We have been cutting up our deer for well over 25 years. As previously mentioned, it's all part of the hunt. Plus, we always make it fun. A few beers, a football game and a lot of laughs.

Of course there has been times sending it out to be butchered makes more sense. This is especially true if we encounter warm weather. This happened twice this year, both during bow season and M/L. The temps hit almost 70 degrees. Both deer were packed in ice and taken to the butcher asap.

One last point. My buddy's old man (now in his mid 80's) always made sure we did a good job in butchering our deer. He was a great teacher. When he was no longer available to help that first time, we rented a video by Leorard lee Rue II and followed step by step. With our previous experience and that one time video, we felt very competent and still do to this day.

If you have never done this but want to try, I say "Do it"! Sure, it may be rough at first but like most things, the more you do it the better you'll get. Browsing the internet, reading book or watching a video will be very helpful as well.