Squirrel help.

[sm]

For Small folks with limited strength, steal a trick from Deer...Golf balls.

With Squirrels and Wabbits use big marbles, get a wad of skin and hair, insert Big marble (rocks work) with stout cord secure this "balled up wad" and pull. Two kids can pull against each other. One can can pull against one cord secured to truck, tree, tractor ...

Italian Dressing is another good marinade.

I still like to cut up in small pcs, paper bag with flour, and fresh ground pepper. Shake them pcs up in the bag, and use the Cast Iron Dutch oven with HOT oil to fry them suckers...

Scratch Biscuits , Gravy, Fried Squirrel, ...iced tea...I'm set.

"buzzzzz"

Baked Apple is done for dessert!

 

[knzn]

Trip20:

The key to this method is to get a nice flap of skin going with the knife. When you step down it looks like you are stepping on the tail only, but you need a flap of skin under your foot as well. Get the hang of it and it really is as easy as the video.

 

[Trip20]

Thanks knzn.

I think what I did was cut the skin a little too far around the sides of the squirrel. As I watch the vid a little closer - he doesn't really cut that large of a flap of skin in that his initial cuts do not extend very far around the side of the squirrel, and certainly the cuts are not long enough to make it towards the belly.

I think I made my initial cuts too long, and instead of the skin stretching/ripping around to the belly area, it curled and dug in to the first rib of the rib cage.

I'll give it another shot this weekend! Thanks again.
Bryan

 

[Trip20]

Earlier today I was takin' a..... reading my new Field & Stream, and they had an article pertaining to this thread. Thought I'd post it in the off chance it'll help someone out.

 

[Steve499]

I use a small gambrel made from 1/4 inch rod sharpened on both ends. It's bent into a shallow W shape. I stick each end under the tendons in the back feet of the squirrel and hang it from a limb stub I've clipped off with pruning pliers. With the squirrel hanging upside down and the tail toward me I cut through the tail bone but leave the skin intact at the back. I get the knife point between the skin and the meat at the tail base and make a cut around the flanks on both sides which meets in the center of the belly and forward of the penis if it's male. Then I lift the squirrel from the limb and hold the gambrel, feet and legs in my left hand while I pull the tail skin at the base with my right just enough to get a peel started. Then I step on the tail and pull the skin completely off. I hang the half skinned squirrel back up while I brush the hair off my hands, then grasp it around the skinned chest with my left hand, take it off the limb and remove the gambrel. I carry a small pair of channel lock pliers which I use to grip the edges of the "pants" the squirrel still has on to start a peel all around at the top of them, then pull them down to the ankles but leave them attached. I can hang the squirrel back up by the wrong side out hind leg skin on the limb stub while I gut it.

I carry a haversack sort of bag when I squirrel hunt which contains plastic bags, my gambrel,pruning pliers and channel locks. When I shoot a squirrel, I skin it right then, cut it into pieces starting from the front while it's hanging and put the pieces in a plastic bag. I keep young and old squirrels in different bags for cooking differences. Often I shoot a second or third squirrel while I'm skinning the first one. The only thing I take home is the cut up pieces which only need rinsing off. I sometimes soak them in salt water and sometimes I don't, can't tell any difference in the meat but my Grandpa always did so it must have had some purpose.

The secret to having clean, hair free meat is to make all cuts (except that first one through the tail bone) from the inside of the skin outward and to have some method to hang the squirrel so you can brush your hands off to rid them of hair before you touch the meat. I personally don't like to skin a wet squirrel (sometimes they fall in a creek) because the wet hair seems to stick to my hands and be harder to brush off than it is when it's dry.

Steve

 

[Shot_24]

I didn't read all the posts so if I am repeating sorry. I take and make a cut around each paw at the base then make a cut around the neck. Tree, hammer, large nail through skull sounds worse then it is. Then just start your small cuts to seperate the skin at the base of the neck get some pliers and PULL. When you get to the base of the tail cut tail bone. With it now turned inside out take it and put a stretcher on the inside. Salt the fleshy side as this should be on the outside.
When I was young I would take the hide's and sell them to local muskie and fly fisherman to trade for new lure's. Big fun too!

 

[T. O'Heir]

Don't use a knife to skin 'em. Use tin snips or kitchen scissors. Off with the feet and cut off the hide like you're skinning a chicken.