Whether you call it "tree-range protein" or "limb chicken," squirrel meat is actually both tasty and healthful ... if you're brave enough to try it. And if you're feeling brave, the best place to go on September 7 will be the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center in Springdale. There, the best wild-game chefs in Arkansas will compete to create delicious bushytail dishes ... with plenty of family-friendly eats and activities on the side!
This event is wildly popular, but there are a few slots still open. Up to 40 three-person cooking teams will fire up grills, smokers and other cooking implements beginning at 9 a.m. and will present their dishes to a panel of judges beginning at noon. Want in? Complete contest rules and instructions to nab one of the few remaining cooking team spots are available at www.facebook.com/squirrelcookoff.
Are you short on squirrels? No worries: Arkansas squirrel season runs May 15-Feb. 28, and hunters may take up to 12 squirrels per day. Focus on hickory trees as we get closer to September, as hickory nuts are some of the squirrel’s favorite foods this time of year.
Joe Wilson, event planner, cooking contest veteran and connoisseur of all things squirrely, has been busy since before the last dish was served last year to make this year’s event even more memorable. “We’re always up to try something new and keep things fresh,” Wilson said. “We’re not sure exactly how everything will turn out, but we know it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Side dishes served alongside the competition this year will include the return of the World Champion Squirrel Skinning Contest as well as the World’s Hottest Squirrel Eating Competition, and Wilson has upped the ante with a special squirrel-calling contest where competitors will bark, chatter and squawk their way to victory if they can convince a panel of expert judges that their bushytail lingo is up to snuff.
The AGFC will again host the World Squirrel Shootoff in the Marksmanship Center, where people can test their airgunning ability and get some helpful aiming tips heading into the meat of squirrel season, and there will be tons of squirrely activities in the Nature Center classroom to entertain and educate anyone who wants to learn more about The Natural State’s native nutcrackers.
Everyone loves a side dish, but let’s not forget the main course, the fantastic food. It is a cooking competition, after all. In addition to samples handed out by competing teams, Wilson’s got a smorgasbord of free fancy eats lined up you can’t buy in any store.
“We’re going to have a giant fish fry, sponsored by ACC Crappie Stix,” Wilson said. "Crappie and catfish will be served with a smile while the supply lasts. We’ll also have tons of other free wild food to give you a sample of something your taste buds haven’t tackled before. Last year’s carp tacos were a huge hit, and folks just kept coming back for all the rabbit fricassee their stomachs could handle.”
That’s just a brief sampling of the fun in store for folks who make the trek to Northwest Arkansas to enjoy the event firsthand. There’s even talk of a special cookbook being sold that’s full of past winning recipes and other sources of a squirrel-centric nature. Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the local 4-H club, which is volunteering to help wrangle parking at this year’s event.
Visit www.facebook.com/squirrelcookoff for the latest developments on what’s sure to be something to chatter about for years to come.
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