nbadger23

We had always processed our own meat and I would never have anyone else do it for various reasons already mentioned in this topic. However, I would suggest that if you are going to try it on your own you either watch someone else do it or get someone to help you with your first one. I say that because I've seen multiple people try it on their own and get too frustrated with it and give up. I think the time it takes varies on a few things... obviously experience, pickiness (how clean do you like your meat), and the setup of where you can do it. Depending on the time of the year, a warm garage or basement area really helps! I'll post a jerky recipe below that I like and is fairly easy.

Start with a good cut of vennie. Say a top round or bottom. Weigh out 4-6lbs and Cut into strips (with the grain is alot easier cutting and easier eating when done IMHO)about 4-6" long and about 1/8-1/4" thick. You can use ground Vennie too and if you do the taste may be even more intense and need less time marinating.
Marinade ingredients:
12-16oz. of soy sauce.If you're not a big soy lover reduce to 8oz.and add water to make up the rest.
1/2 bottle of liquid smoke(hickory is my favorite) Wrights' brand in the 3.5oz. bottle is what I use. 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbls Garlic powder
3 Tbls onion powder
2 Tbls Black pepper
Mix all the ingedients in large bowl and add strips and mix with hands to get marinade and spices to cover strips. Note: Mix only a handfull at a time. After all strips have been mixed place them in a Baking pan and cover with remaining marinade. Place a cover over pan(s) and refrigerate for 12-24 hrs.
After marinating for 12-24 hrs. place strips on Dehydrator racks and dehydrate for 8-10 hours. The liquid smoke really adds the smell of a smoke house to the home. Ater dehydrating let cool and quickly bag and refrigerate before you eat it all.
To do smaller batches adjust the recipe accordingly.

kkeiser

Took my first deer last year and due to financial reasons ($150 for processing around here) I did it myself.

Read up on some websites, and asked around. Took my time and it went pretty easy.Couple thingsI would do different is rent or borrow a grinder, as I about killed my wifes Kitchen Aid.. Also make sure you have a good knife, I didn't and it made the job alot harder. Won't make that mistake this year.

I didn't get around to making any jerky or sausage last year, just vaccum sealed the meat and that was it.

Took me several hours, but my two s loved it. They watched me do the whole thing.

K2SOCO

I have always processed my own meat. I process deer and hogs. It really is not hard just monotanous and time consuming but it does save alot of money in the long run!!!

MassHntr

I butcher my own, too. My cousin's been doing it for years. We worked side-by-side on a big buck I shot a few years ago, and I got the basics down. I've done several by myself since then with no problems (except time). We bone everything. Now that we've got CWD in the East (I also hunt NY), I'm not going to saw the spine and am leaving the neck, too. Too many lymph nodes there. The data on ruminant-to-human transmission are mixed but I'm not going to chance it.

Pretty satisfying to take one from scouting to freezer, especially with a bow.

Wake_Cow

We do all of ours, make our own burger,sausage and jerky. My father taught my brother and me, I'll teach my son when he's old enough. Good time to down a few brews and fire the grill up too!

Dubbya

here is a pretty helpful video on how to butcher your own deer. It also shows where the different cuts of meat come from.

http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/navigation.asp?cid=158&NavPath=C151

NorthernHunter

I usually process my own meat. In year's past, I'd process 4 out of 5 deer on average myself. The one deer I would take to the butcher would mostly be for nice roasts and specialty meats like jerky and sausages, etc.

Hunter06FlKy

we've always processed our own hogs and haven't had the oppportunity to process deer until this year.so yes we process our own meat.

Hunter06FlKy

yeah i've watched it too. it's pretty helpful.

tpriest

We usually hang them, skin them and bone them. Cut out the back straps and inner loins for stakes. Take the de-boned meat to locker plant for sausage and sticks. Will take some straight to the locker plant just for burger. I make my own jerky from the burger. I usually buy the seasoning and cure at Wal-Mart. Use a jerky gun and a dehydrater that I bought at Wal-Mart as well. Turns out awesome, can't keep it around the house long enough!
Allot depends on the weather here, if it is cold enough and the timing is right we do our own bo kills, if it is still warm and are unable to hang, they go straight to the locker plant.