I've thought about going squirrel hunting, but don't think they're considered a game animal here in OR. Might have to look into it.
Dare I ask, but what does squirrel taste like? (And so help me, if someone says "like squirrel"....)
P.S. Or, "like chicken"
I think gray squirrel are considered varmints, and are fair game. I'm pretty sure ground squirrels are treated the same way (ground squirrels are somewhat like prairie dogs, rather than regular tree squirrels; they have no bushy tails and live in holes in the ground).
I've never hunted tree squirrels, so I don't know what they taste like. In Nevada, where I do most of my hunting, ground squirrels are considered pests and aren't eaten, rather like coyotes. 'Sides, they also have a reputation for carrying bubonic plague, so you don't really want to handle them anyway.
Edit: Doing some more research. Gray squirrels require a hunting license to take; not sure about ground squirrels (Oregon's F&W website is poorly designed). Washington ground squirrels are under protected species, so either they require a license or are completely off limits. Not sure.
Gray squirrel season is as follows:
OPEN SEASON: Aug. 28 - Nov. 10
BAG LIMIT: 5 squirrels daily.
POSSESSION LIMIT: 15 in possession.
OPEN AREA: All units west of the eastern boundary of the Santiam, McKenzie, Indigo, Sprague and
Interstate units. Exception: No bag limit or closed season in that part of the Rogue Unit south of Rogue Rvr
and S Fork Rogue Rvr and north of Hwy 140.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 11 - Oct. 19
BAG LIMIT: 3 squirrels daily.
POSSESSION LIMIT: 6 in possession.
OPEN AREA: White Rvr and Hood units.