ASK DR. SPEC
UPDATED 1 April  03
WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH !!!

Hey Squirrel,

The subject of tree stand height for big game archery has been endlessly debated, and there is no one hard, fast rule. 

Variables that can affect how high you should hang your tree stand include:

1) wind direction, speed, and thermal/swirling considerations
2) how well you control your own scent
3) how hard the deer have been hunted and “educated” in your area
4) how much motion you create when drawing your bow
5) what type of back-drop (foliage, branches, other nearby trees) is available to obscure your outline in the tree
6) how well you can place your shots

Pros of being higher:

Less scent carries to the ground to spook deer.
Less chance of being spotted when moving and drawing.

Cons of being higher:

The higher you get into a tree, the more difficult it becomes to hit both lungs on a deer since the angle of entry becomes more extreme in the vertical plane.

The higher you are, the more serious your injuries will be if you fall.  Always use a safety harness and strap when climbing and sitting in a tree stand.

Summary:

Most industry experts agree that 15-20 feet is a good height for bow hunting big game from a tree stand.  That doesn’t mean you cannot have success at higher or lower heights; experiment and see what works best for you.  With that said, I personally would not go lower than 10 feet or higher than 20 feet.

Hope that stops your argument,

  Dr. Spec
              12 Feb. 2003

Deer Dr. Spec,

  My buddy and I are having a hard time agreeing on something. We both hunt white tail deer from tree stands during archery season. I say that a stand set from 12 to 15 feet up a tree is plenty. The nimrod says that one has to be above 15 and preferably 20 feet up a tree to do it right. 
I hunt mostly in the hills of the southern-tier of New York. My buddy does most of his hunting in the flat land of Ohio's lake region.
  It's up to you Dr., to set him straight and let him know I'm right
(again).

   Jim (The Squirrel)
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Dear Dr. Spec,

A friend of mine is an avid squirrel hunter and, as he should, eats all he
bags. I contend that, seeing a squirrel is a rodent, that they couldn't make
good table fare. Tell me more about this prolific critter and ways to make
it more appetizing to my fussy pallet.

  Joe Bologna



Dear Joe:

The grey squirrel is the most hunted games species in North America.  Many a youngster started their hunting career with the grey squirrel.  There is nothing like sitting in the woods on a crisp fall morning with a trusty .22 rifle and your dog, waiting for ole’ bushy tail to make an appearance.

Anyway, grey squirrel can make excellent table fare.  If it is reasonably cool outside, they do not have to be field dressed – this can wait until you get home.  I dress mine in the sink to minimize the mess. 

While the ways to dress a squirrel are as varied as the ways to hunt them, this works best for me:

1) Cut off the tail, head, and feet.

2) Pinch the skin between the shoulder blades and snip it off with scissors, thereby creating a half dollar sized hole and exposing the meat.

3) Work your fingers under the skin and pull it over the neck and front legs.

4) Continue working the skin down the length of the body, until it comes off at the rear legs and base of the tail.

5) Use the scissors to cut down the body, starting at the neck, going through the sternum, and along the stomach lining and through the pelvis.  Be careful not to puncture the intestines.

6) Remove all innards and flush the body cavity until clean. 

7) Entirely remove the thin stomach flap on both side of the body cavity because this skin is always sour.  I like to cut it off starting at the inside base of the rear legs and along the back strap, and up to the rib cage.

8) If the squirrel is a male, clean up around the pelvis area and remove any glands and sex organs that might still remain.

9) Go over the carcass under running water one last time, carefully removing any hair, pellets, shot meat, bullet fragments, or any other objectionable items.

10) Soak the squirrel carcass in cold salt water for a day to leach out any blood from shot areas or bruises.

11) For cooking, the squirrel can be baked, fried, or put into a stew.

12) For frying, quarter the carcass and dip it into pan searing flour and fry in vegetable oil until cooked. 

13) For baking, drizzle olive oil over the entire carcass, sprinkle with spices like garlic salt, and Italian Seasoning, and bake at 350 for 35 minutes covered in foil.

14) For stew, simply quarter the carcass and drop in uncooked, or pan sear first.

15) In general, squirrel is very tender and flavorful meat.  As with any game, the youngest squirrels are a true delicacy.  On occasion you might encounter a “tough” or “rubbery” older squirrel, but don’t let that spoil the entire squirrel hunting experience.  I would estimate that on average, 75% of the squirrels I consume are excellent in taste, texture, and tenderness.  When we get a tough one, we either “tough it out”, or we feed it to the dog!

  The Dr.