Hanging deer head up or down?

Just curious how people hang there deer. By the head or by the back legs? I have always hung mine from the back legs so the blood left in the deer doesn’t drain to the best meat. I see people do it both ways though.

If you skin your deer, hanging from the hind legs creates way less hair on the meat after skinning.

I like to hang them by the back legs also but this is a pretty recent change for me. We always hung by the head growing up.

Speaking of hanging, I got the old man one of these two years ago for Xmas. Some of the best money I’ve spent.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Electronic-Cable-Hoists/742013.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Delectric%2Bhoist%26x%3D0%26y%3D0&Ntt=electric+hoist&WTz_l=Unknown

Change over to the back legs for us a number of years ago to. Using one of those cheap spreader bars now also. Last time we hung them head up had a critter eat the ass end out of my deer over night.

We hang them by the back legs and have always done it that way.

Mike W wrote:

Change over to the back legs for us a number of years ago to. Using one of those cheap spreader bars now also. Last time we hung them head up had a critter eat the ass end out of my deer over night.

It amazes me that people hang any animal by the head, leaving the biggest portions of meat in reach of the wild critters. Let them chew the boney neck instead.

Back legs to hang but sometimes it seems easier to skin starting from the neck so I often flip it around when time to skin.

Head down.
That way when I skin it, head gets lopped off with cape intact.

Legs up. But we skin immediately as it is way easier. Of course we butcher as soon as the meat is cool and firm. No reason to age back straps and tenderloins.

wow looks like I am the minority. always hang by the head. never had critter eating on a hanging deer!

I hang then by the hind legs as well. Anyone else use a skidloader?

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I hang ours by the legs and use a skidloader. The last couple years we’ve been gutting them while there hanging so your not all covered in blood.

I’m a head hanger. I hang it high enough to keep critters from having any chance at feeding and as for blood run…… it all runs down the legs to the ground and doesn’t get into the meat any more than what having a smear layer from gutting leaves behind in the first place. For skinning, I hang it legs up to reduce hair shed.

Hey Ben, we don’t have a skid loader but we use an ATV and a pulley to hoist them up the meat pole!