RE: proccessing your own deer
 

We (our hunting party comprised of good friends and family) do it because well, its time well spent with good friends, and family.

RE: proccessing your own deer
 

I grind it all the whitetail, except for a what I use for jerky... to me that's all whitetail is good for. Sausage, chili and stew meat.

Hogs, elk, axis are better in my book. That I butcher myself.

RE: proccessing your own deer
 

Save $$$$$ and not hard to do. Getting one in the early season if it's warm might be worth it to get it into the cooler for a few days!

RE: proccessing your own deer
 

Why... Because I want to know what I'm eating... And I start stacking on opening day and it's usually kinda hot and a lot of butchers aren't open at 9:00pm...;)

RE: proccessing your own deer
 

We process our own every year. It's cheaper and you can make your own mixes...we have a few family recipes that go way back, and you also can experiment with new recipes. Plus it's fun (granted it's a lot of work) but it's almost like an end of season tradition. It used to be that my family (hunting group) would get together at the end of the season and process everything but the past 4-5 years we've had 4-5 other hunting groups get together with us and everybody makes their with help from others. Turns out to be a lot of fun...especially when the work done!

RE: proccessing your own deer
 

Rev we're about the same except we grill them backstraps! Its a good time to get together with friends and family.

RE: proccessing your own deer
 

I decided to order myself one of them DVDs, placed my order. It seems like a well put together tutorial.

RE: proccessing your own deer
 

private, or public land?:eek:

RE: proccessing your own deer
 

Here is a good General Outline of the Cuts for Butchering!
Below the diagram you will find the descriptions of the cuts.
I cut all of the steaks (Bone in and Out), roasts, stew meat and better cuts first.
Vac Pack with a Food Saver machine. Then trim the rest of the
bones of the scrap meat and vac and freeze till the end of the season to make ground, sausage and smoked. $20 grinding machine, a couple friends and a few beers and the job becomes fun.
It really is easy and you can make the bone cuts with a Hacksaw to get
nice looking steaks for the pit.
Eric Stacy AKA: DeerDope

RE: proccessing your own deer
 

Quality product. That is why I do my own. Not to emntion the price of a processor (around 60 here if you gut and skin). I keep my deer either on ice (in an ice chest) or in the fridge for up to two weeks min is a week. This ages teh animal and seems to help tenderize it. The fridge is the best method (that ice can get mighty expensive depending on the weather. In the south it may not get cold until mid way of the season). I lost interest in the local processors around here with the poor quality product they returned. They would always say, I can only give it to you back in a similar condition as I recieved it. I no longer have the problems with quality. This year I am going to buy a tenderizer (found one retails for about $100) to make my own cube steak. That and I now have a sausage maker.

Rev said, "I grind it all the whitetail, except for a what I use for jerky... to me that's all whitetail is good for. Sausage, chili and stew meat."

Rev, to be sure you ain't tried cutting up one of the back straps into 1" slices and grilling it with some garlic powder and soy sauce marinate. WOW that plum makes my mouth start watering thinking about it.... And to think our season starts in 10 days or so.