Multiple Squirrel

[NYHuntFish]

Now I've found this forum maybe I can ask some of those questions I've had my whole life...

Say I'm squirrel hunting:

Now: I get a few squirrels, run back home and gut them because I'm scared the meat is somehow magically going to spoil and I'm going to die.

Question: What do you guys do? Say I wanted to get the bag limit? How long do you leave squirrels just "in your pack" or whatever before gutting them? 

Thanks.

 

[Borngeechee]

Good question. I've been bringing ice packs with me for the ride home.

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[NYHuntFish]

I think I'll try that. Makes sense.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I've hunted squirrels and never thought twice about it really. I've been out all morning and just left in my game vest. i do gut them as soon as I shoot them though. I do that in warm or cold weather.  I will say that there is night and day difference in skinning a warm squirrel VS one that has cooled off. when cool their skin if held on by the same crap they attach heat shields on the space shuttle with. lol. 

[Elmo]

I second culvercreek.  I never put much thought into it.  I throw them whole into a bag and then usually gut/skin with I have a break.  If the hunting is good, I'll save them up and do a bunch at once at the end of the day.  Once rigor mortis sets in, skinning is a bitch.

[chrisw]

I'm with the other guys, usually the hunting is best the first hour or two of light so I hate to shoot one and clean it right then. I usually wait until I shoot a limit or finish for the morning to clean them. If I'm feeling frisky I'll skin them real quick when I shoot them. Skinning a cold squirrel is awful. You can have the skin off in about a minute while warm still. I love squirrel hunting, I hate cleaning squirrels...

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[wolc123]

If I get out this weekend, I am taking a small cooler with an ice-pack and a couple quart zip-lock bags and skinning & parting them out as soon as there is a lull in the action.  I have to remember to sharpen up my pocket knife before I go, and there is no time like the present.  I usually hunt them after deer season when keeping them cool is a lot easier.

[NYHuntFish]

Thank you everyone. I read all the comments. Will do!

[TACC]

Great thread, great info and experience right there

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[airedale]

Most times I just put my squirrels in my game bag and dress them out when I get home. I think on a real hot day and if you are out for a long period of time one of those cheap foam coolers and a cold pack would not be a bad idea.

Cleaning a squirrel is easy when you know the tricks even when cold. A couple of tips, have a razor sharp knife, I use a folding bird hunter pocket knife. I also use a small cheap pair of pruning loppers to cut off the feet and head along with a pair of pliers when I need to pull on the hide, they work much better than your fingers. 

Here is a you tube video that shows the way I was pretty much taught to do it, as they say pictures are worth a thousand words and it is easy when you know how.

Al

 

Edited September 4, 2017 by airedale

[chrisw]

Well, I shot a limit of squirrels this morning, I decided to skin and quarter them as I shot them to see how bad it was. It wasn't bad at all, what would've taken me an hour trying to get the skin off all of them once rigor set in and they cooled off, took probably 2-3 minutes per squirrel. I made an cut through the base of the tail and down each hind quarter, then lay them on their back and put your heel on the ball of the tail and pull up with the hind legs and the skin comes off all the way to their head. Then pull the skin off the hind quarter and quarter them. Simple. All that I used for tools was a fillet knife. This will definitely the only way I do it going forward.

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[Paula]

3 hours ago, airedale said:

Most times I just put my squirrels in my game bag and dress them out when I get home. I think on a real hot day and if you are out for a long period of time one of those cheap foam coolers and a cold pack would not be a bad idea.

Cleaning a squirrel is easy when you know the tricks even when cold. A couple of tips, have a razor sharp knife, I use a folding bird hunter pocket knife. I also use a small cheap pair of pruning loppers to cut off the feet and head along with a pair of pliers when I need to pull on the hide, they work much better than your fingers. 

Here is a you tube video that shows the way I was pretty much taught to do it, as they say pictures are worth a thousand words and it is easy when you know how.

Al

 

This is how I do it now. I cut the feet off first. 

I do it as I get them. I bring a zip lock bag an toss them in, I just don't close bag up tight.

I have brought them home to do. I like to have a bit of fun, make a cut at back of neck and blow it up with an air compressor then do it like video. 

[wolc123]

43 minutes ago, chrisw said:

Well, I shot a limit of squirrels this morning, I decided to skin and quarter them as I shot them to see how bad it was. It wasn't bad at all, what would've taken me an hour trying to get the skin off all of them once rigor set in and they cooled off, took probably 2-3 minutes per squirrel. I made an cut through the base of the tail and down each hind quarter, then lay them on their back and put your heel on the ball of the tail and pull up with the hind legs and the skin comes off all the way to their head. Then pull the skin off the hind quarter and quarter them. Simple. All that I used for tools was a fillet knife. This will definitely the only way I do it going forward.

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I did not make it out, but I did spend some time over the weekend out on the range sighting in (6) deer guns and my squirrel rifle.   I probably would have got out this morning, but I had a few too many beers at the Fireman's picnic last night and was not quite up to it.  Hopefully, the action will be good next Saturday morning, over at my folks place.     

[greybeard]

I bring a cooler in my car.  If it's warm I get back to the car after a short while and start my prep. I carry a scissors and cut off the feet and head, then I skin it  using a scalpel with the guts intact, After it's skinned I gut it , quarter it and put it on ice. I wash them when I get home ton remove blood and hair that stuck to the skin.

I stick a wire in the tail when I get home and  salt, and borax the inside and hang the tail for flies/lures.

I used to tan , and soften the skins to make pouches etc. because the skin is strong and it was fun to do , but I haven't done that in years. I still have a pouch that's about 30 years old and still good.

[Pygmy]

I  used to ring them and pull the hide both ways...However, once rigor sets in they are a be-otch to skin that way.

A few years back I learned  to do it the way that is shown in the video...That method works well even if the critters have been dead for  few hours..Now I wait until I am done hunting and can easily skin, gut and quarter a limit of squirrels in less than 1/2 hour..

Another advantage of this method is that it leaves much less hair on the meat  ... I seldom hunt squirrels more than a ten minute drive from home, so I just put the meat in a plastic bag for the ride home..