So, I got 2 squirrels today with my bow. There gutted and in the freezer now. Anyhow, Does anyone have any good tips or sites on the best way to tan a squirrel hide? Is just salting the crap outta it for a couple days enough?
Stretch it out on a board, I just use a staple gun around the edges, salt the heck out if it, itll bring the moisture out if the skin, I wipe it down and reapply salt for a couple of days that works pretty good for me but it will harden up the skin a bit so if you want it real soft I dont know what to use. Yes borax from the laundry isle
Here's a good Field & Stream article on tanning a deer hide to make it soft. I would assume it would work for squirrel hides as well. http://www.fieldandstream.com/node/57386
Let us see how it turns out. I wouldn't mind trying it myself. I've taken several large fox squirrels with my bow this year and wouldn't mind seeing how a tanned hide looks. btw, here are a few I've taken. A couple of them would make nice hides, though I'm not sure what I'd do with them...
20 Mule team Borax available from any grocery store will preserve a squirrel hide. stretch it out on a board like above statement and rub the borax into the skin. let it sit until dry then remove the staples,shake the loose Borax off and your done. make sure to remove all fat and meat from the hide and split the tailand get some Borax onto the tail skin as well or the hair will slip and fall out of that area.
Nice Shot! those were some big ones! I really want a black squirrel! I will post pics when im done with it. likely starting on it tomorrow.
Ive seen alot of black squirrels lately. Almost put the rage 2 blade to work since I wont shoot them at deer. Lol. I am sure that they make great small game heads!!!
I'd love to get a black squirrel mounted. We've got a few around town, but nothing out in the woods. Not sure why they don't spread out there unless it's a matter of being easy pickens because of being easily spotted in the wild. Look forward to your picture!
I just salt the heck out of them and it works fine. I have one salting in the garage now. Just dont get salt on the fur cause it screws it up and makes it all sticky. I have a couple on my wall and each one I did got better and better.
this is crazy talk. I shoot at tiny gray fox and miss tonight, i must be the worst archer ever If you bake a squirl and peel the meat off the bone make snadwich spread it good.
same here. lots down town, but none i could shoot. Ive heard of a couple albinos downtown as well. Here a pic of the squirrel. Will post more of the finished product later. This pelts gonna have a big old hole in it lmao
Salt and borax will preserve the hide but not 'tan' it. You can use a tanning kit or brains or even noxema to tan it. If you want a soft hide, you're in for some work. Squirrel hides are hard to 'break' compared to other small critters.
