Hanging meat with skin on.

[Short Track]

I have seen plenty of butchers hang meat with skin off. I am using a new butcher, and he only hangs with skin on. Otherwise, he says it dried out, and I'm losing a lot of the outer layer.
What's your take?

I have also heard that argument both ways.. If you hang 1/4's with skin off, it will dry out, and you're losing 1/2" of meat.

What's your opinion ?

 

[mike.adams.467]

I've done both, and there are pros and cons to each method. The last few I have had to pack out solo, so removing the hide lightened the load and helped with cooling. When horses are used, the hide definitely keeps meat clean.

 

[Indian Summer]

I agree with your butcher. Hide on for me until processed. For the same reason and more.

It’s nature’s game bag. Insulated too! Once it is cool it keeps it cool.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Hide on IF in cooler. The mess hide off creates, along with yield loss is not worth it.

 

[Ross]

Hide has always stayed on the mountain since 1980. Less weight, it cools better and game bags keep it clean. Never had a butcher say anything.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I’m my own butcher. I do hide off. If I planned to hang something for an extended period, I’d think hard about leaving hide on to prevent drying. As it is, it’ll be cut and processed within 4-5 days so it’s a non issue for me.

 

[rogerdoger]

Skin off, I try and reduce any hair on meat, when I think of putting a quarter in a game bag I think if itcontaining all the hair, dirt, urine, ticks, etc. to mingle with the meat while I hike out with hide on. Would rather lose a thin layer than deal with hide later.

 

[CMF]

How long are you hanging it? If it's not hanging long, you're not going to lose meat regardless of whether the skin is on or off.

For you guys who hang for long durations, how long can you hang before you have to start trimming meat?

I think it's all situational. Out west, I'm usually packing animals out, and I'm not hauling skin and bones miles to the truck. And like roderdoger said, you'r mixing alot of crap with your meat.

I've only ever hung a whitetail overnight to skin the next day, but in MS it's rarely cool enough.

If I want to age for tenderness, I wet-age in vac bags in the fridge after my meat has been processed into roast, etc. I've done up to 30 days with good results.