There's nothing like hunting squirrels

By Tracy Farr
Editor, The Daily Spittoon

If you thought hunting squirrels was passé, then you need to think again.  Squirrel hunting is alive and well in Crappie County, and our resident expert squirrel hunter, Duff Huffman, is not shy about spreading the news! 

"I wait all year long for squirrel season to open," Huffman said.  "Besides Christmas and Halloween it's my favorite time of year."

Huffman is famous around Crappie County for his squirrel hunting prowess.  He once shot three squirrels out of three different trees with just one shot.

"Well, that's not exactly how it happened," Huffman said.  "What REALLY happened was I had those squirrels in my sights, they saw that they didn't have a chance, so they all climbed down out of those trees and just gave up at my feet.  It was the weirdest thing, but they sure tasted good."

Huffman is also famous for his squirrel hunting stories.

"The next best thing to squirrel on a stick is watching the eyes of my friends and neighbors as they listen to the story of how I bagged that squirrel on a stick," Huffman said.  "I was hunting with a new rifle that day and it worked so good it killed the squirrel, dressed it, cleaned it, put a stick through it and roasted it.  All I had to do was sit down and eat it. My favorite story is about killer squirrels, but that's another story."

According to Huffman, the secret for bagging your limit is patience.

"Squirrels are curious little critters," Huffman said.  "If you just sit in one spot, keep your eyes moving through the tree tops, you'll see them jumping from branch to branch.  They'll actually come right up to you and beg to be shot.  Before you know it you're cooking up a stew that will make your granddaddy proud."

Huffman doesn't just eat his squirrels -- he uses them to make Christmas presents for his friends and family.

"I can't tell you how many squirrel-skin coasters I've made," Huffman said.  "They're really a conversation piece.  I also make squirrel-skin clocks.  People get a kick out of watching the tail swing back and forth while the clock ticks.  I'm thinking about selling them on ebay.  I could probably sell a million of them."

Squirrel season opened Oct. 1 and will last until February.   If you would like a home-made squirrel-skin clock or set of coasters, call Huffman at his house.  You'll need to leave a message because he'll be you-know where doing you-know what.