I'm going to butcher my own deer for the 1st time this year. Can I go to a lumber yard and simply buy and use abig sheet of wood to use as a cutting board? Or do I have to spend way more $ to buy a real cutting board?

wood works great...thats what we use whenevever we butcher deer. Just make sure to scrub it clean b4 and after using it. A nice thick piece of plywood will do the job.

I use a small table that I have on my deck anduse a small cutting board to cut on. You take the meat off while it is hanging and lay it on wax paper and then go and cut what you want on the cutting board. I wash everything with water after the meat is cut and have excellent meat. I always cut meat up right after the kill and freeze right away. Getting it cut and cooled is the trick. Just my opinion.

Thanks, I was thinking aboutplywood, now I know for sure!

I went to a cabinet shop in town and picked up a damaged (chipped) counter top for 20 bucks. It works great.... spray it down with the hose when your done......

I bought a 1/2 horse grinder yesterday to replace my smaller one. WOW that was worth the extra money.... works great!!!

Do not use plywood as a cutting board. The wood is not hard enough, it will get scared up.You don't need a 4'x8' piece of plywood for a cutting board. Most wooden cutting boards are made from a hard wood called maple. You can buy a new cutting board from wal mart a hell of a lot cheaper than you can purchase a new piece of plywood. You want something that you can keep SANITARY!! Plywood is not the way to go.

AR 34 eight point has a great idea there though.

Ply-wood is full of glue! A no-no know doubt! Any hardwood works, maple, birch, oak, etc...., but it should be treated with a non-toxic sealer!
I personally use a 16x16 Teflon cutting board that I bought at Walmart for 10 bucks!!! I also use a 10 dollar rapala fillet knife that I bought at Walmart!

Thanks for the advice, you guys are great!

I use something else that works great. It is the a piece of the white, hard plastic stuff that the use on stuff like work benches, work table tops etc. It is like the plastic cutting board stuff. It is 1/2" thick. I just don't know what the brand name is. I have seen it in butcher shops and al meat depts. in grocery stores.They use it for tool and die benches where I work. It works great. It is so easy to clean. I have a peice 36" x 30". I lay it on my counter top in my garage and butcher away!

"Corian"is what most people call it, although that's just a"DuPont" name!
It is, just what you said, ahard plastic! It makes an excellent cutting board. It's also sandable, so once it gets too nicked up you just sand it down a little and your back to almost new!!