For those of you that harvest these critters how do you cure the tails? Bone them out and rock salt them? Its getting time to bust out the ole .17 HMR and I dont want the tails to go to waist. Im not sure what patterns i can use them on but at the very least I could give them a good home to those in need. The same goes for rabbits, I know that you can use the “mask”, how do you cure that? Can i also use the skins? How do you go about using road kill? Can you use goat winter fur? Also I will be able to get about 3 elk hides (if we fill our tags) would that be a good idea to save some? If so what parts of it? Thanks for the help in advance and if all goes well I hope so share the wealth.
Travis
I don’t shoot hunt or shoot anything any more, but I’ll pick up the occasional road kill donation if it looks especially nice and it is in the winter. When I get a squirrel, I lay it down on a board and grasp the body fur between my thumb and pointer finger and give it a sharp tug towards the head of the critter. This will pull out a tuft of fur that I put in a plastic bag. Using this method, I can “pluck” a large squirrel in about 10 minutes. I get a nice large bag of fantastic squirrel dubbing with no blood or mess that you get when you skin them. Then I remove the tail and rub a bit of 20 mule Team Borax into the meaty end of the tail and let it dry in a cool dry place for about three weeks to cure. You can remove the tail bone if you want, but since you’re only going to cut off the fur to use it, you don’t have to.
Jim Smith
Another squirrel hunter…welcome:^)
The best method I’ve found, is to cut around the base of the tail (but avoid cutting into the tail as much as possible)…pinch the tail skin at the base of the cut…and firmly pull the entire tail bone out (while still attached to the rest of the squirrel. Do it prior to cleaning the rest of the squirrel. If you cut too deep into th etail, the tailebone will break off, leaving you with a miserable and tedious process of “deboning” the tail. Not desired:^) Then slit the tail as far down toward the tip as you can with an exacto-style knife…and coat with a Borax/non-iodized salt mix. I wrap alum foil with extra mix around it and store it in a cool dry area. Check it preiodically…and if the salt/borax mixture is looking wet? then shake it clean and re-apply fresh mix. It will cure nicely.
First, save the entire skin! Squirrel makes fantastic dubbing! (The same can be said for rabbit.) See: Dave Whitlock’s Red Squirrel nymph. NJTroutbum gives excellent advice on how to remove the tail without the bone. I would add one thing to the technique. After having cut just through the skin at the tail base, take two short #2 pencil-size sticks and place one in the cut on each side of the tail, grasp the sticks firmly and pull. The tail skin will slide right off ahead of the sticks. No need to slit the tail to “cure” it. Simply place some table salt or borax, or a mix of both, at the cut end and push it down into the cavity to the very end. Keep repeating this until the bone cavity has been filled, and set aside for a week or so. Kneading it, or a light pounding with a mixing spoon, will break up the caked salt/borax in the cavity, which is then dumped out.
Aged Sage, It’s been awhile, but I’ve seen that method with the sticks. As a young trapper we did the same for Raccoon and fox:^)
I have harvested many roadkill squirrel tails…I keep a small anvil type pruner in the car…spot a roadkill squirrel…check traffic and be sure it’s safe…hop out and snip off the tail…then on my way…drives my wife crazy…let the tail dry in a dry environment where critters won’t get it…as I said I’ve done many many …and deboning or even applying borax ,etc. is absolutely not necessary.
First of all thanks for all the help guys, and second, duksterman, how long do you just let them sit? And do you leave the bone in it too?
Deboning isn’t necessary, but that and the 50/50 salt-borax mix is the best way to avoid future bug infestation.
I have only done this once - but it worked, as it has for a friend who has about 4 tails. I agree, no need to debone, just hang it in the garage (warm with good ventilation) for a few weeks 'til dry. Then wash with shampoo and apply creme rinse (don’t tell anyone). Leave the hair soft and shiny - and easier to work with.
I let them sit till the exposed butt is dry.
Yes I leave the bone in and over many years have not had a critter problem…don’t try that with a rockchuck though:(
I agree with the shampoo and conditioner…it also tends to line up the hair so that it is easier to clip the clumps off in an orderly fashion.
I’ve been wearing a squirrel tail toupee for several years now.
Thanks for the heads up…so to speak.
I almost spit coffee all over my laptop!
It was Diet Pepsi and I did. For shame!
Here is a book for those who wish to use the materials that they harvest themselves: http://www.amazon.com/Field-Fly-Tiers-Skinning-Preserving/dp/1571882057
Most guts have it right. Chop off the tail and let it dry after a good soapy wash.
Now I just need the time to go get them.
While not fly fishing Mepps Spinners in Wisconsin buys squirrel tails for their spinners. This is how they want them: http://www.mepps.com/programs/squirrel-tail/
This thread does bring up one of those old sayings though that have become old for a good reason: “There is more than one way to skin a cat” or in this case a squirrel.
Rick
This question is for ducksterman and those who leave the bone in: By leaving the bone in, how do you go about making squirrel-tail soup?
The same way you make spotted owl soup.
:shock: owl…