When I kill a squirrel, what is the most efficient way to field dress one?
Best way to clean/prepare for cooking?
I carry a claymore bandolier (like a woman's shoulder bag, but more masculine) with a tobacco pouch of ammo, a small pair of side cutter pliers, some latex gloves, some handiwipes, and some kraft paper sandwich bags. Also have a
sharp knife. (I make my own squirrel knives, but relatives and friends get them off me so when squirrel season comes, I'm usually carrying a stockman's 3-bladed pocket knife.)
To field dress a squirrel, use your latex gloves. Pinch up the skin at the small of the back and made a cut at right angles to the spine. Insert your fingers in the cut and pull the skin away from the hind legs. You're taking the squirrel's pants off.
When you expose the root of the tail, cut through it with your knife. Then stand on the tail, hook your fingers around the thighs and pull up. Use the side cutters to cut through the ankles.
Now continue pulling up, taking off the sweater. When you have the neck and front ankles exposed, use knife and side cutters to remove head and feet.
Cut the belly from pelvis to throat, and empty out the innards. Split the pelvis to get the rectum. Put the squirrel in a kraft bag and continue hunting. Loose hair will adhere to the meat. Don't worry about it at this time.
Once home, soak the carcasses in a little salt water and scrape with a table knife to get all the loose hair off. If the receipe calls for cutting up the carcass, cut off front and rear legs and divide the body in two by cutting the spine. If you want to bone the meat, parboil it first.
