does anybody on here know how to clean a squirrel?, i really want to try hunting some this fall.
thanks
thanks
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cleaning a squirrel
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N.E. CHARTERS
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Field Dressing
The quickest way is to just cut off all four feet with snips and cut off the head (You most likley wont eat those perts unless your real hungry)
Then fold the skin back over itself like your taking off a rubber glove. (Yea, were latex gloves whenever your skinning any animals, helps prevent bactiera and looks cool like a surgeon)
Then make a slit down the belly from the ribs to the anus and just reach in and pull out the innards.
You end up with a clean ready to cook critter and a pelt ready to be salted.
(Look for Salting Tips in other Posts)
Oh Yea: Shoot them in the head with a .22 or .177 and you wont ruin the meat and make a mess. Shotguns tear up small animals too much. Use this same cleaning technique for rabbitts, Possum, Coons and other ethnic delights.
Save the TAILS Mepps buys them or will trade you fishing lures for them.
The quickest way is to just cut off all four feet with snips and cut off the head (You most likley wont eat those perts unless your real hungry)
Then fold the skin back over itself like your taking off a rubber glove. (Yea, were latex gloves whenever your skinning any animals, helps prevent bactiera and looks cool like a surgeon)
Then make a slit down the belly from the ribs to the anus and just reach in and pull out the innards.
You end up with a clean ready to cook critter and a pelt ready to be salted.
(Look for Salting Tips in other Posts)
Oh Yea: Shoot them in the head with a .22 or .177 and you wont ruin the meat and make a mess. Shotguns tear up small animals too much. Use this same cleaning technique for rabbitts, Possum, Coons and other ethnic delights.
Save the TAILS Mepps buys them or will trade you fishing lures for them.
Last edited:
I find squirrels wonderful to hunt, but a PITA to clean. Their hairs are
tenacious at sticking to the skin. Cleaning is much easier if they are wetted
down first, but that is tough in the field. As the Cap'n said, a rifle is best for
minimal damage (and I have gotten bored hunting them with a 20. gauge). Alas,
for those of us in eastern mass rifles are out. I have found, however, that air
rifles are perfectly legal, so I am now using a charged pneumatic .22 air rifle
which is as accurate as my .22 rifle, and hits like a .22 short. (900 fps).
Where do you plan on hunting?
F
tenacious at sticking to the skin. Cleaning is much easier if they are wetted
down first, but that is tough in the field. As the Cap'n said, a rifle is best for
minimal damage (and I have gotten bored hunting them with a 20. gauge). Alas,
for those of us in eastern mass rifles are out. I have found, however, that air
rifles are perfectly legal, so I am now using a charged pneumatic .22 air rifle
which is as accurate as my .22 rifle, and hits like a .22 short. (900 fps).
Where do you plan on hunting?
F
do you think a 410. shotgun would ruin too much meat?.
N.E. CHARTERS
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.410 fun
I have been using a .410/.22LR over under Savage for many years. It gives to the chance to pop the squirrel with the .22 CB, Short, Long or LR all workin it or if the critter starts jumping from tree to tree (I have even blasted a Flying Squirrel in mid air) the .410 will take it down.
I reload my on .410 with a LEE hand loader. Buy one. its about the cost of a couple of boxes of .410 3" shells. Buy good AA shells and reload them. The remingtons reload easy but dont last long as the crimps rag out. However you can keep cutting down the shell and get hundreds of shots out of them when using a single shot break action.
PLUS: You can load +P .375 conicals as slugs and use it for larger game. They ZIP!
Other cool loads: Take some foam ear protectors, A lot of companies provide them as use once throw away. Cut them in half to use as little shock absorbers and load copper BB's in your .410 shells. put half under the load and half over the load to hold it in without crimping
I have been using a .410/.22LR over under Savage for many years. It gives to the chance to pop the squirrel with the .22 CB, Short, Long or LR all workin it or if the critter starts jumping from tree to tree (I have even blasted a Flying Squirrel in mid air) the .410 will take it down.
I reload my on .410 with a LEE hand loader. Buy one. its about the cost of a couple of boxes of .410 3" shells. Buy good AA shells and reload them. The remingtons reload easy but dont last long as the crimps rag out. However you can keep cutting down the shell and get hundreds of shots out of them when using a single shot break action.
PLUS: You can load +P .375 conicals as slugs and use it for larger game. They ZIP!
Other cool loads: Take some foam ear protectors, A lot of companies provide them as use once throw away. Cut them in half to use as little shock absorbers and load copper BB's in your .410 shells. put half under the load and half over the load to hold it in without crimping
A .410 should be fine as long as it is choked tightly enough to get a decent pattern
at 25 yards. There is so little shot in those shells that it can become a wounder
if the choke is wider than modified.
F
