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Skinning deer

Nsghunter

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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.
 
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.
 
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 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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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....
 
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