Today’s post is the second in our 3-post series on the steps between skinning a squirrel and mounting a squirrel.
Prior to pickling, it is highly advisable to flesh and salt the flesh side of hair on skins for 12 to 24 hours. Salting removes skin moisture and sets the hair. Wash skins thoroughly after the salting period, prior to placing in pickling solution.
Dissolve 3 oz pickling crystal, volume measure, and 1-pound of salt for every gallon of hot water. Always remember to let the pickling solution cool to room temperature before placing the skin into it! Use a minimum of 2 gallons of pickling solution to pickle a squirrel.
Mixing Pickling Solution
Pickling takes around 48 hours. A good test to ensure your skin is pickled is as follows: squeeze hide between thumbnail and fore finger. The indention you make should remain in the skin.
Squirrels Coming out of Pickling Solution
The biggest part of the pickling solution is the pickling crystals, so it is very important to use a good product. It is also important to know the dangers of such a product. At Trapping and Taxidermy we use and highly recommend Van Dyke’s Pickling Crystals. These crystals are made of Chromium Sulfate and Citric Acid, and they are very environmentally friendly. They are also much less hazardous then other similair-functioning products. They are very effective and a great value for the money.
Van Dyke's Pickling Crystals
