How to Prepare a Squirrel Hide

Preparing the hide

• 1

  Lay the squirrel down on top of some paper towels or old newspapers on a hard surface.

• 2

  Cut down the belly of the squirrel from its chin to the tip of its tail with a sharp knife. When you get to the genitals, cut around them.

• 3

  Make incisions on the undersides of the squirrel's legs.

• 4

  Peel the carcass off the squirrel using your hands.

• 5

  Remove the squirrel's skull, place it in a bag in your refrigerator, and dispose of the carcass.

• 6

  Tack the squirrel hide flesh side up on a piece of wood or another hard, flat surface.

• 7

  Scrape the excess flesh and tissue off the hide with a butter knife. Scrape with the knife at a 90-degree angle to the hide.

• 8

  Roll up the hide and place it in the refrigerator.

Tanning the hide

• 9

  Remove the brain from the skull of the squirrel.

• 10

  Boil the brain in 1/2 cup of fresh water. Set the mixture aside and let it cool.

• 11

  Rub the brain and water mixture on the flesh side of the hide. Soak a rag in the mixture, place it on the flesh side of the hide and roll it up with the hide. Store the rolled up hide in a plastic bag overnight.

• 12

  Squeeze out excess moisture from the hide.

• 13

  Stretch the hide by pulling it in all directions with your hands. You can also stretch the hide over the back of a chair. Stretch the hide until it is completely dry.

• 14

  Make a fire in a fire pit using rotten wood. Let it burn down to coals until there is only smoke and no flames coming from the fire pit.

• 15

  Hang the hide from a cord attached to a tripod made out of three wooden beams over the fire pit.

• 16

  Smoke the hide for about 30 minutes over the fire pit before removing it.