GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Wild Game Preparation and Recipes Gate => Topic started by: Bicycleman on December 02, 2016, 09:46:32 AM
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Often, I watch YouTube videos on "HOW TO" do things. Recently, there was one on the quickest way to skin a squirrel. It was over seven minutes long.
HUMMMM!
I have had some practice skinning squirrels and have tried several different techniques. But I am not the best. However, at normal speed, being careful not to get hair on the meat, a squirrel will be skinned and gutted in less than five minutes. If I hurried it, I could probably get the time down into the three plus minute range.
How fast are you? Time yourself next time and post the time. Also, you might mention the method you use.
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The method I use takes about 5 minutes. First I chop off all 4 paws. Cut a slice through the fur across mid back. Using both hands at the cut section, pull one section of fur towards the head and the other section of fur towards the tail end. Just like taking off a sweat shirt and pants. When fur reaches head, chop head/fur off, and when fur reaches tail, chop tail/fur off. The I carefully make an incision just below the sternum/rib cage, and using the handy gut hook of my knife, run it down to the pelvic bone, and then up into the shoulder region. Using my index and middle finger, like a set of hooks, I grab all the anatomy in the chest cavity and pull down and out to free all the guts. Once all the guts are hanging on the outside of the carcass, very carefully cut off the very end section of the intestine, to free the guts.
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+1
Pretty much the same method as Xray. I skin them when they are still warm , too.
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I skin them when they are still warm , too.
Definitely much easier to do before rigor mortis sets in
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I use the method where you lift the tail, make a cut at the base of the tail cutting through the skin and severing the tail bone at the same time, then you lay the squirrel on it's back, place your boot firmly on the squirrels tail while you grab both rear legs firmly. Now you pull up forcefully on both legs and pull the squirrel up forcefully. The skin will peel off all the way up to the head and front legs. A quick pull frees the skin from the front legs and you now cut off the head. Now all you have to do is grab the small section of skin that stayed on the rear legs during the procedure... grab it and peel it off. I hope I'm explaining it so you get a picture of it. Works fantastic. Takes me about 30 seconds to skin a squirrel. I first saw the method on YouTube years ago and have used it ever since.
Jeff
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I use the method where you lift the tail, make a cut at the base of the tail cutting through the skin and severing the tail bone at the same time, then you lay the squirrel on it's back, place your boot firmly on the squirrels tail while you grab both rear legs firmly. Now you pull up forcefully on both legs and pull the squirrel up forcefully. The skin will peel off all the way up to the head and front legs. A quick pull frees the skin from the front legs and you now cut off the head. Now all you have to do is grab the small section of skin that stayed on the rear legs during the procedure... grab it and peel it off. I hope I'm explaining it so you get a picture of it. Works fantastic. Takes me about 30 seconds to skin a squirrel. I first saw the method on YouTube years ago and have used it ever since.
Jeff
I've tried this method a couple of times, and ended up with the tail completely ripped off
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That can and does happen if you don't make the cut just right, it took me some practice before I got it down. The key is to make the cut about 1 1/2 inches long, a little longer is ok too, and make sure the meat is pulled away from the skin on the cut area (I use my knife point to make sure the meat is pulled away).
If you make the cut to short or the meat is still attached to the skin of the cut then the tail will just rip off when you pull.
Sounds like you already have a method that works well for you though.
Jeff
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Something I failed to mention in my original post: The sharper your knife is, the better the whole operation will go. Someone who is very proficient at skinning squirrels could probably be successful with a stick, but WHY? I use a knife that has a nice point for the reason Jeff pointed out. And the blade is razor sharp since squirrel skin is on the tough side. I check the edge before each hunt and dress it if necessary.
Do yourself a favor and the squirrels will thank you - or maybe not. Hee hee
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yes sharp knife helps speed up the skinning.i have the outdoor edge razor-lite.it has replaceable blades and they are really sharp and easy to replace.
