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

Most done in the field, quartered, caped and head removed. Rare a cervid makes it back to a building.

Hit this deer with a gay 270. Blew his head clean off, quartered the rest of the deer. All with one shot.

I built that rack 5 or 6 years ago.

I know people who split the pelvic bone in the manner than you've described, but I'm not a fan of hitting my knives with a hatchet or a hammer or an axe. I usually bring a BUCK # 119 to split the sternum and smaller knife for the finer work, but have used a Witterlings Wildlife Axe that one of my buds has sharpened to a razor sharp edge for the sternum splitting chore.

When gutted in the garage i hang head down. First skin, then gut.

Head up, for no other reason, than that's the way my dad showed me.

I was worried about warmer weather moving in on all 3 of my deer this year, taken in archery, rifle and late antlerless seasons. Ended up quartering by gutless method on all three and putting them in a cooler to soak in cold water for a while, then draining and covering with ice for a few days till I was ready to cut them up for the freezer.
Usually I hang them head down and hope they don't freeze before I get the processing done. Even the ones I've shot with the 270.

I hang em head down, skin with a winch, then gut em.

Rare for us to bring in a whole animal as rigs can't get into our deer and elk spots. That being: gut and skin on the ground (may hang head down for skinning if in a sandy or dirty environment and a tree is available), hang by the hocks for storage or aging, and butchered on a 4 x 8 ft bench.

When suspended by the neck to a single point, I find the carcass spinning and swaying to no end. With a two point hook up to the hocks about 90% of that issue goes away.

Will do the gutless deal if I am immediately headed home. Typically though, things may have to hang around camp for a week or more as the group tries to tag out. Then game comes in mostly in halves or quarters to minimize surface exposure. Hams are hung again by the hocks and front quarters by a line through a hole two ribs in.

I reversed some words and so messed up the post that I will simply delete it.


.

Head down or You would be asked to leave My camp. A deer hung by the neck is not acceptable for a few reasons. I believe that Cornell Co-Op Extension suggests - Head down and aged.

Not legal in AK due to salvage requirements....

We don't process anything bone in. but I'm talking quartering, cutting ribs off, cutting head off, cutting legs off. How many use a saw, how many use joints that are there? I don't recall using a saw to get em in a cooler ever in a long time.

I’ve never seen anyone use a saw, what do you saw?

IN the thread -- several of us said we SAW...

thru the pelvis or pelvic bone,

thru the sternum.

Some people use a saw on ribs, leg joints, etc.


Note: I process my deer at home so that CAN modify the situation.

I began using a reciprocating saw for the Pelvis and to cut off the back bone.

Since I had the saw out... it's so easy just to saw thru the sternum. I never did that till I began processing at home.


Y M M V


I use what works for me and what I like.

Use what works for you and what you like. Please don't tell me why I should do it your way.


Jerry

I pretty much dress a deer like I was taught when killing beef for the locker plant, when I was young. Saw the sternum, split the pelvis with a knife, use knife at joints for the legs and head. Hang head down. Harder to do, but skinning cold makes a better looking carcass. I seldom do that any more. miles

When I lived in New England a lot of deer hunters hung their deer head up, some probably because that is how the Benoits did it and the Benoit's were influential in some New England hunting circles.

Since moving to Nebraska, I don't recall ever seeing a deer hung head up anywhere in CO, KS, MO, NE, or SD.

Ive was taught how to skin one by hanging them head down. Never tried it any other way. Hang them up and slit the throat to try and drain some blood and work away.

I didnt notice anybody say they debone as they go.
I find it easier to go ahead and debone the meat starting at hinds and working down getting the meat off the bones and throwing it in a cooler of cold water.
When we are done just wrap the cap back along the deer and load it up to haul it to the bone yard. Havent used a gut bucket in a long time.

Deboning while hanging allows me more room for meat in a cooler.

get a good pair of long handled pruning shears and a good knife. gut in the field,hang by the hind legs. skin down to the top of the neck on a none rutting buck,rutting buck I never save the neck roast,to much fluid in it for me. cut around the neck thru the windpipe ,take the shears and cut the head off. shoulders next cut them off the deer with leg still attached. lay the leg fat and cut with knife right thru the joint.after the shoulders are gone loins come out next with knife,then do the tenderloins. then cut around the backbone right below the hind quarters and lop the bones with the shears. I thin cut the whole center bone out in one piece. cut from both sides staying close to the bone as possible,pop the joint tendon with knife and remove. hind quarters should be separated. take one off the hook and lay flat. cut thru the leg joint removing the hock with knife. if you've never done this it takes alittle practice to hit the right spot with your knife. then it go in the spare frig for 5-7 days. this all takes me about 20-25min.

----Ya got to give that buck ya just shot respect. Hang him by the neck with his tongue stuck out the side of his mouth looks like you just had a public hanging of Coony Millet -- wanted in three states for rape, bank robbery, and murder. ---------- Web