I have asked my butcher to put the tenderloins aside from my deer and he keeps 'forgetting'. How do I take them out myself?
Stealthyone, all you need to do is take your knife and cut down the backbone towards the pelvis, I make a cut on the rear end of the tloin & then just use my fingers to pull the Tloin out. Some actually use a fillet knife and follow the contours with the knife to remove the Tloin(much like filleting a fish). Either way it is very easy to do upon gutting or skinning the animal. I remove the tloins immediately, as they skin up very quickly and well they don't need to be aged since they are the only muscle in an animal that doesn't actually do a thing...thus why so tender
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I agree butchering is not that hard, it will save you money and hassles. Plus it is an excellent way to learn about the make up of the game's body. Many don't realize the front shoulders aren't attached to the rib cage( in fact few realize how small the shoulders really are on a deer sized animal). Also don't know you do not require a saw to completely debone a animal, it can be all cut away following the bone structure and releasing the connective tissues. Many don't realize the sawing of bones can deter from the taste and quality of meat. Like mentioned you'll always have a grinder pile, so it will never be wasted and that grinder pile will shrink with experience.
