Prepping Squirrel

[Stamp]

Hi all,
Just wondered if anyone has any tips for gutting Squirrels?

They are probably the hardest fury I have gutted, due to their small size and tuff anatomy. I start off by removing the tail and for bucks cutting up either side of the genitals before opening up the belly. This seems to work ok, removing the guts and organs is simple enough and so is skinning. The part that causes me most problems is getting the genitals out and bowel without damaging the gut. I do fine but just wondered if how others tackle them and if there you have developed any tricks or tips?

Meanwhile I have three fully prepped Squirrels in the freezer waiting for cooking :D

[JonnyP]

Dunno too much about removing all the bits, but my Janie did a blog post about one we got once..Crispy fried Squiggle http://hedgecombers.com/2012/02/06/crispy-fried-squirrel-chips/

[woodsman]

Once the belly is open, hold the front legs and flick the whole body like you were going to throw it away.
All the gubbins will shoot out so you wont even have to touch them, although you may have to get your fingers in there
to tidy up.

[shepherd]

once skinned out i do a careful cut straight down the belly, careful not to pop anything.. once done i reach my finger up inside the chest cavity and pull the lungs,heart etc away from the bone then pull them down towards the back end of the squirrel... should bring everything with it.. and where it doesnt just touch where its connected with a sharp knife.. should get it all out in one go... as for the back end.. introduce the knife to the vent and cut a circle around it making sure to take everything out.. hope that helps bud... use that technique on animals from squirrels to rabbits to horses to cows!

[Stamp]

Cheers guys, sounds like I am doing everything right. Think its just the small size that I am not used to. Its not a job I enjoy doing, but I feel it only right to be able to do these things if I am to eat meat.

[JonnyP]

Cheers guys, sounds like I am doing everything right. Think its just the small size that I am not used to. Its not a job I enjoy doing, but I feel it only right to be able to do these things if I am to eat meat.

Thats good ethics to have mate. So many people are clueless about the whole killing/ butchering process of the meat they eat..

[shepherd]

Thats good ethics to have mate. So many people are clueless about the whole killing/ butchering process of the meat they eat..

totally agree

[watatoad]

I must share this as I think it will make some laugh, my son had saved a few squirrel skins with the idea of curing them and making a pouch but he was anxious to move forward with the job and needed one more skin.
Low and behold one of our cats marches up the garden with a fresh killed squirrel, so encouraging the cat over, who probably thought it was about to be thanked my son mugged the cat by stroking him and pinching the cats squirrel. My son was happy but the cat sulked for a week and no amount of treats would placate it.

Incidentally my son is 25.

[Stamp]

Just put a phone call into the Cats Protection League..........

:happy-clapping:

[headshot]

with bunnies i hold the front legs and letting the rest hang make an insision into the chest cavity just below the breast bone,this way you dont puncture anything,as has been said hold front and back legs and flick,just leaves liver and kidneys in place though you have to just pull the stomach out which sits on top of the liver,this should work on squidgers as well as rabbits..good luck..atb kev

[ratcatcher]

here's how we do it


http://youtu.be/PYxZpkJlEi4