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Mark, my brother has one that his son gave him as a little Christmas gift. He has not had enough practice with it yet - I am trying to remedy that. The knife I use was given to me by a good friend. It was a kit that he decorated with a nice handle pair. It is amazingly sharp and easily kept that way. I have thanked him several times for being so thoughtful.
EDIT: Picture of knife.
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I've used the "cut a belt-line, then pull the pants off" method a few times. The back/side meat and rear legs are all I've used. Haven't messed with the front half much. This upcoming Summer, I'll experiment with the "cut at the base of the tail" method.
I just read the wiki on them... I had no idea they can live up to 15 and even 18 years!
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I had no idea they could live that long. I just always figured they lived perhaps 7 or 8 years. Did the info you read say how you go about gauging their age ?
Jeff
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Interesting reading ---> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_squirrel
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I'm trying my shop compressor into the leg next time I skin one.
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I use the lift the tail method too. My Dad showed my how is done, long, long, ago. I use Stanley razor knife blades in a deer gutting knife, that I bought long ago. It takes me about 40 to 45 seconds once I'm warmed-up and have done a few. I used to use an Alaskan Ulu knife to skin deer, that's goes real fast too. ;)
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Did the info you read say how you go about gauging their age ?
Skin them then cut them in half and count the rings ;D
I picked up this cheapo knife on clearance for $7 at Wallyworld, and it works great on squirrel....particularly that gut hook..........Opens up that underside as easy as pulling on a zipper. The beefy 4" blade effortlessly chops off squirrel limbs and head with a single blow
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Check out this video. Yes it is a rather old video, but if you are taking any longer than this guy to skin a squirrel you are doing it wrong, and wasting your dang time. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEKjccfFcFo&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSEKjccfFcFo&has_verified=1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEKjccfFcFo&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSEKjccfFcFo&has_verified=1)
You'll need to sign into Youtube of course cause of the age restriction thingy. :)
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Check out this video. Yes it is a rather old video, but if you are taking any longer than this guy to skin a squirrel you are doing it wrong, and wasting your dang time. :)
Yeah, if you just want to skin a squirrel, it shouldn't take much longer than about a minute, but the OP was actually referring to skinning and gutting, which obviously would require more time
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In my original post: “How fast are you? Time yourself next time and post the time.”
I have not seen anyone answer this question yet! Don’t be shy - give it a try.
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In my original post: “How fast are you? Time yourself next time and post the time.”
I have not seen anyone answer this question yet! Don’t be shy - give it a try.
If we're just talking removing the skin (and head and tail), I'm sure I can beat 30sec. However, this will have to wait until Sept as squirrel is out of season until then.
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Start to finish - ready for the pot: Skinned, gutted, washed, and separated into six pieces!
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In my original post: “How fast are you? Time yourself next time and post the time.”
I have not seen anyone answer this question yet! Don’t be shy - give it a try.
some of us have to wait till next hunting season.i not try to be fast cause knife i use is very sharp and i aint got nowhere to go anyway.the grays skin out faster cause the skin peels off easy,the fox squirrels are tougher to do.
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I know it's an old thread, but anyway . . . Just under 7 minutes from skinning to freezer. I only timed one, so I'm sure that time would come down some with multiple squirrels (assembly line process). However, I also cut out ribs, remove some of the fascia, and never get in a hurry cleaning.
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John, that is a decent time for the first try after a long break. By all means, keep practicing. ;)
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I'm not too worried about how long it takes...
I just watched several you tubes...
I like cutting the head, feet and tail off then doing the shirt and pants. Cut up each side of the genitals to the rib cage and pull the innards out. Then fry them in two halves. Some white peppered gravy and flaky biscuits.
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I'm not too worried about how long it takes...
I just watched several you tubes...
I like cutting the head, feet and tail off then doing the shirt and pants. Cut up each side of the genitals to the rib cage and pull the innards out. Then fry them in two halves. Some white peppered gravy and flaky biscuits.
I didn't think you dined on squirrel, Bill!
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I not so good at skinning them, have past many squirrels just because I wasnt up for skinning it that day.
