Skinning deer

[End of the road]

A couple years ago when a friend taught me to skin a deer he hung it up by a rope poked through the back legs. The deer I have seen skinned and hung out here all seem to be done that way. However, a number of photos posted here in the forum show a lot hung by their racks.

What do you all do? Is there any benefit to one way over the other or is it just the way you happened to have been taught way back when?

[bigbuckonly1]

You hang them up by thier hind legs to skin them out.

[wabi]

If you hang it by the head all the blood will run into the hams and it won't be fit to eat!!!!!!!!!!!


If you hang it by the hind legs the muscles in the hams will stretch and the meat will be mushy and not fit to eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Lots of "old wives tales" out there.
It doesn't really make a bit of difference as far as meat quality, whichever method you prefer will work fine.

[onebigskittle]

We hung them up by the hind legs and how would you hang one without a rack?

[wabi]

We hung them up by the hind legs and how would you hang one without a rack?

Noose around the neck.

[awshucks]

Got 4 wheeler? This one was good eating.

[groundpounder]

I hang from the head.
Skin
Cut off front shoulders
Cut off all neck meat
Cut out Loins
Remove hind quarters

Thats how I do it.

[vrodman]

I don't think there really is a WRONG way, but just the way you were taught. I do it like slaughter houses do it and the way I like it in the bedroom . Feet in the air baby.

[Cossack]

Hang em by head, easier to remove hind quarters for butchering; hair don't get into cavity. Also, quickly singe carcass with blowtorch after skinning to remove stray hair.
My buddy uses an air compressor while skin deer. Cuts slit in hide and long tubed air nozzle, blows. Claims it separates hide form carcass makes for easier removal.

[prossbow]

i posted a similar topic last year.

http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/phpBB2 ... =1&t=30567

Basically, it's personal preference. There is no real proof one is better than the other imo.

[j.krug]

2008 - I hung by the back legs.
2009 - I hung by the head.
2010 - Couldn't decide so I hung sideways by both left legs!!

[prossbow]

2008 - I hung by the back legs.
2009 - I hung by the head.
2010 - Couldn't decide so I hung sideways by both left legs!!

Why the left legs?

[retrieverman]

I generally clean 15-20 deer each year for myself, my kids, my family, and friends, and I have always used a gambrel and hung them from the hind legs.

I have never tried to use the head hanging method, but it just looks more difficult.

[bob1961]

i have helped a friend do it by hanging by the head and the deer kept spinning around on us....hanging by the rear legs the deer does not spin as it it hung by two points....i don't cut any bones any more, just bone the meat off them....when i'm done skinning the skin is off the deer and is all down around the neck, no need to remove it from the carcass....then the front shoulders are taken off so i have access to the back straps going into the neck meat....i bone out the hind quarters in two pieces each, then i clean up the area by taken any small pieces meat off around the hip joints and pelvic area for stew meat....then i go after the back straps using a C stroke from the top down and from the spine to the rib side in that C stroke holding the loose end out with my other hand and just C stroke cut the whole back strap out from hip to base of skull almost....then all i have left is the deer carcass minus the front shoulders hanging still attached to the skin....to make it fit into a 33 gal 3mil ply garbage bag i cut the head off with skin lay it out on ground, cut spine before and after the rib cage so i have three pieces of short spine sections....then de joint the hip joints and cut the hocks on rear legs, wrap them all in the skin as one neat fur bag with just the head showing before going into the garbage bag to go out with the household trash ......bob

....

[j.krug]

bob1961 that sounds very efficient indeed.
I think I may give that a try next time.