Skinning deer

[Nsghunter]

For everyone who process their own deer, when do you skin them? DO you hang them with the skin on and then take the skin off the day you cut them up, or do you skin them and then hang them up and wait to process?

It seems to me its best to wait and skin them the day of processing because your meat doesn't get exposed to air and then get dry/barky.

 

[TNTreeman]

I like to do it ASAP bc it comes off so easy, minimal effort and it peels off.

 

[hillbillyfab]

If it's warm outside and it'll be a little bit before I can process it, I'll leave the hide on it to protect for bugs, flies and such. Although if it's nice and cool outside I prefer to get if off as soon as possible like TNTreeman said. It sure makes it easier when they're still warm.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Skin and quarter then asap, unless it is going to be cold enough to let them hang.

 

[EastTNHunter]

You'd be surprised at how much heat that fur can hold in. Skin as soon as reasonably possible to get things cooling down quickly

 

[bigtex]

I skin and quarter the same day I kill them usually as soon as I get them to the house, then put the quarters in a spare refrigerator and age for a minimum of 7 days.

 

[Union Co. Boy]

I skin and quarter the same day I kill them usually as soon as I get them to the house, then put the quarters in a spare refrigerator and age for a minimum of 7 days.

I do the same except I usually wait 4 days. Definitely makes a difference in flavor and tenderness in my opinion.

 

[megalomaniac]

Skin and quarter asap, hang the meat in the shade until it cools, then age in the fridge 7 to 8 days.

Dry/ barky is a good thing! After 7 or 8 days, just shave the bark off for final processing.

 

[Cheshire]

For everyone who process their own deer, when do you skin them? DO you hang them with the skin on and then take the skin off the day you cut them up, or do you skin them and then hang them up and wait to process?

It seems to me its best to wait and skin them the day of processing because your meat doesn't get exposed to air and then get dry/barky.

We skin and quarter ours as soon as possible. Then let it age in the frig for 7-10 days. Keep it wrapped in plastic bags so that it won't dry out

 

[Omega]

I've done it both ways, when at Ft Bragg, we had to physically check them in, and the club at McKellar's Lodge, across the street, had a walk-in cooler where members could keep their deer in, hide-on, for four days. The kill shack they had at the check station had running water so getting the hide off wasn't a problem, but getting it off when the connective tissue is dry is a bit tough. Now I skin and quarter mine and store it in a cooler full of ice for about a week, before I finish processing it.

 

[BSK]

Let them hang in 38-degree walk-in cooler, hide on, for 14 days.

 

[Lost Lake]

Skin and bone meat as soon as I can. Then age for five days before processing.

 

[102]

TOTALLY depends on weather.
If the deer got wet on drag out it gets skinned ASAP
I like to hand in cool temps (36-42) for days when possible but with hide on. I have a winch and pulley (pulley on ground winch hanging) and another hand crank pulley to get deer up so pulling cape off is no problem at any age.
But if I'm remote, it comes off quickly and get on ice ASAP.

 

[AT Hiker]

If I hang one it's usually in a barn so I leave the skin on, I want to eliminate as much dusty meat as possible. It also protects the meat from critters too. If I had a walk in I'd skin it asap.
If I hang one outside I usually leave skin on for the same reasons.

 

[AJared]

Skin, quarter and remove the backstraps within 1 hour of pulling the trigger!

 

[NIGHT OWL]

Skin, quarter that day!

 

[user 14220]

I never skin till the day I start to bone it out. If weather cooperates I like to hang for 7 days

 

[Robtattoo]

I never skin till the day I start to bone it out. If weather cooperates I like to hang for 7 days

Same for me. I hang mine, skin on, in an air conditioned basement at 45° for at least 4 days. I skin & butcher on the same day. Tenderloins come out as soon as I'm done gutting.

 

[Winchester]

For most skin on is best option, however if you were to have access to a temp and humidy controlled cooler, skin off is best to age them.

 

[BSK]

For most skin on is best option, however if you were to have access to a temp and humidy controlled cooler, skin off is best to age them.

Why is that Winchester? We've always let ours hang in the walk-in cooler skin on. But if off is better....

 

[user 14220]

Tenderloins come out as soon as I'm done gutting.

Yea, same for me on the tenderloins. I cut them out as soon as the deer is gutted. If they are not pulled out in a day or two they dry up.

 

[DRSJ35]

Hang for 30 days in very warm temps. Just joking when I do one I like to skin and quarter up immediately and put in a cooler full of ice. Then drain water from whatever melted and add ice. Do it for 3 days then get to business on dicing up meat cuts and packaging and straight to the freezer. I really like the outcome of quality of the meat doing it this way.

 

[gatodoc]

Why is that Winchester? We've always let ours hang in the walk-in cooler skin on. But if off is better....

Dont know about current techniques but in the past slaughtered cattle were skinned, then wrapped in a sheet like shroud to age for 10 days or so...

 

[utvolsfan77]

Cheesecloth is your friend and will protect the meat while hanging after skinning by keeping all the bugs, insects, and dirt off the meat.

 

[Deck78]

Let them hang in 38-degree walk-in cooler, hide on, for 14 days.

We do the same, the walk in cooler has been a game changer!

 

[philsanchez76]

I have only ever hung one deer with the skin on and waited till the next day to skin it. It was WAYYYyy more difficult than pulling off warm skin, so now, no matter how late it is, I make sure to skin them that night. And 95% of the time I go ahead and quarter them and put quarters in my "meat" fridge for aging. Seems like its almost always too warm here to let em hang overnight.

 

[BSK]

We do the same, the walk in cooler has been a game changer!

Buying a walk-in cooler was one of the best things we ever did for our deer hunting. A true gamechanger.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Why is that Winchester? We've always let ours hang in the walk-in cooler skin on. But if off is better....

We put ours in our cooler as well for 2 weeks skin on. I would think skin off would considerably dry and harden an inch or two of meat, but I'll be interested in what Winchester suggests.

The sooner you skin, the easier it is to come off. Don't take a buck to a processor and ask if they'll cape him out for a mount after he's been hanging in a cooler for 2 weeks. You'll get some mean looks from the skinner. Don't ask me how I know.

I'll tell you what, these coolers will be invaluable once CWD gets here and we are waiting on the deer's test results.

 

[philsanchez76]

I'll tell you what, these coolers will be invaluable once CWD gets here and we are waiting on the deer's test results.

This is a great point.

We do a lot of auctioning as a way of getting cheaper building materials, etc. Every now and then I see a restaurant go under and they auction off their walk in coolers. They always go for so cheap cuz no one wants to move them.

 

[BSK]

This is a great point.

We do a lot of auctioning as a way of getting cheaper building materials, etc. Every now and then I see a restaurant go under and they auction off their walk in coolers. They always go for so cheap cuz no one wants to move them.

What amazed me, when I was looking for a walk-in cooler, was how expensive some were. Kolpac, which manufactured coolers just down the road from me, wanted over $6,000 at the time. I found a company out of Miami, FL that built one to me specifications, and shipped it to my door for about $2,500. And that was with an extra-powerful compressor (1 HP instead of the standard 1/2 HP). The cooler had to be assembled, but it went together with ease.