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skinning squirrels............
- Thread starter bob1961
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Bob,
How you skin them has a lot to do with WHEN you skin them. Squirrel hide gets tough to peel after they get cold. There are basically two camps that I have encountered.
1) Skin them in the field, still warm. Carry a canteen or water bottle to rinse the body cavity out once you have them gutted, then stick them in a plastic zip-lock bag....hidden in your haversak, of course!!!
2) I do it when I get home, because I don't want them drying out. I make an incision along the backs of the legs, cut off the feet and peel the leg skin up around the bung hole and up to the tail. With a SHARP knife, CAREFULLY cut around the tail so the the tail skin stays attached...you are going to use it for a rip-cord. Cut through the tail muscle and bone, leaving the skin intact. Then, deglove the body by holding the back legs in one hand and pulling the tail and hide down with the other. Be careful as you do this when the hide is coming off the abdomen that you cut away any sex organs that you come across, because if you do not, they will prematurely disembowel your tree rat.
You are going to have to make small separations between the hide and body as you go, just be patient. I use a filet knife when i can. When you get to the front legs, cut the feet off first, then slide the skin over them. When you get to the neck, cut off the head, and discard the hide, head, etc, unless you are planning on making very small hats.
After that, it's just like rabbits or very very tiny deer...just be careful what you punch through.
Stumblin :results:
How you skin them has a lot to do with WHEN you skin them. Squirrel hide gets tough to peel after they get cold. There are basically two camps that I have encountered.
1) Skin them in the field, still warm. Carry a canteen or water bottle to rinse the body cavity out once you have them gutted, then stick them in a plastic zip-lock bag....hidden in your haversak, of course!!!
2) I do it when I get home, because I don't want them drying out. I make an incision along the backs of the legs, cut off the feet and peel the leg skin up around the bung hole and up to the tail. With a SHARP knife, CAREFULLY cut around the tail so the the tail skin stays attached...you are going to use it for a rip-cord. Cut through the tail muscle and bone, leaving the skin intact. Then, deglove the body by holding the back legs in one hand and pulling the tail and hide down with the other. Be careful as you do this when the hide is coming off the abdomen that you cut away any sex organs that you come across, because if you do not, they will prematurely disembowel your tree rat.
You are going to have to make small separations between the hide and body as you go, just be patient. I use a filet knife when i can. When you get to the front legs, cut the feet off first, then slide the skin over them. When you get to the neck, cut off the head, and discard the hide, head, etc, unless you are planning on making very small hats.
After that, it's just like rabbits or very very tiny deer...just be careful what you punch through.
Stumblin :results:
I started skinning squirrels like they were little deer. If you shoot 'em in the head you can sometimes cut around the middle and then pull off both ends glove-like, just cutting off feet, tail, head etc with a knife. I pretty much just want to eat the legs cause there isn't that much meat on the other parts. I've heard some people split them lengthwise down the back. I agree, the faster they are skinned the better. Once the hide sets you're into a tougher job. :results: :shocking:
Guest
that's a good idea; i'll have to try that this weekend if i get lucky.
I put a 2" slit across the lower back side-to-side about 2" above the tail base (pinch the skin hard before making the slice to raise it above the muscle) and slip the first two fingers from each hand in the slit and pull like h*ll. (Lots of practice with a 60# recurve pays off for this step). Then, chop off the tail at the base and the feet at the dew-whiskers/toes, and finally lop the head off.
If it was a head shot you open the belly after this and there is very little mess.
If it was a head shot you open the belly after this and there is very little mess.
i usely gut them right away and skin um like a deer when i get home....but i saw a video on peeling the skin off and it looked alot better then skinning them like a deer....crockett....i use the 2 hind legs the 2 front legs and the back section with the back straps on them....you can eat them like hotwings this way....every one has five wings to them..................bob
RussB
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To skin squirrels I always used a small pair rose prunning shears, and a sharp pocket knife.
After gutting, I use the shears to cut off the feet, tail and head, make a incission in middle of their back where I put two fingers from each hand, and just pull....that skin comes off like a pair pajama's...you can do it a lot faster than you can tell someone how to do it.
Some folks cut the tail off and wait until last to cut the feet, they feel they are less apt to get hair on the meat that way. Either way, those little shears are worth their weight in silver round balls with any small game.
Same thing with a rabbit, unless I'm saving the skin for something, or I luck onto a hare, but I still use the shears to take off the feet.
Russ
After gutting, I use the shears to cut off the feet, tail and head, make a incission in middle of their back where I put two fingers from each hand, and just pull....that skin comes off like a pair pajama's...you can do it a lot faster than you can tell someone how to do it.
Some folks cut the tail off and wait until last to cut the feet, they feel they are less apt to get hair on the meat that way. Either way, those little shears are worth their weight in silver round balls with any small game.
Same thing with a rabbit, unless I'm saving the skin for something, or I luck onto a hare, but I still use the shears to take off the feet.
Russ
