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your_comforting_company
10-27-2009, 07:59 AM
This might not be in the right place, but I didn't think it fit into any of the other conversations, so here goes.

I rode with my uncle on saturday to the game processor to drop off his quarters. While I was there, I mentioned that we had spoken before about getting "good hides" and that I'd pay for good ones If he'd save them out for me...
Well, he had a wheelbarrow full and brought out 6 good sized ones. I saw a lot of meat and a few knife marks right off, but said 'what the heck'. If these were your deer, you'd be PO'ed.. after fleshing 2 hides, I had a 8" tall 14" round pile of meat that I would guess weighed in excess of 10 lbs. to top it off, I only managed to salvage 2 of the 6 hides. the rest were butchered. To me, It looked like they skinned their deer with the lawnmower. 8" long cuts right in the middle of the hides.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1024091232a.jpg

Let me be up front here.. I understand that processors really don't give a RA about he skins, just the money... well, he lost 10 pounds of meat on 2 skins... thats a bad skinning job and lost money on his part, since he gets paid by the pound...


enough ranting..I wanna talk about proper skinning procedures. Granted, there is more than 1 way, but I dont know of any better way than what I learned for anyone hunting for food and skins. It's called "fisting".

First of all, take that "skinning Kit" you got from cabelas that has 4 saws, 8 knives, gambrels, lawnmowers... and toss that box of crap in the garbage. you need nothing more than a sharp pocketknife to completely dress and quarter a deer.

Take your single knife, and make a cut all the way around the neck, just below the chin, right up behind the ears.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091734.jpg

Follow the line along the front of the front legs where the brown and white hair meet, right up the the "cowlick swirl" in the middle of the chest.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091802.jpg

Follow the line along the back of the back legs where the brown and white hair meet, right up to the "V" in the base of the tail.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091737.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091738.jpg

Make a diamond shaped incision to go around the genetalia and mammaries (if it's a doe)
Split the deer right up the middle from the diamond to the neck incision.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091804.jpg

Noose around the neck, and hoist the deer, or skinning can be done on the ground.
Cut around the circumference of the legs, just below the "cap joint", you'll find where it bends, there is a lump. as you get into it, there are tendons. sever these and break the leg backwards over your knee. sever the tendons still attached and save the legs for the hockskins and hoofs.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091759.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091805.jpg

starting at the neck, you may need your knife just to get started. the neck is the hardest part. Once you are started, put the knife down. you won't need it again until you are cutting meat off the bone or quarters.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091807.jpg

Once the neck is started, make sure you aren't pulling any meat off with the skin and work your hand in between the skin and meat. Work your hand around to the shoulders and watch closely to the flank meat (I call it the 'fly twitch' muscle. Once you reach the shoulders, move to the legs.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091808a.jpg

Work the legs loose till you are at the belly / shoulder and work the skin off carefully around the shoulder watching the flank meat.
Work around the belly and lower legs the same way.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091810a.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091815.jpg

When done properly, you will have a "cape" hanging off the deer's back. grab the neck skin and with 2 good yanks (you may have to raise it a bit higher for the second yank) you can have the skin all the way down to the tail.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091816b.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091817a.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091817b.jpg

To remove the tail skin without damage, you can either take 2 sticks and pinch the tail between them pulling down and it will pull off like a sock, I prefer to use my fingers, two from one hand on either side where the white and brown hair meet, and the other hand on top and bottom.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091817e.jpg

when you are done, there should be 0 meat left on the skin. I mean NONE. there should only be tiny bits of fat still attached.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091818a.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091944.jpg

Now you have a cooler worthy hunk of meat hanging in the tree, or laying on top of it's own 'clean' skin on the ground. You save the skin and waste no meat using this method.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091818b.jpg

NOW you can get your knife back out to start quartering.
There is no reason at all to waste meat and skins simply because you don't know any better.

honestly, I have seen roadkill skins in better shape than what I got from the processor. As a tanner, you can imagine my disappointment.
Thanks for listening to my rant and I hope this helps someone to save food.
Your Comforting Company

Beo
10-27-2009, 05:21 PM
Really good posting although I do it a bit differently I am not a tanner, this should be in your blogs so its easy to find. Gonna have to try it when I get my next deer with the flintlock.

crashdive123
10-27-2009, 05:34 PM
Nice Post YCC. Good instructional.

trax
10-27-2009, 05:41 PM
Yep, I was thinking kind of what Beo said, that's not how I do it, but I can tell that it's a good way to go and you laid your instructions out nice and simple. Nicely done YCC.

canid
10-27-2009, 08:23 PM
key to good skinning is to only use the knife when it's actually needed.

