Deer hanging skin On/Off?

Tackleberrywho

I hang all my deer with the skin off as it is easier to skin when the animal is warm.

I'm just wondering do any of you guys hang with the skin on?
And why? Does the meat look redder if you keep the skin on?

deerhunter1

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

I hang all my deer with the skin off as it is easier to skin when the animal is warm.

I'm just wondering do any of you guys hang with the skin on?
And why? Does the meat look redder if you keep the skin on?

I always skinned them first, as you say it is easier, though I have seen a lot of pictures (even recently) where they were hanging with the skin intact in coolers. Always curious myself if it makes a difference

tfox

I hang all mine with the skin on because in the cooler you can get moisture forming a kind of very thin layer of damp on the flesh which is avoided by leaving the skin on. But you're right, harder skin when cold.

Tackleberrywho

deerhunter1 wrote: »

I always skinned them first, as you say it is easier, though I have seen a lot of pictures (even recently) where they were hanging with the skin intact in coolers. Always curious myself if it makes a difference

i was wondering if unexposed meat kept the colour better?

I know the pics you reference.
I've seen many different things over the years.

A man skinned a deer for me once that worked in a meat factory, he got skin and offal all together in one go.
He was seriously fast for a 66 year old, he used to skin sheep for himself and for a factory and could skin a buck or hind in around 15 mins.
It takes me at least 45 mins to do same.

patsat

We always hang with the skin off... Just because thats what I've shown to do!

In relation to the skinning of an animal, I seen two natives in Zimbabwe fully gut,skin and quarter a fully grown Cudu in 15 minutes.... And that was in the dark with the cudu hanging from a tree!! They used to the headlamps of the jeep but only intermittently to avoid attracted the unwanted!:cool:

Feargal as Luimneach

Skin is a insulator. A carcase with skin on takes longer to cool down in chill. Skin also source of contamination.

clivej

I always thought that leaving the skin stopped the meat from drying out. You can see this with the meat on the inside of the carcuss where it has dried out and turned a darker colour.
It will dry out in the cooler over the 1-2 weeks that you allow it to hang.

Just my 2 cents.

meathshooter1

prefer to hang with skin off helps cool the carcass quicker skin can hold moisture which can create mould.also like to skin asap(when drag is over) in the field when carcass is still warm makes the job easier I put it in muslin sack to keep clean.Last year I had to quarter on the spot a big red, shot him in heavy forest at dusk couldnt drag him out took 4 hours with just a small head mounted torch in pitch black going back and forth

CJhaughey

Skin on is a hassle but I think it's worthwhile to avoid excessive moisture loss.
If you cut the belly flaps away and hold the chest open they cool fast from the inside.

Tackleberrywho

It's interesting how many skin before they hang and how many skin after.

I'm hearing mixed views here, I would have thought everyone would have hung the animal with the skin off.

I skinned a deer once the following day and it was very difficult to skin.

Any of you guys that skin after hanging, how long does it take you on average?

Particularly a 20 stone stag, one would imagine that the animal would have to be halved or quartered to hang unless one had a huge chiller.

kay 9

Don't shoot deer myself, but we killed sheep and cattle before and always skinned asap, easier and cleaner and ready for cuttin and freezin or cookin;)

GixxerThou

I leave skin on.. keeps meat a better colour and stops the outside going hard and dry in the cold room.. Granted it is harder to skin them but once you get skilled with a sharp knife even the toughest stag only takes 15-20 mins to skin..

tomcat220t

Leave the skin on ....that way the blue bottles leave some for me;)

Tackleberrywho

GixxerThou wrote: »

I leave skin on.. keeps meat a better colour and stops the outside going hard and dry in the cold room.. Granted it is harder to skin them but once you get skilled with a sharp knife even the toughest stag only takes 15-20 mins to skin..

Interesting, my knives are razor sharp, however it has been 5 or more years since I skinned a deer that I left the skin on.

i might try leaving the skin on next time, although I would be slightly concerned it would be harder to keep the carcass clean.

