If You Butcher Your Own Deer.....

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Started cutting up my own years back out of necessity. I shot more than I could afford to get processed. Like Larry said, you can't screw it up to badly. No one ever showed me how to do it, Dad and our group always took them somewhere but we never took many deer each year. a couple deer split between 4-5 of us was the usual so butchering costs weren't too bad. 

You can do it anywhere from the field on the ground to in a fancy butchering room with electric hoists. Sanitation and cooling the meat is the key in my mind. 

I've done deer, caribou and bear, all pretty similar except the fat on a bear sucks to deal with.  

[Jeremy K]

6 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

Started cutting up my own years back out of necessity. I shot more than I could afford to get processed. Like Larry said, you can't screw it up to badly. No one ever showed me how to do it, Dad and our group always took them somewhere but we never took many deer each year. a couple deer split between 4-5 of us was the usual so butchering costs weren't too bad. 

You can do it anywhere from the field on the ground to in a fancy butchering room with electric hoists. Sanitation and cooling the meat is the key in my mind. 

I've done deer, caribou and bear, all pretty similar except the fat on a bear sucks to deal with.  

Did you keep the bear fat? A recent joe rogan episode the guy he was interviewing brought him a jar of bear fat for cooking . He made it out to be the best thing ever for cooking with? 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

2 minutes ago, Jeremy K said:

Did you keep the bear fat? A recent joe rogan episode the guy he was interviewing brought him a jar of bear fat for cooking . He made it out to be the best thing ever for cooking with? 

it needs to be rendered so no but my grandfather use to swear by it for leather boot waterproofing. It basically melts with just the temps from your hands. 

[JJBat150]

When I was 13 or 14 years old, myself, father and older brother would butcher any deer we could lay hands on...   Anyone from our hunting group, neighbors, we'd even go around and get road kill if it wasn't too messy (it was nice being knowing all the local deputies).     

As life when on, I've had a part in butchered pigs, cows, bison, and all kinds of game animals / birds / fish. Over the years, I've paid someone else a few times to butcher a deer for me, but it wasn't the norm - usually some odd-ball reason for it.  (like leaving the next day for a 14 day trip for work).  So I'm comfortable with the process and know my way around the different cuts of meat.

My 23 year old daughter hunts with me - She's a LMT and has a pretty extensive biology background and not at all afraid of field dressing or butchering, so now she helps with the process.

[Gobbler Chaser]

6 hours ago, wolc123 said:

I only attempted the Texas heart shot one time, on that Adirondack 6-point buck back in 2016.  There is not much room for error on that shot.  Fortunately, the Good Lord was with me, and my 150 gr, Federal classic 30/06 bullet struck right on the mark, from a 50 yard range.

The fact that the buck was standing still, and I had a very good rest, no doubt contributed to the precise bullet placement.  

Walking up to that steaming  DRT carcass, I was anticipating a messy gut job.  That certainly would have happened, if the bullet missed the mark by more than 1/8" in any direction, according to several others here who had near misses on caribou and such (pygmy, buckmaster, etc).

As fate would have it, that turned out to be the cleanest gut job that I ever had on a deer, and even the butt-out worked just as it should.   I did loose the neck roast, due to meat damage caused by the bullet exiting the front of the buck.

Thanks for bringing my Texas heart shot up again Chef.  It always brings back nice memories of a beautiful place, coupled with Jesus Christ blessing me with the best shot that I ever made on a deer.

It was good for 10 or so pages back in 2016,  but it has been like a gift that keeps on giving, thanks to you and several other of the wonderful members here.  May the Good Lord bless you with a great deer season this year.  

 

 

The good Lord was with you in shooting a deer in the Keister, LMAO!!

[crappyice]

The good Lord was with you in shooting a deer in the Keister, LMAO!!

The Good Lord works in mysterious ways!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wolc123]

2 hours ago, Gobbler Chaser said:

The good Lord was with you in shooting a deer in the Keister, LMAO!!

Yes, just as He has with every other living thing on which I have assisted in it's trip to Heaven (mankind's food supply).   You can look that up in the Good book if you cant take my word for it, or just Google "where every sparrow falls".

Deer hunting got a lot easier for me, after I figured that out.  I really aint that great of a shot on my own.  I rarely placed higher than 3rd on our high school rifle team.  It was tough for me, because a couple of good looking girls were our best shooters, and they made it tough for me to concentrate on the targets.

