Red Fox Squirrel - Harvesting Dubbing

[letumgo]

Our good friend DOUGSDEN sent me these photos, showing how he harvests dubbing from a red fox squirrel.




He clips along the sides and back to harvest the darker fur:


Then clips the belly, to harvest the finer golden belly fur.


The tail is cut off, then deboned.



Thanks Doug, for sharing these pics of your process. Well done.

[ronr]

What...no recipe for squirrel backstrap or gumbo?

[letumgo]

LOL!!! I immediately started laughing, and almost spit out my coffee, as I read your message. Funny!

[Roadkill]

Nice SBS!

I quit harvesting dubbing from wild varmints with my 22 or 20 Ga. after learning about Tularemia, Plague, Rabies, Typhus, Hanta Virus, etc. By then I also had quite a good supply!

When I was older visiting furriers shops (pre PETA) was much easier! My favorite stop passing through Portland was owned by a father and son who were flyfishers.

Now as an old geezer I love it when tanned critters show up in my mail box in a few days!!

[Mike62]

Those are great pictures, Doug! I wish our squirrels up here looked as good as yours. My question now is: How does one 'debone' a tail? I'd love to have that process explained.

[hankaye]

Doug, Howdy;

Coverin' more then 1 base here. Loved the tutorial. I miss huntin' tree rats.
Nothing but ground squirrels out here and Abert"s squirrels.
https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/abertssquirrel.htm

So, I don't know if our Doug partakes of the fare they provide. I did. Mostly
bar-b-qued but I'd fry , grill and throw them inna stew. Here's a fella in North
Cenral Fl. that has a nice way of not only gettin' to the meat of the subject
but also cookin'em.



enjoy.

hank

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Dubbing and a fine Brunswick Stew.

[ronr]

now that is how it's done..... squirrel, venison backstrap.... chicken, I don't care what you put in it...

[DOUGSDEN]

Wow Guys! And Ray!

Thanks for posting this! I would be glad to explain the surgical techniques (notice my scalpel) but at a later time!
I do like squirrel as a dish but not like I used to! Their hides are more valuable to me in recent years! Worry not, I have lots of folks around me that gladly take the cleaned carcasses off my hands when I don't want to fiddle with them!

This animal was a road kill, plain and simple! I found him not far from the house on my way to work! I stopped, looked him over really good, and threw him on the floor in the back! I found no broken bones not even in the head! Talk about a once in a lifetime find! In the same way, when I shot them I like to use my trusty .22 and indeed shoot them in the head! When a shotgun is used it tears them up too much! So yes, I'm getting picky in my road kill collections and my shot placements! It pays big dividends down the road. If you're wondering....no, this redneck did not eat this particular rat! It went too long between harvest and cleaning!

This animal was particularly well furred out and mature! I real pleasure to trim! I wish the fur was reversed on fox squirrels. When you mix and tie for Whitlock's famous Nymphs, you use way more belly fur than back and side fur! Each fur is incredible to tie with! When you mix the right colored antrons with each, Wow! Blending and mixing each fur is not as easy as it sounds! It is very easy to put too much antron in and the temptation to do this is always ahead of you! Dave W's 50/50 mix is really close but, I have tweaked it to 60/40. Sixty percent fur and forty percent antron!

I also buy on occasion SLF Spiky Squirrel Dubbing in both thorax and abdomen. This stuff is wonderful to tie with! Talk about light! I am basing many of my thoughts and observations on their product and how it behaves when applied to the hook! I like mine dubbings too! It's a hoot to gather the harvest and trim and store this incredible fur!

Thanks again Ray for posting this! I hope everyone enjoys this! Did I talk too long?

Dougsden

[RickA]

That's awesome Doug
I picked up one yesterday in it's prime winter coat without a mark on it.
Almost sent the dog through the windshield when I locked up the brakes.
I'll be doing the same tomorrow when I get home.