New Hunter, Advice on Processing?
 

Hey all,

I'm a new hunter, I've had last season to learn and practice for the actual hunt--whether it's gathering the gear or actually putting boots to mud-- but I didn't have any luck bringing home a deer last year. I had gotten a good shot on a deer in the late afternoon but the deer had run, forded a river, then ran up a hill and unfortunately we weren't able to recover the deer before it had gotten too dark.
I've been doing a lot of research on gutting and processing deer (videos and books), and I'd like to process my own deer (at least once). I'm a bit strapped for cash, but I also want to experience the actual process of processing my hunted animal to really understand what goes into my meat consumption and also to get more variety out of my meat (different roasts, cuts and all).
How difficult is it to process a deer after the shot, and what tips or recommendations would you give me for my first time butchering a whole deer?

Thanks

SMBowHunter97

Start simple and learn as you go. Watch you tube videos between now and then.

In short: get the skin off. Then get the meat off the bones and into the freezer bags/freezer paper whatever you're wrapping in.

Plenty of great you tube videos and then it's just experience and learning what works well and what doesn't.

I've cut up well over 100 deer in the last ten years. I've done allot of things that I won't do again.

Eventually you'll figure out what you like and what works for you. I can't recommend YouTube enough for learning. You'll see very good videos with allot of details and tips.

On another note. Study up on tracking and blood trailing. It's not uncommon to have to come back in the morning to start the trail again. Once you've put a shot on a deer, you have to do everything you can to follow up and find it.

Good luck!

Oh. And quality, sharp knives will make it a much simpler process.

-Jake

Get a small block an tackle and a steel deer carcass hanger. Tie the spread rear legs to the hanger with a small rope ---Skin and bone out the deer without touching the spinal cord.

Ignore the precious advice. You can skin and butcher your deer on the ground where the deer falls and leave the carcass and bones and guts behind in tact. Google field dressing and processing a deer on the ground without gutting it (gutless) method. By the way, what the previous poster calls a carcass hanger is called a gambrel.

Is that why you got an ATV?

-Jake

Because I know from your past posts that is not how you do it.

https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whitetail-deer-hunting/419445-pa-sr-jr-handicapped-active-duty-military-leave-doe-season.html

Don't let your dislike for erno impact the advice you give you new hunters.

-Jake

No I got the ATV because I am past dragging deer and I have a butcher who does a stellar job of taking care of my deer and I do not want to butcher it on the ground. I just don't want a new hunter asking for help to take fake advice from a fake hunter who googled something and tries to pass it off as personal experience. I can butcher a deer on the ground using the gutless method, I choose not to, I also choose not to pretend that I know what I am talking about!

Have you ever butchered a Pennsylvania whitetail on the ground?

Out of over 100 deer that I've cut up in the past ten years I did two on the ground.

It's rarely the easier option for where I hunt.

And if I had to guess I would guess your answer would be similar. Although I have no way of knowing for sure.

​​​​Erno provided a fine response. Whether he's done it before or not.
-Jake

Nope I haven't but I do know how, I have skinned on the ground when I was looking for bullets in carcasses on the ground, I just didn't remove the meat and take it, but the hard part was done. if I was out West and alone I would. I am not going to argue with you over my opinion of another member.

I find it interesting that you take the stance that erno has never hunted and only copies stuff from Google. You have no proof of that, you just constantly claim it to be true.

Yet here you are telling a new hunter to do something that you yourself do not do and have not done. Probably just to make sure that you don't agree with any thing that erno says. There was nothing wrong in his post.

There's nothing wrong in your post either as far as methods of processing are concerned. Merely a different technique than was previously mentioned. Other than that I was 98% sure that that was not how you really did it. And was able to find last year's thread to back that opinion up.


Your opinion of erno is not my concern. I don't care one bit what your opinion of him is. What is my concern is the interactions and posts between you two. Other moderators and admin have taken note and are watching closely.

​​​​​​ Perhaps this should be in a PM. But I believe your shoulders are broad enough to handle it and that you are wise enough to see it for what it is: fair warning to both of you. Stop sniping at each other's posts. See rule #8. A fair warning, for all to see. And if either of your actions result in a lengthy ban there should be no complaining from anyone as I'm making it abundantly clear what the result will be.

​​​​​​If you need to place each other on "ignore" then in the interest of your continued presence on this forum, please do so.

-Jake