Hanging deer - head up or down?

[Sluggo]

Bet half the guys on here dont have an idea what a single tree is unless you google it. LB

I know. I even made one in shop class in 1983.

 

[svnmag]

svnmag:

That was some time ago but yes i did. Original scope had two dots in it however came back with only one dot.

But still the original scope on my dad's prewar model 70 in 22k hornet. Alot of memories in that gun, jackrabbits, spotlight with my dad and a 49 Olds convertible.
Thanks, for the memory. dB

That's awesome. A while back I started a thread about sighting in Pard's Dad's Win 100 with 70's ammo. It has a Weaver: Sight adjustments don't "click". Is this normal?

For someone who wants to bitch: There's detriment and benefit with both attitudes: Blood drains out the ass or nose. The directional growth of hair seems to support cleaner skinning "head up" as "head down" seems to drain the hams.

A Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .22 Hornet w/vintage scope discussion with a Nam Vet is cool so I'd appreciate you'd get off my back about it.

 

[db-2]

? db

 

[Allen]

never had a gambrel , we go fetch a singletree out of the barn.

Heh heh heh, I use a puller for chain-link fence.


I find it amusing at how some dug in their heels on this topic. I've had the need to do both over the years and can't remember throwing away a single deer that's been hung by the head.

And I'm a fussy ____ when it comes to taking care of the meat.

 

[Mort]

Wonder if all this started...way way way way back in the day where pics surfaced showing deer being hung by the head, my theory is back in that day, wrapping rope around the horns because it was easy and looked accessible the best way at the time, and perhaps they didn't really think bout slitting the hind legs and putting the rope through the leg and hangin up, somebody figured that out down the road type of thing.

Me: Head down.....don't matter doe or buck......

 

[Lycanthrope]

Why you didnt make this a poll is beyond me. Of course the proper way to do it is head down, just ask any butcher how they hang their carcasses...

Try hanging a BLACK-tailed deer by its head and post it online, you are risking some serious racist accusations!

 

[Maddog]

Well I am changing my ways after 50+ years of processing deer. Next deer is getting hung up head down. I am going to remove the trachea for drainage of an internal fluids/blood. Thanks for everyone that posted their ways. It was interesting to read comments/opinions.

I still like skinning head up as I get virtually no hair on the carcass as the hide sort of comes off just like you would be taking off your long underwear. (Analogy LOL)

I think I will hang head down. Skin head up and then flip to legs up to butcher.
The one thing I thoroughly detest about cutting/deboning while hanging head up is it spins on me. (Not smart enough to figure out how to stop that. Ha) Hanging legs up will get rid of that in short order. Plus as one guy wrote it will put it at a better working height for me - short ceiling in garage.

Thanks again, all of your comments are appreciated.

 

[wjschmaltz]

The way a butcher would do it (on beef/sheep/etc.) is to skin the head first starting at the nose/mouth. Then remove the head after it's skinned. Then lay the animal on its back and start skinning. Splitting the brisket early in the process. Then slowly start lifting from the back legs and skinning down; splitting the pelvis as the lift is made. Then remove the insides by them basically falling out the bottom (head/neck). Then obviously split them. It's that easy. We used to be able to do a dozen beef in a morning with a few guys. Quick, easy, clean.

When I used to hang deer, I would gut in the field and then once I got them to the house I hung by the back legs and skinned them down and removed the head. Then just let em hang for a bit. Never split the carcass. Then just removed quarters at a time to clean up.

I sure used the word "then" a lot.

 

[Maddog]

I am not a You tube person.

That being said, I sure would like to see how a butcher would do a deer. And would the process be done differently as a deer probably would be "half frozen". LOL

Yep we quit splitting the carcass about 20 years ago. Saw was retired. HA

We used to remove quarters at a time. But realized we spend a lot of extra time manhandling those on the bench. Found it was quicker for us to debone in close to wrap sizeable chunks right off the carcass. Or if slightly longer, then cut to piece and put into a tub right there too.

All that went into the house to get wrapped is chunks of meat already to go. Easy peasy. HA I was just talking with a friend and he said it took him by himself to do a deer in 2-1/2 hours. That is skinned, wrapped and all cleaned up/washed and put away. I would guess I am less than that - one person. I will try to remember to time the next one.

