This Rodent Life

[DouglasR]

do you notice any difference between cleaning a fresh squirrel and one that’s had rigor mortis set in?
I’ve been waiting to clean them until I get home because I feel like i can mange the fur better with running water right there, but the next time I go I think I’m gonna try to do a couple fresh ones by the creek.

 

[Gellar]

do you notice any difference between cleaning a fresh squirrel and one that’s had rigor mortis set in?
I’ve been waiting to clean them until I get home because I feel like i can mange the fur better with running water right there, but the next time I go I think I’m gonna try to do a couple fresh ones by the creek.

I skin mine by making a skin deep cut around the entire midsection and pulling the two haves away from each other. Takes about 1 minute. I skin them when they are fresh if it’s hot out but if i can I leave them until I get home. I have noticed a difference in difficulty

 

[Pucky Freak]

It’s been a long time since I skinned a freshly killed squirrel. On a recent meateater episode they showed dunking the carcass in water before skinning to reduce loose strands of hair sticking to the meat. I found that if you hold the carcass underwater and tousle the hair it saturates the underfur, greatly reducing loose hair. I then make a cut like @Gellar described, cutting edge of the blade under the skin and away from the carcass so you’re not severing hairs.

 

[Gellar]

It’s been a long time since I skinned a freshly killed squirrel. On a recent meateater episode they showed dunking the carcass in water before skinning to reduce loose strands of hair sticking to the meat. I found that if you hold the carcass underwater and tousle the hair it saturates the underfur, greatly reducing loose hair. I then make a cut like @Gellar described, cutting edge of the blade under the skin and away from the carcass so you’re not severing hairs.

I had to google touse. But yea, if I dunk in water I touse the fur. I’m 50/50 on dunking in the water. In my experience it doesn’t make a huge difference.

I have seen the meat eater video, I’ve been doing that method since I was old enough to ride my bike outside of town with a .22 strapped to my back in full camo to shoot squirrels after school. Try doing that today!

 

[DouglasR]

I feel like dunking helps keep the fur at bay.
I really need to shoot one in the head with a .22 and see what cleaning one of those is like

 

[Pucky Freak]

I’m debating if I want to fork over $373 for a NR lion tag and sit the stashed carcass tonight.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Overcast skies forecast Friday night, and I opted to skip a sit for the lion.

Found some tracks with a long gait, likely moose.


Yep, moose.


A horizontal line caught my eye from the highway about 500 yards.


Found many of the mountain 2-tracks I planned to drive were not really truck-worthy. Spent much of the day navigating some terrifying spots, but fun seeing all the deer.



Did find a ton of cow elk tracks and that’s where the hunters were piled up as well. Didn’t care to hunt on top of others, and opted for the “moose spot” opening day.

Moose beds


Found the cow moose again plus 4 young bull moose.



Pressed on to hike a 20% grade path to the canyon rim at 9000’. Wasn’t expecting to see elk, but it was a great place to glass other huntable places at lower elevations. Unfortunately just as I got to the top a storm rolled in with 40 mph wind, sleet, heavy snow, and very little visibility. Bailed out of there.


Hiked out through knee-deep snow and was pretty wiped. Took the day off today to dry all my gear out. I’m having to rethink my scouting plan due to the marginal 2-track roads. Rather than risk damaging my truck or getting hung up, I’m planning to backpack in. I only have day hunt gear, but I can improvise to spend 2 nights on the mountain before having to back out, basically due to limited water. With snow storms in the forecast I may even wait a week before pushing in, and just hunt the last 8 days of the season.

 

[Pucky Freak]

 

[Gellar]

View attachment 249047

I've never had to hang a rodent after I shot it. A thread title change looks to be in order! Congratulations, looks like a beautiful day in the mountains!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Made first pack-out yesterday. The most challenging hike of my life. Terrain is very rough. Took 9 hrs to go 5.5 miles, and took several spills. The remaining four loads will be lighter. I “might” have found an easier route which is about 7 miles one way. Longer, but possibly gentler terrain. There are 2 places if I get cliffed out it’s a loss and and I’ll have to go back to the original route.

I’m figuring if I leave at 5 AM I can be back by 9 pm, and take a day off before heading back again, and repeat 3 times. I have up to 12 days to get it done, and it’s 4 bags of 60 lbs frozen meat not going anywhere.

If anyone is foolish or daring enough to make the death march with me in zero degrees it will save 1 trip. Cody area this weekend or thereabouts. Send me a PM. I’d be happy to trade intel for what is a pretty sweet opportunity to kill a monster bull in a hellhole if anyone has the ambition. It was fun once but I have no thoughts of doing this hunt again.

 

[DouglasR]

Congrats man!
Sounds like an awesome adventure!
Good luck with the rest of the meat!

 

[RobertD]

Made first pack-out yesterday. The most challenging hike of my life. Terrain is very rough. Took 9 hrs to go 5.5 miles, and took several spills. The remaining four loads will be lighter. I “might” have found an easier route which is about 7 miles one way. Longer, but possibly gentler terrain. There are 2 places if I get cliffed out it’s a loss and and I’ll have to go back to the original route.

I’m figuring if I leave at 5 AM I can be back by 9 pm, and take a day off before heading back again, and repeat 3 times. I have up to 12 days to get it done, and it’s 4 bags of 60 lbs frozen meat not going anywhere.

If anyone is foolish or daring enough to make the death march with me in zero degrees it will save 1 trip. Cody area this weekend or thereabouts. Send me a PM. I’d be happy to trade intel for what is a pretty sweet opportunity to kill a monster bull in a hellhole if anyone has the ambition. It was fun once but I have no thoughts of doing this hunt again.

I mean it when I say I wish I was nearby to help. Look forward to hearing more about what's in the bags though... keep safe on the pack out

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

This is the most low key savage thread of the year, congrats on the elk.

If I was in CO I'd drive up to help buddy. Good luck with the pack out, like you said you got the days, you got it!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Made it to the meat! One cliff, but found a place about 2 ft from the public boundary where I could drop the pack and boulder up about 7 ft to the rim. 6 1/2 hours here, now the fun part, with weight!


Also saw 44 bulls on the way in (and a LOT closer to the road, haha). Nearly all were 4+ years old. These two pics were a group of 40. There was also a single and a group of 3 in hell holes, all mature, probably 320-330” bulls.

 

[Slm864]

Looks like fun packing weather. I wish I wasn’t 30+ hours away.

 

[trb]

Awesome! Just a thought, but could you buy a sled in Cody and drag it all out in one go? It might not be pleasant but it could save you some serious miles if the terrain would allow for it.

 

[Irrelevant]

Dude, that is a CAF solo hunt... congrats @ElkFever2

 

[DouglasR]

Dude, that is a CAF solo hunt... congrats @ElkFever2

 

[rjthehunter]

Nice work man!!! I'd love to come pack out if I was closer. Crazy pack outs make the best stories right?!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Awesome! Just a thought, but could you buy a sled in Cody and drag it all out in one go? It might not be pleasant but it could save you some serious miles if the terrain would allow for it.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have to descend 600’ down a 30% grade canyon, then 400’ up a 35% grade slope with deadfall’s. Takes 6 hours to do it twice in a day, but no sled will make that journey.