Deer skinning/gutting hoist

wilcam47 · Oct 2, 2014

Im in the process of making one I can strap to a tree in the back yard...so whats everyone else's method? I used to hang a deer on some smaller trees in the front yard in MD but around here theres no trees small enough or close enough to the house. So Im making my own. I'll post pics when its complete. I have everything except for a couple bolts to mount the hand crank/winch.

I know some folks gut a deer on the ground where it was found, I just prefer to take my time at home where I can rinse out the carcass with a water hose.

itsslow98 · Oct 2, 2014

I dont usually care to drag the extra 30-50lbs out of the woods lol. I have heard that gutting them while hanging is way easier though which I dont doubt. I may try it if I get the chance.

Indiana Jones · Oct 2, 2014

My buddy has a trailer hitch pulley system he bought but thats only for white tail. For mule deer and elk we quarter them on site then hike the rest out. A total PITA but damn good eating. Gutting while hanging is so much easier.

j_h_smith · Oct 2, 2014

Unless it's cold outside, I like to get the carcass cooled down as soon as possible. Gutting them in the woods seems to do this better than waiting until you get the deer home. I guess there's no right or wrong answer, it's just personal preference.

Interested in seeing the pictures.
Jim Smith

kstone803 · Oct 2, 2014

Two eye hooks in a big oak tree with one about 12 feet up and the other about 10. Rope from the gambrel goes through the pulley on the 12 foot eye hook then gets tied to the truck. Back truck up lifting the deer. Gambrel has 6 inches of chain attached to it with a carabiner. Chain goes over the lower eye hook and voila, deer hanging from tree with no ropes to come loose. Then I skin it with the truck

rgramjet · Oct 2, 2014

I drag my deer to a hill, head side up. Let's the innards flow with gravity.

My primary goal is to let the meat cool asap.

My $.02

mark71211 · Oct 2, 2014

Where I hunt we got a couple spots to gut deer in the wood and that is away from camp and far enough away from anybody's stand. Plus we gut on the ground, I find it very easy to do it that way. Then back at camp we got a deer hanging pole that can hole about 4-5 deer. It was made out of old fencing post we had laying around. One upright is in the shape of a Y that is upside down. The top hanging bar goes from that to a tree branch and is sitting in that (been there so long the tree has grown around the bar). Then behind the deer hang we got a stand that looks like something a cowboy would tie his horse too that's about 2' off the ground and that's where we tie the rope to as the deer is hanging.

HogCommander · Oct 2, 2014

If I'm by myself, I do the same as rgramjet...gut it on the ground with the head uphill of the rest so gravity helps and work from the neck down.

If I've got someone to help me, I prefer to hang it by the neck. Guts come out easy since they don't pile up in the rib cage like they would if it were hanging by hind legs.

Chris · Oct 3, 2014

I normally gut in the field and carry extra water to wash out if I hit intestines. But have gutted from a hoist, I strung the deer up by the neck and guts hit the bucket. But like earlier stated why haul 25 to 35 lbs out of the woods. For normal skinning and breaking down I use a hoist & rod hook, hoisting the deer by the hind legs. These girls are from a few years back, Wendy killed two in the late morning and I followed about 45 minutes later, a good day. Chris

wilcam47 · Oct 3, 2014

I understand the gutting where the animal died...but typically we have access to a 4wheeler, so gutting at home is better for us so we do not get dirt and rocks etc inside the carcass. My hoist is almost complete, all I have left is to make the hanger and cut a bolt to the right size. I'll post pics in the next day or two.

mark71211 · Oct 3, 2014

wilcam47 said:
I understand the gutting where the animal died...but typically we have access to a 4wheeler, so gutting at home is better for us so we do not get dirt and rocks etc inside the carcass. My hoist is almost complete, all I have left is to make the hanger and cut a bolt to the right size. I'll post pics in the next day or two.

