deer proccessing

[seller]

is there a video or a link on how to proccess your own deer. what part of the deer is the best?

[VT Outdoorsman]

You can go on Youtube and find some basic videos on gutting a deer. I would reccomend talking to a fellow hunter who has done it before, and even possibly hunting with a friend or someone to see how it is done in person. In terms of what is the best part of a deer...one word: Backstraps. These are essentially the "filets" of venison. But seriously all the meat is good, when taken care of properly, and prepared in the right way.

[seller]

are the backstraps the meat that is along the spine? do you have to freeze the meat to kill any bacteria?

[VT Outdoorsman]

Here is a link that has a good diagram of where the different cuts of meat come from on the deer. http://www.best-venison.com/processing.html In terms of killing bacteria....no it is not nescessery to freeze the meat to kill the bacteria. The deer should be gutted as soon as possible after the kill and the chest cavity proped open to promote faster cooling of the meat. You should not let the deer get warm at all...this will spoil the meat. Often keeping the meat cool is not a concern due to cool temperatures during the hunting season, but this is not always the case. Keep in mind that you will probably need to freeze most of the meat if it is not consumed soon after the deer is cut up so it wont spoil in the fridge. Hope this helps.