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I thought I would get a few pics of how Deb and I skin our deer. Kind of got carried away and I think there will be 8 photos to follow in my next post. It is pretty much self explanitory but I will tell a bit about it anyhow. Before you hang it it will most likely already be gutted and will have a slice from anal area up past the chest cavity. Go ahead and make that slice go all the way up the neck to throat. Next make the cuts that have to be made on the hind legs from anal area to knee joints and ring them so they wil be free. I didn't do this next step but it is easier if you do. I really don't know why I got in a hurry and forgot. Anyhow don't forget to make a cut on each front leg from knee joint to the chest area. Just follow the little hair line and it will show you the way. Now we are ready to pull some skin. Photo one is just getting the rock tied in place and hooked to the truck. Number two is starting the skinning. Three shows pulling the socks off the legs cause I forgot to split them. Note how deer is hanging more horizontal than vertical. STOP when you see this and see what is holding the skin. Usually is will just be a tendon or such, and won't take but a bit of hand work to free. Number six shows deer again pulled horizontal. This is because I have pulled it just about as far as it will go. Number seven shows the new twist that I've not told you yet. It is showing the cutting of a ring around the neck to the bone. Number seven show me just about to grab the ear and the jaw bone, Im gonna give ur a little twist. Now in number seven I got the head and the hide in my hands and the carcass swings back to vertical. I have never seen or heard of an easier way to get the head off. Try it and you will be amazed at how little effort it will take to twist it off. Make sure you got the deer pulled up so it is fairly tight as in the photo. Next is fleshing with the draw knife and the finished skin. Mike Smyth ]
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Just make sure the tree or structure is strong. I've also heard recommendation of throwing an old blanket over the back truck window cuz the golf balls or rocks have been known to launch...may be an "urban legend", though. This does work well and quick. Steve
sweet
How do you secure the golfball/rock to the hide? Sorry its the only thing I didn't get but this sure would be awsome being that I'm allergic to deer hair!
the rope holds it in to place. it is really fast to skin a deer/game that way.
Stick the rock in, fold the hide over and tie the rope around the bulge.
Hey, that's some funny looking landscaping rock you have in those buckets. ;)
Tom as soon as I get it chipped into little pieces it will then be decorative gravel Mike Smyth
On that knot just tie in a good loop and take the tag end thru the loop to make a slip knot. The harder you pull the tighter it gets but is easy to remove. Mike Smyth
I tried that once. Turned my gambrel in to a pretzel. Need a very strong gambrel for this. :coffee:
No, do not use the gambrel. Use what the deer gives you as it can't be beat. Just slice between bone and big tendon of lower leg and tie good strong rope here. You will pull the critter in half before you can break one of the tendons. Mike Smyth
Thanks Mike.
I have heard of this but I haven't seen it do until now.
Can you post a full picture of your fleshing beam please? It looks like a piece of PVC pipe...is it? I would like to see some detailed pictures of your setup if you have any. This would provide a nice smooth surface to work from. Looks like a good idea.
Thanks for sharing
Tom
Does that work on fresh kills as well as those that are aged/cold/frozen?
Also, I would like to see a how to on finishing the hide. I have read tons of material but still do not have the nerve to try it.
BTW Is there a cheap fleshing knife I could make?
Thanks
I have heard of tennis balls being used also, but have never seen it.
John, you can get a draw knife at most antique shops for ten to twenty dollars. I got a how to tape that Deb and I made cheap. Send a pm if interested.
Kelly, heck ya can wad up a piece of paper and it will work too. Anything to make a little knob
to tie to
Yes it will work on cold hides. I don't know about frozen solid, but it got in the twenties the night it hung. I don't think it was much over thirty the next day when we skinned it.
Mike Smyth
What was the Tool or Creation You used in the 1st pic? Just as you started?
As asked for , here is a photo of the beam. On the bottom near the top drill a two inch hole and use a t-post or a line post to hold it up. This is portable and sturdy at the same time. Just make sure it is about waist high for maximum preformance with minimal effort. The second photo is some dryscrapers I like. Mike Smyth
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After reading some more, I realized you actually hung the deer by the back legs. I always did it by hanging the deer by the neck, slitting the skin, skinning the neck enough to fit the rock or golf ball, then pulling it off. No problem with the leg tendons pulling through, huh? More than one way to skin a cat, eh.....uhhhh....make that a deer.
SoS I don't know what it would actually take to pull one in two, they are probably just about as strong as the bones they connect to. I have seen them butcher beef and hang the same way since I was a kid. I know others who do it like you described and it works well also. Some that do a lot of deer use a winch and a pulley that is anchored in the ground. You can stand right by it and control with ease. Mike Smyth
I've been doing it that way for years. This year the hide got hung up and I actually started to seperate the spinal column( it was dislocated). It worked out nice because the back straps had seperated and all I had to do was cut them at the hind quaters and under the shoulder then peel them out with my fingers.
There are several videos of this on youtube. Most folks who work hides prefer the back to front pull. If you aren't doing anything with the hide it doesn't really matter.
You can make a fleshing knife from an old file. Grind a single bevel and wrap tape around the ends. If you want to get fancy, grind tangs on the ends and pound wooden handles on them..