Well I started my 2nd squirrel. It was given to me (but it was my sons 1st so I really wanted to mount it). Anyhow it has been in a freezer a year and not wrapped with anything. I looked through the archives, but it seemed most people mention bird and fish problems.
The squirrel thawed and the tips of the ears and feet were "petrified". I decided to go ahaed and TRY anyhow. I got to the foot....tried to inject water. it is so freakin dry, I can't even inject water! Would you guys/girls say this is a throw away?
I already canned it because I nearly took my finger off just trying to get the skin loose, not to mention the knife slipped and put a nice slice in the fur...Thanks for your time.
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Seen one squirrel, you've seen them all and to be quite frank, if it's been in the freezer that long already, I KNOW he won't know the difference.
yes a wood rat is a wood rat! you could soak in a heavy salt solution overnight in a sealed container in the fridge or somewhere very cold. 2 lbs salt 1/2 to 1 gallon of water, with a few capfulls of concentrated lysol. tumble the whole specimen to remove the moisture from the hair,too much moisture isnt good. i would rehydrate with concentrated lysol solution & water on very small game, and dawn soap and water on large if not on the carcass. as far as a squirel or small game goes if its questionable and your thinking of tossing it! skin the carcass as well as you can and throw it in its own pickle solution, it may soften enough to go foreward with it. good luck
Sandy, I have done a similar process to that mentioned by Blaine except I soak in water with lots of borax disolved in it over night in a refrigerator. Seems to rehydrtate faster than a salt brine. Each day skin more till you complete the job (might take 2 days). Then dry the hair and mount. IF you plan to tan the skin you will have to watch the ph closely as the borax will work against the acid, but if you plan to dry preserve it you just treat the skin and mount. I have soaked ducks frozen up to 10 years and 6 year old fish as well as squirrels using this method and have saved them all with no damage. Enjoy, Aaron H.
I've had good results with injecting the area with a small syringe with salt water. If the feet are hard try injecting down the leg into the foot area and then leave it. The tissue will absorb the water and soon you will be able to move the toes. You can then inject again. Same with ears, lips, eyes. Inject what you can and then let it absorb for a bit. Works great on birds heads too.