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Post by joebuck on Aug 6, 2021 20:49:53 GMT -5
Alright, whats the best way to deal with your game after you harvest it? I've read several different things : plastic bag, cotton bag, cool it off asap, ice, cold pacs, etc. I know that ideally you should cool off the game as quickly as you can and process it as soon as you can, but whats the consensus? I can't see stomping around for hours with a dead squirrel getting steamy in a plastic bag and still being good. Any advice would be appreciated! Joe buckmaster
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Post by esshup on Aug 6, 2021 21:10:13 GMT -5
1) The fresher they are when you try to skin them, the easier the hide comes off, ESPECIALLY the Fox Squirrels.
For the short amount of time I am in the woods, I don't worry about trying to cool them down. Deer on the other hand, get field dressed ASAP and I rinse out the body cavity with water, then they get propped open to cool overnight or get taken to the processor asap.
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Post by deadeer on Aug 6, 2021 22:14:07 GMT -5
Right on concerning fox squirrels! Best bet is to skin and gut when warm, put in ziploc and throw in a cooler. A bag cooler and ice pack is fine, and holds snacks and drink as well.
I rarely hunt long enough to worry about all that tho. If I get a couple in a sitting (RARE) I am done anyway.
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Post by squirrelhunter on Aug 9, 2021 21:37:37 GMT -5
I toss mine in a game pouch on my hunting vest until I get home then I clean them and put therm in a bowl of salty water and then put them in the refrigerator over night. Then I put them in the freezer. I do the same thing with rabbits too.
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Post by Russ Koon on Aug 10, 2021 0:29:42 GMT -5
What esshup said above, X2!
Very much worth your time to research the gutting and skinning methods and equipment before you need to use them. And the job is done much quicker and easier when done as soon as possible, preferably as soon as you pick them up from the forest floor.
There are two main methods for skinning. I used the "step on the tail and pull on the legs" method for many years, but after a hunting buddy showed me the "slit across the back, get your fingers under the skin and pull both ways" method, I switched to it. Seemed a bit quicker to me. It's mostly personal preference, but after a bit of practice, I was getting a squirrel done that way in one minute flat, skinned, gutted and in the zip-lock bag and the soft cooler with the frozen drink.
The meat tastes better to me when it's cooled out quickly, and it's great to get home with them ready to put in the fridge or freezer without having to deal with them after rising early to get them and walking the hills enough to start wearing down, then facing the chore when you get home and are dealing with a hide that feels almost glued to the carcass instead of being loose and easy to slip off.
Often I've also reaped a bonus of getting an opportunity to take a second squirrel while I'm finishing dressing the first one. Especially when they're working on hickory nuts, they can be very impatient to get back to their breakfast and if you move quietly to retrieve one and skin it, you'll often hear more cuttings coming through the leaves and hitting the ground before having that one in the bag.
A regular pocket knife is sufficient to get the whole job done. I usually carry my Buck 110, and like it because of the locking blade for safety, but there are many other choices that work as well, and are lighter to carry. I've meant for many years to include a good pair of kitchen/game shears, but haven't bought them yet. Probably would be worth the cost and weight in clipping off the feet and tail. If I get those shears, I'll probably also get a smaller lockblade than the Buck.
whatever your knife choice, it's very much worth the time and effort to get it SHARP before season, both for safe handling and doing the job quickly and cleanly.
There's a bit of a learning curve to it, and I remember thinking that a couple of my first year squirrels may have had more hair on them when I was done than they had when I started. It gets better quickly with practice.
