A gambrel for hanging an animal to be butcher or skinned, the gambrel having an adjustable length suspension bar from which lines extend to be wrapped around the legs of the animal to be butchered or skinned. The adjustable length suspension bar consists of one elongated member inserted into another elongated member. Each elongated member has a slot through which each end of a gambrel suspension line is extended into and retained within each elongated member so that the geometry of the gambrel suspension line remains the same when length of the adjustable length suspension bar is changed to accommodate different sized animals.