# Bot Flys in Squirrels



## Muddy Water (Sep 17, 2015)

Went down to Redlands yesterday to hunt the river drain. Shot 2 squirrels that were filled with big bot fly larvae. The pelts and meat on both were too damaged to salvage. Saw a few other hunters out that day that said the same thing. Just a heads up that it may be a few more weeks before the squirrels are free of wolves if you're shooting for pelts.


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## state159 (Sep 17, 2015)

Yep. Killed one this morning in middle GA and it had wolves too. It was ugly.


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## j_seph (Sep 17, 2015)

Muddy Water said:


> Went down to Redlands yesterday to hunt the river drain. Shot 2 squirrels that were filled with big bot fly larvae. The pelts and meat on both were too damaged to salvage. Saw a few other hunters out that day that said the same thing. Just a heads up that it may be a few more weeks before the squirrels are free of wolves if you're shooting for pelts.


How was meat messed up? Didn't think they went that deep


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## Muddy Water (Sep 18, 2015)

j_seph said:


> How was meat messed up? Didn't think they went that deep



I cut under one and the meat looked and smelled infected. I'm sure there were salvageable parts but I didn't want to eat anything that had more bug than mammal under it's skin


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## tcward (Sep 19, 2015)

Never eat a bot infested squirrel. There will be many with bot larvae til first frost.


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## jigman29 (Sep 19, 2015)

When I was a kid my granny would skin them and cut the part out that the wolve was on. I cant stomach the thoughts of eating them but when granny cooked something and set in in front of you you eat it no matter what. I will be waiting till a couple weeks after the frost before I start hunting.


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## Rick Carter (Sep 26, 2015)

My wife pulled 3 out of some feral kitties she caught.


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## Muddy Water (Oct 23, 2015)

Update: went back to Redlands today. Shot 4 squirrels and 3 had multiple wolves. the other had some scars from wolves but none at the time. one had over a dozen full sized larvae in her so i guess a .22 was probably a mercy


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## Troger11 (Oct 30, 2015)

Just felt the need to comment here as a former paramedic and current 2nd year medical student.  It is NOT harmful or invective to consume squirrel meat infected by bot fly larvae. Just clean the larvae and surrounding area out if it bothers you. I too would think about throwing out a squirrel if it was infected by 12 bot flies just becuase it looks nasty not becuase it would infect you.


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## Davey (Oct 30, 2015)

Troger11 said:


> Just felt the need to comment here as a former paramedic and current 2nd year medical student.  It is NOT harmful or invective to consume squirrel meat infected by bot fly larvae. Just clean the larvae and surrounding area out if it bothers you. I too would think about throwing out a squirrel if it was infected by 12 bot flies just becuase it looks nasty not becuase it would infect you.



Why wouldn't you just eat the maggots too?


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## Nannyman (Nov 7, 2015)

They are pure protein.


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