Skinning a Deer Tips ( reducing Hair on Meat)

Silverpigeon2 · #1 10-21-2008, 01:57 PM

I'm looking for some deer skinning tips. I just normally have my deer hanging head down and start on the back legs and work my way down. Pulling and cutting by hand. And I always end up with hair all over the place(all over my meat too). I'm wondering if there is a better way. I did some research on the net and a lot of people us a golf ball and pull it off with a truck. Has anyone tried this?? Thanks for any help.

Skinning a Deer (Does this really work)

Thanks

300savage · #2 10-21-2008, 02:25 PM

The way I have always skinned out is by skinning the legs to the pelvis and ribcage. I start my knife sharp side up and poke a hole into the hide and slice up. Never cut down into the hide as this cuts hair and dulls the knife. I hang the deer head down, work around the *****, cut off the tail and genitals and start pulling by hand. I make cuts when the hide hangs up and keep pulling.
When I get to the neck, I cut the hide off from the inside out, This way any loose hair falls to the ground or on the head. I then brush as much loose hair off the head towards the ground and then tie a clear garbage bag over the head. When I get home and start butchering all I have to do is cut the head off and it is already in a garbage bag.
The few hairs that do land on the meat are picked off when the meat has set up. I never use water as this makes everything stickier. At the same time I will start trimming off the fat slabs.
Watching my Uncle skin a deer make my skin crawl. There is more hair on the deer after he skins it compared to when he starts because he always cuts into the hide to the deer.
If you work from the meat out, you don't cut the hair off.

Swamp_Donkey · #3 10-21-2008, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 300savage

The way I have always skinned out is by skinning the legs to the pelvis and ribcage. I start my knife sharp side up and poke a hole into the hide and slice up. Never cut down into the hide as this cuts hair and dulls the knife. I hang the deer head down, work around the *****, cut off the tail and genitals and start pulling by hand. I make cuts when the hide hangs up and keep pulling.
When I get to the neck, I cut the hide off from the inside out, This way any loose hair falls to the ground or on the head. I then brush as much loose hair off the head towards the ground and then tie a clear garbage bag over the head. When I get home and start butchering all I have to do is cut the head off and it is already in a garbage bag.
The few hairs that do land on the meat are picked off when the meat has set up. I never use water as this makes everything stickier. At the same time I will start trimming off the fat slabs.
Watching my Uncle skin a deer make my skin crawl. There is more hair on the deer after he skins it compared to when he starts because he always cuts into the hide to the deer.
If you work from the meat out, you don't cut the hair off.

Same for me. Slow and steady. I hate helping other people butcher meat and finding hair all over it

Jamie · #4 10-21-2008, 03:10 PM

POWER WASHER IS YOUR FRIEND!!!

Jamie

Silverpigeon2 · #5 10-21-2008, 04:17 PM

Thanks

That is a great tip, I didn't know that. This Forum Rocks.

Can't wait to not have hair every where.

duffy4 · #6 10-21-2008, 05:29 PM

A fellow was talking about the "golf ball" method the other day and said it leaves the animal very clean because there is very little knife cutting that can cause the transfer of hair.

I think it went : A cut around the the back leggs and down the crotch to join the cuts. Then put a golf ball (or something similar) under the hide and tie a rope tightly around it. Tie the deer back leggs to something solid and the rope from the ball to the winch on a quad or truck. using the slow power of the winch pulls the hide off like pealing a glove inside out as it comes off. Hair side stays on inside hair side and when you get down to the neck close to the head you cut through the neck and the head is inside the package.

Then turn the hide right side and cut the head off, put the hide in a bag and freeze it. Take it to a Fish & Game Association hide drop off and donate it to the wildlife Trust Fund for the purchase of land for wildlife habitat and free hunter access.

