HANGING DEER WITH HIDE ON ??

[700xcr]

We always skin are game before gutting them if we can. That way less hair in the meat. We skin, gut and rinse with water. Then wipe down with paper towels. Then use mesh game bags. We let hang for 4 days before processing in 40 degrees. Then trim fat and debone meat. Trim silver skin so you have pure red meat. Less game tasting that way.

[grundy53]

We always skin are game before gutting them if we can. That way less hair in the meat. We skin, gut and rinse with water. Then wipe down with paper towels. Then use mesh game bags. We let hang for 4 days before processing in 40 degrees. Then trim fat and debone meat. Trim silver skin so you have pure red meat. Less game tasting that way.

That's what we do too.

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[Alchase]

I think the single biggest factor on a deer tasting gamey, is how long the skin is on the meat after after dead. I skin as soon as possible.

[Squidward]

In the 70's my dad and his buddy went Mule hunting in WY, at the ranch they stayed. Some the locals had killed some bulls. these bulls were hung by the head from a cross beam. the hid was split down the back and up the belly neck, then left to hang. They told my dad and his partner that us Westerners took the hid off too fast. I still take the hid off as fast as I can to get the heat out. Squidward.

I did however see on one of the Discovery Alaska shows, they killed some caribou and left the hid on so it wouldn't cool too fast. they claimed if gets too cold too fast rigger couldn't set in. They claimed rigger helped the meat to break down. (make for tender-er meat.)

[Old Man Yager]

I skin it quarter it and put it in my garage fridge same day. If it's cold enough in garage I might let it hang for a few, but it's been warm late in the year in WW, so I usually get it in the fridge right away.

[jackelope]

Back east where it was actually cold during deer season, I never saw a deer hanging skinned. They were always with the hide on. I never skinned a deer out before butchering until I moved out west. Deer meat was always good. My take is that it totally depends on the weather. Here I don't think I've ever let them hang with the hide on for more than an hour or 2 before skinning and cleaning it up. I always put one of those full body sized game bags over the skinned carcass too.

[buckhorn2]

In Montana we skinned our in a friends yard he told us we should leave the hide on but we skinned it like we do on the westside 2 days later our deer were black from wind burn and we got hope we had to peel the skin off and it was like shoe leather now we leave the hide on but we go late and its usually cold.

[Okanagan]

Done it both ways, many times, and can't tell difference in meat quality if temperature is appropriate.  Whether I skin deer right away:

1.  Depends on temperature.  Non-negotiable on that one.

2.  Depends on time available, situation, and meat care facilities.

I've left hide on to keep it from freezing solid overnight, but that does not work in temps well below zero.   I tend to bone it out if getting it to a vehicle is difficult, or bring it home and skin it within 24 hours if vehicle access is easy.  But I have left deer unskinned for a week hanging outside in cold weather. 

As usual, ain't no one way that fits all situations.   Elk seem to spoil quicker than deer with hide on, so we tend to skin elk right away.

[Smoke]

in camp if it's warm I'll bone it out and get it in a cooler quick... if it's cool, I'll let it hang with the hide on till I get home, then skin it.. keeps the flys and bees off the meat..

[Buckmark]

Hangem by the neck till it starts to slip/pull apart then you are good to go with skinnin and butcherin 

[h20hunter]

 

[ghosthunter]

Everybody I know , skins soon as posible.
Butcher told me if it is 40 degrees or up you are growing bacteria.

I go to greats lengths to keep all game cool and clean.

Shot my deer on Thursday 10:20 am. Drug it out hung it and skinned it by noon.
Wrapped it with game bags, and used some bug off stuff on it. Worked well.
Hung it tail up this time and stacked three blocks of ice in the chest ,body cavity to bring the temp below 40 over night.

Back of truck on tarp with eight blocks of ice. Four hours to butcher and got a that a boy for bringing in clean cool meat.

You get back what you take in.

[tgomez]

I ALWAYS skin off the hide ASAP regardless of animal harvested. I guess that's just how we do it in the West. There is no reason to leave the hide on. I think it's a HUGE part of proper game cleaning. You want your meat to cool as fast as it can!

[JakeLand]

Well my 2  :twocents:is this I grew up on a working ranch and we would butcher and process all our own meat including all wild game.we had a drive in cooler ( for a forklift) and all animals were obviously gutted and cleaned pinned open and skinned ASAP my grandpa and dad said that meat when its cooling is like a sponge so whatever the hide was like is what would flavor the meat and none of our animals lived or rolled in GOOD seasoning

[300rum]

I prefer to leave the hide on in Montana for the way home if I can.  If the highs are in the low teens to negative when I take the animal, the animal will be just fine in the back of the truck.  I will pull over and skin it on the way home, St. Regis or so, if it starts to get too warm.