COWBOYSURVIVAL
10-27-2009, 09:16 PM
Canid, If you said I missed it but do you hang them from their hinds or by the rack? I am only familiar with hangin' 'em from the hind legs. I have never seen it done the opposite?

Sourdough
10-27-2009, 09:49 PM
Request this thread be moved to new sticky for processing game......

crashdive123
10-27-2009, 09:52 PM
Good idea. Done.

your_comforting_company
10-27-2009, 10:37 PM
Thanks guys. I will definately get some pics to go with the post.
Cowboy, If you hang em by the head, it's like taking off a button up shirt. real easy.

COWBOYSURVIVAL
10-27-2009, 11:28 PM
I can't imagine it being any easier, But I am listening I mean reading...

canid
10-27-2009, 11:58 PM
i skin on the ground [on the hide] or table-top.

hanging's good for tenderizing and bleeding, and i can see how it would help keep everything clean while skinning, but i'm mostly used to skinning things small enough to be lifted with one hand.

my point above had been about seperating the skin from the flesh by hand where possible, and only cutting when nessecary, as that will reduce the amount of fleshing work to be done and minimize the chances of gouging the hide.

your_comforting_company
10-28-2009, 12:15 AM
When quartering I start with the shoulders. You can get your knife back out now lol.

Starting with the shoulders, up at the center of the chest you will find the breastplate. Come right beside the bony protrusion and cut right next to the bone, following around the ribs. You can see where each particular muscle runs along. slice the membrane loose to free the entire muscle. the shoulder will move away from the breastplate in steps as you cut loose each new muscle layer, eventually you will get far enough up into the 'armpit' to reach the point where the tendons join the shoulder blade. sever these and continue up through the armpit until you reach the long "backstrap". cut the muscle layers loose at the membrane here too. this process will remove all the meat to the bone from the breastplate to the backstrap and the whole front leg will fall off in your hand. DON'T DROP IT! Do the same for the other shoulder.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091822a-1.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091823-1.jpg

Rear Quarters come off in much the same way starting in the 'pit' and pulling away from the belly. As you work your way closer into the socket area pay attention that you aren't cutting into the abdomen. You don't want to bust the guts open till last, trust me. When you reach the socket, you will have to stick your hand in between the belly and thigh on the rear quarter. Feel where the muscles seperate and notice they all are seperated into "pouches" surrounded by a membrane. Your hand will slide up near the backstrap and you will find where to cut the muscles attached at the top. sever these tendons and crack the socket backward over your knee to expose the last few sinews attached to the femur. Theres the pelvic bone in there and has muscle attached directly to it. you'll have to pretty much scrape that, working a bit more slowly. You will be back at the layers seperated by membranes and you can continue all the way back to the tail. It requires a little more attention to make sure you are cutting the right muscles, and getting all you can off the pelvis, but it's worth it in the long run. As you get up near the tail get ready to catch again!
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091854-1.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091855-1.jpg

Move to the backstrap. The backbone has a 'rib' of cartilage down the middle. You'll have to cut through the "fly twitch muscle" layer, then another membrane to expose the sinews. Cut as close to the cartilage as you can, through the sinew and down into the meat. move the meat away from the cartilage and slip the point of your knife between the meat and sinew as far towards the ribs as you can. using the dull side of your pocketknife, you can seperate the sinew from the meat all the way down to the hams. Sever the sinews where they attach. Hold on to them and go back up toward the shoulders, you'll notice a piece of meat attached to the top of the sinew. scrape that off with the sharp side of your knife. finish them up with the dull side underneath all the way up till they pop out. When done correctly you will have a really long piece of very strong cordage for bow backing, or whatever. It also rids your backstrap steaks of that frustrating 'gristle'.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091838-1.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091840-1.jpg

