Hanging Deer by the neck

[Doc]

So what do the experts say? Anybody ever notice how carcasses are hung in a slaughterhouse? I've never been in one, but maybe someone here has. It would be interesting to see if they have any reasoning behind whatever way they choose. I have always hung them by their hind legs, but if you were to ask me why, I really have no reason for it other than that is the way I was shown and that's just the way I have always continued doing it.

[Doewhacker]

Slaughter houses skin and decapitate the animals so it really doesn't matter there either, this is a personal preference issue. I guareentee we all hang deer the same way our fathers or mentors did. We start with the neck and then start skinning on the ground before hanging by the legs, only because it is easier for us to do our work on them, we leave the heart and lungs in untill we get home because it is just easier to get them out on the hook off the ground.

[growalot]

The guys use to hang by the neck and switched years ago...I always hang by the legs...For me it's easier to skin and quarter...they are on a pully and we lift and lower as needed... Staring with the head saw off..then saw off the neck...for BBQ....I cut off front legs...then easily take off the shoulder/legs....cut out the.... what I call the back straps.(.innercuts along spine)....turn and cut out each loin...then I can cut the rib cage from the hams...Now I saw the hams in two...lower them over a clean plastic bag and cut each off the hind leg...Takes me very little time

[YFKI1983]

^{This is pretty comical if you ask me. Your basically sneaking up on a deer and killing it and theres people that think the way you hang it after its dead is disrespectful? lol thats great. We always do legs up because its easier for us to skin but Ive never gotten offended if someone did it the other way around.}

[ELMER J. FUDD]

I would say hang a buck by the neck if you plan on getting it mounted. Unless you are set up to hang it nice and high. I hang by the hind legs. it seems easy to put a brace (stick) in between the tendons on the back legs.

[Dakota Dog]

If the trachea is cut out the blood can drain .

I have hung all my deer by the back legs for the past 24 years. Like Eddie said If the trachea is cut out the blood can drain . I was once told by an older guy when I was young that if you hung a deer by its head the brain fluids would drain into the meat. Now knowing that is probably not the case but it still grosses me out thinking about it so I hang by the back legs but to each is there own. As long as the deer is hung your own way and the meat is processed all is good. I get pissed when I see a deer hanging someplace for 2 or 3 weeks knowing dam well the meat has spoiled and then it vanishis. Thats the only time I get pissed when I see a deer hung.

[Doewhacker]

We skin outside now due to ticks, and do the rest on a giant cutting board int he basement.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Doewhacker

[Doewhacker]

I have hung all my deer by the back legs for the past 24 years. Like Eddie said If the trachea is cut out the blood can drain . I was once told by an older guy when I was young that if you hung a deer by its head the brain fluids would drain into the meat. . I get pissed when I see a deer hanging someplace for 2 or 3 weeks knowing dam well the meat has spoiled and then it vanishis. Thats the only time I get pissed when I see a deer hung.

Hanging by the feet will make the butt juices drain into the rest of the meat..hehe (kidding)

[Geno C]

Hang it how you see fit... I hang all my deer with a gamble by the back legs persoannllly. Easy for me to skin and butcher

[gfdeputy2]

Hanging by the feet will make the butt juices drain into the rest of the meat..hehe (kidding)

Well then NO more hanging by the feet for me from now on

[ELMER J. FUDD]

How's it hangin'?

[bushnell]

Never heard of disrespecting a deer by the way you hang it. Interesting.......I was always taught to hang from the neck. That's how my father did it and that is how I plan on showing my boys.

[papabear]

I all ways hung my deer from the back legs keep the blood away from the meat

Also my dad told me if the animals eat your meat you will never get it back but if they eat from the head no meat lost

papabear

[steve863]

So we go out and do our damndest to murder a deer and then we disembowel it and then drag it for God knows how long and then we are worried about disrespecting when it's hanging from a tree? Man, that is funny.

[shawnhu]

What's really funny is the person that started all this is staying quiet after how ridiculous he sounded. All very good points made so far.

