HM!
When most people think of squirrel hunting, they think of a pastime reminiscent of the south and days long gone. However, squirrel hunting isn’t a thing of the past. I grew up in Northern New Jersey, and I spent my fair share of time squirrel hunting with my brothers, shotguns slung over our shoulders as we walked through the crackly Fall leaves on the ground. I now reside in Ohio, and still love to squirrel hunt. Not only is squirrel a fun game animal to hunt, but they’re also great to eat!
Like many things, the flavor and tenderness of the dish often depends on how it is cooked and who cooked it. Squirrel can be a more difficult game to cook as it’s really unlike any other meat. It has a flavor all it’s own, and it can be tough meat to chew if it’s not a young squirrel. However, the following recipe is fairly fool proof, and it is tender and delicious! If you’ve never had squirrel before, this is the recipe I would suggest you try first.
Barbecue Squirrel Sliders
Ingredients:
2-3 squirrels, skinned and cleaned
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic Powder
Paprika
1/2 white onion, diced
3 tbs minced garlic
2 cups broth (any)
2 tablespoons butter
Rinse the squirrels to ensure no hair or dirt remain. Pat dry with a paper towel. Season the squirrels liberally on all sides, then place in your crockpot. (I always measure with my heart so I don’t have any specific measurements for the seasonings— just use your best judgement! Feel free to sub your favorite barbecue seasoning or all purpose seasoning in place of the garlic powder and paprika)
If they squirrels are too big, feel free to quarter them, however there is no need to bother quartering them if they fit in the crockpot whole.
Add the onion, garlic and the broth.
Cook on low for 8 hours, then remove the squirrels from the crockpot and pick all of the meat from the bones. Return the meat to the crockpot, and add another splash of broth if needed. Add the butter, then cook on low another 30 minutes.
I serve this on sliders with barbecue sauce and coleslaw…it’s so good! This will make anyone a believer in eating squirrel for dinner. Any leftover meat can be frozen and used at a later date— it makes a great meat for nachos!
Hi homestead mamas! As mountain lion hunting is a large piece of our homesteading life, I thought I would share a few words on the topic.
Mountain lion hunting is primarily done for conservation…
Alaska is a place unlike any other that I’ve visited. It is the kind of place where you go to visit, but never leave because its hooks sink deep into your heart and make you feel home.
It was like this for my husband and I as pilots from Idaho who both ventured to Alaska before we knew each other. After we graduated college, met, and got married, and had the opportunity to work in bush Alaska as newlyweds. We never felt more home.
When I was growing up places and families like this only existed in my dreams. My husband and I are both from broken and dysfunctional homes and grew up craving the security of “family” and “togetherness”. I believe this is why homesteading is such a good fit for us. We desire NOTHING other than to have time together in nature.