Now you can start removing the backstrap itself up by the shoulders, working the curve of the vertebrae with your knife as the meat is attached directly to the bone. Some of my friends say it is easier to work from the cartilage out, but to me it seems better to work both sides toward each other, from the ribs in, and from the spine down and out. I seem to get more meat this way. but the basic idea is still the same. get all the meat off you can, to me this is the tastiest part besides the rump roast or tenderloin.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091841-1.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091843-1.jpg

At this point you should have, in your tree, a head, a neck with meat, and a spine and ribcage. The abdomen is still closed. You have 2 choices here. slice off as much rib meat as possible from the outside with your knife, or go into the belly. I usually slice off as much meat as possible from the outside of the ribs. Going into the belly at this point will give you the opportunity to use that outstanding saw that comes in your kit. or a sawzall or other device.
If you want to wait till dead last to open the belly (and I can't blame you) go ahead and sever the windpipe at the 'collarbone', collect the meat low on the neck, and the ribs.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091914-1.jpg

Start your belly cut right at the bottom of the breastbone and slide your finger in.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091923.jpg
push any innards away from the abdomen and slip in the tip of your knife. slide down far enough to open the abdomen and get your arm in, but not so far all the guts come pouring out on you.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091926a-1.jpg

You can reach up by the lungs and heart and get hold of the windpipe. theres a little gristle to tear through but when you get a grip, you can take the entire contents of the chest cavity out with a few short tugs.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091929a.jpg

Go back to your incision and finish down to the pelvic bone. Theres the diaphragm seperating the abdomen from the chest. this must be cut or torn with your fingers all the way around. watch out at the very back, next to the spine because your tenderloins are in there and that is a prized piece of meat. very tender and good flavor. don't wanna get guts all over them. Let all the guts fall over into a 5 gal. bucket and reach down to the anus and sever that. all the genitalia, bladders, and guts will come right out and can be moved away (for dear old dad's weak stomach).

The tenderloin seperates with little effort with a knife. you should also collect the abdomen meat along the bottom rib now.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091935a.jpg

Now, you can get your saw out and get the ribs, if you didn't already, or if you sliced off the meat with a knife, move on to the neck meat.
If you don't want the ribs or tenderloin, you can skip the gutting step entirely, but to me, the tenderloin is totally worth it. (but there's not much that grosses me out either)
The neck muscles are in small bundles and can readily be severed at each end and removed. pretty straightforward. some bits are attached to the bone. use the backstrap and pelvic scraping method to get those.

Removing the head is optional, but I need the brains for tanning, so I'll include this bit. There's a vertebrae right up by the skull called the 'atlas'. It's the one kinda like a ball joint or hip socket. If you got all the neck meat you should be able to see it by now. let your deer down almost to the ground, sever the last few tendons holding the head on, and give it a good 180 twist. there may be a few tendons you missed. clip those and you've got a clean carcass on the ground with very little meat left on, a clean skin, and the head.. all using only your pocketknife (unless you sawed the ribs off).
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091943.jpg

As I said before, theres at least as many different ways to do this as there are hunters and no one can say theres a right and wrong way, but this is the way I do it and I dont lose as much meat off the bone as the processor lost on just the skin..
granted it takes a little longer than doing a callous job and requires a little more attention, but If you hunt for FOOD I think it's the only way to go.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1101091945.jpg

That and you only need your pocketknife (thats my favorite part).

your_comforting_company
10-28-2009, 12:20 AM
i skin on the ground [on the hide] or table-top.

hanging's good for tenderizing and bleeding, and i can see how it would help keep everything clean while skinning, but i'm mostly used to skinning things small enough to be lifted with one hand.

my point above had been about seperating the skin from the flesh by hand where possible, and only cutting when nessecary, as that will reduce the amount of fleshing work to be done and minimize the chances of gouging the hide.

