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- Jun 8, 2010
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In another thread, I was asked for pics of the BK16 in action this squirrel season. It's tough to do that solo with a camera phone (especially considering my top priority is getting the meat home in good condition - not documenting things) but here are a couple of pics.
This is the obligatory shot critter picture. This cleaning method works better with head shots but this was a snap shot to the upper chest (it was that or no shot). Exit wound was high up on the opposite side and the round took out the heart/lungs/spine.
My son pointed out to me that the following picture is pretty weird without context. This cleaning method works with a knife the size of a BK16 or a BK9 or machete or a SAK classic - pretty much whatever sharp thing you have on you (an arrow head would work). Oh - there are videos out there that show this cleaning technique in much less time that it will take you to read this post.
1. Turn the squirrel over on his belly and make a cut at the base of the tail, just above the anus.
2. Use your knife or game shears or whatever to cut through the tail bone and then skin a little bit back along the back and hips as shown here...
3. Turn the squrrel over on his back and get your boot all the way up in the skin flap you just created - NOT JUST ON THE TAIL.
4. Grab the hind legs and start pulling. If you are doing it right, the skin will start coming off and will tear around to the front of the squirrel about where his belly button would be if he had one. If you are doing it wrong, you are probably standing on the tail which you have now ripped off, rendering your day worse than it once was.
5. You now have a partly skinned squirrel - he has furry "pants" still and the upper part of his skin should be off up to around his shoulders. Get your fingers in there and pull off the pants and start working his forelegs out of the front bit (you *may* need to use your knife up there if some of the meat starts coming off on the skin.
6. At this point, if all has gone well, you have a bit of skin still attached by the back ankles - cut those with your knife or (MUCH better yet, game shears). You also have skin still attached to the front ankles and head. Snip the front ankles, cut around the neck bone, twist and boom - no more skin.
7. Slice your critter open from pelvis to collar bone (I start the cut with my knife and use game shears to get through the bones.
8. Start at the top by the neck and grab all the gooey bits and pull them down. All the yucky stuff comes right out, leaving a couple bits of skin, a pile of gross stuff and a nice, neat bag of meaty goodness like so...
Shoot straight!
This is the obligatory shot critter picture. This cleaning method works better with head shots but this was a snap shot to the upper chest (it was that or no shot). Exit wound was high up on the opposite side and the round took out the heart/lungs/spine.
My son pointed out to me that the following picture is pretty weird without context. This cleaning method works with a knife the size of a BK16 or a BK9 or machete or a SAK classic - pretty much whatever sharp thing you have on you (an arrow head would work). Oh - there are videos out there that show this cleaning technique in much less time that it will take you to read this post.
1. Turn the squirrel over on his belly and make a cut at the base of the tail, just above the anus.
2. Use your knife or game shears or whatever to cut through the tail bone and then skin a little bit back along the back and hips as shown here...
3. Turn the squrrel over on his back and get your boot all the way up in the skin flap you just created - NOT JUST ON THE TAIL.
4. Grab the hind legs and start pulling. If you are doing it right, the skin will start coming off and will tear around to the front of the squirrel about where his belly button would be if he had one. If you are doing it wrong, you are probably standing on the tail which you have now ripped off, rendering your day worse than it once was.
5. You now have a partly skinned squirrel - he has furry "pants" still and the upper part of his skin should be off up to around his shoulders. Get your fingers in there and pull off the pants and start working his forelegs out of the front bit (you *may* need to use your knife up there if some of the meat starts coming off on the skin.
6. At this point, if all has gone well, you have a bit of skin still attached by the back ankles - cut those with your knife or (MUCH better yet, game shears). You also have skin still attached to the front ankles and head. Snip the front ankles, cut around the neck bone, twist and boom - no more skin.
7. Slice your critter open from pelvis to collar bone (I start the cut with my knife and use game shears to get through the bones.
8. Start at the top by the neck and grab all the gooey bits and pull them down. All the yucky stuff comes right out, leaving a couple bits of skin, a pile of gross stuff and a nice, neat bag of meaty goodness like so...
Shoot straight!
