Skin or not to skin deer.

[Boarmaster]

You all with walk in coolers. We hang our deer for about 5 to 6 days before butchering in our walk in.
Do you all skin before hanging them in the cooler or hang them field dressed only and skin the day of processing. We have time restraints on when we process and need to process the Saturday after the one week season at this location. So hanging for longer is not possible.

 

[chancey]

if I can get a buck straight to the walk in, I leave the hide on, makes for less rind to trim off. I also stick a piece of Saran Wrap on the exposed part of the tenderloins to keep the rind off of them. I will say that skinning a 37 degree buck is a little more time consuming though. We also hang longer than you’re planning due to your time constraints, generally about 12 days. Don’t think you can go wrong either way I just prefer to have less to trim.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I don’t hang deer at all if I can help it. Ideally, it’s fully processed within a couple of hours of shooting it. A clean kill, immediate field cleaning, drag to the house, skin it out, quarter it, process each quarter, and immediately into the deep freezer has always resulted in great meat.

But, on the occasions when that hasn’t been possible, we hang it with the skin on. That gives us the option to have someone else process it if we don’t have the time or energy to do it ourselves.

 

[mtnbound]

I take the hide off. Dealing with hide and hair afterwards I find is a pain. I also don’t hang it for very long before I process it, typically a day max.

 

[Boarmaster]

In Alabama , weather permitting I hang the deer outside with the skin on until I cut it up. My question was for guys with access to a walk in. Also I think its relevant to the crusting that we only have them in the walk cooler for a max of. 5-6 days. Some may only be in there a day or two depending what day they got killed. We hunt Monday thru Friday then everyone gets together on Saturday and we have butchering party. Then I drive two day home. I should have been more clear in my OP.

 

[Jermh]

I like to hang for week or so and prefer skin on. I just don't like that rind layer that you've got to mess with if you skin before hanging.

 

[chancey]

I like to hang for week or so and prefer skin on. I just don't like that rind layer that you've got to mess with if you skin before hanging.

If you don’t like rind you should try sticking Saran Wrap on the exposed part of tenderloin also. I hate having to trim that delicious small piece of meat, I want every bite I can get!

 

[Danny Hoey]

If you don’t like rind you should try sticking Saran Wrap on the exposed part of tenderloin also. I hate having to trim that delicious small piece of meat, I want every bite I can get!

I take the tendies off as soon as it gets home.

 

[casey36]

We skin ours, then hang. We have always just done it that way. Hang, skin, and quarter. Back straps and immer loins never hang. They seem to go pretty quick!

 

[Jermh]

If you don’t like rind you should try sticking Saran Wrap on the exposed part of tenderloin also. I hate having to trim that delicious small piece of meat, I want every bite I can get!

I should have clarified. I will pull tendies before hanging...good odds they'll get eaten that night lol. If not they would pretty much be a waste after hanging for a week, but I do like the saran wrap idea.