I butcher my own deer. Years ago when I hunted at a friends we had a home made butcher shop. We bought a big freezer paper dispenser from a hunter clearence mag($89. I think). We made a grinder from an hand crank chummer bought from a yard sale ($5). We had the handle removed and replace with a big wheel($30). We then made a stand and mounted an old washing machince motor to turn it (scrap). With a belt from NAPA we were in business($10). In my own words as the former President of SORE, Society of Redneck Engineers, "It might be an EYE-SORE but it worked". You can put a hand full at a time down the mouth of this beast. It burgers the meat quick.

Now, I cut the back straps and give them away. I bag what's left and freeze into 1-2lbs bags to be turned into jerky as I can. I have made sausage in the casings and do when I have a chance. This is made posssible from my Kitchen Aid mixer/grinder and just ask the local butcher for casings.

The key I have found over the years is to bag in chuncks at the time of butchering. This makes it easier because you can process it into the final product without loosing anything on your own time. Don't do the whole thing at once. Just make a bag of jerky or Slim Jims at a time. When your finished with that batch take another bag out of the freezer and process it.