Anyone use a portable game hoist?

[chas0218]

9 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

It's personal preference but I don't agree with your blade length comments for me. 4" blade does it all and once the chunks are on the cutting board I can fillet off all the membrane/silverskin just like skinning a fish fillet using my fillet knife. 

Do you hang yours without the hide before butchering? I'm just curious because when you do the silverskin turns hard and comes off easily almost like filleting a fish like you mentioned. Have you tried removing the silver skin before removing the meat from the deer? Obviously there are some times when you have to do it after removing a chunk. The 8" knife is purely for removing the meat from the bone. The 2" blade in the video will took him 4 to 5 swipes before actually getting the meat removed from the bone. Like I said 1 swipe and less than 2 seconds and it's off with the larger blade. Also it's a lot easier to follow that bone with a longer blade and not trying to bury half your hand into the meat searching for it. The 4" you use would be fine long as it keeps an edge, I have found the longer blade keeps an edge better.

Everyone has their own way of doing it, my father in law cut meat for 30 years and minus the burger he can have an entire deer butchered and trimmed and bagged in less than an hour where it takes me about 3x as long. I used to be able and play dumb and he would take over and I would just bag and seal that doesn't work anymore. And no matter how hard I try when we hang deer next to each other and "Race" he always ends up finishing way before me and he makes it look effortless. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

8 minutes ago, chas0218 said:

Do you hang yours without the hide before butchering? I'm just curious because when you do the silverskin turns hard and comes off easily almost like filleting a fish like you mentioned. Have you tried removing the silver skin before removing the meat from the deer? Obviously there are some times when you have to do it after removing a chunk. The 8" knife is purely for removing the meat from the bone. The 2" blade in the video will took him 4 to 5 swipes before actually getting the meat removed from the bone. Like I said 1 swipe and less than 2 seconds and it's off with the larger blade. Also it's a lot easier to follow that bone with a longer blade and not trying to bury half your hand into the meat searching for it. The 4" you use would be fine long as it keeps an edge, I have found the longer blade keeps an edge better.

Everyone has their own way of doing it, my father in law cut meat for 30 years and minus the burger he can have an entire deer butchered and trimmed and bagged in less than an hour where it takes me about 3x as long. I used to be able and play dumb and he would take over and I would just bag and seal that doesn't work anymore. And no matter how hard I try when we hang deer next to each other and "Race" he always ends up finishing way before me and he makes it look effortless. 

we don't typically hang deer long but if they are up the hide is on. 

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, chas0218 said:

Not a bad video but 3 things, he shouldn't be recommending.

First the size of the blade. I use an 8" scimitar style blade for removing meat. He takes many short strokes with his knife where I take one stroke and the meat is off the bone. The longer blade allows you reduce your cutting time. I  use my 6" semi flexible boning knife to remove the sinu on the exterior of the meat. Do this while hanging and it will save you from trying to hold a slippery piece of meat down on a cutting board. Also the bigger knife allows you to get your hands away from each other. I don't have huge hands but trying to manuever around the hind quarters with my hands close together is cumbersome and likely to cut yourself easier.

2nd remove the front shoulders and continue to remove the back strap up to the neck. Stopping early at the back of the front shoulder wastes the last 3 inches of backstrap. 

3rd The connective tissue he continues to reference isn't connective tissue. The connective tissue is the stuff they zoom in on at 5:01, don't grind that or leave it on the meat to eat. You won't be able to chew it and plug up your grinder.

The muscles in a deer are different than those in a cow being that they are not grouped as one they are more smaller pieces of muscle you could say. I would recommend taking the pieces as one big chunk and tying together with butchers twine when doing roasts. Your meat will dry out quickly being that the fat isn't impregnated in the meat like beef if left in long thinner strips than larger round chunks.

There are different methods and none of them wrong. The point about his short knife is that he is pulling away the muscles and only needs short little cuts to help it peel. I personally use my buck knife which is 4 or 5" i think. It's a ford or chevy thing in my opinion. I use my fillet for cutting up the roasts once it's off the deer and on the cutting board. 

also you need a better grinder. I've sent more than what I should have through mine and it's never had an issue. 

Edited October 27, 2017 by Belo

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, chas0218 said:

I'm so doing this on a beam. So it can double for pulling motors.

just be sure you're spanning joists and also pick the spot where your trusses tie into the joists. This is only a 440lb because i want to be sure i don't stress too much. Anything of serious weight should really have some reinforcement done, and will need attic access. 

[Five Seasons]

14 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

we don't typically hang deer long but if they are up the hide is on. 

same. never hang a deer with the hide off. it'll dry out the meat and expose the meat to bacteria. Nothing wrong with hanging a deer to let it age (if you know what you're doing), but keep the hide on, or the meat in a temp/humidity controlled environment. 

[wolc123]

I prefer to age them by hanging in my insulated garage, with the hide on, but only do that when the predicted daily high temperature over the 1-2 week aging period is less than 55 degrees.   The hide not only keeps the meat from drying out, but it also insulates against daily temperature fluxuations (too cold at night or too hot at midday).  (3) years ago we had nearly perfect aging temperatures from the rut to Christmas.   The last two years, the "deer" fridge did most of the aging.   This year is shaping up to be more of the same.   

12 minutes ago, Belo said:

same. never hang a deer with the hide off. it'll dry out the meat and expose the meat to bacteria. Nothing wrong with hanging a deer to let it age (if you know what you're doing), but keep the hide on, or the meat in a temp/humidity controlled environment. 

 

[chas0218]

I hang mine and age them hide off but wrapping in the cheese cloth/game bag. In the fall when temps don't drop low for long periods at a time I don't dare leave the hide on. Usually I will age mine 3 days temps permitting.

1 hour ago, Belo said:

There are different methods and none of them wrong. The point about his short knife is that he is pulling away the muscles and only needs short little cuts to help it peel. I personally use my buck knife which is 4 or 5" i think. It's a ford or chevy thing in my opinion. I use my fillet for cutting up the roasts once it's off the deer and on the cutting board. 

also you need a better grinder. I've sent more than what I should have through mine and it's never had an issue. 

No doubt, my grinder doesn't clog though. The plates will usually clog before the grinder. The pork fat usually makes a mess of the knives. The grinder is from the 50s weighs about 150lbs. and is 220V.

Edited October 27, 2017 by chas0218