Self butchering, hang by head or hind legs?
 

Hey everyone, I was just reading the post on "washing out" the deer and noticed quite a few said they hang the deer by the head. My dad taught me how to butcher a deer but I only had about 2 or 3 chances at it before i moved out of state. Since then I've just taken it to a processor since Im mostly lazy and i remember for me the whole process taking a heck of a lot of time. Well I want to give it a shot this year, mostly to save money and secondly, I got a nice piece of land to hunt for once so im hoping to really fill the freezer. I was taught to hang the deer by the hind legs and skin down towards the head and go from there. Is there an advantage to hanging by the head or is it mostly just personal preferrence?

Well around here they take the head off and then hang it from there hind legs neer there glands.. and go from there..But i think if you hang it from the head you would stretch out the spine and also some of that meat..i prefer the hind legs, but thats me..Good luck with it

-NICK

We always butchered a cow every year. I was taught to hang by the rear legs so all the fluids from the head didn't drain into the meat. Makes sense to me so that's waht I do.

Yup, That's right ! and if you cut the head off it drains out the Jugular.( hopefully in a bucket,I do mine in my barn)
Also,as long as the weather permits (40 degrees or cooler)
I'll leave the skin on and cover it with a game processing bag and let it hang for about 3-4 day's before processing it( lift the legs to make sure they fall freely). This allows the natural bacteria
and the Rigor to start breaking down,making it more tender.

That's an old Indian secret,I guess because I'm an old Indian!:happy0157:

I was taught to hang it from the back legs, cut the head off just under the base of the skull and drain it into a bucket over night. I never heard of letting the deer hang until I started reading around here about a month ago. It makes since, I read a lot of beef processors doing it and makes the meat tender. I might try it this year if I can get the weather to cooperate. I mostly cut the tenderloins and back straps out, might take a roast or two, but most of my front and hind quarters gets ground for our own hamburger and sausage.

Hang mine by the head, that way when you skin the deer out you dont get all the hair in the meat, youre pulling the skin and hair with the grain instead of against it.

Hind legs here as well. I like all the above that are mentioned plus the weight of the skin on the hind legs is a little heavier than the front so gravity helps you when you skin it. Also, if you get one you want to mount, I hear hanging it by the legs is better so you dont stretch out the cape at all.

For hanging it is by the hind legs. That way you work up to the best meat and cuts. There ain't much up front so that goes away quick. Zip thru the backstraps and tenderloins and bam you are to the hind quarters which is the bulk.

+1 on the hind leg hang. Best cuts are there so hanging with head down allows blood and fluids to drain away from the prime stuff. Also, hang for a couple of days if temp. is below 38 degrees.

do say!!! in a fridgerator? or how cold does it need to be
also a hind legger, jus the way i kno, and it makes a better cape, and can remove innards in 1 sak