If you want to taxidermy a squirrel, where is the best place to shoot him. I normally do head shots, but don't know that is the best place.
Squirrel taxidermy
- Thread starter Indy-Fritz
- Start date
I'd use a solid point middle of rib cage. I can't believe how much it costs to have a squirrel mounted these days.
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2x4 set up as a 45 degree ramp up a tree trunk, rat trap screwed to it, a few peanutes(in shell or not) on 2x4, one on rat trap trigger. Dead squirrel, open jaws trap take pristine squirrel to taxidermist.
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This is illegal in a lot of areas so wouldnt advise people to do it, catch other unwanted animals.
Body shot heart/lungs or a head shot with a .177.
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It wouldn't be, never crossed my mind someone would want one as a trophy. Squirrel=rat to me... Legal where I live to slaughter them year round if threat to my home, with 2 pecan trees close enough to my house they could jump from the trunk to my roof, that is all I need. I shoot them as destructive pests, and I use 4.5" body hold traps on 45 degree inclined 2x4's on the pecan trees. Squirrels don't need any reason other than easy climb up 2x4 to take it instead of starting at ground level on the trunk. I have 6 of the traps and put 3 each on a 12 foot 2x4, no bait, they have to walk through to continue on 2x4. Their buddies hanging dead don't bother the ones that come after. Early season, I'll have 6 hanging in the traps within an hour of sunrise. About the time all the pecans are gone in fall, it may take the better part of a day for all 6 traps to be hanging with squirrels. I kill them at a rate probably close to 20 to 1 trapping over shooting, I don't bother to count. They start using the pecan trees months before there are any pecan'[s to eat, I'm sure I slaughter 200+ a year with the traps being the majority. Going on 10 years with the traps and no end in site to the tree rats.
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I learned taxidermy as a kid in the 60s from a mail order school called the Midwest school of taxidermy I think. I used a 177 pellet rifle and mostly body shots on any small critter I could get my hands on. The first squirrel I did looked like a weasel when I was done with him. We used to make the form from wire and wrap string around cotton to fill it out and dry it with formeldihyde powder( dangerous stuff forv a 12year old to be messing with. We got the glass eyes from the school in the mail. It took awhile to know how much cotton and string to use as the pelt shrank as they dried, thus the Weasel- Squirrel LOL. Practiced with alot of roadkill too. I once got a visit from a Game Warden for mounting a roadkill Owl. I didn't know you weren't allowed to mount even road-killed ones you find dead. It's much easier mow with freeze drying and premade forms.
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