My six-year-old daughter was jumping up and down with excitement, her eyes sparkling as she walked toward the gray squirrel lying at the base of a cedar tree.

“I got it! I got my first squirrel,” she shouted.

She had in fact killed her first squirrel, with her little red classic nothing less, and it was a day none of us will ever forget.

There is something special about a child catching their first squirrel. I butchered mine when I was 11 and carefully skinned and dried the skin. For years I left the skin hanging on my bedroom wall until it was finally taken down and lost during a move. I wish I still had it just for the memories it held.

My daughter, however, asked if we could have her squirrel made in full mount and, of course, I said yes. But the stipulation was that I would do it for her.

I have ridden precisely 1.5 squirrels in the past. The first, years ago, was a black squirrel that my brother and I carefully worked on together without knowing anything and everything turned out well. As far as I know, it’s still on display at my parents’ house.

The second squirrel mount I attempted was a gray squirrel. I had done this as a fun project before my daughter was born, and it also turned out well since I didn’t have much knowledge about squirrel taxidermy.

However, I wanted to do better for my daughter and I’m happy to say that her squirrel mount performed very well. Thanks to this DIY squirrel assembly process, I saved a few hundred dollars in taxidermy costs. If you’re considering trying taxidermy, I’d recommend starting with squirrel taxidermy – it’s fun, relatively easy, and much less expensive (and the stakes are lower) than starting with a big game animal.

The kit

I ordered an all-in-one kit from Ellzey Squirrel Taxidermy. The kit costs $90, which is several hundred dollars less than it would cost to send your squirrel to a taxidermist. All you need is a little time and effort to make the rest happen.

Having never ordered from them in the past, I didn’t really know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the package.

All of the squirrel assembly kits available on their site include everything you will need to assemble a squirrel – minus the squirrel of course.

Supplies include full-color photo instructions, as well as written instructions. You can easily access videos on YouTube for reference, but I found it extremely helpful to have the photos in front of me – and there’s no need to pause or restart a video.

In the future, I will order all my squirrel kits only from Ellzeys, as they also offer a larger selection than elsewhere.

The squirrel

Once you have shot a squirrel that you want to mount, there are a few steps you need to follow to ensure the fur remains in tip-top condition for taxidermy. You will need to be very careful when skinning the squirrel, and instead of the usual “hurry up and skin it” which is usually how most hunters clean squirrels, you will need to “skin” your squirrel, which means doing minimal cleaning. cuts to the skin. The squirrel kit provides full instructions on how to do this, however, you must acquire the squirrel before ordering your kit (more on that in a minute). If necessary, you can simply wrap your squirrel in several layers of airtight freezer bags and freeze it entirely until you are ready to mount it.

At this point, you’ll want to consider the pros and cons of a DIY mount. Like any good DIY project, there is always the risk of failure or the possibility that the project won’t turn out as well as you hoped. If you don’t want to take the risk, you can certainly send your squirrel to a professional taxidermist. If you like living on the edge… then continue with the rest of this article.

Measure the squirrel

Before ordering your kit, it is important to measure your squirrel to see what size you will need. I made the mistake of not measuring a squirrel and blindly ordering the form, and of course it was too big. Although it is always possible to use the wrong size form, it requires a lot of improvisation. It’s easier to just measure and order the right size to get started.

You will measure your squirrel from nose to base of tail and order based on that measurement. Ellzeys has instructions on how to measure your squirrel on its website. Most forms come in various sizes, including 9″, 10″, 11″ and 12″. A standard gray is usually 9 or 10 inches tall, while a fox squirrel can be 12 inches or more.

Case processing

The case of skinning a squirrel involves making a cut from the base of a hind leg (if it’s a gray squirrel, this means where the white fur meets the gray), down ‘to the opposite foot. You will then skin him all over his body, without making any further cuts in the skin. Using scissors or a very sharp knife, cut off all the feet at the last joint before you get to the toes and be careful when peeling the face. The photo instructions in the kit are extremely helpful here. The face will be the hardest to master, but don’t worry, most mistakes can be corrected.

Tip: Pliers are useful for removing the tail bone.

Prepare the skin

Once your squirrel is skinned and (hopefully) in one piece, you will need to begin the fleshing process. This is quite simple as most of the skin will be peeled off the meatless squirrel. You will need to pay attention to the face and areas around the nose, ears and mouth and scrape off any small pieces of flesh that may remain. You will also need to examine any holes in the skin caused by a bullet or arrow and make sure there is no flesh left around them. You will then need to sew up the holes with the needle and thread provided in the kit.

You CAN refreeze your squirrel skin at this point if you need more time. The rest of the process is simple but will probably take you an hour or two from start to finish.

Wash and dry the skin with dish soap (any type will work) and carefully clean any blood stains or excess dirt from the fur. Rinse it out as well as possible, as any remaining soap will make the skin look slightly matted and leave a slightly stiff or sticky feeling. Gently dry the skin with a towel or use a hair dryer until the fur is fluffy and no longer wet.

Next, you will generously apply Borax to the flesh side of the squirrel. It’s better to use too little rather than too much: Borax will ensure that the flesh side of the skin dries without smelling like rotten flesh. You’ll want to incorporate Borax into the legs and tail, especially since these areas are more difficult to flesh.

Preparing the form

I suggest carefully sliding the form into the skin at this point to ensure it fits properly. If it’s too big or too small, you’ll need to make some cuts or add clay to make the shape fit realistically.

You will add a little clay to a few places on the form and add the eyes. Pay special attention to eye position. They will give your squirrel a crazy look if they are not placed evenly.

Pass the long piece of wire through your form for your tail and apply clay to the base. I recommend not moving the tail too much until your mount is completely dry, as the clay can shift when wet.

Assembly

Gently pull the skin over the form and sew the open incision. You’ll want to accurately pin the ears, mouth, and eyes so they stay in position while drying. Depending on the shape you’re using, you can also pin the feet so the toes are apart. However, they are quite easy to move even once dried.

Once everything is pinned correctly and your squirrel looks the way you want it, you will need to find a cool, dry place to store it. Make sure it is in a place out of reach of young children or pets. Drying time may vary depending on the squirrel and air temperature, but they are usually completely dry within a month. You can tell if the squirrel is dry by carefully touching the ears. If they are hard, the squirrel’s mount is dry.

Tip: You can use a soft brush to fluff up the coat and tail after assembly. To make the tail look more voluminous, you can gently rub the hairs in the wrong direction and hit them with a little hairspray to keep them in place.

My daughter’s squirrel frame

I decided to go further with my squirrel mount and hang it on a piece of cork bark, which is much cheaper than faux bark slabs or wood slabs from taxidermy suppliers. It’s natural, affordable, easy to hang on the wall and available in different sizes. THE bark I used turned out to be the perfect size. You can certainly find something in the woods to use as a base for your squirrel mount, however, you will need to make sure it is properly cleaned so you don’t get bugs. To take the background of your frame even further, you add fake leaves or acorns.

My daughter was delighted with the result of her squirrel frame. My next taxidermy project will be a cottontail rabbit, something I have never attempted. Hopefully it works as well as that bushy tail.