skin a squirrel

i take off the head and feet first, lay them on the belly, cut down the backbone to the tail.

then "undress them" like taking a coat off a sleeping kid, peeling skin off towards the butt, leaving the skin hanging on the tail.

i'll then remove the entrials, and any "material" left over gets pulled out with the rest of the skin. i then trim off the bare tail.

then go into the ribs and get the vitals out and quarter them, keeping the "back strap" section seperate by sperating just behind the rib cage.

To do it methodically and to retrieve the most I can for the pot, I usually skin and dress out my squirrels as such:

1. After harvesting, I'll remove the head and feet. This can be done several ways, from continous cutting witha small bladed knife, to one chop with a larger "Rambo" knife (my preference, quick and easy), to using a set of pruning shears.

2. Once that's done, I start back up, belly down, usually on a log, from the point of the neck area. For ease of removing the skin, I leave the entrails "in" at this time.



3. I move down the backbone toward the tail, seperating the skin away from the cut:




4. I then start working the skin away from the body, usually behingd the front legs / shoulder blades and at the point of my first cut at the neck:



5. I work it down the body, using my fingers to loosen and turn "inside out" the skin around the front legs:



6. Using the front legs for leverage, I hold it up and start pulling down:



7. I work the rear legs much like the front legs, getting the skin worked away with my fingers (like a finger in a glove) between the skin and legs, then pull and turn inside out:



8. Once clear of the legs, IU'll pull past the base of the tail about 3/4", then remove tail the same method of removing the head / feet.



9. At this point I'll remove the entrails, finding the point on the ribcage that comes to a point:



10. I'll make an inscision there and work my way to the anus area. On males, i'll go to one side of the genitals, then using the front legs for leverage, pick the squirrel up, work my index and thumb into the chest cavity breaking the membrane there, and remove the heart, lungs, and gastro tract all at once:



11. Once the entrails and anything deemed undedible is removed, I'll trim out the belly flaps:



12. I'll split the legs / hip to remove any other unwanted "inerds", and to set myself up to remove the legs:



13. I'll hold the squirrel upside down by the rear leg, and start a fillet near the backstrap to get the most meat off. I'll then trim around the leg socket, then a simple twist and pull to remove:



14. Moving back up the body once the legs are removed, I'll trim up both the sides of the rib cage, making an arrowhead look. A simple breaking, twist and pull of the vertabrae seperates the two:



15. I'll remove the front legs just as the back, starting a fillet from the meatiest part where attached to the rib cage, under the shoulder blade, them trim around the socket. I'll also make the breast meat a part of that fillet.

16. You are now left with 5 pieces:



17. This is a total of 6 squirrels on 2 platters. Platters are slightly larger than a standard dinner plate. Unfortunately a few of the quarters had to be discarded due to too much damage from an off shot.

I do the cut at the base of the tail and pull it over his head like a T-shirt...

One of the best things about this method is that you can almost eliminate getting any fur on the meat...try getting that fur off by handling it too much while skinning it. The fur all over the body and all over your hands is a pain...

Matt

YouTube - How to Skin a Squirrel Video

Best video by far. My buddy Squacks showin' how it's done.

I've been skinning them for years and used several different methods and this is by far the best. just remember, don't stand on the tail. Stand on the flap of skin. And pay attention to where he puts his fingers to pull off the pajamas. It makes a difference.

I've taken many of these and found the tail method to be the best. Also have tried soaking them in water first then skinning. Will almost always eliminate a single hair on the meat.

Brian

after gutting them..i cut through the skin along its back, then start pulling like your taking off a jacket..we can only use shot gun for them here =\ for that reason i dont know of a lot of squirrel hunters

+1 on wetting the squirrel, I get a pail and fill it with water then just put my squirrels down in the water and let them soak, Also wearing latex gloves while dressing small game seems to keep the meat cleaner ! If you get some hair on the gloves just dip the gloved hand in the water and the hair will be gone..Hope this helps..

I use to do the cut in the back and pull apart i went to tenn and learned a new way this year i allways start with a bucket of warm or hot water soak one for a min this way they are flexable and it helps to keep the hair from getting all over the meat but lets see if i can explain this the way i was taught this was done on a brick "sinder block" side cuts and a good sharp knife dip them in water cut there front feet off with side cuts cutt here tail on the bottom side rite by there butt hole cut it twist the tail cut down each side from tail about a inch twards there ribs put tail on the block step on it pull up on back feet it will pull skin off to head grab the rear of the skin and pull the other way cut rear feet off at the last joint and cut head off and gut them cut em open and pull guts out and you are done thats the best way ive found those old fox "red" squirrels can be tuff to skin thats the best way for me but the old cut there feet and tail off dip them in warm water make a inch cut on there back stick fingers in cut and pull till she gives allways works to

