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.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

I like to get the hide off as soon as possible if i can get my truck in close i wont gut but if i can't then i'll do in the field just the bare esentials I usually hang weather permitting if we need hamburger then i'll debone and grind otherwise wetake toa butcher close by.
I will always lend a hand when it comes to gutting and skinningI'm always looking at saving the cape and not make a mess of themeat with hair all over it.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

Well during gun season we usually shoot 14-18 deer opening day, we usually have like 7-9 people skinning. We wait till the next weekend and butcher them, then within a couple of days we grind it into bologna, we end up with between 14-20 deer. Bow season, I and family/friends skin the next day after work/school, then within the week butcher it, then freeze it.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

I butcher mine and my sons, i do it at my house in the pole barn where i have built a big swing arm out of I beams to hang them on. It swings over a 10'X1' grating covered drain in the floor for blood drain and water from the hose.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

Quarter them up and let them age in the fridge for a week or so!

RE: What is the ritual??
 

Good point BHF.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

I will let mine hang with the hide on for at least 10 days, the enzymes start to break the muscle down and tenderize the meat! If the weather does not co-operate I'll quarter it up and let the meat age in the fridge for 2 weeks! The aging process does wonder for meat! jmo!

RE: What is the ritual??
 

My old hunting group built a skinning shed on my prperty and thats where we hang our deer. We had 7 in there last Muzzleloader season. Nothin' like skinnin' deer and drinkin' beer!!!! Its normally a social event that everybody takes part in. But that hunting party has since broken up. Guys gettin old rifts in the family. So now its just me and some friends of mine.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

Most of the time I do my own. If it is cool i will let it hang a couple of days. If it is warm I skin and quarter and put in fridge till I have time to finish. I've found that skinning is so much easier when the deer is still warm after the kill.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

Unclebuilt a walk in cooler and a butcher shop and the farmer got a great deal on the band saw, cutting tables,
meat gringer, etc.... So it works out great.

RE: What is the ritual??
 

Usually I put on some music from my truck, drink a beer or three, and take my time to get the most of the deer I spent so much time hunting. I actually enjoy the solitude sometimes. But I can tell you what, I arrowed 3 deer in a 10 day period this year, and by the third deer I was just sick and tired of butchering!