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Post by esshup on Aug 10, 2021 1:29:45 GMT -5
What esshup said above, X2! Very much worth your time to research the gutting and skinning methods and equipment before you need to use them. And the job is done much quicker and easier when done as soon as possible, preferably as soon as you pick them up from the forest floor. There are two main methods for skinning. I used the "step on the tail and pull on the legs" method for many years, but after a hunting buddy showed me the "slit across the back, get your fingers under the skin and pull both ways" method, I switched to it. Seemed a bit quicker to me. It's mostly personal preference, but after a bit of practice, I was getting a squirrel done that way in one minute flat, skinned, gutted and in the zip-lock bag and the soft cooler with the frozen drink. The meat tastes better to me when it's cooled out quickly, and it's great to get home with them ready to put in the fridge or freezer without having to deal with them after rising early to get them and walking the hills enough to start wearing down, then facing the chore when you get home and are dealing with a hide that feels almost glued to the carcass instead of being loose and easy to slip off. Often I've also reaped a bonus of getting an opportunity to take a second squirrel while I'm finishing dressing the first one. Especially when they're working on hickory nuts, they can be very impatient to get back to their breakfast and if you move quietly to retrieve one and skin it, you'll often hear more cuttings coming through the leaves and hitting the ground before having that one in the bag. A regular pocket knife is sufficient to get the whole job done. I usually carry my Buck 110, and like it because of the locking blade for safety, but there are many other choices that work as well, and are lighter to carry. I've meant for many years to include a good pair of kitchen/game shears, but haven't bought them yet. Probably would be worth the cost and weight in clipping off the feet and tail. If I get those shears, I'll probably also get a smaller lockblade than the Buck. whatever your knife choice, it's very much worth the time and effort to get it SHARP before season, both for safe handling and doing the job quickly and cleanly. There's a bit of a learning curve to it, and I remember thinking that a couple of my first year squirrels may have had more hair on them when I was done than they had when I started. It gets better quickly with practice. Russ, were those Grey Squirrels or Fox Squirrels?
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Post by Russ Koon on Aug 10, 2021 11:08:13 GMT -5
I normally take a few more fox than grays, overall. Probably close to the same number of shot opportunities, but those darn grays are always moving, and seldom are as curious as the foxes. 8^)
The skinning method I mentioned as my favorite was learned on mostly grays, as we were hunting in bigger woods near my buddy's place and the grays are much more prevalent there. I did keep on using it when hunting in my home areas, and found that I still preferred it there on both species. I suspect it would probably compare a little less favorably if the skinning was delayed until I got home, as the method depends more heavily on the loose skin of the fresher kill. I never intentionally delayed the skinning to test the theory, though. Getting older now, and I really enjoy having them ready for the fridge as soon as I get home, not standing between me and my nap.
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Post by Russ Koon on Aug 10, 2021 11:30:26 GMT -5
just remembered another skinning option that I though looked like it would be a good one. I saw a commercial version of a device that would hold the squirrel by the feet for skinning. I even duplicated it as best I could by twisting up a diy version from a coat hanger, but I did it during the offseason and never got around to testing it. My guess is it would have been an improvement over the standing on the tail method, but the slit across the back method would still win on fresh kills.
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Post by deadeer on Aug 10, 2021 12:09:43 GMT -5
just remembered another skinning option that I though looked like it would be a good one. I saw a commercial version of a device that would hold the squirrel by the feet for skinning. I even duplicated it as best I could by twisting up a diy version from a coat hanger, but I did it during the offseason and never got around to testing it. My guess is it would have been an improvement over the standing on the tail method, but the slit across the back method would still win on fresh kills. Have seen this style in use by wifes WV uncle. If he likes it over the old style way, it must be the nuts! I will say he skinned several for us that had several hours on the kill, and it was quite easy with it at chest level for leverage. He also use catfish pliers since his hands are getting tired. I made a template of it, but havent got around to making my own yet.
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Post by esshup on Aug 10, 2021 12:10:33 GMT -5
My buddy from AR drives 2 nails in a tree or tall post at his house, cuts around the squirrel in the middle. Uses paracord to make a loop on each nail, and either the 2 front or 2 rear feet go in the loops, depending on which way he is pulling the skin.
I'll try the way you do it Russ when I shoot some. I might have to carry some disposable baby wipes or shop wipes to clean the hands if there's any blood on them before grabbing the rifle.
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Post by jamesg6626 on Aug 11, 2021 11:16:28 GMT -5
I carry a backpack in the woods and I have a squirrel carrier attached to the pack. Just a carabiner with 5 lengths of paracord attached. Each squirrel gets looped around the feet and carried along the rest of the hunt. Carrying them by the feet puts them in good position to skin via tail pull method even if they're a little stiff later. I have lost one by the loop coming loose around the feet. I'm going to find a better way to attach them this year, maybe through the leg, still kinda noob myself haha.
