I've always field dressed my animals where they fall. I leave the hide on them to help keep the meat clean until I get the animal home. If its cool enough, I like to hang my animals for a week or so (with the hide on) to let them age. As long as the animal doesn't freeze, leaving the hide on also reduces the amount of dried meat to trim off.


If its hot weather, like some of my pronghorn hunts, I'll bone out the meat and pack it in ice in a cooler.


Except for my American buffalo, I've butchered all of my animals myself. That includes dozens of elk, two moose, and a Herford cow that I had to put down for my ex-mother in law . I'm very picky about trimming off all of the fat and tendons (gristle), even for my burger, and butcher shops don't do that.


I also cut all of the meat off of the bones, and the only time I saw a bone is if I split the spine at home. Fat, bloodshot meat, and bone saw dust contribute to the strong gamey taste.


Like Flags, I package my meat as roasts or 1# and 1.5# packages of burger. I double wrap the roasts, first in a plastic produce bag, then in freezer paper, squeezing as much air out as I can. I mix 10% beef fat with the burger and double grind it.