# Skinning a Squirrel.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Season is about here and I plan on filling the freezer up with some great eating Squirrel this fall. Also thin the tree rats out that are getting to bold around the house.
Has been several years since I did any amount squirrel hunting and have heard of a different method than the slit in the back and pulling the skin both ways.
You tube has a bunch of video's to watch. Some the hunter is really slick and can skin a squirrel about as fast as you can say skin a squirrel and is done neat and clean with the slit behind & under the tail. A bunch are worth watching just to see *WHAT NOT TO DO*. 
First thing is to have a very sharp knife small enough you can handle it properly. 
Second is to make the cut under the tail and break or cut the tail bone, also make a cut part way around the rear legs to start the hide separation from them.
Then it is just a matter of having a good base to lay the squirrel tail on and be able to hold the tail with your heel.
4 more days and I am chomping at the bit and have a pound of bacon standing by to wrap some squirrels in.



http://smg.photobucket.com/user/oldgrumpy/media/guns shooting and hunting/101119_2612.jpg.html


 Al


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

They've disappeared from here. I filled the bird feeder a week ago and it still has sunflower seed in it. I'm hoping when the weather cools a bit that they will be back. Yes, I bait the little {bad word omitted}, they've been eating my garden produce and sunflower seeds, and bird feeders and deserve no mercy. The squirrels cost me a small fortune with their destructive ways.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Good luck. I'm all for hunting for food, and if I was hungry, I could eat them, but honestly, I can't stand squirrel no matter how you skin it.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

did one last night 

do them while they are warm if you can this makes them easier 

I did it just like a **** 

first hold down one back leg toss the foot in a vise, clamp , use s loop of cable , or heavy string , cordage or such

pull the other back leg it should be doing the splits 

make the money cut from the inside of the held foot across tot eh inside of the other foot , use a hook blade razor knife to do this 

cut around the ankle of the foot your holding , switch feet and do the same try not to cut the tendon that is what i use to hang them up on my hooks 

then i hang them up on my hooks a small skinning gambrell 

I pull the skin down over the legs when i get to the tail I cut it at the base with a knife , on a **** i would work a pointed dowel or my finger thru then stick the dowel thru and pull down this starts the hide down the tail then i use a tail strippers 
squirrel are to delicate for this once the hide is off the back legs give it a good pull you may need to help with a knife ocationaly you can usually get to the front shoulders bfore you need much help with a knife , then work your finger through and pul it off the legs turning it inside out over the foot the slip the knife through and cut , you could aslo cut the front feet off with a wire snips first 

finish pulling it down once you get past the front legs there isn't much of a neck but get to it cut to the spine all around and twist if you want the head to go with the fur

or keep pulling cut the ears and at the eyes and around the nose and you have the hole hide

another option is cut all the feet off , then take the hook blade ans start at the neck run down the chest belly and down a leg then cut of the head and pop it out of it's skin

I made a tiny board to dry the squirrel hides on like i would a **** , I figure it's practice and it might be kind of fun to have a hole squirrel hide , leave it places or walk along petting it like it is my pet squirrel BS small kids and gullible adults with it


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

linoleum hook blades are supposed to be better than the roofing type but the roofing type was all i could find and they work ok


the last batch of squirrel i cooked i added a bit of bbq sauce wrapped in foil wrapped again in foil then cooked on some colls form a small fire , I did this for my scouts they loved it , they want more for their camp out this weekend

I caught this one in a live trap and took it in the garage to dispatch with a pellet gun , the only legal way to get in town squirrel


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> linoleum hook blades are supposed to be better than the roofing type but the roofing type was all i could find and they work ok
> 
> 
> the last batch of squirrel i cooked i added a bit of bbq sauce wrapped in foil wrapped again in foil then cooked on some colls form a small fire , I did this for my scouts they loved it , they want more for their camp out this weekend
> ...


Pete,let me know if this goes thru. NAFA squirrel board.

Wade

Ermine & Squirrel Boards
1" @ 1"
1Â¼" @ 1Â¾"
13&#8260;8" @ 2Â½"
1Â½" @ 4"
1" @ 1"
1 3&#8260;8" @ 1Â¾"
15&#8260;8" @ 3Â½"
2Â½" @ 16"
2Â½" @ 18"
1Â½" @ 1"
2" @ 2Â½"
2Â½" @ 5"
2Â¾" @ 18"
18"â20" Long 16"â18" Long 18" Long
A smaller Squirrel board is reduced by 1&#8260;8" each 
side from 2Â½" point to the base.
All boards 3&#8260;16" thick
Ermine boards may be made smaller or larger from 
1Â¾" to the base.
xlâxxl
Ermine
MedâLG
Ermine
Western Red Squirrel


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

The way I do it, cut Head, Legs and Tail off, cut Skin across Back, pull both ways.












big rockpile


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

big rockpile said:


> The way I do it, cut Head, Legs and Tail off, cut Skin across Back, pull both ways.
> 
> 
> big rockpile


That's the way I was taught too... Always worked well for me..