 

[guywhofishes]

Why you didnt make this a poll is beyond me.

You are correct.

I tried to figure it out on my iphone - bailed after a few minutes. Didn't want it bad enough.

 

[Lycanthrope]

You are correct.

I tried to figure it out on my iphone - bailed after a few minutes. Didn't want it bad enough.

dont feel bad, I havent figured out how to post pictures from my phone yet either...

 

[Duckslayer100]

I was taught to skin a deer by going down the back legs, down the brisket, around the neck and finishing by cutting the head off. Makes for a lot less hair on the meat and with the head off, anything left to drain goes right out the windpipe.

And it's easy to hang a deer without a gambrel. You can make the same slit in the back leg and just run a single hook or even tie a rope to it. The weight of the other leg keeps the cavity open, along with a chest spreader or stick or whatnot.

 

[eseamands]

I'm with Guywhofishes - on hanging a deer head up just adds a bit of morbidity to the situation making them look strung up. We've always done head down when skinning and processing deer, but I think that's because it's just the way we're used to and it creates a bit of muscle memory year to year.
Also with head down - it's convenient to toss fat and scraps into the open chest cavity.

 

[guywhofishes]

Head down makes caping for taxidermy pretty handy (if you bring the head forward onto a cooler or low table) in the rare case a guy is blessed with such a deer.

 

[Lycanthrope]

another benefit to hanging feet up with a gambrel is its easy to secure one side of the gambrel with a rope so the animal doesnt spin when you are trying to cut it up. Usually we have 2 people working, but ive butchered more than one deer alone over the years.

 

[guywhofishes]

another benefit to hanging feet up with a gambrel is its easy to secure one side of the gambrel with a rope so the animal doesnt spin when you are trying to cut it up. Usually we have 2 people working, but ive butchered more than one deer alone over the years.

Interesting.

What’s the second person’s role? Moral support? Beer refills? Mopping your brow?

 

[LBrandt]

Wife and I work as a team. I will skin while she gets the cutting boards ready and kitchen table covered with a vinal cover. I bring in both front shoulders for her to start cutting on. I then go back in garage with a cake pan and drop off the back straps. Put clean cardboard under deer and cut off hind quarters with Sawall. Help wife with last of front shoulders and then bring in hind quarters one for each. Finish those off and go back for ribcage and neck for what little trim I can find. Cut backstraps into one lb chunks and vacuum pack. Fire up grinder and course grind and vacuum pack into 3 # packs for where we take our deer to be made into sausage. Wife cleans up cutting boards and knifes and I clean up grinder and put meat in freezer. Easy short afternoon with no hurry and some fried scribblins for our trouble. LB

 

[guywhofishes]

Same. But teaming up at the skinning pole doesn't happen for us.

 

[Rowdie]

Wife and I work as a team. I will skin while she gets the cutting boards ready and kitchen table covered with a vinal cover. I bring in both front shoulders for her to start cutting on. I then go back in garage with a cake pan and drop off the back straps. Put clean cardboard under deer and cut off hind quarters with Sawall. Help wife with last of front shoulders and then bring in hind quarters one for each. Finish those off and go back for ribcage and neck for what little trim I can find. Cut backstraps into one lb chunks and vacuum pack. Fire up grinder and course grind and vacuum pack into 3 # packs for where we take our deer to be made into sausage. Wife cleans up cutting boards and knifes and I clean up grinder and put meat in freezer. Easy short afternoon with no hurry and some fried scribblins for our trouble. LB

I have to do it all by myself . I take much more time trimming out as much of the sinew as I can throughout the all the quarters. I make as many decent size steaks as I can and as much jerky pieces after that. Anything decent enough but too small for jerky I use as stir fry. I make no sausage. I use a fillet knife and am pretty picky as I don't like chewing on sinew. It can up to 8 hours. I trim nothing off the ribs and carcass. I let my sister take it for her dogs.

 

[Maddog]

https://www.realtree.com/deer-hunting/articles/you-ve-been-hanging-your-deer-wrong-for-years


So I googled what is the preferred way to hang a deer. A couple of them came up with this method.