Easy way to skin deer

[10-Ring]

A friend of mine showed me this trick last year and I tried it on two different deer, it worked great so I thought that I would share.

Go to a hardware store and buy 10' of small cable, I think mine is 5/16", anything about that size should work. Buy two ferrules and put a loop on each end, a loop that creates about 4-6" circle is fine, again this isn't rocket science. So your finished product is about a 10' cable with a small loop at each end.

Hang your deer by it's head, I use a tree for this. Cut around neck and around leg joints then up to belly midsections, just as you would normally do when skinning a deer. Then start at the neck and pull down about 8-10" of hide. Go find a fist sized rock (I also hear a golf ball will work but I haven't tried it.) Wrap the rock up in the hide and run one end of the cable through the other then around the rock/hide. It helps to have a friend hold it like this until you start pulling. At this point you should basically be able to pull at the other end of the cable and be pulling the hide off. Now, slip the other loop over your trailer hitch on your truck or 4 wheeler, put it in drive and pull away from the deer slowly. The skin should just slip off the deer. That's it!

If anything is unclear feel free to ask for further clarification.

[JimmyMac483]

Sounds interesting. Would make for a good how-to youtube video.

[Alleycat72]

[10-Ring]

Sounds interesting. Would make for a good how-to youtube video.

I actually tried to video both times I did it but it was dark and didn't come out at all. I'm not going to get a chance to hunt until gun season but I will video and post up if at all possible.

[Guest capt usa]

I was watching a comedy about hunting a few years back and the boys used that process. The problem was they tied the deer under an old shed and when they pulled on it the shed fell. For some reason I can see that sort of thing happing to me.

[whiskey]

I have seen this done with a boat trailer winch also. We have tried it on hogs, but nearly pulled the 4"x4" wooden hanging frame down in the process. We were using an ATV to pull. Later my buddy put a screw in anchor eye for tying down a house trailer directly below the point where he pulls up the deer/hogs. Then he put a cable pulley on it and mounted the boat winch to the side. This made the cable pull straight down. Only problem then was running out of room once the skin got about 3/4 of the way off. The hide would get to the pulley before the animal was completely skinned.

[DaveS]

I guess it is an easy lazy way of skinning, but when you tan and sell the hides like I do....the risk of tearing one isn't worth it to me. I can skin one out the old fasion way pretty quick. This is only my take on the subject....What ever works I suppose!

[ShaunM]

I guess it is an easy lazy way of skinning, but when you tan and sell the hides like I do....the risk of tearing one isn't worth it to me. I can skin one out the old fashion way pretty quick. This is only my take on the subject....What ever works I suppose!

Same here. I guess I'm old fashion but I grew up skinning something with a knife and my hands. Think I will just stick to what I know and like doing.

[10-Ring]

Actually I noticed that this way doesn't tear the hide at all, and no holes either. May actually be better, but I guess there is more than one way to skin a deer. I don't use my hides but if anyone can use them I hunt in middle TN and live in East TN so if you are anywhere in between and want them you are welcome to them.