processing your own deer?
 

I know lots here do, but for those who have never done it, and want to learn, Would you like to see steps in the process? I took pics of our last one, step by step, to show a friend how it's done, was wondering if anyone here would like to learn how as well? if so, I'll post them. Scott.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

sounds like a good idea Scott i butcher my own as well...but maybe your particularly good-quick at butchering lets see how you do it...i think it would be a good post

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Yep, I'm willing to check it out. Mine have gotten successively better over the years, but I'm always up for learning.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

I am definitely interested......I want to process mine this year.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

yea that would be cool if you did that

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Ok guys, here it goes, first I start of with skinning, I do it by hanging from the base of the head, and pull down, cut off just above the knees on the front feet. I know some like the gambrel, and I've used it too, but prefer this method as you'll see later. I continue with the skinning down over the rear quarters, and stop at this point, and leave the rear feet on the ground, it keeps the deer from spinning while working on it. I wont go into the whole skinning thing, that's pretty basic, start around the neck work down, that's it.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Do it up man, would be awesome as this is something I want to get into. Great idea!

Shane

RE: processing your own deer?
 

After skinning, I then remove the front quarters, this is easy, just pull up on the leg, and use a knife and follow up the arm pit, there is no bone to seperate here guys, knife is all you'll need.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

next remove neck meat, Idon't have a pic of that, but its just some layersbetween the shoulder and head, and it's easy to remove,and get down to the back straps, here,start as far up as posible, using a fish fillet knife, and donnot pull on the strap, let gravity work it down as you fillet next to the bone. When you get to the hip bone, just cut if off, and set it aside and do the other side.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

back strap removed, this is not bad to do, just take your time here, This is the best part of the deer to eat, so don't waste it!

RE: processing your own deer?
 

As I'm doing this, the cut off meat goes into a small fridge set up for this, it has 2 racks and stainless bottom, I use paper towls to soak up the drippings, and I allow a day or so in the fridge to drip and age. Next is the rear quarters, First, cut off just above what you would call I guess the knee. Pick up your hide, and throw away or dispose of in your own way. Follow down along the hip bone, untill you get to the socket, slice across the socket to expose the socket itself, and the nerve that runs thru the middle, cut the nerve, It will almost fall off at this point, so be carfull not to drop it, there will be some more tissue to cut behind the socket, in the anal area, and then it's off.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Remove any meat between the ribs that you may want, and any else where, next lay down the carcuss and remove the tenderloins. I walked my wife thru this process for her first time, she did it in about 1 1/2 hours. It' takes me about 45 minutes to an hour. After the T.Loins are removed, you can dispose of the carcuss. It's done.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Next cutting up the meat is pretty easy, dress up the backstraps by taking off the silver fish.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

then cut into butterfly steaks, cut half to 3/4 thru, then all the way thru on the next cut. wa-la

RE: processing your own deer?
 

a little more work goes into the rear quarters, I separate out the main two large muscle groups, I call them groups because there is more than 1 musle in each one, here you can see the two separated apart and compared to the other side for referance.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

now depending what you want or like, you can do several things with these, roasts, steaks, stew, or grind forburger or sausage, or take to a processor for them to finish. I take the musle on the left, and cut the ends off, ends go to canned meat (stew). We pressure cook the stew meat, it's real good if you havn't tried it, anyway, then cut steak out by cutting across the meat grain, this is important to remember, meat will be more tender if cut acrossthe grain. I call these round steaks.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Informative post. Thanks. I''ve done my own for a while now but not the doe I got this AM. I found her at 12:30 and had a 2:45 dentist appointment. I stopped on the way home from the lease and dropped her at the butcher. I hate to pay for what I can do but temps are in the upper 60s and I didn't want to chance letting her sit out too long.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

now the muscle group on the right on the above pic is seperated once more, you can see a seam running almost in the center, the small section I grind or use for stew, the larger gets cut into butterfly steak again. These are really good steaks also, but not quite as tender as the backstraps.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

the rest of the meat that you take off the front quarter, and the bottom of the rear quarters are not good for anything else but the grinder,grind it up with the neck meat, and anything else. We get beef fat from the local grocery store for free, and grind it once thru the 1/4 plate, meat goes thru once in the 1/4 plate, then blend your fat with the meat, and run it thru a second time thru the 1/4 plate, and your done, we package it at this point, unless we make sausage. The beef fat helps in cooking. you can make it as lean as you want, we like it very lean!