Edited August 25, 2021 by wolc123

[Bolt action]

When I started out i would average a deer each year and drop it off at the local shop. It's what the guys who showed me how to hunt did, and so I just accepted it. Over the years though, processors became a little harder to find (Monroe county) and I was getting more and more curious about processing my own. I don't have much of a yard. No trees to hang a deer from. And only a 1 car garage (full of kayaks, bikes, junk, etc..), so finding a clean place to butcher them was a challenge. Then a few years back I decided to take the plunge. I shot 2 or 3 that year and didn't want to pay the $80 apiece to have someone else do it. I made a space and hung them in my garage. It was cold enough that I wasn't worried about temps. I'd go out after work, cut off another quarter and bring it in the kitchen to break down and package. I use a vacuum sealer and haven't found a reason to change that. Before last season I cleared a spot in the garage and put a 36" base cabinet with a 48" top on it. I mounted a shop light over it and one of those long surge strips on the wall. All of my meat processing equip fits nicely in the cabinet and I have a clean, dedicated space to work with. At this point I've probably done a dozen or so. I love the convenience of just dropping it off, but don't know that I'll ever go back (unless circumstances dictate otherwise). Youtube and this forum gave me the confidence to start, and I've learned from experience since then. One good tip - skin them when they're warm! if you wait til they freeze, you've just made a lot more work for yourself!

[mowin]

Started watching my dad butcher his when I was a kid. By the time I was 12 or 13, I was skinning and quartering. Probably processed a few hundred deer, 1/2dz cows, 30+hogs and a few moose(unfortunately none of those were mine). 

Don't mind showing someone how I cut em up. But I don't do others deer for them. When my nephew's started hunting they assumed I'd take care of it for them. They quickly learned different. You kill it, you take care of it or pay someone. They now enjoy the process with me helping and giving them pointers. There getting better at it, and I'm hopeful they get a couple more chances to learn this season. 

We've assembled a decent amount of equipment over the yrs. 

Two #22 grinders, sausage stuffer, cuber, chamber vac sealer and a patty forming machine. Had a band saw, but haven't used it in several years, so that got sold last yr. 

If anyone is in the Albany and east area, and wants some pointer, I'll be glad to help out. 

[wolc123]

57 minutes ago, Bolt action said:

When I started out i would average a deer each year and drop it off at the local shop. It's what the guys who showed me how to hunt did, and so I just accepted it. Over the years though, processors became a little harder to find (Monroe county) and I was getting more and more curious about processing my own. I don't have much of a yard. No trees to hang a deer from. And only a 1 car garage (full of kayaks, bikes, junk, etc..), so finding a clean place to butcher them was a challenge. Then a few years back I decided to take the plunge. I shot 2 or 3 that year and didn't want to pay the $80 apiece to have someone else do it. I made a space and hung them in my garage. It was cold enough that I wasn't worried about temps. I'd go out after work, cut off another quarter and bring it in the kitchen to break down and package. I use a vacuum sealer and haven't found a reason to change that. Before last season I cleared a spot in the garage and put a 36" base cabinet with a 48" top on it. I mounted a shop light over it and one of those long surge strips on the wall. All of my meat processing equip fits nicely in the cabinet and I have a clean, dedicated space to work with. At this point I've probably done a dozen or so. I love the convenience of just dropping it off, but don't know that I'll ever go back (unless circumstances dictate otherwise). Youtube and this forum gave me the confidence to start, and I've learned from experience since then. One good tip - skin them when they're warm! if you wait til they freeze, you've just made a lot more work for yourself!

It definitely saves time to skin them warm, but I only do that when it is too warm to age the carcasses in my insulated garage.  In that case, leaving the skin on insulates the meat against too high (above 50 F) or too low (below 32 F) temperatures.  It also keeps the meat from drying out too much over the aging period.  The time to age the carcass, in order to get past rigor mortis, is about a week for an average adult deer.  6 month fawns (our favorites)  can be cut up right away and older deer benefit from longer aging.

When the outside temps are too high for hanging in my insulated garage, I skin them warm, and hang on my old, non frost free "deer fridge".  They dont dry out in there, even with the skin off for a week or more.

To split up the butchering work a little, I skin the aged carcasses on one week night, then trim away all the accessible external fat (takes a while on does especially).  The following week night, I debone the carcass, grind as needed, and package.  They dont dry out too much overnight with the skin off.  My wife sometimes helps out with the packaging and cleanup.

I use zip lock bags rather than than a vacuum sealer on the first deer every season, because it is usually gone in a couple months, so vacuuming would be a waste of time and money.

