Should I cut the hooves off before I hang the deer? I plan to skin it while it's hung. Then process, the timeline will depend on the weather. I'm willing to let the deer hang longer if we have cool weather. But again, I'm a novice looking for advice.
Always skin any animal ASAP. I've gone without suppers many times over the years just to skin my late afternoon killed deer. That's how important I think it is to get the job done.
The longer you wait the harder it becomes to remove the animals hide.
In warm temps with humidity>a hide left intact. You chance the animals complete spoiling in two or three days. Overnight: if the animal hasn't been field dressed is a very real possibility.
Once the animals hide had been remove. Its meat will cool quickly.
The proper butchering way is to hang a deer by its
rear legs. How you hang a deer also has allot to do with gravity. Hung by its neck. Loose hair will accumulate on its rear legs. And that's where you cut away some fur to help with field dressing. So that area is exposed to fur sticking. Picking hair after a skinning is a un-welcomed job for anyone. Another reason to hang the animals by its rear legs is having control of its intestines & stomach for those who dress their deer while its hanging.
How you make your starting cuts also makes a difference.
ALWAYS make your starting cuts from under its hide
outwards. Do not cut thru the hair to its hide (by doing so you increase loose hair sticking to you and the deer.)
Easier to remove its front legs after its hung then before.
Advice to those who have little experience with skinning big game: Do not remove the animals rear legs until its skinning is complete.
You also need to remove the animals Esophagus.
FWIW: Buy yourself a good
butchers skinning knife and a pair of decent cut resistant gloves.
Forschner, Mundial, A.G Russell. are all good brands to consider for a knife or two.
Then again don't pass up a good neighborhood garage sale. Reason: You may just find Grampa's carbon steel butchers knife there selling cheap.
BTW: Try using a sawall with a course 4" blade. It's a wonderful tool to have around when Quartering, cutting legs, and thru its neck bones with.