I have done several on the ground when it wasn't feasible to hang, i.e. at someone else's house. It helps to have someone hold the head end while you yank for sure.
I use this technique on all my small game also, though I dont hang them. I do small game on the tabletop too. less fleshing = less hair pulling through :D

I have a feeling this is gonna take a lot of pictures lol...

canid
10-28-2009, 12:53 AM
i used to have a book on game proccessing that demonstrated skinning a deer with a tree limb, a rope, a golf ball and a pick-up.

here we go, like this:

http://www.the-deer-hunting-guide.com/skinning_deer.htm

though maybe that should go in the how not to category.

your_comforting_company
10-28-2009, 06:57 AM
judging by the amount of meat left on the skin in the pics, I have to agree with that last part :)

Beo
10-28-2009, 07:02 AM
Yet another sticky.... great information. Again I think you should copy and blog this because a lot of readers on here hit only the blogs, a sticky and blog is best I have found.
Just my thoughts.
Beo,

your_comforting_company
10-28-2009, 07:21 AM
thanks beo, I'll get right on that.

My wife's Kodak camera takes short videos. Is there a way to keep video on this server, or would I need to use Photobucket? of course I could take pics for each step and just attach them, but video is much better IMO.

Sorry, I'm not really all that computer savvy, lol.

Beo
10-28-2009, 07:31 AM
Not sure on the video thingy, I have posted pics using WS.Nets way and by going to Imageshack.com both are good. But videos you may have to do a link to say youtube or somewhere else. Not sure ask Rick or Crash, or Chris.

Rick
10-28-2009, 07:35 AM
Chris would love to have videos posted here. He's actually requested instructional videos several times!! Go for it!!!

your_comforting_company
10-28-2009, 07:38 AM
Sounds good. The next deer I skin will be dedicated to this thread.
I'll check his video request thread and maybe contact Chris for details on getting them on this server.
Thanks for everything guys.

your_comforting_company
10-31-2009, 12:12 PM
I probably should have posted this part first, but oh well. I have come across a few field dressed deer that looked to me like had a lot of extra work in them. I wanted to post up a slightly simpler way that is equally effective and will get you back out on the road so you can get your meat home quicker.

Field Dressing 101
If it is going to take a while to get your deer home, most people prefer to gut the deer in the field. I personally dont gut them where I kill them, because that is usually the same area where I'll be hunting. I recommend moving the carcass (after you record it on your permit, of course) out of the area you are hunting. I carry one of the e-tool folding shovels to bury the guts.

Using only your pocketknife, cut from one side of the chin to the other and sever the arteries and the windpipe and esophagus. Be careful not to cut into your meat!This helps relieve blood from the animal and you are gonna remove the piping in a moment.

there is no real reason to cut through the breastplate. The chest cavity contents can be removed by simply reaching in to the top, grabbing a handful of the "piping" and pulling down. That being said, start at the bottom of the breastplate and make a small incision that you can get your finger in. I prefer to make two cuts here. One is to remove the skin from the meat (as detailed in the first post in this thread), just along the edge of the incision; it makes skinning easier later. The second cut is in the same place, but will go through the belly meat. make sure you don't cut yourself, and carefully slide your knife down with your finger to prevent poking a hole in any abdomen contents. both of these incisions should go all the way down to the point where the ham skins meet on the underside behind the genetalia.

With the abdomen opened up, you can now reach up into the chest cavity, grab the piping (esophagus and windpipe) and yank it loose. Leave a tiny bit attached at the bottom of the piping just to hold the guts in place while you tear or cut the diaphragm. Once that is out of the way, finish pulling out the chest contents and the guts will start to follow. use one hand to control the fall of them into the bucket or bag and the last thing attached will be the anus / intestine.

reach way down to the bottom of the abdomen, pinch the bit of intestines just above the anus to make sure none of the contents spill into the carcass, and cut it just below your fingertips. Everything is now loose and contained in one tidy package.

Use sticks to prop open the abdomen so the inside of the carcass will cool. This could be done right after opening the abdomen, so you can see better, but to me it just gets in the way at that point.

Normally, I carry a plastic bag and folding shovel in my hunting pack. The guts go in the bag or other similar container, dig a hole deep enough to hold them all and return these to the earth. Thank the deer for the food, Thank the lord for the hunt, count your blessings once more, and head for the house (or camp).