For the record, I see no issues hanging from the neck, especially when doing a gutless quartering.

[A Sportsman]

Hanging them by the neck may, or may not, be disrespectful. But I don't find anything funny about discussing how a deer should be handled after it is killed. And that includes how we hang them. We don't have to be nutso about how we hang them. Its not the end of the world one way or the other. But just take a look at how the deer looks hanging by neck, as opposed to hanging by hocks. Looks better from the hocks.

[Jennifer]

I would say hang a buck by the neck if you plan on getting it mounted. Unless you are set up to hang it nice and high. I hang by the hind legs. it seems easy to put a brace (stick) in between the tendons on the back legs.

I understand that it's actually ideal to cape the deer out before you hang it, so that you don't damage the hide on the neck (if you are going to hang it that way). Taxidermests need quite a bit of the neck hide to make a nice mount, and even more if you want a shoulder mount.

I know most of us never think of it until we have a bruiser on the ground, but if you think you might eve want a deer mounted (if you ever take one that you think needs to be on your wall), it pays to see what taxidermists are in your area that you might take the deer to, and ask them how they prefer to recieve a cape/head beforehand, so that you get the best mount that you possibly can. I do birds (not profesionally) and I know that I appreciate a well taken care of bird carcass enough that I do a much better job on them than something that has been 'abused' a little...

Sorry for the tangent. Just some info I thought might be helpful.

[arrow nocker]

taking pictures of a deer with you over top of it holding its horns is disrespectful to the animal too.Just saying.....Then Indians at least prayed for it after they killed it.Didn't high five their buddies and get drunk afterwords.They celebrated the harvest cause it was a gift.Something they needed to survive.

So no one is better than the next in 2012.We all disrespect the animal.lets get the panties out of their wads.

[crappyice]

Careful arrow nocker....you don't know what anyone else does after the kill either! There's no need for fellow hunters to paint hunters with broad stroked stereotypes.

[arrow nocker]

I never said they didn't appreciate what they earned.Or aren't thankfull for what they harvested.But we hunt out of sport not survival.Things have changed.And i think some people have to try to make them selves feel better by telling them selves they are being more "respectfull" to the animial after they kill it.Not stereotyping other fellow hunters.Just don;t think someone should say its disrespectful to hang it by the neck but then they stand over top if it gloating and sharing pics of it.They are disrespecting it too.

[shawnhu]

taking pictures of a deer with you over top of it holding its horns is disrespectful to the animal too.Just saying.....Then Indians at least prayed for it after they killed it.Didn't high five their buddies and get drunk afterwords.They celebrated the harvest cause it was a gift.Something they needed to survive.

So no one is better than the next in 2012.We all disrespect the animal.lets get the panties out of their wads.

I pray before getting a kill, does that count? So far, my prayers have not been answered.

[Doc]

I don't see the choice as having anything to do with respect. Lol .... there is no real way of hanging a deer up with it's internal organs removed and the body cavity spread open for cooling, that could ever indicate respect, or lack of respect. I never even factored that thought into my decision as to how to hang a deer. Maybe we are getting a bit carried away with this "respect" thing? Well it might be a bit tacky to put a hat on it and sunglasses and stick a cigarette in it's mouth ..... lol.

[arrow nocker]

I pray before getting a kill, does that count? So far, my prayers have not been answered.

hahaha.Same here.Nothing as of yet.LOL.

[nyantler]

I don't see the choice as having anything to do with respect. Lol .... there is no real way of hanging a deer up with it's internal organs removed and the body cavity spread open for cooling, that could ever indicate respect, or lack of respect. I never even factored that thought into my decision as to how to hang a deer. Maybe we are getting a bit carried away with this "respect" thing? Well it might be a bit tacky to put a hat on it and sunglasses and stick a cigarette in it's mouth ..... lol.

+1

[WNYBuckHunter]

I dont care how someone hangs their deer, I have done both. Your pictures looked fine to me.