How to Clean a Squirrel

From WildernessWiki.org

WARNING:
Media displayed on this page may be disturbing to some viewers due to its graphic content. Please use discretion in choosing to view.

Cleaning a Squirrel

Assuming the squirrel is in good condition (this one was killed with one pellet, through the left lung); the meat and hide should be in good condition. Make sure your knife is extremely sharp; you may want to touch up the blade during the process of skinning the squirrel. Cutting bone may bend or chip the edge of your knife, so either have a good heavy one on hand, or something else to cut thin bones. This is a squirrel – hacksaws and axes are overkill. Even though I’m not wearing them in the photos, I’d highly recommend wearing gloves of some sort – latex is good, provided you are not allergic.

Begin cutting at the anus. Do not cut through the pelvic bone just yet – that comes later. Ignore the sex organs, unless you feel like removing them. It doesn't really matter; they will have to come off sometime.

Cut in a straight line up the center of the belly, keeping your index finger under the point of the knife, so as not to puncture the guts.

When you reach the sternum, stop cutting. Open the abdominal cavity, and let any blood or other fluids drain out. Any organs that fall out can be left alone – but be careful not to pop the stomach or intestines, as this will make a mess. Cut away the membrane at the bottom of the ribcage, separating the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity.

Reach up into the chest cavity, and jerk loose the windpipe and esophagus. Pull them, along with the heart and lungs, down and along the spine. Pick up other organs, being very careful not to puncture them, and pull all out of the body. Jerk out the anal pipe, or cut it off at the base. Cut out sex organs, if you haven’t already.

Starting with the front legs, dislocate the wrists. Alternatively, break/cut through the bone near this point. Starting around the ribcage, peel the skin away from the body. Peel upwards towards the neck, and slip the front paws out of the skin. This will leave little “sleeves” of skin. Peel the skin as far up the nape of the squirrel’s neck as you can, and then cut it off. Now cut the head off as well.

Peel the skin down, and repeat the process with the hind legs. Now the skin should be attached by the tail alone. Here you have two options; either cut off the tail and leave it attached to the hide, or cut it off of the hide as well. Either is fine; I generally remove the tail and tan it alone.

You now have a squirrel hide ready to be tanned.

Cut any remaining globs of fat or bits of fur off of the body. You now have a squirrel body that can be cut up in numerous ways, depending on how much meat you want. This, and tanning the hide, will be taught in other articles.