Robin in Rocky (Rocky Fish and Game has a couple freezers in a shed at the waste transfer site. Drop your hide off there and fill out a donation card. You could win a rifle or other prizes.)

lineman4 life · #7 10-21-2008, 05:35 PM

I've found the easiest way to clean the hair off is with a small propane (butane) torch. Haven't had any problems with the meat tasting like burnt hair and I only do it for the ones that didn"t wash off with warm water and a rag/

kmac · #8 10-21-2008, 05:56 PM

When the meat starts firming up a scotch brite pad rubs the hair right off.

JohninAB · #9 10-21-2008, 05:59 PM

I am not a fan of a pressure washer, can drive water into the meat. I use a slow stream of warm water and a rag. Cleans up very nice. Always cut from the inside of the hide and out really limits the hair on the meat when done as well.

Buckhead · #10 10-21-2008, 06:07 PM

I don't get much hair on the meat, but what I do get - I wait until the carcass is cooled and set up. Trim a bit with sharp knife and then burn the rest with propane torch.

BC7stw · #11 10-21-2008, 06:18 PM

I use latex gloves and when they get dirty or hair on them I toss them and put on new ones. ( same when field dressing )Don't be in a hurray. Make sure the hair side never touches the meat. Only cut the hide from the meat side with a very sharp knife. When finished I use a knife with a longer blade to scrap the surface of the meat to get rid of any hair. Then I wipe the meat down with a mixture of vinegar and water starting at the top ( I do this just before I cut it as well ). As I don't eat deer ribs I cut them off with a recip saw just below the backstraps. I also cut off the flank meat before I hang it.

schtann · #12 10-22-2008, 12:50 AM

duct tape wrapped around hand(sticky side out of course) or a lint roller. try that on hair that is on fresh meat. surface dried it will not work as well. good tricks though guys !

300 wsm · #13 10-22-2008, 01:42 AM

gloves and slow movin knives too wash meat use vinegar and water at a 50 to 1 ratio while whipping the meat with the cloth soaked in the ratio mentioned

Bogman10 · #14 10-22-2008, 06:35 AM

In a game processing Video I have, the Butcher say's they use " Brass kitchen scouring pads" to remove any hair from the meat. Works great!

southunter · #15 10-22-2008, 08:21 AM

If you have the option of having a garage or skinning pole nearby, skin the animal first then gut it. I find a lot of the hair floating around is from making that initial cut down the belly. If you carefully skin as mentioned in some of the other posts then slit the belly with the deer hanging by the back legs the guts will fall right into your waiting garbage bag or box. These are the cleanest deer I have done for both the meat and the hunter.

I know this isn't a viable option for a remote kill but for a farm land deer it works great.

marlin1 · #16 10-22-2008, 08:27 AM

yes my brother did multiple deer using the golf ball method and now swears by it

rhuntley12 · #17 10-22-2008, 08:30 AM

That looks like a pretty neat trick

Walleyes · #18 10-22-2008, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverpigeon2

I'm looking for some deer skinning tips. I just normally have my deer hanging head down and start on the back legs and work my way down. Pulling and cutting by hand. And I always end up with hair all over the place(all over my meat too). I'm wondering if there is a better way. I did some research on the net and a lot of people us a golf ball and pull it off with a truck. Has anyone tried this?? Thanks for any help.

Skinning a Deer (Does this really work)

Thanks

Be carefull and don't cut no hair into the meat..

Tundra Monkey · #19 10-22-2008, 09:01 AM

With moose we leave the hide on for parting out and do the work back under "prestine

" conditions. Only time I'd skin it out there is if someone really wanted the hide in one piece......and she was HOT.

Other than than take your time.....well worth it when it hits the table.

tm

Tundra Monkey · #20 10-22-2008, 09:15 AM

My bad....caribou are about the same size......they're are a little easier....she doesn't have to be that hot

tm

thumper · #21 10-22-2008, 03:26 PM

I've used the 'golf ball' method very successfully. Actually, I switched from rope to light winch cable, and use a round rock about twice the size of a golf ball. Works well if you can get a vehicle into the animal. You need a fair amount of room to work, because the rope and animal's neck & hide stretch quite a bit.

I usually have my hides tanned into buck/moose-skin at Halford Hides, and with this method there's no knife nicks from skinning on the finished leather.