Thread: When to skin a animal?

So ive been looking online for info on when to skin a deer some people say right away and some say leave it for a couple days. Anyone got any ideas on what they do?

I skin them just enough to get the back steaks out and the legs off. It comes off very easily when warm. I’ve never done a cold deer so I’m not sure about that.

If they can be got out whole and into a chiller pretty quickly and are clean shot head or top of neck Im happy to leave them skin on for up to a week.
If body shot I will skin within two days maximum as shot meat and blood needs to be removed or it will go off.
If not in a chiller then a lot less.

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Plenty of ways to think about this and to be fair none are right or wrong.

I only shoot deer that I can get home whole when hunting for myself and the freezer.

I hang for 10-12 hours to set in a cool place then hang in chiller.
I just remove the head, guts, pluck and ring gear. I chill for around 5 days if a yearling or 10-11 days if older.
I always leave the skin on.
Depending on chiller you can dry the meat out and form a surface crust you just have to cut away if chilling as long as I do with the skin off.

Skin is always easier to remove when warm but I can still punch it off when chilled easy as. Always start from the bottom (around the gut incision) when punching a skin and it will come off a lot cleaner. Do enough headskinning and you will work this out.
Get any bit of damaged meat and gut content out of the carcass or you're buggered due to bacteria whether you chill or not. Especially on body shot animals.
Bacteria will ruin the skin as easy as the meat if you ever plan to keep one.





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I seen an interesting way to skin a deer on the "meat eater" program on Netflix, They were skinning from head at top, opposite of what I was taught and on the second deer they did they skinned the neck down to the top of the shoulders then pulled the skin off clean using a "side by side"
Different.

Usually after you shot it

With deer I hang them overnight in the shed with the skin on, then skin and process the next day.
Sheep I have always skinned straight away before gutting, not an option if you had to carry it out of the bush like a deer though. Animals are esasier to skin warm than cold, but I have found cold deer are still easier to skin than warm sheep. Once cold I doubt it matters for skinning purposes how long they hang for.

Depends on the situation

If you are in the bush for a day or so i leave the skin on to help prevent flies blowing it, and to help prevent dirt and debri getting on it etc.
When i get it home or into a better environment then off comes the wrapper.

I used to carry deer out whole...now more often than not it gets skinned and boned completely on the spot....or as in case of the last 3 the legs stay whole but rest is boned out so it all fits in pack or day bag....got sick of getting it home only to chuck out what Id carried.

As you have read and can work out from the above posts it comes down to knowing what to do in each situation. Is the animal clean shot ? Do you have access to a chiller ? Is it winter or summer ? If you don't have a chiller but the weather is cold, hang with skin on but be aware of the changes / stages, to expect in the carcase as time goes on. First the carcase sets, then it starts to relax as chemical changes take place. Next it will totally relax if un-chilled and start to loose fluid as bacterial enzymes start digesting and breaking down cells. next it starts to smell 'off' first in wet areas then all over. Leaving the skin on protects the meat from bacteria but slows the cooling process. If the weather is too warm to hang more than a night, I would skin and quarter the next day and chill and age the meat in a fridge for three days before cutting and freezing.

If on a fly in or walk in I skin the straight away and hang all the meat in a meat safe.If I can get the deer out whole and to the chiller leave the skin on and hang in chiller with skin on for 7-10 days.Always cut the tail off as well as this goes off first.

Originally Posted by mikee

I seen an interesting way to skin a deer on the "meat eater" program on Netflix, They were skinning from head at top, opposite of what I was taught and on the second deer they did they skinned the neck down to the top of the shoulders then pulled the skin off clean using a "side by side"
Different.

Yup that's what I do, fast as when you've got a load to do.

Originally Posted by BRADS

Yup that's what I do, fast as when you've got a load to do.

like this @ about 3:50

Originally Posted by mikee

like this @ about 3:50

Yup I've never used a ball or anything seen it done though
I just cut a hole in the skin either side and put the rope through.
Use same system for sheep

Same for me, cattle beast, sheep, deer, pig, hang from head and pull down and away with the tractor loader. With pigs split the skin down the spine and it comes off more easily in two pieces.