I have not butchered enough to get very good at it.
I find every year I get slightly better at it.

It seems to be a colloquial thing, just like keeping the giblets and innards in in a pheasant, not my cup of tay yet others insist on it.

Tackleberrywho

tomcat220t wrote: »

Leave the skin on ....that way the blue bottles leave some for me;)

Do you leave it in the open I hang in a fridge so the bluebottles are not the issue.

GixxerThou

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

Interesting, my knives are razor sharp, however it has been 5 or more years since I skinned a deer that I left the skin on.

i might try leaving the skin on next time, although I would be slightly concerned it would be harder to keep the carcass clean.

I have not butchered enough to get very good at it.
I find every year I get slightly better at it.

It seems to be a colloquial thing, just like keeping the giblets and innards in in a pheasant, not my cup of tay yet others insist on it.

Ye do get sone hair on the meat, especially on the haunches.. if ye get a big roll of that blue paper they use in shops its really good at wiping the hair off the carcass.. Some people find them easier to skin hung by the head, not a fan of it myself but have only tried it a couple of times..

Tackleberrywho

GixxerThou wrote: »

Ye do get sone hair on the meat, especially on the haunches.. if ye get a big roll of that blue paper they use in shops its really good at wiping the hair off the carcass.. Some people find them easier to skin hung by the head, not a fan of it myself but have only tried it a couple of times..

I always hang from the knee joint myself.(between the ligament and the femur)
Never heard of hanging from the head.
One would imagine blood would flow back into the carcass rather than out of it that way.

I use tea towels to wipe down, I was always told to keep water away if possible however I steam them before I use them with a kettle.

patsat

Tack was there a reason why u were keep the water away??

Just curious as our butcher always hoses down the animals once finished, leaves em drip dry and hangs em in the cold room.

tfox

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

It's interesting how many skin before they hang and how many skin after.

I'm hearing mixed views here, I would have thought everyone would have hung the animal with the skin off.

I skinned a deer once the following day and it was very difficult to skin.

Any of you guys that skin after hanging, how long does it take you on average?

Particularly a 20 stone stag, one would imagine that the animal would have to be halved or quartered to hang unless one had a huge chiller.

When we do big stag we have winch mounted on a swinging boom that we can swing right over to the door of the chiller and swing the animal out. Then we start at the hind legs and once we have it off as far as the tail we tie rope round the hide and to an eye in the floor and slowly lift the animal up with the winch while working away with the knife as little as possible so as not to cut the flesh. doesnt take more than 20 mins.https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/343053/121928.jpg

Tackleberrywho

patsat wrote: »

Tack was there a reason why u were keep the water away??

Just curious as our butcher always hoses down the animals once finished, leaves em drip dry and hangs em in the cold room.

I was always told water made the meat floppy and destroyed the taste/colour.
Doctors differ and all that, I just skin the way I was shown, however I'm always open to new ideas.

tfox

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

I was always told water made the meat floppy and destroyed the taste/colour.
Doctors differ and all that, I just skin the way I was shown, however I'm always open to new ideas.

I was taught to avoid water as it aids the spread of bacteria, wipes are the way to go.In a butchers they dont have to deal with a bullet strike bringing foreign bodies into the carcass.

Tackleberrywho

tfox wrote: »

I was taught to avoid water as it aids the spread of bacteria, wipes are the way to go.In a butchers they dont have to deal with a bullet strike bringing foreign bodies into the carcass.

Could well be, like many things done by our predecessors.
It makes a lot of sense spread of bacteria.

I never questioned it much. As it kept the carcass clean I was happy

Feargal as Luimneach

patsat wrote: »

Tack was there a reason why u were keep the water away??

Just curious as our butcher always hoses down the animals once finished, leaves em drip dry and hangs em in the cold room.

In the meat factories I have done work in they always wash the cattle carcase (after all containation is trimed off first). However in some sheep factories they prefer the dry product and do not wash the lamb carcase. The best way to remove contaimination from a carcase is to trim it off.