butchering a deer

[cdub]

For grinding keep an eye on the buy&sell. I got mine for 300 and it does about 1500lbs/hr if you needed to(dont buy a cheap electric one). I got my sausage stuffer from stuffers and it is the 5lb size that makes all my sausage.

[Caveman]

Used to cut all of my own meat, but I own a quad now so I guess I'm getting to be a lazy hunter now so I only cut the deer now. Fully de-boned, mostly steak right down to the medallion sizes. Tried my own sausages, but wasn't too crazy about the outcome so I leave that to the pro's. Freezer bags and freezer paper together and the meat will last ages. I make my own marinades and soak a good steak over night and even the fussyest eaters will eat wild meat,and love it, besides if you're waiting for a beef steak in my house you may as well be a vegetarian. That's what the steak houses are for.

[pmj]

[quote=moosehunter12]We don't have a cooler to hang it in so we would just hang it in the garage. How could we keep it cool.[/quote]
Those who have winter don't laugh, we get desparate in the lower mainland. I have a detached garage. It has good insulation. I put cardboard over the windows and I have a fan set up in one window. I use the fan to draw in the cold air at night when it is the coolest and turn it off in the morning. I remove the attic access hatch. The hot air rises and goes out the access hatch. I plan on putting a bathroom type fan with a timer in the ceiling. This will work even better as it will suck out hot air from the ceiling and cold air will come in through an open window or a supply air vent at floor level at opposite (north or east) end of garage from fan. I also have a temperature gauge on the wall so I know where I am at. With the system working, I can keep the garage close to the low night time temperature.

[pmj]

I have always cut up my own deer or moose. Learned from my father who grew up on a farm. I only take the small pieces and the tough ones with lots of the white sinue(?) to be ground up by a sausage maker who charges next to nothing to make hamburger. With a moose there is enough small tough stuff for hamburger and sausage. I can do a small deer myself. When butchering the last moose we got there was 5 of us, two cutting three wrapping. Took two long evenings. We label almost everything roasts, you can cut it up for what you want when you cook it. The better parts we label #1. The smaller packages can be shaved for pan fry, cut into stew or even sweet and sour moose! Wrapped the hamburger after it came back from the sausage maker. Tough part in lower mainland, where to get rid of the bones and trimings.

[NEEHAMA]

lot's of fans. the more the marrier.

[dawn2dusk]

I got my first deer this year and butchered myself. I understand what marc and other say about this being apart of the hunting experience. I spent many hours after the kill dressing, skinning, hanging, and then trimming and butchering. Spent alot of time with that carcass, makin sure no spoilage or waste. I think it builds a better connection from a living animal to meat on the table, and something about respecting the animal. I also liked the fact that I know exactly how the meat was treated. And finally, I dont like to pay someone to do what I can do myself. I could see next time I would be alot quicker at it. Although my above statements could all be out the window if I bag a moose next week and butcher it. It looks like alot of meat/work.


I vacumn sealed all the prime cuts as roasts. And then a scraped any little bits of carcass or tough parts and ground up and vacumn sealed.

I think all hunters should try butcherin themselves at least once. Just for the experience.

[MichelD]

Cut it myself.

Roasts, strip loins, ribs, brisket, stew (two grades) burger, soup bones and shanks (whole).

I cut roasts off the hindquarters, label it top, middle or bottom rump, which is technically incorrect in butcher speak, then they can be roasted or in the case of the middle and top parts, sliced into steaks on thawing. I find the meat keeps better in big pieces, particularly if you have a roast that gets lost inthe bottom of the deep freeze. I've got a two-year old roast that is going to be steaked up pretty soon so I can start eating the fresh stuff.

I freeze the loins in chunks too, to be sliced into chops later.

Not fond of the way sausage is prepared by butchers really, I find every sausage I've ever tried no matter who did it to taste like the garlic ring from Safeway.

I like my deer meat to taste like venison and I'm not a big sausage or pepperoni eater anyway.

If they could make it dried, natural tasting and fat free like the French butchers make it in Europe, then I might be convinced.

[Schmaus]

Those who have winter don't laugh, we get desparate in the lower mainland. I have a detached garage. It has good insulation. I put cardboard over the windows and I have a fan set up in one window. I use the fan to draw in the cold air at night when it is the coolest and turn it off in the morning. I remove the attic access hatch. The hot air rises and goes out the access hatch. I plan on putting a bathroom type fan with a timer in the ceiling. This will work even better as it will suck out hot air from the ceiling and cold air will come in through an open window or a supply air vent at floor level at opposite (north or east) end of garage from fan. I also have a temperature gauge on the wall so I know where I am at. With the system working, I can keep the garage close to the low night time temperature

Thats funny most of the deer that hang in my garage in late October or November I have to start the fireplace to thaw them out before butchering.

[quadrakid]

i,ve never tried butchering but my try it on a blacktail after watching a video on the net, didn,t look too difficult. i,ll see if i can find the site,i think it,s put out by state of pennsylvania.

[3kills]

butchering a deer is pretty easy...the first time u do it can be time consuming but whatever right grab a couple beer and a buddy or two and go at er....if any one ever needs and tips or advice or want to know proper nomenclature (sp) of cuts let me know and i will help ya out....