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Ready for the freezer. and it's all done. Except for if we want to make Italian sausage, polish sausage, summer sausage, and canned stew meat. then there is much more detail in that. We use the season kits from Cabela's, everything you need is in them, instrucions and all. Except meat of coarse. We have an Italian receipe that we use, and for canned meat, just follow the directions in the canners manual on how to do it, but it's basicly brown it in a pan first, put it in sterilized jars, top off with the remaining juice from cooking, and water, we add 1/2 teaspoon of beef boullion (check my spelling please) put your lids on, and pressure cook. We recommend the type with a rattle weight instead of the guage. Guages can go bad, and then that's trouble! let it cool down befor you attempt to open the cooker, and let cool befor storing. No need for freezer when cooled down.meat is preserved from the pressure cooker.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Well guys, that's about it, I think I've covered it all. If there is anything I missed, or there is something you do differant that may be better for you, join in and share!:D I hope this helps those who want to give it a try.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Very informative, Thanks for taking the time out to show the process.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Great post. Thanks for taking the time. This is a great example of why I visit this site, is posts such as this. No talk about Respect and some of the other crap posted on here.

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I'm just humbled to be here, and glad to share.;)

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Neat post Scott thanks for taking the time to post that......
What is your reasoning for skinning neck down? Is it simply a matter of using the back legs as an anchor for the other cutting or is there another reason?

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I trim mine down a little harder no fat or silver membrane. but any way I have a bunch of sausage recipes if anybody is intrested and some for other critters as well pm me

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Very well done. Informative for us visual learners and great text. It's always nice to see someone put in the time to help others learn. great job and thanks.

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After viewing all the photos, I was just wondering what your neighbors think of you doing all this in your driveway??? I believe my neighbors would freak out!! LOL!!

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I'm known around here as the resident redneck, but theres not much they can do. Most think its pretty cool, however the couple directly across the driveway always flips me off when she sees me doing it. I don't care, it's my right, and she can't stop me. My next door neighbor Fred absoulely hates it, but we are the best of friends, he's just an animal lover, and he respects my love of the sport, and my way of thinking that it's gods gift to us as food. I try to process while he is at work so he doesn't see it. He has tried my summer and polish sausage, to my surprise, and likes it. I always get people who stop and watch and say hi, most wave, especially the older generations. It also doesn't hurt when your good friends with the city police sargent/ canine officer.:D

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Make this post a sticky. Great job and very descriptive. If it wasn't for the pictures i would of been lost, im a visual learner not a reading learner.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

You cook your backstraps in butterflys, Try to cut the straps into larger pieces, 6ish inches. cook it whole and cut it up afterwards. Less surface with cooking "toughness" and you can get a perfect pink center. It's the only way i cook them.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Great post Scott. That will help a lot of people this season.

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What does the canned meat taste like? How do you use it? I have some family members that dont care for venison. Was hoping that they might like this.

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I agree with this big time. I only completely process steaks but I leave the loins whole.

One other suggestion is to learn the different charateristics of the meat in the rear hind quarters. When you cut completely through the hind in that way you are creating layers of good steak with layers of not as good steak so the meal is uneven. I seperate the various muscle groups trim the silver skin and then you should be able to tell the good from the burger. Just my suggestions.

Very good post that may save some folks big dough!

One last thing use a very, very sharp knife. It makes a world of difference.

Tom

RE: processing your own deer?
 

One other quick note. Another thing that I've been doing lately is to just after dressing it and cleaning it I'll remove the tenders right away and put them on ice. My experince has been that they turn brown and nasty from sitting around with the water on them and what not.

Again, just a suggestion.

Tom

RE: processing your own deer?
 

What a great post, thank you very much. I kinda tought myself over the years how to do it. Backstraps are a no brainer. I wasnt too sure what to do with the hind quarters so i would just wing it, but now i know what im doing on the next one.

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Good post, I learned something new. I always tried to cut the meat off the hind quarters without removing them first. I will now remove the hind quarters before cutting them up. Makes sense, it will be a lot easier to work with.

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Quality posts and pictures here.
Being a former chef in a French resturant, I process all my own animals.

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Nice job with the instructional post! Thanks...

RE: processing your own deer?
 

Great post. Much appreciated. I'm thinking of doing mine myself from now on as its just getting too expensive at the butchers.