butchering your own deer

[woodview]

Anyone know of a good site describing how to butcher your own deer? One with pics would be perfect. I've got a cousin that wants to start doing his own - I talked him through it but it's harder to explain over the phone than you'd think. I've also had a few friends and family who know I do my own come over to see how I do it and I remember starting out with no experience and no one who really showed me how and the first couple were way more complicated than needed. Is there a "how to" forumn? things like butchering, rod building, bow making, etc. would be kind of cool and even though you can probably find that sort of thing online we've got this great site and it seems like a good idea.

Thanks for any replies.

[Gissert]

I picked up a video by Hesselgrave a couple years ago. Gander Mountain has them, and it is excellent.

[Canuck]

Experience is the best teacher in this. I just finished my 2nd deer this afternoon. It takes me approx. 10 to 11 hrs to cut a deer up. That seems long but I do it totally by knife and there is NO bone, sinue or fat. On this deer I ended up with 8 packages of steak, and 9 nice size roasts and about 15 lbs of hamburg and this was from respectful 4 X 4. Oh yes there were 4 neck roasts and 2 packages of ribs.

Take your time and start breaking down the individual muscles. The only steaks I do are from the back strap and fillet. Most of the front shoulders are into hamburg.

I hang my deer for at least 15 days before cutting and have my doe and a friends left to do in a wks or so. It take time but the end result is must rewarding and solid meat.

[MinnesotaMuskie]

Cannuck was right on one everything...my goup did 11 this year. A team effort saves us at least a grand. We end up with better meat as well.

[MrSenarighi]

Does hanging a deer for a certain amount of time actually make a difference in taste? I heard venison does not age, or is there another reason for hanging it? Is there a certain time frame or does it depend on the temp?

[metrojoe]

Do a search for "Venison from the field to the table". The pictures are a little dark and grainy. but there is a lot of good info. I cut and wrapped one with my dad a couple weeks ago and I guess I'd rather pay the fee and wait for the call to come pick it up.

[mntraveler]

Canuck: 10 to 12 hrs...wow...I guess we do a shotty job. Granted there were a few of us processing but we averaged just over an hour per deer, and we did bone them out. Also, we do have a few years practice and an exbutcher on the team so that helps.

[Canuck]

I usually cut 3 deer per year and have done this since about 1980. I am PICKY, I totally de-bone the deer and take the membrane off all of the meat before I tie the roasts.

When we do a moose there are 3 of us and a moose take the 3 of us 2 full days. That includes grinding the hamburg. It might go alittle faster but usually the afternoon causes the refreshments to come out. We make it a fun time.

[Ole1855]

Canuck,

I've butchered my own deer since my brother-in-law taught me back in 1965. We do all our butchering in deer camp so everyone get's in on it, since it's part of the process of deer hunting. My buddy Dave and I always used to get to do the task by ourselves but as we get older the process has become harder so now the whole camp takes part. It took 4 of us 4.5 hours to do 3 deer and yes we take all the fat, tendons, bone and all the nasty stuff off the meat. We however don't do roasts we cut most of the deer up into steaks, chops, stew meat and sausage. You mentioned hanging your deer for 15 days, do you have a walk in cooler?? If not, I can't imagine eating a deer that's hung in the warm weather that we've had for the last several deer seasons!! One of the 3 deer I mentioned that we cut up was dead for one 2 hours when we butchered it, it's way too warm to let them hang for 15 days.

Ole

[Walleye Guy]

Hanging a deer can definitely help the meat. However it is risky. Deer ages well in temperatures between 34-40 degrees. If it is too cold it freezes and if it is too warm too much bacteria forms. Always hang (age) your deer with the hide off.

With the wide swings in temperatures in MN & WI it makes it difficult to hang any deer for a long period without refrigeration.

When in doubt, cut it up as soon as possible.

I skinned and cut up a 130lb. Wisconsin spike buck last Monday in 2.5 hours by myself. No bones, no silver skin, no tendons etc. Everything was either steak, stew or trimmings for sausage. I have done of 50 deer so I have had a little practice.

I would also recommend vacuum sealing the meat. It makes a big difference.

Good luck,

WG

[BLACKJACK]

I might have to look into that video. I butchered my first deer this year, with help from a guy that had done it before, and the biggest challenge was figuring out what muscle groups should be cut up into steak, roasts, stew meat, burger. Of course the backstraps went into steaks but then it was guess and by golly. The second big challenge was keeping everything sanitary and clean. That seemed to be a big chore, lots of washing up before and after the butchering. What do you guys use for a cutting table? If I get another deer bowhunting, I may try to butcher it myself, but theres also something to be said for taking in that brown deer and getting nice white frozen packages back!

[lumpy]

I bought the Hesselgrave video this year and used his system to skin and butcher the deer. It really was a good video, purchased the knife sharpening video too and it was real informative. Have had others do it until last year and this new knowledge has made me appreciate the whole hunting experience more and looking forward for next year. Took me about 3 - 4 hours from start to finish.

[Canuck]

In Canada especially after the BSE incident it has gotten almost impossible to get a commercial locker to hang wild game.

