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Hunting & Fishing Freaking BOT FLY in my squirrel!

JelloStorm

JelloStorm

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 23, 2010
1,404
1
42
Northeast Pennsylvania
Gents,

Today I took two squirrels in the few hours I had to hunt and one of them had this giant lump that came to a brown head. I thought maybe it was an infection so I poked at it with my knife and the goddamn thing started moving!!

I called PA Game Commission and they said it's most likely safe to eat, however they wouldn't advise it. I did read online that it is safe since it's only in the skin and doesn't affect meat.

I'll see if I can get the pictures off my phone. PAGC wants me to email them some pictures.
 
This was after pissing around with it trying to get it out.

20131019_120218_zps2c66adca.jpg


20131019_120351_zpsb3f37896.jpg



Video:

[video]http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/bryanruckle/media/20131019_120221_zps841321db.mp4.html?sort=3&o=2[/video]
 
Nasty. Unless you're starving, there's no way I'd eat that. God, the last time I saw bot flies was when my buddy brought some back from Kenya. Absolutely disgusting, but nothing a scalpel, forceps, and some rubbing alcohol couldn't cure.
 
just googled for some bot fly info...that's some weird stuff right there.

i've shot hundreds of greys over the years, never seen something like that. maybe that's a partial explaination of why squirrels seem rather scarce / down on population in our area over the last few years?
 
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I have seen them on rabbits before too. I hate to kill a rabbit and not eat it, but gross. I got my buddy to eat it instead.
 
I've seen bot fly larvae in squirrels I've shot many times over the years. Always heard them called "wolves" here in TN. They tend to disappear after the first good frost. I've always refused to clean a squirrel with one on it. Hate to shoot something and not eat it, but wolves are pretty disgusting.
 
yep wolves here i the bama area also. This is where the old saying don't squirrel or rabbit hunt before the first frost. I had a pet wild rabbit my dad brought home from work and it had one in it we just took the rabbit back to the woods and turned it loose. I won't eat the meat but have also heard that it is ok. I don't do any small game hunting until after a frost or two.
 
I shot a few chipmunks in PA that had them. The first time I saw one of them I did the same thing poked it and it recoiled into the skin. SHUDDER. One of the very next chipmunks I shot had two. After years of shooting chipmunks by the wheelbarrow full I seemed to be into a thicket of those massive disgusting maggots. SKIN CRAWLING just thinking about it, even worse than ticks and that's saying something.
 
We call 'em wolves in MS too. I've been on a particular early season hunt, some years ago, where every squirrel we shot was infested with them.
 
They're called warbles folks. I think some of you may have just started hunting...

This is the reason a lot of the older generation won't start squirrle hunting until after the first frost or late October.

If you come aross them you can either trash the squirrle or skin them and flick the warble out of your way. However if you see a jelly like substance on the meat of the animal (butchers jelly) trash the meat.
 
Yep "wolves" in Louisiana too. I don't squirrel or rabbit hunt until after the first frost, for that reason.


All American Gunsmithing LLC
Baton Rouge L.A.
 
Down here on the bayou it's called "the schnig". Most of us won't hunt rabbits until after the first frost because of it.
 
Before I realized the Bot was laying on your knife blade, I thought it was on a bench in your back yard. Like a 35 pounder about 3 feet long. Made me jump a little.
 
79jeepcj5 said:
I've seen bot fly larvae in squirrels I've shot many times over the years. Always heard them called "wolves" here in TN. They tend to disappear after the first good frost. I've always refused to clean a squirrel with one on it. Hate to shoot something and not eat it, but wolves are pretty disgusting.
Click to expand...

You guys are too squeamish; it won't hurt the meat.

And, do you guys who "hate to shoot something and not eat it" eat the coyotes you shoot? If so, please share your recipie.

Just kidding.

This is why I'm a vegetarian.
 
Anybody have any of idea how far north Bot flies live? So far it sounds primarily Pennsylvania and south....I'm curious how far north and west thei habitat extends?

John
 
Grumulkin said:
You guys are too squeamish; it won't hurt the meat.

And, do you guys who "hate to shoot something and not eat it" eat the coyotes you shoot? If so, please share your recipie.

Just kidding.

This is why I'm a vegetarian.
Click to expand...

Coyote is a fine meal. Everything is better with gravy.
 
Cascade_Sherpa said:
Anybody have any of idea how far north Bot flies live? So far it sounds primarily Pennsylvania and south....I'm curious how far north and west thei habitat extends?

John
Click to expand...

I've killed squirrels in Michigan with them in it, my dad called them "Warbles" or something like that.
 
I say burn the squirrel, lol have you all seen the size of the squirrels in Texas? The ones down here are tinny compared to that beast.
 
WOLVES!!! I hate those damn things. Our deer here in Texas have them bad almost every one of them. They live in their heads (throat, nasal passages). Google nasal bot fly in deer.
 
I live in Southern Illinois and I've never seen anything like that in small game, (knock on wood) but Ive seen the ones in the nasal passages of deer. Pretty nasty looking little buggers but the meat was still fine.
 
I usually don't eat the nose, heard its pretty good as long as it doesn't have big ass worms in it. You never know till you try it. Seriously though, they're pretty common. You spend enough time shooting critters before it gets cold out, you'll see plenty.
 
They call them "warbles" here in Florida. The things really freak me out. No squirrels in the freezer here........


-SW
 
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