Home Deer processing, need hints

[BLACKJACK]

Shot a deer sat night (see my post on the archery forum), it was getting warm Sun so I recruited a friend to help skin and process it (I've never did it before, had always taken my deer to the butcher shop).

Went ok, the hide came right off, we made some nice steaks out of the backstraps, made some steaks out of the hind quarters, made up some roasts, made up some packets of stew meat, the wife was vacumn packing the cuts as we made them, we've got a bucket of trim to take in but after awhile it seemed like we were just hacking stuff up.

What I'm looking for some hints on how you butcher your deer and keep everything sanitary and how to do it without so much hassle. It seems like it was an all day project by the time we scrubbed up buckets for meat and cutting boards and did the deed and then cleaned up afterwards.

I can see I need to study some charts on where the cuts of meat come from. I also need some bigger cutting boards. Any ideas are welcome. Do you use white wrapping paper or plastic? Where do you draw the line on trimmings, as in how much is tossed in the save bucket vrs the throwaway bucket?

[fivebucks]

Blackjack,
I don't have any special formula. I've been cutting up my deer for 20 years and although it has gotten much easier, it is still a project. Big cutting boards at the right height is the biggest thing. I also keep a bucket of warm water and hand towels handy. I put my steak type cuts in one cooler and my grinding meat in another. I spend more time needed doing this as I like to cut out as much of the fat as possible. If time is a factor I put my scraps (without cleaning the fat off very good) in a bucket and freeze the whole thing and then go back to it when time permits. I like to have a couple of sizes of knives also. The good old fillet knife has cut many of venison steaks for me. Oh, a beer and a football game on the tube usually helps slow my butchering job also.

[BBL Resident]

Congratulations BlackJack, you have just taken the last step of the total hunting experience (processing your own animal). FiveBucks stated two very important items: A tall long table to work from and multiple sized and sharp knives. Our family has been processing our own animals for generations (I probably butchered more deer before age 16 then I will ever shoot in my life time). I am 43 now!
Your first time may have seemed like along time to process your animal, but you will only get better at it.
With 4 guy's we can skin and cut up a deer and have it packaged in an hour and a half (steaks, stew meat and trimmings).
There are some video's available that will give you some hints. You may want to assist a fellow hunter in butchering if they have been doing it for years to get additional ideas. Everyone will choose their steaks, roasts and chops differently and what does into trimmings or is used for stew meat. I think in time you will find a lot of satisfaction in processing your own animal. My family has even stopped taking any trimmings to the butchers to make sausage or pepper sticks or jerky (that can become very expensive).
We grind all our own trimmings and add %50 pork with different seasonings and then pack it into 2lb bags. This can be used as a breakfast sausage patti, also used in chilly, Hamburger Helper, spaghetti and any dish that would use hamburger (this adds a nice flavor).
The only advice I would pass along is that ii you are going to package meat in the white butchers paper (you said you vacuum sealed yours), I would first wrap the meat in a thin plastic wrap to seal out air and seal in the moisture and then use the white paper wrap over the top and tape securely. This allows you to mark your packages easily and will give the meat a longer freezer life.
Again "Congratulations" you will only get better.

Hay, you can come help me cut up my next deer!

[bigbucks]

I've got to cut up a "monster" myself tonight. It's going to be some good eating, but I thought it was considerably bigger than it is. Oh well, lots of tags, I knew it wasn't a buck fawn for sure. Something to do while I watch Monday Night Football & lament dropping to 1-3 in Fantasy Football.

[TomBow]

One tip I would add for warm weather: Get the carcass cooled as soon as possible. I do this first by getting two 5 lb. bags of ice and stuffing them (one in the rib cage, the other between the hind quarters) as soon as possible. After I get my deer in the truck, the first stop is at the gas station to get the ice, the second is to have it registered.

Once I get it home, I skin it ASAP because the hide will hold in a lot of heat. Plus it's alot easier to skin ASAP after the kill. Discard all the fat off the deer because it will break down (rot) first and will taint the meat. Best of Luck to all and good eating!!

[bigbucks]

I usually let mine hang a day or two before processing it, including skinning. I try to rinse it out with the hose, especially if it's warm out. I've never had strong or bad tasting meat as a result of that. I do make sure I hang it in the garage out of the sun.

