Prep in the garage.

[TringSaint]

As a side discussion on this thread, what’s the general view re gambrel vs 2 large S hooks?

I started off with a gambrel but got annoyed with the deer spinning and also if you need to release one leg then you release both as it tips. Consequently I now use 2 10” S hooks on a fixed rail and I fin that works really well.

Thoughts?

 

[VSS]

As a side discussion on this thread, what’s the general view re gambrel vs 2 large S hooks?

I started off with a gambrel but got annoyed with the deer spinning and also if you need to release one leg then you release both as it tips. Consequently I now use 2 10” S hooks on a fixed rail and I fin that works really well.

Thoughts?

Why would you need to release one leg?
I can understand with pigs, where you split the carcass down the spine and then lift one half off to butcher - a gambrel tilts and dumps the other half on the floor - but I can't think of a scenario where you'd want to release one leg of a deer during skinning or breaking down.

 

[Sol]

I'm fortunate enough for my family to have a house sitting there for me.

The unfortunate scenario is there's no outside access to the garden, there will in fact be a red stag pulled through the entire house in the next 10 years.

(Thankfully the front door to the backdoor is a straight 15ft walk over tile but still)

 

[Vissie]

Why would you need to release one leg?
I can understand with pigs, where you split the carcass down the spine and then lift one half off to butcher - a gambrel tilts and dumps the other half on the floor - but I can't think of a scenario where you'd want to release one leg of a deer during skinning or breaking down.

Personally, I release the leg from S hooks when separating the leg from the body.

 

[Vissie]

Electric hoists from Lidl or Aldi perfect to lift if you're on you own, although I'm not shooting anything bigger than Fallow. I expect Reds a whole different ball game.

 

[VSS]

Personally, I release the leg from S hooks when separating the leg from the body.

If you hang the skinned carcass by the back legs, and start butchering at the front end, you'll just be left with the back legs hanging from the hooks / gambrel, which you do last.

So, in this order:
Neck off.
Shoulders / front legs off.
Breasts off.
Backbone off.
Just hind legs remaining.

 

[FISH BOY]

Electric hoist for me as mainly fallow and elastic luggage bungee off one hock to wall fixing to stop it spinning when skinning and breaking down

Cunning - will try that to stop it spinning. Used a caribeener to stop the Apex lift body spinning but the blooming belt still spins more than I like.

Would love a winch but pitched roof so don’t have a lot of options.

Ps - no issues with going through plasterboard as long as you use big bolts going into the roof beams.

 

[wytonpjs]

id move your efk, you dont want bits of flies in your prep area.
but that is a nice setup

Yup - learnt that the hard way The picture on the right in #13 is an old picture. I subsequently moved it about 2m away facing the skinning area

 

[shakey jake]

Or as I have done take out the grid and replace with a EFK glue board, you can cut to fit and change as you please = no fly fallout

glue boards are my first choice for most places

 

[nun_hunter]

Personally, I release the leg from S hooks when separating the leg from the body.

I hang mine for skinning on two S hooks as it stops the carcass spinning.

I also release one leg and pull it down when cutting it off the pelvis, makes it easier for me to follow the bone and keep the knife closer to the bone. It also means when it's warmer out I can put the second leg back in the chiller while I work on the first leg. Then the second leg I pull the pelvis down to help remove the second leg.

 

[jthyttin]

Regarding spinning carcass, just a thought: how about fixing the hoist hook in ceiling, little bit right or left from the hoist. Then make special gambrel with two small pulleys, so it's actually supported at two points? Anybody done or thought something like this?

 

[VSS]

I don't get what is this problem people are having with "spinning" carcasses? What are you doing to them that makes them spin? I skin all mine with them hanging from a single point - the winch - and they don't spin.

 

[hendrix's rifle]

I'm fortunate enough for my family to have a house sitting there for me.

The unfortunate scenario is there's no outside access to the garden, there will in fact be a red stag pulled through the entire house in the next 10 years.

(Thankfully the front door to the backdoor is a straight 15ft walk over tile but still)

I couldn't get through the back of ours one day so dragged 3 hinds through the house... smashed my deer box by over loading it and got blood everywhere Mrs was fuming

 

[jthyttin]

What are you doing to them that makes them spin?

It's not spinning per se, but you cannot "preload" the carcass instead you have to use one hand to prevent "spinning". It's annoying and I'd rather avoid it if possible.

