Is it easier to skin a white tail deer head up or down?

Only ever skinned them head down. My skinning machine makes it pretty easy.

I have done it both ways. They skin easiest when they are still warm.

I prefer to skin head up and work toward the tail. I’m not cutting “against the grain” on the way the hair lays. I’m convinced that knives dull faster going the other direction.

I've skinned close to a thousand head down. I've got one hanging head up right now just to try it and see how I like it. Haven't skun one that way for years.

Yep for sure

I don't cut through the hair except the opening cuts and like everything else I skin I use a hooked blade utility knife for that. I cut off the front legs with a sawsall before I start. But I can see what you are saying if you're doing it differently.

I agree with 160 skin them warm if you can.

You don't skin any animal head up...always head down...including deer.

For many years, from hocks to head, head down. Now, we still hang head down, but attach winch cable to neck skin and pull it from shoulders to hocks. Winch is on the ceiling.

I use my tractor bucket and tie a rope around the head. Then use a rock or a golf ball tied around the neck hide, which is tied to the hitch of my truck. Use the loader bucket to lift up and it peels the hide off like a sock. Virtually no hair on the meat anywhere.

But I hang them head down in the walk-in cooler so any blood will pool at the head or neck rather than in the hams.

Ol dad

head down, split the hide right to the end of the lip to get all the neck meat.

There was a thread about this not long about, all the northerners skin from backlegs to head, the southerners do it wrong.

That thread is why I hung mine head up last night. I want to see if the Johnny Rebs know something that I don't.

You must be Bruce’s professional skinner.

I skin my own deer

Worked at a butcher shop.

my dad says you get less hair on the meat if you skin from head to hocks but truthfully i think its more on who is skinning

Either way you will get a few hairs on the meat. No problem. When your'e done hit the hairs with a butane torch and they disappear.

Yup

Heads down for me. Used to do heads up and figured I got more hair on the meat in that direction.

Head down and warm, lol
I use a hooked utility blade for all opening cuts....did something different last one, slit down the middle of the back, head to tail...hide comes off in 2 pieces...seemed a bit easier