[uffdapete]

I learned from a professional meatcutter.

There are several good videos available you might want to check out.

Here's a site that might be also be helpful:
http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/wildlife/g279.htm

[BLACKJACK]

BBL, I'd volunteer to come and help you process a deer and learn in the process! I see by your profile that you're from St. Cloud, I live 10 miles south of Belgrade, we're about 45 minutes from St. Cloud. What side of St. Cloud do you live on?

[DuluthGuy]

Well, you’re on your way! Some good advice has already been given .

• Wrapping in plastic before Butcher paper is great!
• Bigger cutting boards and table height (for your back)!
• I prefer to cut in the garage on a table.
• If you have an older porous table just wrap some saran wrap over the table to catch the excesses. Or, I have seen some cheap plastic ones @ Sam’s C*** that would just hose off?
• You may want to invest in some huge stainless mixing bowls (give them as a gift to the wife first - nice double bonus points) for the table.
• Grinding up your own is the next step - I am starting an annual potato sausage get together at my house to grind up my deer/duck/whatever this year for sausage, polish, etc. I live in Duluth, you’re invited up to join for the festivities!

B2

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[BBL Resident]

I live on the South side of St. Cloud east of Hwy15 and west of County Rd 75. Are you familiar with any land marks on the south side of St Cloud?

My older son was out last night and saw 21 deer from his stand and could have shot about 7 of them but no big bucks. With the warm weather in the forcast I asked him not to shot any does or small bucks until we are able to hang the deer without the threat of warm weather.
This last weekend we cleaned two Caribou that my Dad and brother brought back from the far north. We made the sasage last night. We have two more to clean sometime soon. These have been quartered already. I would guess you want to see the full process. I am sure that there will be a few deer shot in the next two months. I will let you know.

[mntraveler]

Seeing as this is my first post, I won't give out any unauthorized advertisments. I've been lurking for quite some time now, and this is the first post I've actually been able to add some information to. I cut up deer with a guy that used to be a butcher, but we also got some very valuable information from a video produced out of Superior. If you want more information, send me an email.

[bigbucks]

mntraveler, welcome to the forum officially. Dude you might need to leave your email address for anyone who wants to email you. (I'm just giving you a hard time.) I don't need it as I've butchered many deer myself, including one last night, but for those that might want the info.

[mntraveler]

Sorry, I thought it was in the user profile.

adamsalo at excite dot com

[BLACKJACK]

BBL, not too familiar with St. Cloud, know how to get from Fleet Farm to Gander to Sportsmans Hqrts to Archery Country. I know where 15 is but not 75. If you get something, let me know - I check the deer hunting forums every day - and if I have time I'll come up. But hunting season is heating up, time will be at a premium...

Home email - jrlola at tds dot net

[snowgoose]

This is how I butcher deer.
1. Skin deer ASAP let hang for 2-3 days weather permitting.
2. Get out the plastic table. I use this because it is easy to clean off.
3. Get bucket of water get any hair that is sticking to the meat off.
4. While the deer is hanging, take out the backstrap and tenderloins. Lay them on the table.
5. Take the front shoulders off. This is easy. No bone to cut. Just seperate it from the body. Lay shoulders on table.
6. Cut pelvic bone on hind quarters in half. Then cut up the middle of the spine with a saw. Cut across the body at this point and you should have 2 seperate hind quarters.

I Usually take each quarter and seperate the muscle groups cutting them away from the bone. By cutting out the individual muscles you are taking out most of the fat that makes a deer taste strong.
After I have all of the done I deside what I want to make into steak and what will be turned into sausage. Cut and rap the meat the way you will like to eat it. Get as much fat off as possible.
I always go back to the deer carcass after this and trim the neck and other meat that I can get for scrap.
If the deer has already been scun. I am able to butcher one in 2 hours by myself. My wife does help with the meat wrapping.
I hope this helps.
Snow Goose

[DuluthGuy]

Hey, I thought of another - Blow torch for the hair. I hunted MT with guy and he used a blow torch to zap the loose hair. I am a carefull skinner but that WAS a neat trick...

B2

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