I see mostly grays, and I've not had any issues going a couple hours from harvest to skinning.
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Post by esshup on Aug 11, 2021 13:07:18 GMT -5
I carry a backpack in the woods and I have a squirrel carrier attached to the pack. Just a carabiner with 5 lengths of paracord attached. Each squirrel gets looped around the feet and carried along the rest of the hunt. Carrying them by the feet puts them in good position to skin via tail pull method even if they're a little stiff later. I have lost one by the loop coming loose around the feet. I'm going to find a better way to attach them this year, maybe through the leg, still kinda noob myself haha. I see mostly grays, and I've not had any issues going a couple hours from harvest to skinning. When I was a kid, I'd use a metal shower curtain "hook" that snapped closed, and pushed the sharpened end thru a hind foot and carried them that way, then looped it through my belt. Here's what they look like
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Post by stevein on Aug 11, 2021 15:18:13 GMT -5
If you are using a shotgun gut them in the woods. You never know when a pellet pokes a hole in the gut and you don't want that ozzing out. If you skin in the woods don't worry.
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Post by esshup on Aug 11, 2021 18:46:07 GMT -5
If you are using a shotgun gut them in the woods. You never know when a pellet pokes a hole in the gut and you don't want that ozzing out. If you skin in the woods don't worry. I agree!! I always used a .177 Spring pellet rifle or a .22. Now I will be using something in .17 cal or go back to the .177 pellet rifle.
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Post by INhuntin on Aug 12, 2021 14:56:20 GMT -5
If you are using a shotgun gut them in the woods. You never know when a pellet pokes a hole in the gut and you don't want that ozzing out. If you skin in the woods don't worry. I agree!! I always used a .177 Spring pellet rifle or a .22. Now I will be using something in .17 cal or go back to the .177 pellet rifle. Be careful with the .17 HMR to only taking head shots because if you hit the body at close range all you will get back is head, legs, & a tail when they explode from you shot.
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Post by esshup on Aug 12, 2021 15:19:14 GMT -5
I agree!! I always used a .177 Spring pellet rifle or a .22. Now I will be using something in .17 cal or go back to the .177 pellet rifle. Be careful with the .17 to only taking head shots because if you hit the body at close range all you will get back is head, legs, & a tail when they explode from you shot. It's not that bad, but if they are close, why not aim for the head? I agree that the fast .17's are more destructive than the .22 LR's though. BUT a .17 thru the shoulders does do a LOT of damage.
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Post by welder on Aug 13, 2021 19:04:53 GMT -5
Absolutely nothing wrong with field dressing squirrels. That being said, how many of us have carried them in a hot game pouch for HOURS? Probably best get the guts out ASAP, but I can assure you that wasn't the case for years.
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Post by bullseye69 on Aug 15, 2021 10:04:49 GMT -5
I have shot squirrels and tooted them around for a few hours. Got home and threw them on ice,These were heads shots mind you, and forgot aboot them till morning. Got up and said "cheese and rice!" forgot to clean the squirrels. Went and cleaned them and nothing was wrong with them. They tasted fine. So as long as they get cooled down within 5 hours of being shot they will be ok. I've tried it with chest shot ones after that incident and they were ok as well.
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Post by squirrelhunter on Aug 15, 2021 11:08:39 GMT -5
I don't see where it's any different with squirrel or rabbit and deer. How many have shot deer during early archery season and couldn't find it after dark and waited until the next morning to find it? It was still ok I'm sure even after being out all night.
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Post by drfleck on Aug 15, 2021 12:00:34 GMT -5
I cleaned my squirrels as soon as they hit the ground today and the hide came off much easier than skinning an hour or two later. I used the method where you slit in the back and pull either direction; just like cleaning rabbits. Brought a few ice packs in my backpack to chill the meat. Im going to stick with the immediate skinning not so much as Im worried about meat quality degrading but simply for ease of hide removal.
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