Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting How do you hang your deer?

So when processing/gutting whatever you want to call it how do you hang your deer head up or down? Most I know hang by the rear legs head down. For me it’s easier to hang by the head so gravity does the work allowing all the guts to fall easily into the bucket. Interested to hear how you do it and why.

Gut before hanging usually in the field

Gut them where they fall. Hang them head down from a tree at camp to skin.

If they are an eater I hang them head up. Mounter head down. I find them easier to skin and cut up head up.

^^^THIS^^^

I gut them in the woods. I prefer to start at the neck and cape it down to the shoulders and front legs. Then I hook a rope to it and tie it to the tractor and strip it off the rest of the way. If you're going to mount it, you'll wreck the hide if you put a rope around it's neck. You need to hang it head down in that case.

Hind legs up. The guts still fall out by gravity.... can't see that happening any other way.

Prefer to skin that direction all the time too regardless. Have hung head up a few times and just don't like it, I can make the hide cuts I need to make easier hinds up.

Not that either way is "wrong"

Here is another one.

How many use a bone saw when cleaning a deer when you don't need a saw at all?

I hang hinds-up on a gambrel, unzip the guts, slice though the front chest wall with a sturdy knife and lets the guts fall in a cut-down plastic drum (skinning shed is on my hunting property). Then I cut out the tenders. Then I skin from the tail down to the head. Chop the lower front legs off with lopping shears, remove the shoulders, remove the neck meat, remove the straps. Then I take a bone saw and cut the backbone in front of the hind quarters and let the torso/head/hide fall in the gut bucket. I leave the hindquarters connected to the hip girdle, but I lop off the lower leg portions. All the pieces go in a cooler of cold water as I work and when I'm done the water has drawn out all the heat. I drain that water, load the cooler in my truck and head home. When I'm feeling considerate, I even haul off the gut bucket before I leave.....

Depends on my mood.

Usually, it's head down.

Gutting it?

If you're referring to gutting it, the only time I cut the pelvic bone is when I'm going to donate it. FHFH requires it. Generally I don't worry about the ass hole because I'll have it quartered up before it would matter.

If you're talking about processing it, I use a saws-all for any bone cutting.

When I am hunting, I field dress the deer where it falls. If I am going to hang it for aging, I usually hang it head up. When it's time to skin, it goes head down on a gambrel. If it needs to be skinned in camp, we hang them head up, and pull the skin off using a golf ball or rock and a vehicle with a trailer hitch or a winch. If for some reason I need to open the rib cage, I use a pair of loppers--easier and quicker than a bone saw.

I have done it both ways. Over time head down proved ‘better FOR ME’.

I see others do it head up and don’t argue w/them. They’re used to it.

I gut before hanging w/head uphill a little. For me— I start at the rectum and get the hide separated from intestine.
I don’t use a bone saw per se, I use a reciprocating saw to cut thru sternum & pelvis. Other than that I don’t use a bone saw.

With hind legs spread w/a gambrel, it’s easier to remove tender loins - for me.

I have pix of my deer hanging BOTH ways at deer camp but head DOWN won the contest for me.

Jerry

ADD PIX

Usually head down..

That's how I do it, but I use my tractor. One time I was using my pickup and I forgot to cut the front legs off at the knee and slice them open. I started pulling and got down to the front hooves and it wouldn't come off. So I gave it a little bit too much gas and popped the head off. I'm sure there was beer involved.

I field dress my deer in the field usually where they fell although sometimes I bring it back to camp. After field dressed I hang head down from a gambrel, skin and quarter using a sawzall. the quarters are hung at least overnight and weather permitting perhaps day or two before butchering.

Gut them in the field with a small knife and a Gerber saw. Then hang with gambrel from hind legs. I was taught it was disrespectful to hang from the head ? Don't know why. Just the way the old timers taught me.

I can see BOTH being true.

Jerry

Yup was taught same thing but don’t much see the logic in it as I’m dismembering the carcass.

Shut up and follow the rules hang um from the back legs

I use a little gerber with bone saw blade to open the sternum and split the pelvis. Neither has to be split but I think it helps things cool faster, especially on warmer days. Also makes it easier to cut esophagus, pipes, etc and very easy to remove last bit of large intestines. None of those things "have" to be done, and can actually be done with a knife/pressure...but it's simple, easy, and saves a knife edge by using the little bone saw.