DEER CLEANING

[Robert_in_NY]

Only skin down to shoulders (if you are already past the hind legs, whats the point ) typo I am sure.

This works very well, keeps hair of the meat too. I have skinned deer with truck, winch, tractor, wifes car... hanging the deer and using the tractor to skin is the best. This was the first deer season that I had my new tractor with loader. Skinning with the loader is nice because you can pull down rather that horizontally, easier to stay in control.

If you use a gambrel and hang the deer by their hind legs you skin past the hind legs to do this mechanical skinning.

 

[tommu56]

Hang deer in tree with chain.
Grab strap.
Skin deer down past hind legs.
secure strap on bunched up hide.
secure other end of strap to tractor.
drive away.
Deer skun.

What he said but put a round river rock in the hide and strap below it spreads out the strain and keeps hide from ripping.

tommu

 

[jake98]

Put deere between two tractors. One geared tractor and one hystat. Now pull in opposite directions. Whichever tractor ends up with the most deer is the better transmission. End of geared vs hydro debate.

Oh, that's another thread. Sorry.
Sincerely, Dirt

Don't think we're not watching you Dirt.

Jake

 

[flINTLOCK]

I like the idea of using FEL to turn deer partially to side after unzipping the belly to allow debris to slide out. That's always the messiest part. May not have to roll my sleeves up to my shoulders anymore to keep shirt out of the mess. Could probably use bucket hooks on each side to attach rope or chain to front and back legs on one side of the animal and lift enough to spill the guts.

 

[flINTLOCK]

I was thinking my boom pole might come in handy for the elevation and separation helpful to the skinning process. But would have to quick change out the bucket for the boom pole to do that. Just might give it a shot for the heck of it.

 

[kebo]

I drag the deer to where I can get it on the loader -- do the preliminary cuts around the rear end and split the brisket then lift the deer up with the loader and finish field dressing it. It drains well that way. My bucket has brackets welded inside to allow me to use 2x6's as brush carriers -- I have a sort of boom pole rigged that fits in one of the brackets to lift the deer higher than the fel alone would. Since I only have one deer tag, I usually just skin it out by hand (I have always found the various rope tricks and pull methods mentioned above to take about the same amount of time to set up and do ) and leave it on the loader to hang and cool -- this year it did not hang long as it was in danger of freezing by day two

I feel for you guys that have one shot at a deer! Down here in SC there basically is no limit in the lower half of the state, and not much of a limit in the upper half! But, our deer don't get near as big as yours do!!
Keith

 

[studor]

I feel for you guys that have one shot at a deer! Down here in SC there basically is no limit in the lower half of the state, and not much of a limit in the upper half! But, our deer don't get near as big as yours do!!
Keith

In some areas now we can buy a second tag but not in all -- as I get older I appreciate the hydraulics on the tractor instead of hoisting up into trees and the like -- especially when they get over the two hundred pound mark ( field dressed)
Steve

 

[flINTLOCK]

I bought a clamp from northern tool I believe that is meant for pulling out saplings up to 3". It has teeth that grab saplings very well. I may try that to grab deer hide for skinning. Will probably perforate the hide, but who cares if not saving it for tanning.

 

[N80]

I feel for you guys that have one shot at a deer! Down here in SC there basically is no limit in the lower half of the state, and not much of a limit in the upper half! But, our deer don't get near as big as yours do!!
Keith

The season in the lower state also goes from Aug 15th through Jan 1. I'd guess that's one of the longest seasons in the country. Used to hunt on a plantation down in Charleston when I was younger. I don't mind telling you, I'm no longer man enough to hunt in August. Snakes don't bother me, I can live with the heat, but the mosquitoes and chiggers are too much for me.

Gun season here in the upstate starts on Oct 11 and runs through Jan 1. There is a one day limit and a season limit. Both are pretty high. I don't even know what it is. I got a nice 8 pointer last month and doubt I'll pull the trigger again unless a monster walks out and makes fun of my mother.

Now I have a confession to make. I've always been pretty adamant about dressing and butchering my own deer. I consider it part of the hunt and I have used the loader and headlights to skin one at night. (I now have a skinning rack with a chain hoist so the tractor is no longer of any use.

But here is the confession: There is a processing place on the way home. For $60 I can drop it off and they will take the loins out and grind and cube the rest and hand you the horns. I've done it twice now when I was in a pinch for time. Its pretty hard to resist. They will do anything you want them to from sausage to to stew 'beef' to jerky.

 

[whodat90]

I use the tractor to recover the deer (better than dragging by a long shot) and to move it to where I'm going to gut it, then to hang it afterwards. I butcher my own if they're small since it's not worth paying a butcher, but for $70 I have a guy that does loins, steaks, roasts, burger, and for an additional fee will do some great sausage. I'm a pretty big fan of leaving work to people that do it best, and he's the best.