Recently I've seen a couple of cooking shows one with Jamie skinning aligators with a high pressure air hose and one with a roller taking the skin off sheep in an abbatoir.

It made me think if there was a similar method that could be used for Deer. If I fixed a whinch onto the floor could a specially designed gambrell type hook be used to pull the skin off?

I've recently started experimenting with hanging venison skinned and it seems to be going well. The meat seems to dry better and set better, but as yet I have not checked the difference in taste. I shouldn't think that it will make much difference.

Any other ideas out there for a quick fix?

FB

I've seen the high pressure air method working VERY well on a chamois; the skin expanded like a reed-pipe and has been removed effortless.

Kiri, the airline might work if you could fix a valve in the deer's arse...

I saw the Jamie episode, trying to shoot a gator with a rattlely old 38?

The high pressure air works well for domestic animals as there will be only one hole .Some do use it for deer.
The carcass should be cooled as soon as possible so the skin should come off as soon as possible.You also can get off flavors from the skin
It isn't difficult to skin a deer .Hardly necessary to use a 'skinning knife'. It's mostly pulling and cutting some membrane .I just hang it from a gambrel ,head down, and pull down with one hand and cut membrane with the other hand.
Another method is to securely fasten the hanging deer ,fasten the skin to your pickup truck and drive off !

I saw a video once of the Golfball method (as described by mete).
Off with his head, cut down the legs and torso..

Skin off enough to work around a golfball, wrap a rope around that (so as to get a good no tear grip on the skin).
Attach to pickup truck and drive slowly away (NB Remember to secure your deer first!)

Looked so easy on the video.......let me know how it goes in real life please!!

Insurance Claim
Details of how the whiplash accident occured

I was skinning a buck using my truck and I pulled away whereon the skin detatched from the buck.
I put on the brakes and a few moments later, a golfball attached to a buckskin came smashing in through the rear window and hit me on the back of the head.
The shock caused my foot to slip off the clutch and brake and onto the accelerator, the truck leapt forwards............

Skinning moose is done old school knife only and a lot of work or

rather winsch and blocks, makes for a lot nicer skins and cleaner meatsides.

In sweden a moose skin used to sell for decent money, these days I have no idea of current price.

/Best regards Chris

Kiri,

David Stretton has various winch type skinners and from what I've seen on his DVD's they seem to work pretty well..

The airhose method used to be used for skinning domestic animal in slaughter houses, but I think its been banned now for some reason.

I think you might struggle with a body shot deer but it might be feasible if its been head or high neck shot...

If you decide to try it, I want to be there when you pull onto the garage forecourt with half a dozen fallow and start filling them with air

Regards,

Peter

The truck method is quite common here in the States, and works well. I personally find that venison tastes better, and the meat stays in better shape if the animal is skinned as soon as practical. Your experience may vary.

Dave

I had an eyebolt in the shed floor at my old house right below the gambrel winch, well it was about 3 feet to the side, and I have a harbor freight 440 lb winch that I'd bolt to it, and use a version of the rock method. With 2 winches it is nice because you can raise the animal while you are working on it.

I will say that it is not like peeling a banana, there is quite a bit of pressure involved, at least with the deer around here. If a person isn't careful it is easy to break the animal in half, usually around the ribs/hip area. Maybe a truck giving it a good yank might break teh skin free easier, but my experience lends me to think you'd have a lot more separated animals.

quote:

Originally posted by Pete E:
Kiri,

David Stretton has various winch type skinners and from what I've seen on his DVD's they seem to work pretty well..

The airhose method used to be used for skinning domestic animal in slaughter houses, but I think its been banned now for some reason.

I think you might struggle with a body shot deer but it might be feasible if its been head or high neck shot...

If you decide to try it, I want to be there when you pull onto the garage forecourt with half a dozen fallow and start filling them with air

Regards,

Peter

Pete,

as you know you are always wecome, but you really need to remember the effect you have on my and others deer when you come out stalking...

Methinks half a dozen fallow would be a bit ambitious!!

Anyway knowing how you like the hands on approach I figured it would be you violating the poor beastie and me leaning against the car shrugging to the onlookers and informing them of your heritage. "He's Welsh you know..... apparently it works on sheep you know..... etc"


FB

quote:

Originally posted by loud-n-boomer:
The truck method is quite common here in the States, and works well. I personally find that venison tastes better, and the meat stays in better shape if the animal is skinned as soon as practical. Your experience may vary.

Dave

Yes, this is how the Finns do it with their whitetailed deer. As an additional benefit, skinning is much easier while the animal is still warm.

See Hogue Deer Skinner, which looks really complicated, but some US web sites about trapping have some good homemade ones on show. Sinning techniques using small winches are more common on the continent than they are here in UK. Try some of the German or French suppliers?

Pete, have you tried it with the JIMNY yet,

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Latham:
Pete, have you tried it with the JIMNY yet,

Only with Rabbits and Muntjac!