I hope I kept this brief, yet detailed enough that even a first timer can do it using only a pocketknife. For me this is the simplest, most efficient, and most sanitary way to field dress a deer. You will get a little blood on your hands, so you might want to carry a little water and soap if you have room.
If anyone has any questions feel free to ask!

edr730
11-01-2009, 09:14 AM
We've always skinned with the head down. The neck area is the most difficult area to pull off the hide and I'll hold the hide with both hands and put my knee on the hide to pull downward. You are looking down at this point and you can see where you must use the knife after every couple pulls. The hide should come off pretty easy by only hands except a little around the legs, chest area and neck. I use regular large limb trimmers to cut off the ends of the leg bones.
I like to gut the deer because I like to hang them and age them some. You never know how much work the pulling or the tracking may be and it's nice to leave some work for another time. If you travel with the carcass, it's also illegal to quarter it up around here. When gutting, I like to put the head down and anus etc.up so I can cut around them easier. A membrane must be cut around that separates the lower organs from the upper ones. There is also a membrane that holds the guts to the backbones and it too must be separated. The esophagus must be cut. After these things the guts can be pulled out and the deer turned over with it's legs spread open to let it drain out. I'll use a t-shirt or cloth to wipe out and clean off the blood. I usually can separate the membranes and tear off the esophagus with only my hands, but not always. Be careful when you have both hands inside the cavity and using the knife because you can't see your fingers. Once the deer is hanging, I like to clean out the deer real good with water even though the old timers said not to do this. I can't see what difference it makes and only cleans them up better. I dry them out good with a rag because you want a dry membrane to form over the inside of the deer. Put in the stick to cool them out good. Keep them out of the sun and bag them. You need a bag around the nose too because the flies can enter there too. If you shot them in the lungs, then the nose will be bloody, so clean it out so the flies aren't attracted to it. Most people use big formica cutting boards, but I like wood for cleaning anything because the meat sticks to it and doesn't slide around and the blade stays sharper. We clean the meat good and remove the tallow and membrane as much as possible. I haven't seen deer meat cleaned by a butcher that I considered cleaned decent.

your_comforting_company
11-02-2009, 01:25 AM
got a nice doe today.
added skinning pics, will get the quartering up soon, it's gettin late.
I have a ton of the skinning pics here (http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/) if anyone wants more details. quartering pics are here (http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/) and I'll post the relevant pics to the thread soon.

try it right side up. 0 meat was left on my skin and other than cutting the skin open and cutting off the legs and head, I didn't use my knife AT ALL.

crashdive123
11-02-2009, 08:31 AM
Nice tutorial.

your_comforting_company
11-02-2009, 02:18 PM
quartering pics are up.
thanks crash.

Ken
11-02-2009, 02:43 PM
Absolutely outstanding tutorial! :clap:

I learned a lot here. Thank you, your_comforting_company! :thumbup1:

Rick
11-02-2009, 05:40 PM
Yeah, I think this is just excellent. Gave you a little rep for that. It's so good, if I ever get a deer I'll just call you.

pocomoonskyeyes
11-02-2009, 06:05 PM
Yeah, I think this is just excellent. Gave you a little rep for that. It's so good, if I ever get a deer I'll just call you.

Yeah I tried giving you some Rep too but apparently I have to "spread it around some" before I can give you more....Dadburnit!!!!
Excellent post!!!
Will that do for now?

your_comforting_company
11-02-2009, 06:05 PM
thanks guys. Glad I could put up something worthwhile.

If you need my number, just pm me hehe.

oldsoldier
11-06-2009, 06:55 PM
Great post. Growing up in the country, hunting,fishing, processing both as well as killing chickens,hogs, sheep and such. It sometimes is hard for me even now to accept the fact that I am in a very small minority knowing how to do do this stuff, Very feww people have a clue how to cut up a chicken for frying. Much less how to kill it, clean it, first. Myself ( at least when I hunted regularly) I could gut, skin, and quarter a deer in less than 10 minutes. Have it processed and ready for the freezer, trimmings for grinder for burger/sausage etc. in less than an hour. I know a couple of people to would take a week trying to find the zipper to remove the hide.

your_comforting_company
11-10-2009, 09:21 PM
I let my sinews soak in the ice water with the meat till today. Soaking them swells the membrane surrounding the strip and makes it come loose much more easily. Use a flat board and the DULL side of your knife to scrape off the slimy membrane and any bits of meat that were left on. What you have left is a beautiful, long, white strip of sinew ready to be dried out. This provides you with a LOT of string for sewing or backing bows, or tying fishing line, or whatever. It looks like this:

