Any tips on fleshing a squirrel ? Skinning feet ?

[DPtaxidermy]

 

     Im attempting a first try at taxidermy.  I will be using the dry preservative method.  My question is how important is it to get every little piece of "flesh" out of there or is getting most of it out ok? 

     Second question is when skinning the feet I was only able to get down to the foot pad.  The directions said to go all the way to the toes.  I was not able to get past the pad it just kinda locked up there.
     Does that matter? 

[Keyda81]

Go right for the hard one to start with, lol.  You need to get as much flesh off as possible.  Otherwise it could rot, smell, and attract bugs.  There are a few tutorials on here for skinning small mammals, in the tutorial section.  Take a look at those, they should help you out. 

[u2cme21999]

Yoiu need to get all the way to the toe,just keep working around the pad carefully ,once you get past the pad it goes pretty easy,keyda is right I have found squirrels to be pretty tricky,they slip easy,use plenty of DP while skinning,it will help.I am also a begginer so this is just from my exper. It took me 4 before I got one I could mount.
                                                                                                                            good luck,and don't give up,
                                                                                                                                  u2
                                                                                                           

[DPtaxidermy]

Tricky yes.  The first skin out was nearly perfect except for the feet.  Later when I dry fitted the manikin I noticed a massive bald spot on the hide.  I was so disappointed, pissed off, etc.  Couple hours down the drain.  I couldnt fiqure out what happend until I  found the clumps of hair on the fleshing board.  \

The second one had same problem when getting all the way to the foot pad.   Should I be making a relief cut in the hide down the bottom of the pad?

 

[RICK P]

It's funny how people think the smaller the animal the easier it is to mount.

[Shannon Tobey]

There are no relief cut needed for a squirrel. When you get to the pad, you should be able to cut it away from the bone and continue skinning down the foot and down each toe. I put the legs in a vice and use this as leverage, but be VERY careful as small mammals rip easy. My first one I ripped 2 toes out bc they slipped so fast. When you get down to the foot where you can see the bones are split that go to each toe, cut the bones and then take each individual toe at a time and skin it all the way down. Then just clip the bone off and you are left with the claw still attached to the skin. I put the toes in a vice like I said before.

[CrabCrazy]

practice,practice,practice.....and go slowly...after a while it becomes easy....be glad its not a chipmunk

[DPtaxidermy]

Thanks for the advise,  its in the freezer for now.

[TWinter]

When you get to the toes, Cut them free at the knuckle joint, then Grab each toe bone with small needle nose plier. Gently pull it out further with the pliers, then clip off.

[DPtaxidermy]

It's funny how people think the smaller the animal the easier it is to mount.

It's funny how people assume anyone thought the smaller the easier.  The logic was squirrels are plentiful and easy to harvest.  If one messed one up he could just go get another.  In addition the supplies were inexpensive compared to other larger game.   

[George Roof]

Excellent logic, DP

[Tom King]

DP.............Sometimes if a squirrel has been in a freezer or those little feet dry out then it is almost impossible to turn them to the toe...........
If it,s fresh then Gentle pressure should do it but too much will tear it............That is one thing to practice.............
As far as The Bald spot, well that is slippage.........The heat generated along with the extended period of time you handled the squirrel contributed to this problem..............
This is one reason that Krowtan works so well with beginners is because it gives you that extra time you need and sets the hairs tight............You might consider trying it......
Tom King

[cyclone]

So If he used Krowtann his slippage would have been prevented...Seems to me from what was posted it slipped before any preservation method was used..

[Tom King]

MY Bad.................It slipped during the skinning process...........I had in My mind that it slipped in the mounting process..............
............Thanks for setting Me strait there Cyclone.............
...............If it doesn't make it through the skinning then there is No way it will make it through the mounting...........Spraying Stop Rot as you go might help allot.............
but The Krowtan will set the hairs good after it,s skinned and allow for way more time.................and that's not an assumption..............that's a fact...............

[Allie]

I've had great luck soaking my road-killed, frozen squirrels in denatured alcohol before skinning and soaking them afterward, as a means of preservation (I've done 3). But the skin dried so darned hard after mounting that they looked a little weird and shrunken. Since then, I've tried to tan a couple with liqua-tan, but had too much slippage, once on a chunk of tail (probably didn't get the chemicals in there all the way, but figured that part out) and the second one completely slipped while fleshing after being in the pickle for a day.
Is there a way to soften up DA-preserved skins so they don't get so hard when dried after mounted?