Whenever I skin a deer with my bare hands, my palms break out in welts and itch like mad! I was wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else, or if anyone knows what causes this reaction?

Never heard of that. I am assuming you don't have allergy to any other type of meat like beef or pork, or you wouldn't be on here asking about it. Do you think it is the hide or the meat. If I were you I would kind of do a test. Maybe get some of the hide and rub it on one of your forearms or legs. The get some of the meat and rub it on another forearm or leg and see which one causes the reaction. I'm no doctor but I like to play one from time to time.

No, the only other allergy I have is to shell fish, which obviously has nothing to do with red meat. I was talking with someone the other day and it might be iodine content in the blood. I have no idea if there is any truth to it or not. Tried to google it of course, but got weird results. I am also not sure its the hide because before cleaning the deer, we pick it up, put it in the truck, all that kind of stuff and I have no immediate reaction. It only happens when i get blood on my hands.

You know they make latex gloves for skinning lol. I always carry a pair in my pack to the tree stand.

Finally someone who shares my pain haha. I have to be careful handling deer. Their hair is what gets me. After field dressing I have to rinse my hands off or my arms and eyes will start itching horribly.

I get it sometimes and blame it on the deer either eating or wallowing in poison ivy, although I usually only get it on the back of my hands and lower wrist..

I have allergies. Not to deer however. I've had the "normal" hay fever ones, depending on the location and time of year.

I once was allegic to blue shell crabs. Lordy, did I want to eat them. Haven't touched them since. I'm very allergic to mold and dust. Have some problems over the years, going through dusty files.

I remember telling my family doctor I had an allergy. He never heard of such a thing. Never in his medical education did he learn of such a thing. I was allergic to cantaloupe. Fortunately, I outgrew it in a few years. Still love cantaloupe.

One day, I had to go to the school to pick up my less than 10 year old daughter. She had just caught the bus, less than an hour and a half earlier. Her eyes were swelling and her one eye was so swollen her eye was completely shut. The teacher was very excited and concerned.
The nurse in the family didn't know the answer, so since I had allergies, I played detective and closely asked what my daughter did in the last two hours. After going over her movements, a number of times, she finally mentioned one innocuous fact. She had picked up a stray cat at the school bus stop.

Yes, I believe in allergies. Good luck. I too like saving money by being the deer butcher.

A buddy of mine gets the itchy palm thing to after handling a deer. He is not allergic to any other animals. Now me on the other hand am allergic to cats, rabbits, ect ect ect but not deer. I also am a taxidermist and fox and small critters absolutely kill me.