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/quartering%20101/1110091557.jpg

crashdive123
11-10-2009, 09:27 PM
At what point to you divide it into thin strips?

your_comforting_company
11-10-2009, 09:35 PM
once it's completely dried out, I take it to the cable and rough it up a bit. this breaks up the glue that naturally sets on the outside, it also loosens the fibers and makes them flexible. It will take about 4 days to a week depending on the weather (right now the humidity is really high) for it to dry to a workable state.
I typically use my awl to seperate however small or thick a strand as I want, kinda like combing hair with a comb with only one tooth, if that makes sense.
I'll get a few pics of doing this with some I have dried already one day this week as I have another skin to frame and I gotta sew up the bullet holes.

COWBOYSURVIVAL
11-10-2009, 09:43 PM
Excellent Post I just caught up to it! Great job and you taught me something. Definately upside down in the tree for me. I may give it a go one day and this is a great tutorial!

your_comforting_company
11-13-2009, 07:49 AM
Neighbor brought me a fresh hide last night. I don't want anyone to think I was ungrateful, but this is how a skin should NOT look when it comes off your animal.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1112092104.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1112092105a.jpg

compare that the deer I skinned using fisting and NOT a knife.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/1101091818a.jpg

your_comforting_company
11-13-2009, 07:58 AM
Back to the sinew topic, heres a few pics.
Sinew drying:
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Primitive%20Skills/1111091017.jpg

cabling to remove glue sheath:
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Primitive%20Skills/1111091019.jpg

ready to use:
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Primitive%20Skills/1111091017a.jpg

seperating the threads for sewing, using my awl to select thread size:
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Primitive%20Skills/1111091026.jpg

Icemancometh
11-13-2009, 09:20 AM
Great post, thanks for taking the time to share all that. I have been processing my own at home for several years now. I feel like I get more meat than I did with my processor. It takes me longer but I think I get more of the little pieces off than he did. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife sells a good video on skinning and processing on thier site.

Rick
11-13-2009, 09:28 AM
Pictures sure tell a thousand words. Your pics are great and really make your tutorial come alive. This is just an excellent post.

hunter63
11-19-2009, 07:50 PM
Great post and pic's, thanks

crashdive123
11-19-2009, 08:55 PM
Great tutorial. Thanks.

panch0
11-19-2009, 10:25 PM
Great tutorial! Thanks for sharing it wiht us.

tonester
11-20-2009, 08:23 AM
awesome tutorial. ive been interested in learning how to skin and prep smaller animals but i just dont know where to start? i mean ive read up on it but its nothing like actually doing it. i guess i just dont feel comfortable with trapping animals cause i dont wanna mess up. plus im pretty sure that its not legal to trap or hunt here in so-cal. any suggestions?

Batch
11-21-2009, 03:16 PM
Excellent tutorial!

I have got to get me sinew now. I never tried making anything out of it before. But, just seeing your picks makes it pretty clear how to start.

TomChemEngineer
11-21-2009, 06:59 PM
Great step-by-step. I personally gut the deer in the field first, then if it is cool enough, skin it and bag it and let it hang for a few days, then follow the same butchering progression as above.
Since you're a tanner, why not add your tanning steps in here with good photos too! Maybe you already have put that someplace on here and I am remiss in not searching more thoroughly.
Thanks for the info.

Rick
11-21-2009, 07:50 PM
Welcome, Batch. How about making your way over to our Introduction section?

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7813

your_comforting_company
11-22-2009, 08:55 AM
tonester, I've got one word for you if you want to practice on smaller game: roadkill Check with your local DNR to be sure that it is okay to salvage roadkills and I must let you know that you will be responsible for disposing of the carcass. Some of my best skins and furs are roadkill.
There are also several methods employed when doing small game, depending on the use intended. cape skinning, cased skinning, open... here I'm just showing the open method because I make clothing and large items. Most furs will be cased if you aim to trade them, or open if you plan to craft your own goods. caping tends to be reserved for taxidermy.