Yes I built a cooler. I took my ice shack which is insulated already. I then bought a koolton (sp) cooler, from a wrecker and placed it on the roof. The past couple of wks I have had to put a small and I mean small heater in the shack over night as it has been getting down in low -teens, tonight it is suppose to be - 16 C. I hve 2 tempature gauges in the shack and keep the temps between -2 C and +2 C that would be about 30 to 34 F. I always take the hide off my meat and wrap them in cheese cloth. You are very correct that one has be careful about the temps because the meat does not age one single bit if it is frozen and if it is too warm, look out you are asking for major health problems. It takes time but my wife and I only eat wild meat and I figure if you shoot it, you eat it. I am retired and have the time to take my time cutting.

I cut the meat in a portion of the garage (3 vehicle) that I set up for working on in the winter. Yes, make sure you keep things clean. I use freezer wrapping paper to cut on. I made a couple of cutting boards and have this set up on a pair of saw horses and some 3/4" plywood. I only do a 1/4 at a time and once the meat is broken down it goes back into the cooler until I am finished cutting, then tie all the roasts at one time. I only do the back straps into steaks and the rest is roasts, and hamburg with usually a couple of packages of stew. I cut the ribs up into about 8 packages for the motherinlaw as well as the neck. She is a fantastic cook and usually makes us a couple good borschs, soups or stews from them. I never used to keep the neck until about 7 yrs ago and now can't believe how much meat is on the neck. Two of my 3 deer were neck shots but there still was lots of meat on the first one and don't see why the last one won't be any different.

Our deer season runs from the end of August until the (this year) 27th Nov. and I believe there still is an area that is open for shotgun. So you see we have temps that vary soooooooooooooo much and hve to be ready for them all.

I sure wish I could be faster in the cutting but and just glad to have the meat. Maybe some day I will get the lead out.

[BLACKJACK]

Canuck, take your time butchering and enjoy the harvest! Don't worry what others have to say! Sounds like you have a good system.

The freezer paper on the table sounds like a good idea. You talked about 'tieing up the roasts'. Do you do that for all the roasts or are you just taking 2-3 1/2 pound chunks and tieing them together? Where do you get the string or netting?

[Canuck]

I tie the chunks together then cut them into about 3 to 4 lb roasts. We have a great meat supply store in Winnipeg and they sell butcher paper, knives twine and stuff to make saugage. I use actual butcher twine as the normal twine usually breaks when you pull the knots tight.

[woodview]

Thanks for the replies, I have to agree with hanging the deer for a bit. I don't have a specially set up cooler so I'm a little wary about the temps, but I hang my deer in the garage and I've found that the temps stay pretty consistent. I'd just found an article regarding hanging your deer and how long, but I'm presently at work and have it on my home computer but here's the lowdown from it --> it's written by a butcher in Ontario who supports the two week hang if you can find a locker that'll take game, you guys are right on with the comments about the temp (I usually don't keep mine up that long because I DEFINATELY don't want to push the issue too much with it going bad but as this butcher states... the better and more expensive meats we buy are aged longer and 'natural' (not sure what was supposed to be implied by meat being aged unnaturally) in fact the best cuts at restaurants hang for 3-4 weeks. I've also butchered deer in the past pretty quickly after shooting them and can't say there was anything wrong how it tasted but one point to make is that you should probably wait at least 24 hrs since it takes about that long for the rig. I forget what it is in the meat that breaks down over time but it's not a 'controlled rot' - the biggest thing I've noticed as far as the taste is that the roasts are better, but that may have a bit to do with Theresa being a far better cook than I am.

I think I'm a bit of a slow-poke when it comes to the butchering but I just did another one for a friend and had a couple of guys over to check it out (it's a whole lot more enjoyable watching someone else doing the skinning ) - gotta say it's 4 times faster with an extra person there helping.

ps anyone seen the pic of the mountain lion stalking the deer that was caught on the gameviewer camerra? pretty crazy - i'll post it if I remember when I get home tomorrow

[BLACKJACK]

Bought that Hesselgrave video over the weekend and viewed it. It at least gave me a better idea where the different cuts of steaks and roasts come from. Now I need to get another deer to practice on!

[NELS-BELLS]

Is it best to hang your deer head up or head down? Or doesn't it matter? Also, how important is it to get all of the membrane and tendons cut off each little peice of meat if it is just going in the scrap meat pile for sausage?

[Canuck]

Nels-Bell: I don't think it matters if U hang it from the head or hind legs. I hang mine from the hind hocks because that is how I have always seen cattle butchered and I find it works for me. I just came in from the garage and have my last deer (4) cut. All I have to do tomorrow is grind the hamburg. It sure is nice to have it done. I can tell U that when I was tying the roast tonight the string was cutting into the meat so I am pretty sure it will be tender. Must go and pour a drink and toast the meat, (any excuse).

[Mark Christianson]

Hey Canuck

Off topic, but when are you having an FM deer hunt up there next fall?? Kiddin'...

Did you bag a biggun this year?

We always hang ours from the hind legs too. Is it easier then hanging and butchering from the head/front legs???

No clue, I have only done it hanging from the back legs, and it seems to work pretty good.

[Gissert]

We've butchered with them hanging from the head and from the rear hocks. I don't think it really matters.

If you watch the Hesselgrave video, he butchers them on a tabletop once the hide is off.

[Swamp Scooter]

I cut up 9 deer this year. The most was three at a time. It took about 1.5 hours onaverage foreach deer to cut and wrap them. Now that the season is over it istime to weigh out the trim and get it made up in to sausage.

time to think about fishing again, for a while!