Skinning squirrels made easy?

i recently tried that (yesterday) and had great sucess, couldnt get the back leg fur off though, i tacked up the hides and they are lookin real nice, i have always skinned em a different way, cut em up the middle and down the inside of each limb, then cut around the wrists and ankles and you can just peal the skin off, this takes a long time but the skin has the legs on it. anyways it takes about 10 seconds, purplecoyote, why do you soak the squirrels in salt water?
 
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i recently tried that (yesterday) and had great sucess, couldnt get the back leg fur off though, i tacked up the hides and they are lookin real nice, i have always skinned em a different way, cut em up the middle and down the inside of each limb, then cut around the wrists and ankles and you can just peal the skin off, this takes a long time but the skin has the legs on it. anyways it takes about 10 seconds, purplecoyote, why do you soak the squirrels in salt water?



Couldn't get the back leg fur off? Once you pull upward on those hind legs while standing on the tail that skins the front half. Then look at the belly of the squirrel. There should be a strip of skin coming from the squirrels "pants" and extending down the belly. Pinch that and pull until you can get your fingers under it (shouldn't take but a second or two) then shift your grip to this new skin and pull it upward. This skins the pants off the squirrel.

You soak the squirrel in salt water to draw the blood out of the meat.
 
So the only cut you make is really close to his tail, behind his poo hole? And then you angle those cuts down to the thighs of his legs and when you pull the skin comes off the back and belly? Some how I think if I tried this I would end up just pulling the skin straight along his spine and it wouldn't come off in a useful pelt.

Any input?
 
The only cut is made with the squirrel positioned belly up, I hold them by the base of the tail. The cut is made between the anus and the body, right at the lower edge of the anal opening. Cut through the skin, bone, and tissue right to the meat. I like to widen the cut by skinning just an inch on either side of the base of the tail along the back. Step on the tail, grab the squirrel by the hind legs and pull up. The front half will be quickly and neatly skinned. I pull until the skin is past the neck where I want to cut off the head.

Now, shift your grip from the rear legs and grab the remaining skin on the belly. Pull that up and the hide will slide off the rear half of the squirrel. I then use game shears to snip off the feet and head. You have a completely skinned carcass, minus the feet and head. If you dipped it in water before the skinning started it'll be hair free. Gut the squirrel and you're ready to wash the carcass. Or, dismemeber for washing/soaking in salt water. Again, while in the field at the creek, lake, or pond where I do my cleaning, I use the game shears to seperate the four legs and back. So all I take home is the ediable portions and no worries about getting rid of hide, or intestines, ect...
 
does it make alot of difference if you skin them like this in the field while they are warm, or wait till you get home and skin them cold?
 
Skinning anything warm is easier, however, I don't skin them immediately because I want to dip them in water first to reduce that hair problem that occurs when you skin them dry. With this method even skinning them cold is no chore. Don't skip the water dip, it's important to eliminate the loose hair problem associated with skinning squirrels.

Natedog,
That is the very same video that is on the first post of this thread.
 


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