Yea pretty close to how we skin squrrels. We skinn them as soon as they drop out of the tree while the dogs head to tree another. We wear brush chaps and do it all over the knee.
First using a pair of sidecutters cut the front and rear feet off. Then lay the squirrel belly up on your knee, grab the tail and put your thumb up close to the butt hole and cut just on the tail side strait through the tail bone. Don't cut into the meat, but just under the hide.
Next make an angled cut on each side of the tail about an inch long going towards the end of their ribs on the center of their belly. Now lay the squirrel on the ground belly up and put your foot close to the butt on the tail and grab a rear leg in each hand. Pull back and forth strait up until you can feel the hide ripping and then pull both evenly till the squirrel is skinned down to the neck. Keep your foot on the tail and now there should look like a V of fur on the belly heading towards the rear legs, peel it up and pull.
That will leave the squirrel all skinned, now all there is to do is to cut the neck off and gut it out. We cut the pelvic bone and then cut the rib cage up to the neck and pull everything out. It sounds harder on paper but it only takes about a minute and a half once you've done it a couple times. Finally all there is to do is wash it off in the creek and throw it in a ziplock bag. Now we're ready for the next one.

Good luck

Yes it sounds confusing on paper but once u get the hang of it it is the fastest way ive seen he explained it very good a little better then me haha but good luck all

BigDaddy0381 said:

this is rather simple.
lay squirrle on its back.
cut in middle of belly all the way around back and back to belly.like a belt cut.
grab skin in left hand
grab the other(right) side in right hand.
Pull like the hulk ripping off his shirt.
the skin will wrap around the head and feet just snip them off(head ,feet) and the inards should come out nice and easly now.

batter up fry and injoy.
Pm me if this didn't make since to you.

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That's what I've always done as well

I grew up with the tail method 40 years later I have a friend that I would put up against the best squirrel dog team that exists he spot and stalks and is unbelievable his method of cleaning amazed me so much I am converted first thing he does is take a broke ratchet strap with the hook on it and hang it about chest high which I have had two hanging in my building now for 20 some years take your squirrel make a finger sized cut across middle of the back pull skin apart a couple inches poke point of knife in tail side make a hole big enough to poke your hook through now grab your skin on the head end where you cut it and pull it will skin bothe directions at the same time then keep pulling till hide comes down around feet on both ends cut front legs off grab the belly meat pull on it while cutting and gut at same time cut through back bone where back of ribs meet it hind legs and back strap still hanging from hide split pelvis cut tail off cut hind feet off your done no help holding needed you can separate legs from back when washing up I'm not near as fast as he is takes him about a minute and a half after he gets it hung up damndest thing I ever saw and am converted. David

david g ranes said:

I grew up with the tail method 40 years later I have a friend that I would put up against the best squirrel dog team that exists he spot and stalks and is unbelievable his method of cleaning amazed me so much I am converted first thing he does is take a broke ratchet strap with the hook on it and hang it about chest high which I have had two hanging in my building now for 20 some years take your squirrel make a finger sized cut across middle of the back pull skin apart a couple inches poke point of knife in tail side make a hole big enough to poke your hook through now grab your skin on the head end where you cut it and pull it will skin bothe directions at the same time then keep pulling till hide comes down around feet on both ends cut front legs off grab the belly meat pull on it while cutting and gut at same time cut through back bone where back of ribs meet it hind legs and back strap still hanging from hide split pelvis cut tail off cut hind feet off your done no help holding needed you can separate legs from back when washing up I'm not near as fast as he is takes him about a minute and a half after he gets it hung up damndest thing I ever saw and am converted. David

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I would love to see a video of this. I can't figure it out from reading.

trustyrusty22 said:

I would love to see a video of this. I can't figure it out from reading.

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Start out with squirrel laying on its belly cut across the back in the middle of the squirrel stick your two trigger fingers in the slit and pull towards head and tail just pull hide loose enough to take tip of knife on hind leg side make a small slit I have two broken ratchet strap pieces with the hook still attached hanging in a building stick the hook through the slit you made in the hide hanging squirrel tail up grab the hide on the front leg side in the middle of its back and pull with a fresh squirrel the hide will pull both directions at the same time the squirrel will end up hanging by the hide by his tail and hind feet if you pull far enough cut the front feet off then the front legs then go up grab belly skin between hind legs a pull and cut at the same time hitting the squirrel grab front of squirrel at his rib cage and cut the spine just back of the ribs that leaves the back and hind legs still attached cut hind feet off and the tail and hide is still hanging on your hook sometimes the hole will tear out and you have to poke another one my wife said we don't need more squirrel so a video may take awhile. David