I saw this topic started but I can't find it anymore.
I hang em head up to skin them out,(the old hook the hide to the truck trick) then turn them head down if I need to let them hang for any lenght of time.
I was taught to leave them head down to keep the fluids from collecting in the hams.

Head up - to Drain, clean, hose out, or store (weather permiting) for any length of time.

Head down - to skin and process.

head down.

Hope they don't delete this topic again!

hang em head down cause they will bleed out much better.

I was always taught to hang them head down.

I have always hung my deer head up directly after harvesting, this allows me to gut them, and clean the chest cavity out VERY easily, after that, I take them to our garage, lay a tarp on the floor, and hang them head down, that makes it a lot easier to skin, and split the hind quarters and ribs. I let them hang a couple of days if it is cold out. Then I quarter them and put them in the freezer for a week. After that, I take them out and cut them up on the bandsaw.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
P.S. Only Chuck Adams can sit at home and see deer so get into the woods. =;^)

If you are going to shoulder mount the deer, don't hang them head up, as this stretches the skin on the neck. The taxidermist then has to "unstretch" the hide to make it fit on a form.

Pablo

hang 'em head down, much easier to work with

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Head up - to Drain, clean, hose out, or store (weather permiting) for any length of time.

Head down - to skin and process.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

The deer should not be hosed out inside, if you are leaving it hang a few days,....... inless, you gut shot it!

If it is left with the natural emzimes, which you wash away if you hose it out, it will form a glossy dry &quot;skin&quot;, that will keep the meat from drying out, and also is un-appealing to flys, if it is warm enough for them.

Hang them head down so the body fluids drain out better! If you hang them head up, those fluids all drain into the hind quarters, where your best meat is.

WE ALWAYS HANG OUR DEER HEAD DOWN WHEN SKINNING AND LEFTING FLUID DRAIN. JUST THE WAY I WAS TOUGHT AND WILL TEACH MY KIDS.