How long do I have to skin a deer?

[Jeremy S]

I'm using the last few days of the modern season to hunt some local areas in the hope that I'll come accross a decent blacktail in a clearcut before work. In the worst case scenario I should have about two hours of time if I have an animal down at the last minute. My question is; If I gut the animal and immidiatley get it on ice, how long do I have to skin it before the meat starts to spoil? If need be, would I have ten or so hours to go to work then skin it after I returned home? Please let me know. Thanks.

-frogger

[Buckmark]

As long as you keep it cool, 10-12 hours will not be a problem..

[JackOfAllTrades]

Keeping it cool is key.. I actually went close to 3 days with a Blacktail unskinned once. Called the wife when I left Skamania, (headed to Anacortes) the morning after the kill. Told her to freeze three 2Litre bottles of ice. I got home late and had to work the next day. Deer had hung in the night prior. Skin on. Got home, layed the buck on a clean tarp on the concrete of my shop and stuffed the ice inside his belly. I have found that concrete robbs any body heat extremely fast. Next morning I rolled him over and went to work. Came home from work, had commitments, so just rolled him over again. Next morning I rolled him over and went to work. Skinned him that evening after work.

That deer was one of the most tender 2x3's we've ever had. Since then, (now you got my secret), If I've not skinned one in the field, I always let lay on the floor of my shop for at least one day/night then hang/skin/hang.

The butcher I use is in Abbottsford BC. His boys hunt central Canada. I've been in his cooler before... deer still had skin on. It's prolly at least a two day drive from where they hunt.

Keep it cool.  No, you won't be able to tear the skin off like you can a White tail, but it'll be just fine if you keep it cool.

-Steve

[spur_ride]

I like to say that if its 60 or above skin right away, 50-60 i want it skined within an hour and 40 and under youve got a  couple hours but the sooner you can skin it the better

[Pathfinder101]

as long as you get the guts out of him asap and the weather is less than 70 degrees you've got plenty of time to get him skinned (days, if need be).  I would be careful with ice though, if you get the meat wet (melting ice) it will ruin.  I would rather hang a deer in the shade on a warm day than try putting him on ice.  Skinning him asap is good for cooling him down, but if you can't get the skin off him, your still OK for a while.  

[hogsniper]

Should see some of the trailers in Montana. Those boys back there dont skin em til its time to cut em up!  Pretty awesome site seeing 10+ animals stacked like cord wood.  They get the weather for that tho. Watch the weather man and you should be good.  Above 50 and you better get it off!!!

[jackelope]

back in NY when we hunted november/december and it was cold we wouldn't skin them till it was time to cut it up. we'd leave them haning whole and gutted in a tree in the front yard for a week.

 

[jstone]

In 06 my buddy had the entiat tag left it on his buck( who was inthe rut) overnight and half the next day. It was cold as hell but when he cooked the meat it all smelled like rutting buck. Made it all into sausage

[nw_bowhunter]

Depends on the temp, but the sooner the better.

[HuntingFanatic]

 

[JackOfAllTrades]

I would be careful with ice though, if you get the meat wet (melting ice) it will ruin.

Yes... Frozen 2 liter bottles with lids on.

-Steve

[GoldTip]

My Moose this year, which has much heavier hide and harder to cool down than a deer, I killed at around 6:15pm.  It was plum ass dark out when we got the pictures taken and the guts rolled out.  Probably about 40F at the time of kill.  Split the hide up the neck and got the esophagus out of him and left him overnight, sternum split and rib propped open.  It got down to around 26F that night.  Meat was cold to the bone the next day when we quartered him and packed him out, even the neck meat.  If it's not getting above 50F during the day, keep the deer in the shade and get the hide off him when you get home and he'll be fine.

[MagKarl]

I find it interesting how different folks have learned to take care of meat.  Strong opinions for sure.  

I respectfully disagree with the idea that you can't get meat wet.  I prioritize clean, cold, and dry in that order.  In my experience, meat packed in ice with the cooler drain open to drip turns out perfect.  Never lost a bit of meat using this approach, it's pretty much the only way to go with an early archery elk.  I lost some meat around the ham bones on an elk a few years ago when I hung it overnight in the 50's instead of driving 40 miles for ice and will never chance it again.  I bone it all out now, bury it in ice, and sleep easy.

Skinning a deer really doesn't take that long, I'd do it if you can.  

[alecvg]

I find it interesting how different folks have learned to take care of meat.  Strong opinions for sure.  

I respectfully disagree with the idea that you can't get meat wet.  I prioritize clean, cold, and dry in that order.  In my experience, meat packed in ice with the cooler drain open to drip turns out perfect.  Never lost a bit of meat using this approach, it's pretty much the only way to go with an early archery elk.  I lost some meat around the ham bones on an elk a few years ago when I hung it overnight in the 50's instead of driving 40 miles for ice and will never chance it again.  I bone it all out now, bury it in ice, and sleep easy.

Skinning a deer really doesn't take that long, I'd do it if you can.  

And if you are super worried, just put the meat, or quarters in garbage bags, and zip tie, or duct tape the bag shut, then you can bury it without worries.

[KNOXY]

Just leave the hair on that way you don't have to use tinfoil

[carpsniperg2]

the whole point of skinning the deer or any animal is to get the meat to cool down faster but if its cool like
50ish i would say a hour or 2

[Axle]

Do not put it on ice. Do not put ice on it. Keep all moisture off of the meat. Water on the meat causes bacteria growth. Bacteria causes stinky meat. Vinegar will kill the bacteria. If you have to, use vinegar and water to clean the meat.

Skin it later in the day if you have to. Keep it as cool as possible as soon as possible. Then get it processed and in the freezer asap.

[CastleRocker]

I was raised to treat deer just like we treat elk.  Get it hanging and get the hide off.  Deer aren't nearly as critical as elk, as the heat can escape through a deer's hide easier. 

However!  We used to hunt over in the north central part of the state with some folks that live there.  They live way, way, far away from any running water, or elecricity.  They also let their deer hang with the hide on until they cut it up.  They say it keeps the flies off, and keeps the meat from getting that dark rind on it that the dry climate causes over there.  Their meat tastes just fine, in fact it's easier to cut up too.  I honestly don't think it matters much with a deer.  After spending several years hunting over there, I can see some of the reasons why they do this, but I still like to get the hide off asap.     

[PolarBear]

The idea of not getting the meat wet is false.  The first thing most butchers do is hose the carcass down with water.  When we use to hunt early archery elk (back when it was still the first week of september) it would be 80 degrees out during the day.  We would skin the elk and submerge them in a creek for as long as a day and a half and never had a problem.  Bottom line, temperature is the number one factor as most have already said.

[Axle]

The idea of not getting the meat wet is false.  The first thing most butchers do is hose the carcass down with water.

I worked in a slaughter house years ago. They never ever got water on the meat. They kept it dry as possible. The cold rooms were low humidity and cold.

Bacteria does start to multiply fast even with high humidity. That is why hospitals dehumidify. This keeps bacterial infections down.

I have had many friends who got their game wet. I advised them to cut it up asap. They insisted on hanging it for several days (here on the wet side). Within 4 days on each one, the meat was nasty smelling and their family members would not go near it. In a dry climate it wouldn't be so bad. If somebody is from a dry climate (and I've been there too) then they would not know how fast meat can start to stink here on the wet side after it gets wet. I've seen deer washed down in places like Montana and then hung for days. It was fine but it dried out real fast too leaving little room for bacteria growth.

Just my humble experiences.