What is the ritual??
 

I would assume most of us have a butchering ritual after someone kills a deer in our group. Usually we skin em at someones house in the garage or at my house on the kids swing set. If it's a sat night, it's usually about 3 or 4 of us me doing the work. Or either Team Va doing it. Sometimes others join in but it's usually whomever kills it has to get the hands dirty. The rest of em drink cold beer, this usually last longer than I hang around, I get it done get my meet and talk a bit then home to the family. What about yall??

RE: What is the ritual??
 

My Dad and I are usually loners when it comes to hunting. We hunt on our own, and when a deer goes down we work together to get it cleaned and in the freezer. We hang it before we even gut it, makes the gutting process much cleaner and easier this way.

Whenever I am hunting in a larger group, I always help skin the deer and cut the meat off. But the golden rule is, If you kill it, you have to be the one to gut it. Others can butcher it, but you have to field dress your own deer. With the exception of a young hunters first or second deer.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

If its my deer I'll let it hang for a few days and butcher It up. Usually I do it by myself. If Its our little bear hunting group we plan a weekend and butcher all of the bear at once, lots of beer and bear steak get ate up and consumed usually. Story's get a rolling and the BSing gets deep, its allot of fun.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

We can't hang em for a few days most of the time it's way too hot!!

RE: What is the ritual??
 

I can believe it.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

I have always heard that letting them age even with the hide on is the best tasting deer meat???

RE: What is the ritual??
 

I always try to let my deer hang for a couple days weather permiting; I also leave the hide on it seems to help keep the meat from drying out.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

vabowmen,
It is also too hot where I live to let one hang but I have been letting them sit in a cooler for a week, continually adding ice and draining the water. My father in law told me about this quite a few years ago and it works well, the meat has better color and taste.
Ritual, get it down, get it field dressed, get it in the cooler.....You harvest it, you clean it, with the exception of the help you get holding it still....:)

RE: What is the ritual??
 

I butcher my own deer. I have a tree with a pulley on an overhanging limb. I pull the hide off as I lift it (with my truck). I lay down some plastic on my truck tailgate and quarter it. then the back straps, neck meat, loins, shoulder- rib cage. Then I take the pieces inside and cut them up. Then I grind the hamburger. I also mix some w/ beef and make hamburger patties. Package everything and clean up. My dad and girlfriend usually help. It takes me about 8 hrs to do a deer.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

In the past couple of years, its been too hot to keep them hanging. IfI amlucky,I may get to let them hang for one day but most of the time. However, I usually have to butcher it the same day i killed it. I usually just quarter it up and leave thequaters in a cooler full ofice until I get home. From there, I usuallyfinish butchering themeat and package it for freezing.