butchering

[00buck]

hello just wanted some pointers as i am going to try to cut my own deer up this year not really sure where to start any advice will help

[Toke2]

If I harvest a deer... I too would like to learn to do this on my own. For a couple of reasons: want to make sure I get the meat from MY harvest... I don't want to PAY someone else...AND you never know how "sanitary" someone else is while processing your meat unless you watch. I have never done it myself... watched a couple of times - but I did see several good "how to to's" on YOUTUBE today. I would start there....
Videos are helpful.... Good Luck.

[Bambislastbreath]

go slow and take ur time......make sure ur knife is sharper than sharp...i mean beyond shaving sharp.....its not that hard but it can be trickt if you have never done it before, the colder the deer, the easier it is imo

[MQ1]

Put this name in the search on YOUTUBE " How to butcher a deer at home part 1 " by user williescountrymeats

[Big_Holla]

There are a lot of good video's on YouTube that will help, just look for the ones that show you how to de-bone the meat. When it comes to cutting up the muscles it is best to try to work your fingers between the muscle parts and separate them from each other. Trim off any fat or silvery (sinew) coatings as that is the stuff that will make your venison taste like crap. Yeah, you will have decent size chunks of meat that end up pretty small once you do that but it is necessary to have a good end product. Once you do that then it will be up to you on how you cut steaks. If I have a long chunk of meat that isn't very big around I often do butterfly steaks which is you cut about 3/4-1 inch wide, most of the way through, and then move over and cut another 3/4-1 inch wide all the way through. Now you just took a small chunk of meat that may fall thru the grill and made it twice the size.

Scraps just put in a bowl and have them ground for burger.

Lately we have been leaving backstraps whole and cutting them about 8 inches long. You wrap that sucker in bacon, marinade in Italian dressing and throw it on the grill and you will know why!

Wrapping is most important. The best do it yourselfer way is using a vacuum sealer IMO. Second best way is to wrap the amount of steaks you want in plastic wrap first, getting all the air out, then wrap tight in freezer paper.

[gonehunting 45]

I've wanted to do my own for awhile. Never took the chance didn't want to screw up the meat.I bought a video on how to and still not sure of it. Anyone close to Columbus that gets a deer and wouldn't mind someone looking over your shoulder while you butcher your deer give me a call. lol

[00buck]

yeah i am not far from columbus just north and about 10 mins from cardinal center campgrounds would like to watch possibly help some one do this as i also dont want to screw up my meat

[mrbb]

well to be honest, if you plan to do a de bone cut, its kind of easy
I am a frim believer in as fast as possible to cut it up after a kill, I don't hang and age meats
weather is just not stable in my eye's to do so, and don't have a set up to do correctly

my suggestion is simple
hang deer by back legs, skin, and start on front legs remove one at a time

having lots of CLEAN large plastic containers makes life a lot easier
like one for ground meats, one to put in for roast, one for prime cuts, steaks chops tenderloin
and a BIG one or two for scraps, fat, bones hide, that one will get the most stuff

then you can cut quarters and seperate the cuts in containers as you do each container
then come time to wrap you can do that much faster

having a place to hang where you can hose it down will make life a ton easier too, both to process and to clean up

as for tips,
I know many folks that skin there deer, then use a small propane torch to remove small hairs, a fast once over will get a LOT more than anyother way, the trick is to go fast enought to burn the hairs but not cook the meat

second tip, I know many guys that wrap there cuts in clear plastic wrap, TWICE, then the freezer paper, it keeps a lot better that way
But a vaccum sealer is the way to go , if you have the coin! there a good investment, but if you buy Buy a GOOD one that is made for wet things, or you will be buying a second better one later on, best to suck up the hit on the first try, than buying two,!

its really not that hard, and to be honest hard to screw up
you cut it how you want, doesn't have to look pretty, still eats the same

after you do a couple it gets easier and easier
plus if you own your own lands or have access to private lands, the scraps can make a good coyote site for a trail cam, or hunting if legal to do so!
good luck

[tim1676]

Put this name in the search on YOUTUBE " How to butcher a deer at home part 1 " by user williescountrymeats

Great video series for learning how to butcher a deer

[Big_Holla]

The doe my daughter shot last year we had done simply because we didn't have the time to do it ourselves. You don't know how many times I cussed out the processing place on their version of a "deboned cut". They did debone it but running it through a saw after and leaving every last bit of fat and sinew on it just makes it a task to do. Nothing like pulling out venison from the freezer that is already trimmed and ready to go. Do it before you cut into steaks and freeze and you will know how much easier it is in the long run.

