Processing Question

Dakota369 · #1 11-26-2007, 10:34 AM

I have a buck that was shot and cleaned on Sat. this past weekend, and I would like to know what is a resonable time that I can leave it skin on in my garage. Now my garage is unheated and In wintery Edmonton it is a balmy -15 today, and will be probably for the rest of the week. Can I wait until next week when it is supposed to warm up a bit to take the skin off of it and butcher, or should this be done immediatly??

Thanks!!

#2 11-26-2007, 10:37 AM

I'm guessing that opinions will vary wildly on this one but if is cold out and you can get the carcass cooled quickly, there is nothing wrong with leaving the hide on for a week or so. I actually prefer to do that as it prevents the meat from crusting on the outside and saves a lot of triming. One word of caition though, I'd remove the head or at the very least the wind pipe as it will rot in no time.

Dakota369 · #3 11-26-2007, 11:24 AM

Thanks Sheep, but I did remove the windpipe when I cleaned it, at least up to just under the jaw...... should I still lop off the head? It should be frozen solid by now I would think would it not?? Oh and it would of cooled very quickly as it was dropped in the slave lake region, and it was - 16 the morning after it was downed, that evening it was about -12, and the guts were removed whithin 15 min. of it being shot.

Whitetail7 · #4 11-26-2007, 11:47 AM

We usually skin ASAP and then let it hang, but I know lots of people that leave the skin on until butchering. The only things I would recommend is taking the head off and wind pipe as already suggested, and washing the inside out with water to get rid of as much blood as possible. The only problem I have heard of with leaving the skin on is that the wound gets smelly sometimes because of the blood clots in the meat. It's good to get that stuff cleaned out. That's just my 2 cents.

CNP · #5 11-26-2007, 12:00 PM

If it's frozen you'll not be able to process it "boneless".....you'll have to take a saw to it and that is not preferred. Keeping it just above freezing until you cut it yourself or bring it to a butcher is what you want to do (IMHO). It might freeze in this weather if you hang it in your garage? If it's on the floor (hide on) and covered it shouldn't freeze.........the floor still being warmer than the surrounding air. What do you all think?

Win94 · #6 11-26-2007, 12:07 PM

If able i always skin and dehead in the bush. Its just less i have to throw away later. The hide is also pretty heavy and its nice to get rid of that in the bush.

Win94 · #7 11-26-2007, 12:12 PM

Its also no fun pulling the hide off a frozen animal. Taking short cuts in the field makes for heartache after. I'd rather skin in the headlights in the field if need be at night rather than pull a frozen hide off days later.

altaberg · #8 11-26-2007, 12:22 PM

I was in my unheated garage butchering until 1am last night because I had seen the weather report and wanted to get him hibernating in my freezer.

You can hang a deer in a cool place easy for a week. I would try to prevent if from freezing though and leave the skin on. My garage in Edmonton is also unheated but even in this weather with a small electrical heater, the car inside at night and may be a couple of candles burning I can manage to keep it at around +4C relatively easily. That's actually pretty much perfect for not spoiling the meat and butchering.

Personally I butcher ASAP, even if it kills me. Last night it almost did but I got 'er done.

I skin deer only if it's warm in the field when I take them and would worry about the meat spoiling. The head and the windpipe should go quickly though.

chuck0039 · #9 11-26-2007, 12:37 PM

Don't remove the head unless you left other evidence of species and sex. I'm pretty sure you need that untill it is at the place of butcher. if you butcher your self than that is a diffrent story, but if you take it to a butcher shop i think you need to leave the evidence on.

Dakota369 · #10 11-26-2007, 02:26 PM

Thanks for the input gentlemen. Chuck, I do have evedience of sex besides the head so that is not a concern. I will try and do some test skinning tonight and see how frozen it actually is. It is actually on the floor of the garage right now as I didn't have my comealong around when I got home last night. Is it better hanging, or on the floor do you think??

altaberg · #11 11-26-2007, 04:16 PM

hi,

hanging would be better,

my preference is a small chain hoist from CT. Makes it very convenient to raise and lower quickly when you are working on the animal.

Dakota369 · #12 11-26-2007, 04:19 PM

Won't it freeze quicker if it's hanging.

altaberg · #13 11-26-2007, 04:26 PM

that depends on the design of your garage and the temperature obviously but if you can get a bit of warm air circulating (even a few candles) it is usually warmer higher up.

The other advantage is that the blood doesn't pool anywhere in the animal. Depending on the wound there can be blood in the shoulder or so.
Generally better to hang animals for the meat.

Dakota369 · #14 11-26-2007, 04:28 PM

No problem there....shot in the head. I will hang it tonight and see how frozen it is.

Thanks!!

hunt_and_fish · #15 11-26-2007, 04:57 PM

I would guess that it isn't frozen solid yet if you left the hide on but that is just a guess.

I do agree that you should do what you can to keep it from freezing. Beside the inconvenience of trying to cut frozen meat, the meat won't age if it is frozen. So if you are a believer in the benefits of aging your meat (I'm guessing you are since you chose not to cut it up immediately) then try to keep the temp in your garage just above 0. If you don't think you'll be able to keep it from freezing then you might as well cut it up before it does.