how to use a dead squirrel

[goalstop]

I shot a squirrel today, and would like to use it for something other than taking up space in the dump. Any suggestions? My mom doesn't want me pelting it or eating it though because she says its not safe due to the diseases the carry (I know that's not entirely true but oh well).
Thanks!

[Gbro]

The tail can be used to make fishing tackle.
You could feed the neighbors cat

[goalstop]

How do you make fishing tackle with the tail?

[LukeA]

Use some of the hairs to tie flies?

You could make that cat a nice warm hat!

[Pahoo]

Skin it out, clean it and if you won't eat it, find someone who will. There should be absolutely no reason to worry about any desease. Hey, you would still have the pelt and tail to play with. Might suggest that next time, you pass on that shot if you don't have a use for it. Next to quaii, squirrel is still my favorite wild game. I have a good basic recipe that I would share with you.


Be Safe !!!

[goalstop]

Well they're in our attic so we're killing all squirrels on our property. I just hate wasting them. Please any comments about squirrels being safe to eat and pelt would help immensely.

[Christchild]

I've been shooting and eating squirrel my entire life. Skin it out, quarter it up, smother it down with onions and garlic and Your choice of seasoning, make a roux to thicken the juice/drippings into a gravy, and serve it over rice.

As far as the pelt goes, I can't think of much other than tying flies. Get into Fly Tying and catch fish with the squirrel tail hair flies from the squirrel You shot.

[troy_mclure]

if you save the tails you can trade them to mepps for steep discounts on their tackle.

as for the carcass, just bury them around trees. it will provide fertilizer.

dont feel bad about "wasting" the squirrels if they are pests. they are just like any other varmint.

[jrothWA]

look at the liver, if its a brigth red, it should be alright to eat.

Try cutting up into pieces and frying and browning in seasoned flour and oil, then place in baking dish and fill with cider bake with @ 350 for forty minutes serve with rice or sweet potatoes and waldorf / apple salad. Enjoy.


The tail if stripped from the bone/ mussle and dried then sold to MEPPS Co. for applying to some of the spinners they make.

[Catfish25p2000]

I think Mepps used to pay like .25 ea for squirell. You would need more than one to send it in and get paid for it though.

[Crankylove]

Use it for baiting other squirrells. The one around here will come nibble on thier dead friends. I shoot one, then wait a few minutes and his best buddy will come out to chew on his kneecaps...........some days I can't pack enough ammo with me.

[bangbangshootshoot]

Go here for Mepps info. You need a crap load of tails to make it worth your while, although they also trade for lures.
http://www.mepps.com/squirrel_tail_program/payment.php

[hogdogs]

Covert spec ops...
Skin it and fit it to a G.I.Joe as a "real furr guile suit".

Getting several froze up to grill all at once for the dogs works for me,
Brent

[Big Bill]

how to use a dead squirrel

Just throw the darn thing out and mind your momma.

[alaskaman94]

fur underwear! skin it and staple it to a chunk of plywood in a few weeks take it of and work it to softness... set it aside.. do this 3 or 4 more times then sew up some fur boxers!!! fur side in ofcourse!!!!! :P

[banditt007]

def eat them, there isn't anything to worry about. If they look sick, toss them. However in the prob 150 squirrels i've eaten so far, i have not had one that was anywhere close to being sick or not edible. Always have been clean w/ not even a tick or mite on them. You can skin it, and you don't even have to gut it, just cut off the legs, the only other meat on them, is a small amount (and only on the big ones IMO) that goes along the spine on the outside of them. the 'backstraps' or loins. But in general all the meat is on the legs especially the backs. the meat on their sides where the ribs are is very tough and different than the leg meat and i do not care for it.

Squirrels are what got me into hunting, and i still enjoy hunting them. If you cook them fast like frying or something they will be like eating rubber. bread them, grease a tray and put them in the oven, i use convection for 1 hour at 325F and it works perfect. Like baked chicken legs, limb chicken that is

Being a squirrel hunter, i'd say kill the ones in the attic, and do a little home modification to prevent others from entering. I'm not one for trying to eradicate all of them in your yard. I guess i just have respect for the squirrel B/c in no time more will show up and it's never ending and not 'fair' to the animals, especially if they are not being used. And if you do kill them in the backyard, ones that aren't actually in the attic nesting....watch your self b/c in many states (here in NY this is true) they are a GAME animal (does that tell you if they are good to eat!?) and have seasons and hunting rules and regs governing them.

keep the shots to the head at the eyes or a bit behind, or right at the front shoulder. gut shots, even with high velocity HP .22's do not anchor them and many will get away wounded. I find them incredibly tough, and have hit them with good shots and had them get away or take a much longer time than you'd think to expire.

[Legionnaire]

Gag gift! A young man I know and a couple of his friends found this frozen squirrel decorating the hood of a car near the campus of a local college. Caption ideas welcome!

[Legionnaire]

I should add that I'm in the "eat them" camp. I love squirrel hunting, and we make a mean squirrel and broccoli caserole! Takes six or more squirrels, though.

[farmall]

Henry Lee Lucas, the serial killer, had another use for squirrel,and other small furry creatures, but I'd better let you find that out for yourself.

:barf::barf::barf:

Andy

[Uncle Buck]

If you aint gonna eat it, find something that will. Sometimes if I only get one squirrel, I feed it to the pigs. They like to play with the darn thing.

Skinning it out and saving the fur and the tail is easy enough to do, but only if your mom approves. If she does not approve, you will have more problems than what to do with the dead squirrels.

If you do skin it, make sure you get as much of the tail bone out as you can. Use a thin piece of metal to separate the tail bone from the hide. I am sure there are videos out there showing how to do it. Basically, you just slide the piece of metal between the hide and bone, pulling the tail almost inside out.

Take the hide and stretch it on a piece of board and salt it down (DO NOT USE IODIZED SALT). Let it dry with salt for a couple of days and then scrape the old salt off and salt it again. Make sure you put as much salt as you can on the inside of the tail. Once it is as hard as cardboard, you have to break the fur (Google Fur Breaking) by folding and bending and beating and just working it. Some people will add a little leather softener at this point to help relax the hide. I use to wait for my mother and father to leave the house and I would put a bunch of furs into the dryer with a couple of work boots, no heat, just tumble. It was great to break the hides and made them more flexible. It was not so great when Dad caught me and used on of those boots to move my rear-end towards the back of the wood shed.

Also, make sure you patch the hole in the attic where they are getting in. On my grandmothers house we used the 1/4 inch hard ware clothe, pushed into the hole and then used that expanding foam to seal it.

[FrankenMauser]

Create your own stuffed squirrel army. (The taxidermy costs would be a bit steep, though.)

[257]

I use to wait for my mother and father to leave the house and I would put a bunch of furs into the dryer with a couple of work boots, no heat, just tumble. It was great to break the hides and made them more flexible.

thanks for the laugh of the day

you could learn how to taxidermy them yourself, thats a good career

[257]

oh yeah, BTW, large rat traps with peanut butter, will take care of the rest of the squirrels in your attic, I've know lots of people who trap them for food.

[goalstop]

Do I need gloves to handle the squirrel?

[Dustin0]

NO you dont need gloves.