For fur, head down, Deer heads up, don't know why, just do!

Head down and warm. Open them up all the way to the chin. I don't understand why people leave them partly cased, it makes the job harder.

Might want to cape it out.The fewer cuts the better.

Only do the head-up method when using a golf ball, otherwise head down.

Head down. They peel easy, you trappers on here skin coyotes and otters. Never understood why we had to use a truck or machine to peel deer.

Never skunk one head up

I haven't hung one in 40 plus years let alone skinning one totally.

Head down. How you gonna half and quarter a deer hanging by his neck? SMH

The same way you would the other way, just upside down.

LOL

I have always done them head down until the last couple of years. Now I cut around the neck before hanging and hang head up. It seems to work better for me.

Outfit i been helping hangs em by the antlers to cape em, then flips em after and then we skin the rest and quarter.

No, I collect deer hides to tan. Some are skinned this way. They are hides that people would otherwise throw away.

Last few I felt do I put one one the grounds and skinned them like a beaver or cow only real issues where the butt and the back

PAskinner,

I get hides that way too, the guys skinning them use winches to pull the hide off, they only open it far enough to field dress. The first one confused me a bit.

The way I have found to get far fewer hairs on the meat is to be sure each cut, opening or otherwise, is to always cut from under the hide. Never cut from the hair down to the hide.

Always cut from underneath the hide. All cuts. Drastically decreased the amount of hair I have on meat.

One I did last night I did on the tail gate. Didn't need to bend over or be on my knees. Didn't feel like being up at the barn. Thought gutless method i have only done a few times would be faster so went with it.

It was faster but could be even more so if I do a few more. sounds like your cuting on the belly. Try cutting up the center of the back and peel the hide down the sides, remove or de bone the front quarters, then back strip come out, then the hind quarter. Then I cut any off the neck or other stuff I may want for us or for the dog I like to debone when on the deer its easier for me to pull the muscles apart when its attached. The hide rolled down skin up gives you a place to set meat if you need a spot.

Do one side flip it over and repeat. I did get more hair on the meat than normal. Likey since I have not done many like this, was tired and in a hurry.


Otherwise its head down.

According to a guy I know who has been a butcher and has butchered thousands of deer all his life, said always skin a deer head down, never head up. He said most deer are shot through the chest area where the most blood has accumulated. If you skin head up the blood will run into the areas where most of the meat you want to save is. Head down the blood runs into the neck area where most of the meat is trimmings.