Another solution I've thought of is making kind of gambrel with extremely long straight portion, and fixing it to ceiling from one end. So you would use hoist to lower one end and attach the beast as usual. Then lift up as needed, and in the end the "gambrel" would be horizontal. In practice this would probably be two piece, i.e. long box section attached to ceiling, and regular gambrel to the end that goes up and down.

 

[wytonpjs]

I skin from a hoist as in photos above and do not suffer spinning. As I’m still using the steel cable that came with the hoist, it has a “natural set“ so the carcass tends to face one way when the gambrel is mounted in the hook. This works well for me as with roe and muntjac having prepped the inside of the haunches and started skinning them back, I lift the gambrel off the hook and rotate 180 so the back faces me. Yes, there’s little resistance to turning but I find the freedom allows me to work my way down, turning the carcass a little as necessary to free different parts. On reaching the shoulders, I reverse it 180 again to work up the insides of the forelegs. If I have a difficult section, I can also use the sliding rail hoist at its end stop to pull on the left side of the gambrel to stop rotation. Generally I’d say, I like the ability to turn the carcass a little as I skin. Each to their own I suppose but I’m old enough to recognise that there’s more than one way to do it and we all adopt what we find works for us. I’m always willing to learn new tricks though

 

[VSS]

It's not spinning per se, but you cannot "preload" the carcass instead you have to use one hand to prevent "spinning". It's annoying and I'd rather avoid it if possible.

I can't figure out what it is you must be doing. I don't have any issues with the carcass rotating when hung from a single point for skinning. I don't need to use one hand to steady the carcass at all.
As @wytonpjs says in his post above, the winch cable has a natural set to it, so the carcass stays pretty steady, but even when I used to hang them from a bit of rope they didn't spin.
What is it that you're doing that sets the carcass in motion? Generally while skinning you'll be applying even downward pressure which in itself is enough to keep the carcass still.

 

[jthyttin]

First of all, main thing for me is that having no "rotational support" on the hanging carcass annoys me and like said I'd avoid it if possible. "Because I want" is reason enough. I have also the priviledge to accompany some very experienced and efficient carcase handlers and watching them do it I know I'm not alone (they would also benefit from "rotational support" and some use workarounds to get it).

You must have some heavy winches if "cable set" keeps carcass somewhat steady... For the sake of discussion and learning, I try to make up an example. Please bear with me, not being a native speaker.

Trying to think what I do while skinning (the "spinning" annoyance applies also to butchering in my case) I think one of the things is that I'd like to use my off hand to pull the skin in horizontal direction, but that's impossible since it would spin the carcass. So I need to pull it in non-optimal (although still horizontal) direction. An example with deer would be, if the skinning at the chest area is not begun while in cradle (or at floor). So I'd like to pull the skin away from carcass as nearly at 180 degrees as possible (like I'd do in a cradle). But I'm restricted to pulling at 90 degrees or so. Do I get the job done, yes. Does this annoy me, yes also.

About the downward pressure, I don't skin deer from haunches to shoulders but other way around (if possible). When you get an opening at front legs, just push your "flat fist" through to spine area, and then same from the other side. Use your hand to separate the skin in upward motion towards the haunch. Much cleaner carcass and skin this way. We usually skin the carcass before dropping the stomach so quite warm etc. This might not work so good if you hang the carcass in skin and only do the skinning before butchering. And it doesn't work too good on old (whitetail) bucks etc. anyway.

And if you think an old buck is difficult, please try a wild boar. Getting the skin off is fighting for every inch. Ideally you'd have expertise and patience to peel the skin off and leave fat on carcass. But in most cases it's kind of hacksaw operation.

 

[foxinmad]

Fixed Lidl hoist at end of a rail that means I can load/unload my chiller with the heaviest of fallow in a corner of my garage set aside for skinning. The hoist allows be to raise/lower to skin without crucifying my back

View attachment 328716View attachment 328717View attachment 328718

Tidy set up

 

[Vissie]

I hang mine for skinning on two S hooks as it stops the carcass spinning.

I also release one leg and pull it down when cutting it off the pelvis, makes it easier for me to follow the bone and keep the knife closer to the bone. It also means when it's warmer out I can put the second leg back in the chiller while I work on the first leg. Then the second leg I pull the pelvis down to help remove the second leg.

Yip, that's pretty much my modus operandi as well.

 

[mudman]

Built a tower and a swing/ climbing wall for the young un a couple of years ago. The tower will be re purposed down the woods when he grows out of it…