hanging game, head up or down?

[BrotherRockeye]

It is very simple, you guys.
If you live east of Manitoba your deer has twice as many antler points and you hang it by the head.

I think you meant to say West

 

[H4831]

I think you meant to say West

No, I just meant they count a five point head as being a ten point head.
Of course, our deer are larger, that goes without saying!

 

[catnthehatt]

Head down, simply because I cut and butcher when the animal is hanging.
That way the hind legs are hanging from the gambrel till I want to cut them.
Cat

 

[sjemac]

see ive found that head down is easier to cut filets out, easier to cut chest open to spred, and to remove the throat tube. skinning aswell. i guess the guys hanging head up are just in lack of a gambrel. i just didnt know if it was benificial to the meat if its hung a certan way.

Hanging head down keeps blood and fluids from collecting in the hind quarters. Sometimes I hang by the pelvis bone (don't split it). This keeps the leg muscles more compact which is great when you want nice football shaped roasts.

as for this question, i know that it is easier to age without hide given the bugs are gone, cause its gunna be harder to skin after the aging process.

Always hide on for me. The meat loss due to dehydration after a 2 week hang is too much. It takes a tiny bit more effort on the skinning side but as you see above the deer below still comes out nice and clean -- and you get all those nice cuts that are good for fajitas and stirfrys out of it.

Head down, simply because I cut and butcher when the animal is hanging.
That way the hind legs are hanging from the gambrel till I want to cut them.
Cat

 

[blasted_saber]

Usually head down. If the weather is really bad, head up as it keeps the junk out of the cavity much better. Always head down for skinning though.

Ive found it really makes no difference however.

 

[M12shooter]

Head down hanging from the hocks, easy to skin them that way and any hair or crud drops to the front of the cavity to be vaccumed out easily with a shop vac. Seems to be more of an eastern thing to hang from the head.

 

[srt4u2nv]

No, I just meant they count a five point head as being a ten point head.
Of course, our deer are larger, that goes without saying!

8 point 4x4 same difference Some big deer in Ontario

Oh and head down last time I hung one ass down we lost some meat from the blood running to the hams

 

[Smokepole]

Head down and off. Hide off to cool. Brisket split and spread to allow drainage. Moose should hang a while, deer not so much.

 

[H4831]

That's a really nice 4 point whitetail from Ontario.

 

[beefman]

That's a really nice 4 point whitetail from Ontario.

I think the 8 pointer in the front, is much nicer.

 

[7mmlefty]

Everyone I've hunted with has hung with head down and use of a spreader bar in the hocks.
The head up with hide on is a good idea if kept outside in the elements(shaded from sun) for a period of time till transport is available.

 

[M12shooter]

That's a really nice 4 point whitetail from Ontario.

 

[Lefty Dick]

Ask any buthcer who knows his stuff why all 4 legged critters destined for humanbeings gets hung head down and slightly spread.

You'll get your answer there.

 

[Levi Garrett]

Only hang it by the neck if its still alive

 

[John Y Cannuck]

I hung one head down once, and it snowed. The hair openned up, and filled with snow, then froze over night. What a f'n mess.
We turned the deer right way 'round, and in a few days, much of the snow was out of the hair. Still a bugger to skin. The hide was stiff from all the snow frozen in it.

I might hang head down if it was under cover, but I'll never do it again in the open.

 

[Boombb]

^ Cannuck....


how long do you leave their coat on for ?

 

[M12shooter]

I hung one head down once, and it snowed. The hair openned up, and filled with snow, then froze over night. What a f'n mess.
We turned the deer right way 'round, and in a few days, much of the snow was out of the hair. Still a bugger to skin. The hide was stiff from all the snow frozen in it.

I might hang head down if it was under cover, but I'll never do it again in the open.

Solve that problem by skinning out your animal shortly after the kill...or in the headlights after dark if you have to. Cools the meat faster and if it's a rutting buck getting that smelly pissed up hide off promptly does more for making better tasting venison than anything IMO. Next day remove dirt and hair and wrap lightly with shrink wrap tp prevent drying out. Keep hung,cool and out of the sun.

 

[greywolf]

Head down. I've heard from a butcher that it allows for better breakdown of the larger muscle tissue and blood drainage. How true that is I don't know but it seems to make sense. Who ages their meat hide on as compared to skinned?

I have always hung head down and hide on . Last year I hung a little doe head down , hide on at -5 C steady temp and it stayed that way from 2 week in November to the 4th of february.......... was the best , tenderest meat we have ever had with deer !

 

[greywolf]

as for this question, i know that it is easier to age without hide given the bugs are gone, cause its gunna be harder to skin after the aging process.

never had a prob skinning after the aging process.

 

[scruffee]

i always hand them head down...