Edited August 25, 2021 by wolc123

[Lawdwaz]

13 hours ago, Gobbler Chaser said:

I butcher them right where they fall in the woods. One slice thru the skin right down the back. Peel the skin down and remove the shoulders first and then remove the straps. Then roll the deer on it's back and remove one hindquarter at a time.  I Go home get the ATV and load the hindquarters in a milk crate that's bungied to my quad then throw the straps in a bag and throw them in there also. Takes exactly 20 mins. When I get to the barn I hang the quarters and detail butcher them in my spare time, usually let them hang for a week. I have no use for anything below the straps. Don't eat shoulder meat.

I used to spend untold hours moving and processing deer in my barn, then carting skin, bones, heads, waste meat back to the woods. Now I go gutless and love it. On state land I tie the quarters at the tendons and put the straps into my pack and hike out dragging only the straps in a contractors plastic bag to keep the dirt off em. Simple, Easy

While I "liked" your post I disagree with your not using the shoulders or neck.  If you shoot 3-4 deer a year you're probably leaving 30 pounds or more (?) of ground venison to critters that didn't earn it.  Man what a shame.......

[ncountry]

19 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

While I "liked" your post I disagree with your not using the shoulders or neck.  If you shoot 3-4 deer a year you're probably leaving 30 pounds or more (?) of ground venison to critters that didn't earn it.  Man what a shame.......

100% I missed that. That is being pretty conservative.  There is a lot of meat in the shoulders and neck. Heck , I may have shot bucks with 30#s of meat in neck and shoulders.

Burger,sausage,stew, etc..

Edited August 26, 2021 by ncountry
Missed#

[moog5050]

21 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

While I "liked" your post I disagree with your not using the shoulders or neck.  If you shoot 3-4 deer a year you're probably leaving 30 pounds or more (?) of ground venison to critters that didn't earn it.  Man what a shame.......

Neck roast is my favorite cut -  seriously.     Crock pot that for 8-10hrs and it’s silky and falling apart.  

[Lawdwaz]

12 minutes ago, ncountry said:

100% I missed that. That is being pretty conservative.  There is a lot of meat in the shoulders and neck. Heck , I may have shot bucks with 30#s of meat in neck and shoulders.

Burger,sausage,stew, etc..

Mr. Conservative is something I'm not called very often.

I don't know about 30# but the bucks I've killed the past 10 years that broke 200# sure had HUGE necks and shoulders.  Lots of what a good but deceased friend would call "pure sex" when it came to something as special as venison.

 

[wolc123]

21 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

Neck roast is my favorite cut -  seriously.     Crock pot that for 8-10hrs and it’s silky and falling apart.  

There are a few cuts that I like better, like tenderloins (fillet mignon), and back-straps, but the bone-in neck roast is very good.  We also do it in the crockpot. 

I used to waste time trying to trim burger meat from the neck, cutting out and around all the fat, bone and tendons.  Just lopping it off, and leaving most of that stuff in, adds flavor to the gravy after 8 hours in the crockpot. I throw a can of cream of mushroom soup and a half can of water in with it.

With a gun, I now finish off spined does and button bucks with a head shot, rather than a neck shot, just to save the neck roast.  The only downside from my 2016 Texas heart shot (which Chef was kind enough to bring up yet again today) was the loss of the neck roast. 

 

Edited August 26, 2021 by wolc123

[crappyice]

Same guy I recommended earlier on a Hind quarter now doing the front shoulder…great steaks in there on large deer and the Osso Buco….mouth watering!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SportsmanNH]

9 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

Neck roast is my favorite cut -  seriously.     Crock pot that for 8-10hrs and it’s silky and falling apart.  

Neck roast is the only roast I have the butcher make for me. And it is so tender and superb tasting. The rest of the meat I have it cut to chops , steaks, backstraps , Italian sweet sausage, some garlic and cheese sausage, and hamburger. I used to cut up my own deer. Now I just have the slaughter house do it. It actually tastes better to me. Much more tender. He hangs all deer in a temp controlled cooler for 7-8 days and actually likes to hang fresh harvested ( shot that day or the day before ) for close to 10 days. I have everything vacuum packed and that makes a huge difference also in longevity of freshness . 

[Lawdwaz]

1 hour ago, SportsmanNH said:

Neck roast is the only roast I have the butcher make for me. And it is so tender and superb tasting. The rest of the meat I have it cut to chops , steaks, backstraps , Italian sweet sausage, some garlic and cheese sausage, and hamburger. I used to cut up my own deer. Now I just have the slaughter house do it. It actually tastes better to me. Much more tender. He hangs all deer in a temp controlled cooler for 7-8 days and actually likes to hang fresh harvested ( shot that day or the day before ) for close to 10 days. I have everything vacuum packed and that makes a huge difference also in longevity of freshness . 

