Skinning

Max

Well-Known Member
Hi All,

If I am "preaching to the converted" I apologise before I start ;)

I was talking to David Stretton of Donington Deer Management the other day about his larder equipment amongst other things.

I met David about 15 years ago when I attended a BASC carcass handling course run at Donington, and found him to be an allround nice guy and very knowledgeable.

Before the conversation finished I asked him if he had any tips for easier skinning, bearing in mind I have been doing it for quite a long time and thinking I knew most of the tricks HIS question surprised me :eek:
"Which way up do you hang the beast", I replied "haunch up".
Try it forelegs up and you will find it much easier.
Apparently he watched a TV programme a long while back of some eskimo's skinning reindeer forelegs up and wondered why he had not thought of it.
He was converted and so am I.

No more haunch's starting to tear in that one little place or the flank coming away with the skin :lol:

I guess I missed that bit on the course :confused: but happy I know it now

Never too late :rolleyes:

Max
 
Max

Never seen it done this way before...Don you hang the carcass via the fore legs or by the chin, continental style?

Regards,

Peter
 
David has a DVD out called "Venison butchery Masterclass" where he uses exactly this method. The tricky part is what to hang it by as the front legs have no large tendons for a Gambrel. :confused:
David uses a Stainless bar with two wire 'snares' on the end. They grip the knuckle on the end of the shank but only if you leave enough on there to start with! i.e. don't cut it off across 'the-flats'!
I believe he sells these bars too?
I have tried both methods and have to say I have no preference really!
The method above does prevent haunch tearing but starting at the neck is a bit tricky. If you do the front legs first and then pull down hard on the neck you end up with the neck springing back up and spraying you ceiling with blood from what i remember! :lol:
 
You are right MS in what you say.

I did find the neck the tricky and messy part , mainly because I had necked this Fallow doe so had to change my gloves a couple of times while doing that part.

I see that some of you are going to try this also, thats great but "please dont shoot the messenger" if it goes "GAZZOOMERS UP" :cry:

All the best with your skinning

Max
 
Most lambs are skinned useing the inverted (hung by front legs) system in abbatiors nowadays, it is a more hygienic as the skin is falling away from the carcase and there is less work around the gigot area threfore less chance of cross contamination, not sure how effective this method would be on a cold stiff carcase though........
NELL
 
Thanks for this one Max - new to me as a method, but anything that works for DS is worth a go. I'll have to give it a try.
 
this has been covered on here before i will try to find the link to it someone posted a video
 
Hi Max
I copied Dave Strettons video but on a budget ;)
I sit mine on their back in a skinning cradle (£25 log cutting cradle)
skin from the brisket as far as the front shoulders then attach the leg skins to a couple of fox snares fixed to the bottom of a skinning frame (made from 1" box section) the leg's then go into two more snares on a bar which is then fixed to a winch. As you winch the carcass upwards it peels the skin off very cleanly.
The only downside is the height of the frame needed to skin a bigger species. Dave Stretton has stainless roller at the bottom to wind the second half down but this was beyond my technical capabilities :D

One word of warning if its a Munty buck skin the neck off as well, I straightened a stainless "S" hook trying to winch the neck skin off :eek:
The hook at the time of failure was at about crotch height :( luckily the hook flew the other direction and landed 15 yards outside my larder :eek:

Wayne
 
I was lucky enough to shoot a Roe Buck in Austria a few years ago.

The whole process was different including bleeding. The buck was hung up by the tendons in a front leg and my austrian guide then cut between haunches as if to get to the ball and socket in the pelvis and then very neatly severed an artery. worked very well. later on, back in the larder, he skinned it in the way you described. and that evening presented me with a gleaming white skull and a smile like a Cheshire cat!!

Lovely experiance and just show's there is more than one way to skin the said cat!!
 
Wayne

You are right about using a cradle, thats exactly how David told me to start the skinning off.

Unfortunately in my hurry to be site "smart arse" I forgot to mention the cradle bit so its a good job you came in there.

A hook at crotch level :eek: doesn't bear thinking about :lol:

Best regards

Max
 
Here's another one!

Maybe suitable for roadkill dogfood?
Wouldn't pass a meat hygiene inspection, but if it is for your own use or dogfood roadkill who cares!!??
 
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