[Big_Holla]

Here is an old link I found on here someone shared before to a YouTube video. Decent for getting the big parts cut off. For me the backstraps are the first to get taken off and if you use a fillet knife it will make it easier.



http://youtu.be/uzYGBNDc_xU


Here is the thread on here (BHO) from year's past:

http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/showthread.php/13963-Deer-Processing?highlight=processing

[gonehunting 45]

Thanks for all the great information, links and know how. Will definitely be putting it to use.

[Genesis 9:3]

I used this video (https://secure.kentucky.gov/Mall/Store/7803440a42df458c815d9db55890b738/Product/5ec5d4530c384a58af441a914bf23317/)with wonderful results! Kentucky Afield, field to freezer. You can find a few cuts of it on the net here and there, but it's worth the $ to have on hand.

A food sealer/vacuum sealer is VERY nice to have when processing as well. In regard to a meat grinder... I dropped some pretty pennies on an American made hand crank grinder... search for a Choprite. Expensive, but wow!

[00buck]

I have the vacuum sealer no grinder yet and it really doesnt look hard but just how long does it take to hang to the freezer to finish butchering it

[Genesis 9:3]

Since no one else has answered, I'll chime in. When I shoot a deer, I gut it and take it home and hang it using ratchet straps and a steel bar through the legs. Maybe 2hrs later, if I'm lucky, the meat is in a cooler with ice. It sits there for up to 2wks while I work on processing it. It may take me 8hrs to do the entire deer from that point, but I spend a lot of time getting set up and cleaning up too. I'm sure if I tried to do it all in one day it could take 4-6hrs depending on size and cleaning the grinder afterwards.

[tim1676]

Another good youtube set of videos is from: ikesoutdoors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXmvs_YLEno

[BowGuy2]

For one I think that u freaking out about getting ur harvest I know for a fact that they make sure u only get your meat more than u no the place I worked when I was younger freaked out about that u had to be all the way sure. And the sanitary reason if they are licensed then the health depart ment shows up around 15 times a year un expectedly so u bet ur ass that they go by the book or they would have been shut down already. Ya there are some places that are slummy right when u get there but them are the places that u see u don't want ur deer done. The place I take mine is always very clean. Doing it your self In my opinion is easy quartering it out is a breeze iv watched a lot of old timers do it and I feel that they sometimes make it harder than it needs to be. Biggest key so u don't get pissed off half way thru have a very very very sharp knife and a knife sharpener if u have a sharp knife it's a breez

[Big_Holla]

The cost is simply the reason why I try to always butcher my own. Well, that and when I put a pack of meat in the freezer it is completely trimmed and ready to go the day I take it out. The two deer my daughter and I got a couple weeks ago I skinned both and had them quartered, the carcasses trimmed completely and in the fridge in about 5 hours. Over the next week I probably put 20 hours of work into them cutting off the bone, trimming all the fat and sinew off, grinding burger and packaging. Used the vacuum sealer and that saved a lot of time. Box of bags @ $22 and I had both done with enough bags to do another deer. VS. $85 per deer with packages I would have to thaw and trim before using. Well worth my money and effort.

[rednecklb69]

I butcher my own also. The wife and I shoot to many deer to pay and also I like the peace of mind knowing it was cleanly done and its my actual deer meat I am getting back. I have also noticed that when i eat deer someone paid to have done, it usually leaves a weird film on the top of my mouth.