deer proccessing
 

is there a video or a link on how to proccess your own deer. what part of the deer is the best?

RE: deer proccessing
 

You can go on Youtube and find some basic videos on gutting a deer. I would reccomend talking to a fellow hunter who has done it before, and even possibly hunting with a friend or someone to see how it is done in person. In terms of what is the best part of a deer...one word: Backstraps. These are essentially the "filets" of venison. But seriously all the meat is good, when taken care of properly, and prepared in the right way.

RE: deer proccessing
 

are the backstraps the meat that is along the spine? do you have to freeze the meat to kill any bacteria?

RE: deer proccessing
 

Here is a link that has a good diagram of where the different cuts of meat come from on the deer. http://www.best-venison.com/processing.html In terms of killing bacteria....no it is not nescessery to freeze the meat to kill the bacteria. The deer should be gutted as soon as possible after the kill and the chest cavity proped open to promote faster cooling of the meat. You should not let the deer get warm at all...this will spoil the meat. Often keeping the meat cool is not a concern due to cool temperatures during the hunting season, but this is not always the case. Keep in mind that you will probably need to freeze most of the meat if it is not consumed soon after the deer is cut up so it wont spoil in the fridge. Hope this helps.

Tenderloins are the best!

Backstraps are second.:wink:

All the meat is good. Less disireable cuts can be turned into burger for chilli's, spaghetti sauces or sausages.

Trim the fat and silver skin off before storage.

Just remember. Deer meat is like computer data. Crap In = Crap Out.

Take time to keep the meat clean, trimmed well, no hair or dirt wrap real tight if using butcher paper and the end result will be fine table fare.

HA

there are a couple of good books out there that walk you thru how to process your own deer...one being gut it cut it cook it.

Gut it, skin it, quarter it, chill it, chop it. You'll need a gambrel, a couple good sharp knives, I reccomend a vacuum sealer. Once you have it skinned take out the inner loins or they might dry out on you. These are the lil fish on the inside up by the spine. BEST!!! then tha back straps off the back of the spine... just follow the lines from the neck along the spine to the ham, then go in along the ribs and get them loose. You'll have 2 longs sweet chunks that I would suggest for steaks... Cut off the front 1/4... there are no bony joints, just cut around em and they'll pop off. Most of the fron 1/4s go to burger. Take of the rear 1/4s... the front of the ham has a football shaped muscle (sirloin roast) these are good in the crock pot. The rest I burger... once you get it all taken apart you can get it into a cooler and it'll keep with some frozed ice jugs... don't let your meat get all wet with a bag of ice. You can keep it cold in there for a week or so if you don't have time to do it all at once.

To each his own but I give the tenders away on a deer, the backstraps are all mine though! I prefer rib eyes to filet on beef though...guess I am weird. All tastes good. When it comes to moose or elk I like the tenderloins better cause they are bigger and steak up real nice!

The best advice I can give is see if someone in your area processes game then go lend a hand and get taught hands on how to process. I learned by attrition through dad, uncle and grandpa. I have since taught many how to process game. Cutting it up is one of my favorite parts of the hunt, time to recall, laugh and enjoy the fruits of your passion. Eating it is the ultimate prize!

outdoor edge makes a couple of great videos, i have the Deer & big game processing, which goes from time of kill to cutting out the different cuts of meat ( 3 hours long)

& Advanced wild game processing-sausage. Teaches the way to make just about every kind of sausage out there. ( 1 hr 45 mins long ) they are really informative.

What?!? On our deer the tenderloins are out of the deer by noon and on the table for dinner!