Batch, if you look at the thread "Abo Dress (http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9408)" in the Making stuff section, you will see a real good use of sinew. the dress is ALL DEER. Yes, the thread is backstrap sinew. Many bowyers use sinew as the backing laminate also and though I've only tried short cordage, I'm sure it would work well for that too.

TomChem, tanning is a very long drawn out process for me. Usually takes 5-7 days including all the wait time (which also depends on the weather) and it would literally take hundreds of pics to explain well. I have thought of putting up a tanning tute, but there are much better sources of info for this than I could ever write on my own. Mr. Matt Richards book "Braintan Buckskin" is the best route for anyone wanting to learn to tan using natural materials. you can check out his site (http://www.braintan.com) for ordering info.
Unless you guys really want a tanning tute (my way) I'll let that one stay with the pros. There are at least as many different formulas for tanning as there are tanners and there are all the different environmental variables like temp, humidity, and barometric pressure and of course all the different steps that have multitudes of techniques. I've found through reading several tanning books and websites what works for me. What works for me might not work in say Canada or Arizona.

thanks for the compliments everyone.. and to think this thread started as a rant expressing my disgust for the callous way processors treat our resources. If one person learns from this post, I feel like it was worth it, and I have been successful. Thanks again gang!

Now we need a pro butcher to show us how to make the steak cuts ;)

Ken
11-22-2009, 09:05 AM
Now we need a pro butcher to show us how to make the steak cuts ;)

Both Crash and I are professional meatcutters. It's a Q.C. requirement. Unfortunately, our techniques are strictly confidential, per Forums Rules of course.

So just send us the meat and we'll take care of it - confidentially, of course. Trust us - we are your friends! :)

edr730
11-23-2009, 05:37 AM
The chop muscle on the top of the back is the best cut....slice it up. The inside hind leg muscle is second, then outside hind muscle, then center muscle. Clean the tallow and membrane off the meat as much as possible and wrap it and mark it. The rest of the animal is stew meat. The heart and liver should have been soaking in salt water on the day of the kill or you should pitch it. I hang mine for a couple weeks with the skin on so it ages and it doesn't dry out, but if you skin the deer while he is still warm, as CC, it will skin easier as will any animal.

carnivor way
02-11-2010, 11:07 AM
awesome . hangin them by the head is the only way to go.

Sourdough
02-11-2010, 11:31 AM
awesome . hangin them by the head is the only way to go.



I would be interested in photos, and first hand experience that you have hanging say a 1,200 Pound Moose by the head, with no trees or structures with-in (30) Thirty MILES........How you do that.....:)

Rick
02-11-2010, 12:15 PM
Hey Carnivore, how about hanging 'em up over at the Introductions and tell us a bit about yourself?

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7813

your_comforting_company
01-07-2011, 09:15 PM
This is my humble contribution to processing your game. I am no butcher or meat cutter, but using a little common sense, I have found ways to make the meat "cleaner". By removing the bundles of muscle you can remove the tendon sheath surrounding each one, thereby removing the gristle.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/Butchering%20101/DSCN5559.jpg

There is also a sort of membrane that surrounds all the meat. Normally it gets ripped all to pieces during skinning, exposing meat that flies can blow on. Proper skinning will allow this "sheath" to "skin over" becoming an impenetrable fly barrier. A few clips of removing it.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/Butchering%20101/DSCN5560.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/Butchering%20101/DSCN5568.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/Butchering%20101/DSCN5561.jpg

Muscles are grouped together in this sheath, which can be removed and each muscle bundle can be isolated, cleaned, and processed. The finished product is much more enjoyable and less "chewy" as some might describe wild game. Game processors do not waste time with such trivial bits, and you will almost certainly get low quality meat. I do not know of any processors around here who take the time to remove it.

