Anyone help a newbie?

[pumpkinhead150]

Ok.... I have been doing euro mounts for quite awhile and love it.  I am trying my hand at my first squirrel.  Shot one today with the bow.  I took my 2 measurements that I was supposed to take and am planning on ordering from WASCO.  Screwup #1:  I know WASCO sends instructions for newbies but without thinking, I started skinning.  I made a belly cut and began skinning.  ( I dont know if this is the proper way or not)  So I kept on going, having watched numerous videos on skinning squirrels.  I get to the back legs and start my first one.  Screw up #2:  As I was working my way down the leg, I decided to give it a little pressure and pulled.  Leg #1:  Paw popped right off.  DOH!!! Question:  Can this be repaired or is there anything I can do?  The rest of the 3 legs skinned out wonderfully. 
    Screwup #3:  As I was skinning the tail out, again, instead of going slow and taking my time, I got about halfway down the tail and decided to give it some pressure:  DOH!! Tail snapped off.   Should I keep skinning the tail all the way down?  Any suggestions?

Screwup #4:   THINKING THIS WAS GOING TO BE EASIER THAN I THOUGHT!!  FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME I DID A WHITETAIL!  OH WELL, I GUESS THEY GET EASIER. 

Feels like the first time I learned to skin a whitetail head.

[Hammer]

Throw it in the trash and work on a deer. Just kidding. My 1st experience with a tree rat went like yours and with some patients and persistence it will be OK. Wont be very good but its a start. I look at mine and say damn that looks like crap but its there to remind me to never settle for mediocre work and work harder at learning. Also reminds me of how far I have come in just a few years.

[rbear]

I spent 3 or 4 years just skinning my own stuff to send to a taxidermist. When he stopped bitching about how I skinned it I knew I was doing it wright. Pick up road kill and practise skinning something that you are not going to mount like a doe that you harvest for the meat. It's hard enough to mount your first animal when all the parts are attached. Keep skinning when you get that right move to the next step.
Ralph

[pumpkinhead150]

Thanks guys.  I'll keep at it.  Got a few videos coming to help also.