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I don't hunt to eat them but I will eat squirrel on occasion. I come from a hunting family... Squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, turkey..... ect.
I have a pest problem here though so I shoot them to control.
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I know this is a really old thread, but an important piece of info seems to be missing:
No one mentioned removing the squirrel's scent glands.
These are found in the animal's "armpits" so to speak. - Front legs only. They look like little blobs of fat and are not hard to find or remove.
I've noticed that some squirrels have much larger ones than other squirrels. It might be an age thing, or maybe a male-female differerence.
Anyway, they will surely taste better with these removed.
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I know this is a really old thread, but an important piece of info seems to be missing:
No one mentioned removing the squirrel's scent glands.
These are found in the animal's "armpits" so to speak. - Front legs only. They look like little blobs of fat and are not hard to find or remove.
I've noticed that some squirrels have much larger ones than other squirrels. It might be an age thing, or maybe a male-female differerence.
Anyway, they will surely taste better with these removed.
I do that on all the squirrels that I get, it does make a big difference in my opinion.
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Allan, I should have mentioned that before now. But it is such an automatic thing, I just forgot. Thanks for pointing it out. And yes, it does seem to result in a better tasting end product for those of us that enjoy our kill twice.
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I use the cut around the tail method however I have a fixture that holds the hind legs while I pull the hide off by inserting my fingers under the hide at the tail instead of pulling only on the tail. Time required is usually 2 to 3 minutes based on age of squirrel and temperature of animal. I do not cut the paws off until skinning is complete at which time I cut the head off. JMO but this method leaves the squirrel very clean.
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I know this is a really old thread, but an important piece of info seems to be missing:
No one mentioned removing the squirrel's scent glands.
These are found in the animal's "armpits" so to speak. - Front legs only. They look like little blobs of fat and are not hard to find or remove.
I've noticed that some squirrels have much larger ones than other squirrels. It might be an age thing, or maybe a male-female differerence.
Anyway, they will surely taste better with these removed.
Never knew about the scent glands. However, I typically cook nutters in heavy curry, so I guess it doesn't make a difference.
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IMO not removing the glands makes the meat somewhat rank. Especially with males. Cooked squirrel has a very distinct aroma to me. If the glands are not removed it is more pronounced. If I am preparing squirrel for my dogs (which I often do) I don’t bother to remove them. I use the tail cut method but I find it works best on a very fresh squirrel so I try to field dress squirrel quickly and I carry a big ziplock for the dressed critters.
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My younger brother is an avid hunter [like I am]; and is most often found hunting ducks. But after he semi-retired and moved to Lafayette, LA, we started hunting squirrels together. He had not hunted squirrels in about 40 years and didn't remember how to skin/clean the animals he killed. So, I showed him again, how I did the job.During the last week of October, 2022, my brother and I hunted together again in Louisiana. He introduced me to the 'clean the squirrels in the field' method of game dressing. Hey, the boy has been practicing. He is as quick as I am. We both use the method that starts with the cut at the base of the tail and works the skin towards the head.
A note about cleaning the squirrel in the field immediately after the kill: Squirrels are definitely difficult to skin. But it is wwwaaayyy easier to peel the skin off while the animal is still warm. Try it; you will like it.
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I’ve always used the method described in post #2. Now that I’m older and a little wiser (Mrs. Bent Skirt would dispute that though ;D) I use a small 9” Gerber hatchet for getting rid of the head and paws. It saves the knife’s edge as well has my hands this way, as for time it takes me right around 5 minutes from beginning to end.
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I’ve always used the method described in post #2. Now that I’m older and a little wiser (Mrs. Bent Skirt would dispute that though ;D) I use a small 9” Gerber hatchet for getting rid of the head and paws. It saves the knife’s edge as well has my hands this way, as for time it takes me right around 5 minutes from beginning to end.
I carry a light weight tomahawk sometimes and sometimes I use the wire cutters I keep in the truck. I take all four feet off first.