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## hawgsquatch (May 11, 2014)

Squirrel season starts here tomorrow morning. 

Squirrel stew, squirrel and dumplings, squirrel pot pie, canned squirrel, Brunswick stew, fried squirrel, braised squirrel with honey and walnut vinegar, squirrel gravy over biscuits, squirrel omelets, I love squirrel.

Rockpile that's exactly how we do them right down to the hatchet. I started cleaning them as soon as I kill them and keeping them in a little cooler full of salt water and Ice and it makes a big difference in the flavor. But, it will be 95 degrees tomorrow by ten AM here too.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Check out the uncle squack you tube video on cleaning squirrels. I always did as Rock but am going to try the squack method as he can skin one out and dress it in about a minute and a half. Claim less hair also.
I have a pound of bacon in the fridge just waiting to be wrapped around some squirrels and fried.

Also plan on grilling a few.
Separate the hind legs and front legs from the carcass, then split the back into two sections.
Season the squirrel with seasoned salt and black pepper, then cook over a medium high charcoal grill for one hour or so. The older the squirrel, the more time it will take. No matter how young the squirrel is, it'll probably be a little chewier than a nice rib eye steak. 

Also poor mans squirrel.

SQUIRREL WITH RICE AND POTATOES 2 old squirrels, cut up
1 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 c. uncooked rice
1 onion, chopped
1/4 c. chopped celery
3 med. potatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper
Brown squirrels in skillet with small amount of grease. Pressure cook for 15 minutes to tenderize. Saute onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic in skillet drippings; add rice, squirrel, potatoes, seasoning and enough liquid to cook rice and potatoes. Cover; cook slowly until tender.



 Al


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## itsb (Jan 13, 2013)

big rockpile said:


> The way I do it, cut Head, Legs and Tail off, cut Skin across Back, pull both ways.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


grandma would have skinded me alive if the head was not attached, ( she loved her brains):clap: there is as many way to skin a rat as ways to skin a cat :happy:


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

1shotwade said:


> Pete,let me know if this goes thru. NAFA squirrel board.
> 
> Wade
> 
> ...


it went through , I am going to have to make a few of these from some scraps when i cut my **** boards this year 

I was reading on a trapping forum a guy made a pattern from 7/16 osb for his boards then ran short he grabbed his pattern and staples a **** to it , it worked so well and was so cheap that he just started making them all from OSB with a jig saw he could get a dozen boards from a 8 dollar sheet he had less than a dollar in each board in material

I have a poster with board sizes on it on the back of my office door the size i have shows 1 11/16 at 2 inches , 2 1/4 at 9 and 2 1/2 at 19 so they are close


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I learned BigRockPiles way when i was a kid the neighbor showed me and a friend when I got one with a bow 

but i am getting to be a real fan of the hook blade as it leaves a lot less hair as your cutting from the inside


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> it went through , I am going to have to make a few of these from some scraps when i cut my **** boards this year
> 
> I was reading on a trapping forum a guy made a pattern from 7/16 osb for his boards then ran short he grabbed his pattern and staples a **** to it , it worked so well and was so cheap that he just started making them all from OSB with a jig saw he could get a dozen boards from a 8 dollar sheet he had less than a dollar in each board in material
> 
> I have a poster with board sizes on it on the back of my office door the size i have shows 1 11/16 at 2 inches , 2 1/4 at 9 and 2 1/2 at 19 so they are close



Those dimensions came right off NAFA web site. It had drawings of the boards also but they didn't print for some reason.If you are going to build boards might as well build then exaxtly like NAFA wants them "cause they are the biggest and best place to sell.I'll try and link the sight for you. Don't know if I can or not. I'm not as smart as my computer.Here goes.

Wade

http://www.nafa.ca/trapper/Resources/NAFA_PeltHandlingManual_2009.pdf


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

thanks the pdf opened and I see the board size it allows for an 1/8 inch larger or smaller but I will make to what they have when i do them


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## doingitmyself (Jul 30, 2013)

Don't matter how your skin it, just make sure no hair gets on the meat when your skinning it, or it will taint the taste of the squirrel when you cook him. I hate pan fried squirrel hair!!!!:awh:


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

itsb said:


> grandma would have skinded me alive if the head was not attached, ( she loved her brains):clap: there is as many way to skin a rat as ways to skin a cat :happy:


 My Ex was the same on Heads but wanted the Heads cut off on Possums and ***** :teehee:

big rockpile


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