He must have a hell of a big cooler…..

[2012_taco]

I read that a lot of the self butchers use the vacuum pack, I don't because after 2-3 deer it would start to get costly for those specific bags. Granted it's still cheaper than paying a processor. I bought a huge roll of plastic wrap from BJ's probably 3 years ago and still have not used it up. For the roasts, straps ,and tenderloins I double wrap them with the plastic wrap and then wrap in freezer paper and label them. They last a long time w/o any freezer burn. The ground I just double wrap in the plastic and put in the freezer.  I go through the ground much faster making jerky, snack sticks, and experimenting with sausage. I do have a food saver and use it a lot freezing leftovers, cooked chicken, and other meals that are easily thawed for a quick dinner and even better on a camping trip as they keep great in the cooler.

[Gobbler Chaser]

7 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

While I "liked" your post I disagree with your not using the shoulders or neck.  If you shoot 3-4 deer a year you're probably leaving 30 pounds or more (?) of ground venison to critters that didn't earn it.  Man what a shame.......

Not big on neck meat, something about yellow grissle that doesn't sit well with me. Shoulder meat is all sinew tendons and silverskin, also not for me. I do fillet my straps up pretty far on the neck but don't like the stuff up higher. I went gutless several yrs back and it's alot less work and works for me

[Gobbler Chaser]

12 hours ago, wolc123 said:

Yes, just as He has with every other living thing on which I have assisted in it's trip to Heaven (mankind's food supply).   You can look that up in the Good book if you cant take my word for it, or just Google "where every sparrow falls".

Deer hunting got a lot easier for me, after I figured that out.  I really aint that great of a shot on my own.  I rarely placed higher than 3rd on our high school rifle team.  It was tough for me, because a couple of good looking girls were our best shooters, and they made it tough for me to concentrate on the targets.

So your telling me that the Good Lord in all his greatness and with all he has to contend with on a daily basis with humanity, pestilence, starvation, greed etc had the time to assist you with putting a bullet up a deers ass? Just wanna get this straight

[SportsmanNH]

7 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

He must have a hell of a big cooler…..

Actually Lawd its an operating slaughterhouse , meat processing and packaging plant with 25 employees. They are not coolers. They are  refrigerator rooms with a motorized track with hooks . Quite the operation. He probably processes 800-1000 deer a year. There is a skinning room where the carcass is skinned and labeled with a different colored tag depending how long ago the deer was shot and what condition the deer is in and a processing sheet on how you want the deer cut up.The deer is then put on a hook and sent down the track into the coolers . I have seen them turn deer away that were hanging in someones back yard in the sun in hot weather for days before bringing it in. The deer was already spoiled and smelled and they refused to run it through their machines.   At any given time during the season there will be 100-150 deer hanging in those rooms at a time. The deer operation is on top of the cows, pigs , sheep that are being processed in other parts of the building. 

[wolc123]

3 hours ago, Gobbler Chaser said:

So your telling me that the Good Lord in all his greatness and with all he has to contend with on a daily basis with humanity, pestilence, starvation, greed etc had the time to assist you with putting a bullet up a deers ass? Just wanna get this straight

Not only that, but every sparrow passes from here to eternity just  exactly where and when He chooses.  If you ignore that, you do so at your peril.  

Thanks for bringing up our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ again.   There simply cant be too much of Him on hunting website, where the name of the game is helping the transition of living things from this world to the next.  

I hope you have a great hunting season and that the Man in charge uses you to assist in helping a few "cross over".

Feel free to respond and "bump" Him back up on top to His rightful place and give us a break from all the political bs that seems to be taking over here lately with the lack of any coherent moderation.

The fact that you think He doesn't have time to worry about what happens to a deer indicates that you lack some understanding of what He can do.  I suggest picking up a Bible and reading it.  Start with the gospel of John, then maybe go back to Genesis.

Edited August 26, 2021 by wolc123

[First-light]

My Mom helped me a few times to butcher the deer. She was great. Hand grinder and all. We did a good job!

[Versatile_Hunter]

4 hours ago, Gobbler Chaser said:

Not big on neck meat, something about yellow grissle that doesn't sit well with me. Shoulder meat is all sinew tendons and silverskin, also not for me. I do fillet my straps up pretty far on the neck but don't like the stuff up higher. I went gutless several yrs back and it's alot less work and works for me

You’re missing out! Neck and shoulder are delicious. A slow, low temp braise will dissolve all that connective tissue while keeping the meat moist and flavorful. Even better if you go bone-in and save on the deboning work. I’m making an axis deer blade roast (bone-in shoulder) tonight.