Hanging game with Hide on???

350 Mag

350 Mag

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East of the Rockies ...West of Moronto
There is a NEW to me trend taking off around here with Moose hunters leaving hide on while it hangs.(in quarters).

2 experienced meat cutters here actually prefer it.

I remember hearing about Newfoundlanders doing this...but has anyone else heard of this practice.

I am still sitting on the fence...BULL Moose hide stinks so bad sometimes you just want it gone.
 
I've always peeled it off as soon as practicable to aid in cooling.

Why the preference for leaving it on?
 
We leave it on moose quarters until we get it home and hang it. If we're still in camp it hangs with it on, in the quarter. Our reason is to help keep it cleaner until we're at a clean place to deal with it better.
 
its good to leave the hides on if you have to drag the quarters through some $hit holes..
but once you have moose hung in a clean area,take the hide off to help the meat cool down..
 
The butcher claims.

1) You don't lose meat from having to cut off dry skin.

2) It stretches the muscle/meat and makes it more tender.

3) Saves time when they are cutting.

In the end I think it comes down to EASIER job for them cutting because less trimming.
 
350 Mag said:
The butcher claims.

1) You don't lose meat from having to cut off dry skin.

2) It stretches the muscle/meat and makes it more tender.

3) Saves time when they are cutting.

In the end I think it comes down to EASIER job for them cutting because less trimming.
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Ask them if they leave the cow hides on also.
 
Hanging the meat without having it freeze is what improves it's tenderness. Having the hide on it doesn't stretch the muscles.....WTF?

If you like dirty hide next to clean meat, hell leave it on. I'd prefer to cut off a little bit of waste then let it grow a nasty funk. Take the hide off as soon as you can store the meat to prevent contamination.
 
Love to leave hides on big game animals while hanging... the older and ruttier the better...nope not our crew. Peel them hides off as soon as practical, powerwash the inside cavity and remove all dirt, leaves, hair, etc. Head, lower legs all long gone. Hang, if temps constant, hind end up at just above freezing for a good week. Lightly cover with plastic, 6mm poly. Couldn't imagine bringing an animal to the meat cutter with the hide still on. My guy would show me the door.
 
Done it with hides on and off on deer and never noticed anything bad about the hide on other than they are a little bit harder to skin before cutting but the meat doesn't dry out as much on the outside. The diry hide touches the animal the same when it is alive as when it is dead, it's almost like it is wrapped in it's own natural protective skin layer. Covering with plastic makes me think of mold growth, I prefer cheese cloth on skinned animals.
 
Unless the temperature is a bit warm to make it safe, I always leave the hide on my game till it's ready to cut. I have a butcher that agrees with this as well. Less loss, less shrinkage, and really no sweat taking the hide off later. If there is any danger of it not cooling well enough, the hide must come off, though. Regards, Eagleye.
 
bronco_mudder said:
We leave it on moose quarters until we get it home and hang it. If we're still in camp it hangs with it on, in the quarter. Our reason is to help keep it cleaner until we're at a clean place to deal with it better.
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:wave: What he said! Depending on the weather and how cold it is. If its warm out (October, moose) we'll let it hang for a maximum of 2 or 3 days, then we pack up and head for home town. If its nice and cold (snowing, and such) we leave it hanging for 6 or 7 days of our traditional 11 day hunt! We've never had a butcher say anything bad about or meat :D no pun intended, and every time we bring ours to butcher we're sure to ask them about it and wether or not we should have hung it for less time and such....like I said they never gave us #### yet hahah.
 
IMHO,

If it is warm outside...more than 10-12 deg celcius and sunny.

It is more important to quarter or split the animal instantly. That BIG hump on the Moose holds heat in.

The next Moose I get in warm weather will be quartered immediatley and hung to cool. The days of taking out whole carcass and splitting it at camp or garage are over for me.


Once it is quartered and hanging I will then worry about taking hide off...and the front quarters would demand the highest priority once again because of the hump.

For next year I am going to set-up a cooler in my garage. If it is 10 degs in garage I want my cooler to be able to go down to +2 deg.
 
I take cordless hair clippers and shave the entire deer. This aids in cooling and you get all the benefits of leaving the hide on without the hair. Been doing this for 15 years now and can't imagine going back. I'm on a heart healthy diet so don't eat it with the skin on but the kids love it.
 
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We hang ours outside, so it's hide on until we cut it up.
In addition to keeping the meat from drying out, it keeps the meat clean, keeps needles, leaves, dust, and even snow off and helps keep whatever bugs are about off too.
Of course, if it's too warm, the hide comes off, and it's straight to the butcher to be hung in the cooler.
 
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M12shooter said:
Love to leave hides on big game animals while hanging... the older and ruttier the better...nope not our crew. Peel them hides off as soon as practical, powerwash the inside cavity and remove all dirt, leaves, hair, etc. Head, lower legs all long gone. Hang, if temps constant, hind end up at just above freezing for a good week. Lightly cover with plastic, 6mm poly. Couldn't imagine bringing an animal to the meat cutter with the hide still on. My guy would show me the door.
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What he said.
 
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