Deer skinning question
 

Mobow's post in the "maybe a dumb question" thread reminded me ofa skinning tip that an old country guy in Arkansas gave me. I haven't done this simply because I'm not sure it's actually a good idea. I'm sure this technique would NOT be used for a deer you're going to have mounted.

He said to hang the deer by the neck, cut around the base of the head, skin down enough to roll a rock in the skin, then tie a rope around the rock in the skin, attach the rope to your ball hitch and pull the skin right off.

Howdo you think this would work?

RE: Deer skinning question
 

Works great as long as the hide isn't hard frozen.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

I do that with every deer that i'm not going to cape out. I tie the rock end to the bottom of my cleaning tree and another rope around the neck up to a pulley then to my truck. I drive away and skin my deer as I lift it. I usually use a 1" socket instead of a rock.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

Using a golf ball in the hide helps as well. Works great.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

I don't think hard frozen hide is going to be a problem for me unless we start another "little ice age". Most of my hunting this year was in jeans and a t-shirt with an ASAT 3D suit over it.

Do you ever have any problems with the hide not coming cleanly off? For instance, tearing muscle tissue off with it? That's the only reason I haven't tried it yet. Now that I know the guy isn't a crack-pot, I'll have to give this a try.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

that method works well. no it won'ttear the muscle tissue

RE: Deer skinning question
 

I watch the hide as I drive away. I usually stop and help the hide in a few spots. Usually when the hide comes over the front shoulders. Another reason I do this is because I can adjust the height of the deer as I butcher it. I have had very very little amount of meat coming off with the hide.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

I HAVE NEVER DONE IT BUT I DO KNOW OF PEOPLE DOING IT JUST LIKE THAT WITH A GOLF BALL

RE: Deer skinning question
 

ive heard of doing it before, never done it, or seen it done

RE: Deer skinning question
 

it think it will work

RE: Deer skinning question
 

Magic,
That's a good thing. Most of my time is lost skinning the deer. I can bone one out almost as fast as I an skin one. If I can get the skinning time down, I can get the whole job done on a morning kill and be back in the woods in time for the afternoon hunt. That's what I'm after. You know, when you think about it, what the processing plants do isn't that much different. I hadn't really given that much thought.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

It works just make sure you have strong ropes on both ends.;)

I did it this year with the deer I was keeping. I don't mess with the shoulders.Since I was at least keeping some of my deer, I choose to skin the whole thing before dropping it off at the preserve so the hotties didn't have to work so hard butchering the rest.;)

RE: Deer skinning question
 

Sounds like a good idea that would save a LOT of time. I just wish we could skin them warm here in OH, rather than transporting the WHOLE damned carcass to a checking station. They skin MUCH easier WARM than cold!!!!

RE: Deer skinning question
 

I didn't think skinning a deer was that involved, haha.

We always tie em up at the knee by the hind leg and work the skin off from there...very easy.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

Yeah it works.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

Dumbest thing you ever have to still do after shooting deer, drive to the check in station. They should just go to phone in and or internet. Before Va went to the phone in system (I think they went phone in) I quit taking my kills with me. They didn't care to see them so I didn't care to bring them. Worked for me.:D

RE: Deer skinning question
 

we do it on doe and small buck if we are in a bind for time. we also cut around the leg below the knee and up the center of the leg to the chest and the same with the back legs and up to the stomach. Then pull like you said. We dont do this as a habit at all.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

Ive done it once and it worked extremely well. Its good to have somebody there with you to watch the deer and rope so it dont break. they can also grab the deer after the hide is pulled off so that it wont be swinging in the trees.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nneTTeoPDYU&feature=related

RE: Deer skinning question
 

same here,work it down to the head and then cut the head with the cape off.....maybe 15mn,25 tops...

RE: Deer skinning question
 

Skinning is easy. but the way I do it makes it even easier. Plus I can adjust the deer up or down for easy butchering. This system also gets much less hair on the meat. If the deer is stiff or somewhat frozen it makes life much better too.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

I USE THIS TECHNIQUE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT YOU DO IT WHILE THE ANIMAL IS STILL WARM. I HANG THEM UP SIDE DOWN AND START ON THE REAR FIRST. CUTTING AWAY FROM THE LIMBS AND THEN I SIMPLE PULL THE HIDE OFF WITH MY HANDS. USUALLY GETS TOUGH AROUND THE NECK AREA. BUT I HAVE PULLED OFF SEVERAL THAT WOULD OF MADE NICE FULL BODY CAPES TO USE ON A MOUNT. I USALLY HAVE HELP WHEN PULLING FROM A BUDDY.

RE: Deer skinning question
 

I posted a similar question last year:

http://hunting.net/forum/tm.aspx?m=1892537&mpage=1&key=&#189253 7

RE: Deer skinning question
 

Remember to either cut around the legs or just chop them off at the ankle joint and elbow or the hide will not stretch over that part and WILL tear the deer apart at the spine or neck. Happened to me. I chop off the lower legs at the joints and slice the hide up to there.