field dressing a squirrel

[Abagtha]

I would appreciate it if any would share their best method for field
dressing a squirrel.

Thanks

[RDJ]

Method? Slit open underside from neck to rear, use finger to scoop out
cavity. Cut skin around rear legs and peel skin off (old tale that
difficulty in doing this aids in predicting severity of coming winter
weather). Drop skinned carcass into a plastic baggie and take home.
When you have several.... squirrel stew time!

--
"It rankles me when somebody tries to force
sombody to do something." -- John Wayne

[mel sorg]

RDJ wrote:
>
> Abagtha wrote:
> >
> > I would appreciate it if any would share their best method for field
> > dressing a squirrel.
> >
> > Thanks
>
> Method? Slit open underside from neck to rear, use finger to scoop out
> cavity. Cut skin around rear legs and peel skin off (old tale that
> difficulty in doing this aids in predicting severity of coming winter
> weather). Drop skinned carcass into a plastic baggie and take home.
> When you have several.... squirrel stew time!
>

Ditto, only it works better if you don't try to do it with a Blackjack
Model 1-7 with the 7" blade :)

[Todd Silimperi]

I read this skinning trick in a book: from the bottom side, Cut through
base of tail, but do not go through skin on the other (squirrel's back)
side of tail. The tail should be hanging on by just the skin. Lay
squirrel on his back with tail toward you and step on tail. Pull two
rear legs up. You should be able to pull the skin up to the neck and
front wrists. Cut off head and front paws. Remove remaining skin on rear
legs and belly (if any), and cut off rear wrists. Slit body cavity and
remove entrails.

I like to skin them before gutting, to minimize the amount of hair that
sticks to the meat and my fingers. Once your fingers get blood on them,
every hair on his body seems to sticks to your fingers.

I don't like to put any game in plastic bags until it has thoroughly
cooled. Unfortunately, I haven't found the perfect system yet because my
game pouch isn't much better than a plastic bag. Plus, there's a lot of
leaves, etc. in my pouch that stick to the meat. They usually come off
with water, though; use a veggie brush and water to remove stubborn
cling-ons.

Todd
--
"I envy not him that eats better meat than I do, nor him that is
richer or wears better clothes than I do.
I envy nobody but him, and him only, that catches more fish than I do."
Izaak Walton

[Ken Williams]

Abagtha wrote:
>
> I would appreciate it if any would share their best method for field
> dressing a squirrel.
>
> Thanks

The "Joy of Cooking" has a fairly reasonable section on field
dressing small animals, including squirrels and rabbit. Especially
important is the mention of how to handle the glands found in many
of these small animals so as not to screw-up the meat while
skinning.

The particular issue I have is the 1983 hardcover printing. The next
new edition (due out soon, if not out already) is going to significantly
cut back on the "game" section so make sure to look in the older
edition.

--
Ken Williams

[huntsall]

In article <19970101004...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
aba...@aol.com says...

>
>I would appreciate it if any would share their best method for field
>dressing a squirrel.
>
>Thanks

Abag,
It's easy -- just just skin down both back legs with an inside cut
(known as a "case" cut) to the tail... then cut through the tail
including the tail bone next to the squirrel .. but don't .. repeat
don't cut through the top of the tail skin... then simply step on the
squirrel's tail, hold by the hind legs and pull like heck .. the
squirrel will skin out from back to front... then you can poke your
fingers thru the front leg skin on each side and pull that down to the
paws and cut off... then cut off the head ... then and only then, empty
the insides with the usual field dressing cut to the inside -- rinse
out in the creek and drop him in your back pack ... your squirrel is
ready for the final wash up and frying pan ... nothing to it, man ....
good hunting ... huntsall

[Dana M. Hague]

When I go squirrel hunting, it's usually for only a few hours, so
I rarely even field dress them..... I wait until I get home, where
it's easier. I've never noticed any difference in the taste of the
meat. If I'm going to be out all day, that's a different story. But
why do you skin them _before_ you gut them?

-Dana

P.S. I find it easier to make a small slit across the spine, put my
fingers in the slit, and pull apart until the skin is just around the
legs, neck, and tail.
*******************************************************************
Don't use reply.....
Above email address is invalid to defeat robot spammers!
If replying by email, remove the exclamation points (!).
Dana....@snet.net

Resist militant "normality" -- A mind is a terrible thing to erase.
*******************************************************************

[Hank Burchard]

On Sat, 4 Jan 1997, Byron Krohn wrote:

> RDJ wrote:

> >
> > Abagtha wrote:
> > >
> > > I would appreciate it if any would share their best method for field
> > > dressing a squirrel.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> >

> > Method? Slit open underside from neck to rear, use finger to scoop out
> > cavity. Cut skin around rear legs and peel skin off (old tale that
> > difficulty in doing this aids in predicting severity of coming winter
> > weather). Drop skinned carcass into a plastic baggie and take home.
> > When you have several.... squirrel stew time!

> Don't get 'em mixed up with your store of rat carcasses, 'caus ya can't
> tell the difference! ;).
> Byron

Nah. They're easy to tell apart. Rats are tenderer and have more
flavor! ^^^^

Hank Burchard * <burc...@twp.com> * Washington DC | USA