Grit – September 01, 2019

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11. Choose a tree that’s large enough
    to support the carcass weight, typi-
    cally more than 10 inches in diameter,
    with a horizontal limb 8 to 12 feet off
    the ground.


12. Insert the hooks of a gambrel
    into the tendons at the hocks on the
    rear legs, and hoist the carcass off the
    ground until the back legs are eye level.

SKINNING: Skinning is more pulling

than cutting. Only use a knife where

necessary to open the hide or cut

tough connective tissue that holds the

hide to the body. It’s normal for a thin

layer of muscle to peel off with the

hide in places.

13. Begin at the back legs and cut the
    hide around the hocks. Then, make a
    single long cut along the back of the
    leg to the base of the tail. Loosen the
    hide along these cuts, and then pull
    the hide from each back leg toward
    the middle of the back. Cut around the
    anus, and loosen the skin around the
    tail. Cut through the tailbone, and then
    pull the hide from the carcass toward
    the front legs.


14. Cut the hide around each front
    leg at the wrist. Next, cut the hide
    along the underside of the front legs
    to the cut at the chest cavity. Cut the
    hide on the underside of the neck
    by extending the chest cavity cut to
    the throat. Separate the hide from
    the legs, and then pull it over the
    shoulders and up the neck to the base
    of the skull. Cut around the hide at
    the base of the head, and free the hide
    from the carcass.

DEBONING: I prefer to break down a car-

cass in the following order. Note that

if you live in an area where insects are

still alive during deer season, you’ll

need to protect the meat with cheese-

cloth or carcass bags. Also, as you’re

cutting meat from the shanks and

neck, you’ll see a shiny covering of

tough material on the muscles; this is

“silverskin,” or natural sinew. Remove

it from the meat. Once dried, silver-

skin makes a great thread for sewing

leather. Along the backstraps is a good

place to get a long, continuous strip.

15. To keep the meat from becoming
    contaminated with dirt and leaves,
    lay a tarp or dropcloth on the ground

10 12 13

14

Hock

Shank (rear)

Round

Rump

Flank

Tenderloin

(inside body cavity)

Backstrap

Ribs

Shank (front)

Shoulder

Hide

Neck