I always made Brunswick stew out of them, and never concerned myself with whether they were old, or young animals. I did cheat, and use beef bouillon for the stock, or, if I had it, canned beef gravy. If browning the squirrels prior to stewing them made a difference, I couldnt tell. I also preferred mashed potatoes on the side, but, potatoes in the pot was good as well. It always seemed to come out good, and I fed it to more than one person over the years who became other dark meat converts.

Best,
Ted