I used to do it by the hind legs. My brother and I each killed a deer one evening and this older man(brothers GFs grandpa) was helping my brother skin his and hanged from the neck. I watched and tried mine that way and will never go back.

+1, I'm a recent convert myself.

always did it by the neck then did it once recently by the hind legs and will never do it by the hind legs again

I always gut on the ground, then hang by the hind legs if possible, but if I only have a rope, I tie it around the neck and hoist em up.

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Your hams never come in contact with blood or crap from a nicked gut when you hang'em by the legs. Keep in mind this is assuming you don't field dress you deer, which I would never do. Hanging by the hind legs also keeps the blood from collecting in the hams and base of the back strap.

What harm comes from blood contact, or for that mater guts? If I spill any guts I just spray the meat off. But I take the back legs off before I open the chest cavity. My deer only hang for a few minutes, even if there is an issue with blood pooling then you will have it pooling in the neck your way. But I don't believe blood pooling has any effect.

For years I have always hung them by the back legs but recently started hanging them by the antlers or neck. Much easier. Most of the time I won't gut - just the quarters and the back straps - really easy.

Pigs are tougher to do.

Hams???? I thought we were talking about deer not pigs...

Back legs from a gambrel.

Hang my hogs and deer by neck.Not sanitary-lol.How you figure when your dropping it all straight out from bottom and no chance running down.Dont leave them hung up long enough for blood to collect in hind quarters.

I've done them both ways, but I mostly prefer hanging by the head.

If I hang them, hang them by the head.

Gerber saws do better on pelvic bones than breaking them...

And at camp, a sawz-all with a pruner blade is even better...

I was told by a friend of mine who has been a butcher for 25 years that you need to let the deer hand from the hing legs because you want the blood to drain away from the rear quarters. He said sometimes alot of blood gets left in the rear quarters and that is were some of the so called gamey taste comes from.

I've always hung them from the hind quarters to skin, I'll have to try the other way with the rock and atv. Do you lose meat with the skin? Is it a one person process?

People that don't gut them lose the heart, liver and most imporantly the tenderloins????

I guess there really isn't a right or wrong way then. As long as you get the meat you want, then it's fine. Like I said, I prefer by the neck when in the woods. I've never really had a problem with blood collecting.

I hang and skin by the legs. If you are going to shoulder mount then you have do it that way anyway. If I am going to 1/4 it right away I do not even gut first. I will remove the guts eventually if the lease manager insists on a field dressed weight. We weight all. To me gutting them is much easier when they are hanging.

I used to gut hanging by hind legs and skin hanging by antlers or neck. I got lazy and decided not to flip it over and do it all hanging from back legs. I use a cordless sawzall to cut off legs and split pelvis. I can have the deer quartered and in an ice chest in 30 minutes while drinking beer. Maybe faster if I didn't drink while doing it. But I take my time no need to rush.

You can hang them by one front and one back leg. It's really easy that way. You should try it sometime.

By the neck unless I want to cape out for a mount....

Buy the neck, and yes the rock and rope trick works great! BUT you have to do it while the carcass is still WARM! if the deer has been down for longer than 45 min. it can be a real pain in the [censored]. I watched a guy do it one time and all he did was cut around all 4 legs just above the knee joint, all the way around the neck, and around the anus. then caped enuff to get rock under hide at the neck and tie rope to it, hooked rope to his truck a SLOWLY backed up! it was just like pealing a banana! I was shocked!

Always have hung by back legs. Sounds like I should try the other way. I don't split the pelvis. After Taking Staps and tenders I Cut base of spine with loppers. Where does the ease of doing head up come from? You still have to spend time on the shoulders, Does it just come straight down the hams so you eliminate the time there?

Unless you want a ticket get teh rib meat, Cost a friend $75 to the state fro wasting deer meat when he not get teh rib meat and a GW saw it.

That trick with truck really does work good . I used to to watch my granddad do it when I was a kid. I use it now and I am 28 yrs old. Been doing it for years.