Abstract: An animal skinner has an animal fastener (2) on a hoist (1) vertically above a skin puller (3) on an upright (4, 17, 20, 23) that supports an animal body (5) and tension intermediate the animal fastener and the skin puller. Preferably the animal fastener includes a hang line (12) having a head loop (8) or a head hook (10) for fastening of a head (11), neck (9) or upper portion of an animal to be skinned while the animal body is being hoisted with the hoist. The hoist is preferably a winch (13), pulley or block and tackle (15). The hoist can have a winch crank (14) accessible conveniently to a person skinning the animal. The skin puller can include skin fasteners (7) on a skin spool (24) onto which skin of the animal body is wound controllably proximate a low portion of the upright while the animal body is being hoisted progressively with the hoist.