If you got a 4 wheeler then why wait to gut it till you get home? If you were going to drag it home I could see waiting but you can gut it then throw it onto the back of the 4wheeler and drve it out of the woods. No dirt gets into it that way.

j_h_smith · Oct 3, 2014

There's no right or wrong answer to when you gut your deer. If you want to drag another 30 pounds back to camp, that's fine. If you drag your gutted deer back to camp and get some gravel in the cavity, that's okay too. I think we all wash out the cavity regardless of when we do it. I'd just be happy to have a deer hanging up at camp and how I get it there isn't one of my big concerns.

Good Hunting guys!
Jim Smith

MeatGrinder · Oct 5, 2014

I like to rinse the cavity with a hose also, but I don't see why I need to carry the deer home intact to do it. I gut them in the field where they lay. Its not hard on the ground at all. Then, after I get back to camp or home, I hose them out good. I like to get them cooling ASAP and I like to lighten them as much as I can.

But, everybody can make their own choice.

54rndball · Oct 5, 2014

Now that I have a big back yard and a garage, I am up for the DIY skinning and butchering. Any good info on the best way to butcher your deer? Should be interesting.

wilcam47 · Oct 6, 2014

54rndball said:
Now that I have a big back yard and a garage, I am up for the DIY skinning and butchering. Any good info on the best way to butcher your deer? Should be interesting.

For us it just depends what we want out of the deer...we use a lot of ground so we grind basically one whole deer, we like stew meat and roasts too...so if you can get more than one that helps too. I like the backstraps so I cant hardly bring myself to grind those so I try to get steaks or stew meat out of that. but it helps to get a dedicated meat grinder.

Derwood · Oct 6, 2014

I don't think any sort of prepared hoist is necessary, but I'm sure it would be helpful. I live in an apartment so I don't butcher my deer at home. Maybe if I wasn't married I'd consider doing it in the bathtub (kidding).

I just carry some 550 cord and a couple gallon ziplock bags with me in my hunting pack. I field dress the deer where it falls. I put the organs that I like to keep (heart, lungs and liver if they're not shot out) in one plastic bag and the triple bag the scent glands from the deer's back legs separately (for use on future hunts).

Then I drag or carry the deer back to my camp or car using the 550 cord. Once there, I put a strong stick through the space between the deer's "Achilles" tendons on its back legs and tie rope to either side of the stick, and loop the rope over a sturdy tree branch. This is basically what Chris above has done using a metal pole from what I can tell. Then I use a little strength and body weight to hoist the deer up so that its hams are at about the height of my head, and tie the rope off to the tree. If it is cold out and I have time, I'll leave it to hang there for a day so that blood can drain and the muscle fibers can be stretched for tenderness.

But if I've got to get home I go ahead and butcher it on the spot and put all the cuts into ziplock bags. Once home, I put the meat into a few buckets of cold water and let it sit for a day to get most of the blood out of the meat (I got this method from the Firefox books). Then I dry the meat thoroughly and vacuum back it for the freezer (I did not get this from Firefox haha). However you do it, I think the most important thing is to take your time, be safe and careful, and enjoy bringing your own truly organic, free-range food to the table.

mr phil · Oct 6, 2014

rgramjet said:
I drag my deer to a hill, head side up. Let's the innards flow with gravity.

My primary goal is to let the meat cool asap.

My $.02

This .

TwinTurboDiesel · Nov 11, 2014

A little late but I made this the other week. Hangs off a hook on our tractor bucket. Lift the bucket, put the safety bar in place so it doesn't creep down and start the process.

somdfisher · Nov 11, 2014

I gut in the woods and if I need to rinse, my property is surrounded by a decently deep stream, but it's only 150-250 yards from the house so I can usually get them to the house to rinse with the hose pretty quick. I hoist them with a 6' rope with a clip on one side and an old horseshoe peg tied to either side, then I lift them with my bucket truck. I can adjust the height with a flick of a switch.

possumman · Nov 13, 2014

An old swing set works great- and the kids can use it in the summer.

Deer skinning/gutting hoist

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