Eventually you'll work your way down to the bone. I hope everyone knows that you do NOT use a knife this way to clean bone. My uncle thinks a knife is a chisel, and not a cutting tool. This will dull your knife and leave bone shavings in your meat. DO NOT HOLD YOUR KNIFE THIS WAY!
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/Butchering%20101/DSCN5565.jpg

Lay your knife alongside the bone, and use short strokes to clean as much meat as you can from the bone. Most muscle is not attached to the bone and only a few places require this sort of detail work.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/Butchering%20101/DSCN5564.jpg

By following the contours of the bones with your knife parallel, you can get almost every last scrap of meat.
This picture is only meant to illustrate the contours of the shoulder bones, from both sides. Hopefully it displays the contours well enough.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/Butchering%20101/DSCN5566.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/Butchering%20101/DSCN5567.jpg

If you choose to process your own deer, you will find great satisfaction in the cleanliness of your meat. To me it has better taste and texture this way. We do not mix pork with ours, as it makes no sense to me to take such lean, healthy meat and pollute it with lard. I like the taste of deer just fine without adding pork fat.

After being ground, you see very little fat and tendon left in. We've put up a little over 100 lbs of meat this year. All of it processed at home this way, and everyone who eats supper with us says "You should open your own deer processing shop", to which I reply, "That takes away too much of my hunting time".
Check out how clean this is!
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning%20101/Butchering%20101/DSCN5571.jpg

I'm no butcher. I do hope this helps give others the confidence to process their own meat at home, to save money, and have a better quality end-result.

Also, worthy of note, these bones make fine tools. The scapula can become a saw, hoe, or comb.. and the ulna-radius makes a good scraping tool (unless you are a brutish neanderthal like myself).

your_comforting_company
02-19-2012, 11:52 PM
Found another really bad hide in the freezer. I fleshed it anyway and was either going to throw it away or bark tan it, but it happens that a fella couldn't get hold of a deerskin to learn tanning with, so I told him if he'd come get it, it's his, and if he ruined it, it's no great loss.
A few more pictures to reinforce the FACT that you do NOT need a knife to skin your game, NOR SHOULD YOU USE ONE other than to open the hide for removal.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning 101/DSCN7086.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Skinning 101/DSCN7088.jpg

Of course, this doesn't mean much to anyone that doesn't tan, but to those of us that do, this is dispicable! (in my best Daffy Duck impression)

your_comforting_company
01-02-2013, 03:37 PM
Lately I'm finding that bucks are easier to skin if you start at the chest and run back up the neck. The skin has a lot of connective tissue at the neck and is very often difficult to get started on large bucks. The rest works the same. At the chest, work back toward and around the front legs, and then onto the back, between the shoulders. Then you can pretty much just stick your hand (or sometimes a stick) and pretty much just push up.

A quickie on field dressing (sorry, no pics yet).
Lay the deer on it's back on the ground. Cut the diamond around the anus and genitals. This skin is very thin and pulls away from the meat easily! Using your fingers and as little knife as possible, disconnect the lower intestine from the interior of the pelvis.
Hang the deer by the head, or leave it on it's side on the ground. Up at the top of the breastbone, make a portion of your lengthwise neck cut, and sever the esophagus and trachea. Go back down to the abdomen and start at the lowest point of the breastbone. It's hard, like bone and just barely below it, is a small plate of cartilage. Your incision should not break the meat, only the skin. Separate it all the way down to the pelvic bone so that this part is already started. Then go back up to the cartilage, and make the piercing through the meat. Use care, because the guts are just inside!!
Once the incision is started enough to fit two fingers in, place your blade between your inserted fingers, sharp out. Using your fingers to keep the innards in, and the blade cutting the abdomen.
The innards will begin falling out. At this point only a bit of connective tissue and the diaphragm itself are holding the guts in. Starting at the front, cut the diaphragm all the way around to the back, as close to the rib cage as you can. Reach up inside, towards the throat and grab the esophagus. A sharp pull down will free the chest contents and they will begin to fall out as well.
I save the heart and eat that too, but I save the liver for my great aunt. Be sure to cut the pericardium from around the heart, then just sever the arteries at the top of it.
Once most of the innards are outside the animal, you can reach into the pelvic bone and free the lower intestine and bladder, and all the innards are now outtards. Place the heart back inside and use a stick to prop open the abdomen to cool the meat.
As always, I just use my pocketknife for this whole process, so you don't need any special gut-hooks or chainsaws. If the deer isn't gut-shot, this is a fairly pleasurable experience and leaves what you would normally waste, back in the world where it came from to return to the food chain. Sure, you'll be bloody, but in the long run, the meat will taste better, and you'll have less to deal with at home, or camp.