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Question from Pierre Poulin, Caledonia, Ontario : “Hi, great site. I am new at squirrel hunting, want to try it during fall scouting for deer. 2 questions. What do you think about using a .22? I have a .410 but what afraid of damaging most of the meat. What shot would you recommend? And then the interesting part; do you dress/clean it somewhat like you would a rabbit? Thanks in advance for the info.”
Answer : “Hello Pierre. If you prefer to do more sitting rather than walking, there is no reason an accurate .22 rim fire rifle can’t be every bit as effective - and just as much fun - as it is during the latter season. Taking a quiet position, watching, listening and then stalking to the target is the epitome of squirrel hunting for many. Normally more effective in the open woods of late winter, it can be productive during the early season as well.
Now regarding your second question. Insert your fingers in ahead of the knife tip right after you make the preliminary cutting so that you won’t cut the intestines open and contaminate the squirrel meat. You may want to use gloves to handle the meat if you are in an area where the squirrels’ health is uncertain.
If you skin them while they are still warm, it’s fairly easy to pull the skin off. If you let those tough membranes cool, it’s a little bit harder. Some people recommend skinning before gutting ( it’s not necessarily a bad idea ) but we recommend reversing that order on a very hot day.
To field dress a squirrel & preserve the pelt, you should remove all four paws at the wrist joint and cape the head if you want a full face pelt. Use small & delicate scissors to cut open the belly skin making sure that you won’t penetrate into the muscle wall of the abdomen. Cut down the insides of all four legs and around the rectum at the base of the tail.
Next you should strip the skin away from the meat. Blunt nosed pliers will help you keep your grip when peeling the legs. If you wish to keep the tail on the pelt, remove the skin of the back first, and peel the tail up about two thirds of the way before using strong scissors to cut it off at the bone.
To clean the squirrel, use delicate small scissors or a small knife to open the abdominal cavity, placing one finger inside the cavity to keep the knife away from the intestinal mass. Carefully remove the intestines and discard. Wash the carcass, or wipe it clean. Remove edible innards, and reserve them for stocks and sauces.”