At our camp we skin and debone the same day as the harvest. They are on ice in the big white cooler before we retire for the evening.
Seems to me the quicker the hide comes off the better the meat tastes and the easier they are to skin. Then hang for 3-4 days (weather permitting). I butcher my own just red meat. Can’t see spending a lot of money to make it taste like something else.. Just 2 cents from an old woodtick…Hey folks, my girlfriend walked into the room where I was watching a show and the fellow was just hanging his gutted deer, hide on, and was saying that tomorrow he would skin and start the butchering job. She then immediately looked at me and said, “he’s not gonna skin it now?”. Not sure how to respond because I too have never understood that practice, I just said, “it seems more so to be an Eastern thing.” She’s a farm girl and from a hunting family, I’m a bush guy who also spent a few years on a farm, but have quite a lot of bush experience (hunting, fishing, trapping, guide). I do understand keeping meat clean, but that’s what game bags are for, and proper meat care is absolute paramount to me. This includes cooling as quickly as possible, which means skinning. It is way easier to skin when warm than cold, which also translates to less hair.
So can someone please educate me? Is it an aging thing? A “my family has always done it this way?” Possibly a regional practice of “tradition?”
Walk
Grew up in Upper Minnesota and they all hung for several days to age the meat -- usually 5-7 -- with a couple of sticks to keep chest and abdominal cavity open (like cross braces) Course that was in the 60's & 70's and it was cooler/colder then. The 70's were sometimes referred to as a mini-ice age. I cannot remember ever seeing a hanging skinned deer. Live in Michigan UP now and they hang til you leave camp (with skin on) -- most then take to a processor@S.Kenton said it,,
It's all about the regional temp during the season. Northern clim's with cool temps, leave the hide on.(but don't let it freeze)
Southern and many Western clim's, better peel the hide quick. Both can be and are proper care of the harvest.
Where I grew up here in Minn, we can let'm hang hide on for a few days to age,, When I lived in Wyo,, peel the hide and ice'm.
Same here.Hide on or hide off, all depending on the temperature on which way I decide to go.
That's the key isn't it,, proper care while aging lends too a much better palate.Now...my neighbors have the first day's kills hanging with the last day's kills over a 9 day gun season regardless of temps. Haven't seen any of them keel over from eating deer but it's not meat I'd want on my plate!
Absolutely right! Maybe the formula for hanging time should be some inverse percentage of the circumference of the neck divided by the temperature in celsius.... Never mind - you get the idea! Necchi is right - the those thick-necked bucks make great stories, great photos and great mounts - but they often just don't make great table-fare!That's the key isn't it,, proper care while aging lends too a much better palate.
@chorizo makes a good point too, a "non stinky" deer, meaning one that's not a rutty olde buck or gut shot.
Those thick neck big fellers with all their glands oozing, can make a good run before they drop,, they ain't the best table fare for loin, steak or roast.
Up here in Northern New England it is usually kind of cool during the rifle deer and muzzleloader seasons. We routinely hang our deer in a cool spot for a couple of days if possible, with the hide on.
I understand in other parts of the Country that would not be possible. Same thing happens here if we harvest a deer during the early bow season, goes in a cooler in pieces right away. Same with bear and moose.
I'm not familiar with the term "bone spoil".i have always skinned as soon as i could get them hung. it is easier for me to get the job done than to get back to it.
I lost a deer to bone spoil once and came close with an elk so i like to get it broke down and at least a cut to the bone on the hind quarters.
if i am in back of nowhere i skin and bone the meat out only opening the body cavity enough to get the tender loins.
the last thing i would ever do is say my way is the only way. to each his own. and dumb as i am i know there are those that do it better.
heat from the large bones can set up spoilage if it is left covered by meat.I'm not familiar with the term "bone spoil".
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