Passing down a skill....

[HD]

Sorry about not being on the site much....but I've been busy as all get out....

Anyways, My Great Nephew decided he wanted to be a "skinner" at the shop we process deer every year. So, it was my job to show him how it's done...
After he started to get the hang of it, he wanted to go out hunting last night... He harvested this 11 pointer!
I went out to the field where he shot it, helped him gut it, and haled it back to the shop.
Once we got there, I told him, it's tradition....you shot it, you skin it....

He did a great job, and congrats to him!

[glenn57]

 

[Gunner55]

 

[deadeye]

Gotta love it when the younger generation gets involved with hunting and all that goes with it. 

[Boar]

Way to go!!

[mike89]

congrats to the young man!!!   

[dakids]

Awesome,  way to go.

[tangle tooth]

Looks like you're doing things right. Congrats to both of you.

[Steve-o]

Maybe this has been talked about elsewhere here, but...

What are the pros and cons of skinning a deer head up vs head down?

Thanks.

[HD]

Maybe this has been talked about elsewhere here, but...

What are the pros and cons of skinning a deer head up vs head down?

Thanks.

I have skun deer in the thousands, and done them both ways.
The capes get skun upside down, others are head up.
I personally have not seen a difference either way.
Some say you get less hair on the deer doing it upside down, but the way we do it, it don't matter.
For me upside down is slower than head up.
So, I guess I don't have an answer....I think it's more of a preference, or how you learned.
Kind of like the great Chevy VS Ford debate.....

[mike89]

i too have done it both ways, and fully agree with HD on this.. 

[Steve-o]

Well, if its like the Chevy vs Ford debate... there is only ONE RIGHT answer!   

But I reckon I ought to try it the other way and find out for myself.

Skinning upside down seems natural for the way I take the meat off.  I'd have to think about how this would change if I had 'em hangin' the other way. 

• Tenderloins.
• Backstraps.
• Front Quarters
• Neck Roast
• Rib Meat
• Saw off the ribs.
• Saw off the spine in front of the pelvis.
• Separate the hind quarters from the pelvis.

[glenn57]

by saying hang upside down, i assume you are talking back legs up, head down??????????/

i prefer hanging head up. just my preference. i've only hung 2 deer back legs up, head down. that was the 2 bucks that i had shoulder mounts done. it seemed logical to skin that way to avoid as much as possible in ruining the cape for the mount.

once its skun out........i dont think it matters all the much how you decide to part it out. 

[glenn57]

since what i'm gonna post is about processing deer thought i'd put this here. once in a  great while i'll go check out LSF. i asked how deer hunting went. one of the mods posted he dont hunt but his friends hunt farmland and they shoot as many deer as they are licensed for. last he posted they where at 12. last year they had 24.

so, he said they take all the backstraps out of both buck and does. all the does get ground for a variety of things. he said the bucks are all ground up and fed to the dogs............personally what a waste. but to each there own though.

[Jerkbiat]

Congrats to your great nephew HD!!!! Nice to see the younglings learning. I agree Glenn, what a waste.

[Steve-o]

Yeah, someone should send them a copy of this...



 

[glenn57]

Congrats to your great nephew HD!!!! Nice to see the younglings learning. I agree Glenn, what a waste.

Yea I kinda  told him nicely I thought it was a waste.

[LPS]

I'm thinking he is feeding you some BS Glenn.  Do you really think they did that?

[glenn57]

I'm thinking he is feeding you some BS Glenn.  Do you really think they did that?

not sure LPS, he is a moderator over there and he's been around that site for a long time.

Guess I have no reason not to believe him. Keep in mind like I said he, himself doesn't hunt, but must help??

[Steve-o]

And I think there is a trend out there to start feeding dog and pets more natural food.

It seems a shame to shoot a bunch of bucks just to grind them up and feed them to dogs, but they probably look at it like they are doing something positive for their dogs.

[glenn57]

he responded to my post, and said he agrees with me, then went on to say they've gutted and cut up bucks that smelled so bad because they where in full rut mode...........

i dont know........i've never run into that...

[Steve-o]

I remember one particularly sticky buck, but I had a hind quarter hit on that one.

I'm not sure if the smell was from him being all rutted up or perhaps I shot his bladder.  (I didn't think at the time to check the bladder as I gutted it in the dark.)  But it was one stinky carcass.