Deer Butchering?
 

Can anyone steer me in the right direction for butchering myself? I have gut my own and I am not afraid to get a little messy. I have paid too much in the past for poor quality meat, hair, bone chips etc. I am familiar with quartering, but not sure of the proper techniques for specific cuts. Roasts, backstrap, chops, etc. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

www.youlllovevenison.com.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Try surfing google and you will find lots of information.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Hitrmiss,
I learned when I was about 10....& to tell you the truth...I dont think I do it the same on each deer year after year. Generally, because its only me who eats it, Iwill steak the back straps & rear quaters. Make stew meat out of the front sholders & neck. All other scraps go into grindings. Beleave me...I am a real "butcher" in the sense that its not pretty...but it allways tastes good.

Hopefully you can find a local hunting buddy or person to get you started. After youve done a few...you will find out what you like & dislike about your cuts.

To start..hang it..skin it...& quarter it. Put it all in a refridgerator & take one quarter out at a time & bone it. Cut it up & package it good....then move on to the next quarter...do it @ your own pace.If you want to pick up a book to do it he "right way" there are plenty of them out there.

Good luck,
Henny

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Here is a good free video on how to butcher a deer. Good luck.

http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/video/deerfield.wmv?lid=1038&NavPath=C151C158

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Here's a good site:


http://web1.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modac/65793001.html

It covers some things...

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Thanks fellas. If I get lucky and get one this season, I will try to get a helper to snap some photos, step by step, of the butcher joband post em up. Good luck hunting.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

This link should show eight different views of deer charts.
http://www.askthemeatman.com/deer_charts_ii.htm
Good Luck!

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

I butchered my first deer I killed with no direction while it was hanging in my garage, and I was very happy with the results. You need a cooler and vacuum sealer. I have since quartered it like hennydog suggests, but I find it easier while it is hanging. After you skin it and cut the limbs at the elbow and knee joints, a lot of it can be done by hand. You will need a knife to cut some of the sinewy fat that connects the muscle groups, but the major steaks and roasts can be done by hand. When you cut into the meat, there is the chance of cutting through a good cut of meat. Take your fingers and run them along the visible muscle seams. Pull the shoulder muscles off to get at the backstraps first. You will see them when they are exposed. You can work the backstraps out most of the way with your hands too. After you get the backstraps out you can start working through the hind quarters where many of the good cuts are. You will see the cuts as you go.

Doing it by hand is slow, and it takes time, but I find it to be the best way to get all the real good cuts out. Ater I get the majority of the good visible cuts out, I slice the rest of the meat off the carcass for stew meat, chopped meat, sausage, etc...

I suggest trying it, it is a very rewarding experience. Vaccum seal and freeze when done. I would suggest a meat grinder too. The burgers are great.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

That's a good video! Thanks!

Kindest Regards,

-Will in Maryland

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Xharp knives ,Big thing

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

I, too, am glad for the help guys. I was pretty good at deboning the meat but had a hard time with figuring out how to do specific cuts. Having the right tools is a big part of that in my opinion.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Excellent video. Follow that advice.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

excellent video ,great way to butcher

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Excellent video.
is there a video out there, that shows how to field dress a deer?
I would like to give my son an idea of how to do it as he walks away when ever someone is dressing one.
thanks

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

That is a good video, and how we do our meat. Usually, though, we end up using a saw to at least cut the animal in half (big mule deer and elk). We cut between the 2nd and 3rd ribs, cut the shoulders off as he showed, and then cut one rear quarter off right along the tail bone, and let the other one and rib cage hang, then cut the other leg off and bone out the rib cage, and then the last rear quarter. But for a deer of that size, I can't see any better way to do it.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Skin it, gut it, and carry it to the proscessor.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Sharp knivesand a good steel are essential. Their is no need to use a saw on deer sized game to bone it out. The front and rears can be detached by following the anatomy/bones of the animal. I hang my game from the rear hocks & start with the fronts. Basically just release the front shoulder behind the scapula bone with a knife. On a deer the fronts are really not choice cuts, so I view them as stew or grind. Once I have removed the fronts and deboned, I then remove the flanks. Again for me this meat is put with the grind. With the animal hanging via the rear hocks, I release both rear hinds by way of following the pelvic bone to the ball in socket joint and up to the floating rib. In the ball in socket joint their is a tendon the must be cut to release the hinds. I then remove the backstraps from the rib cage by following the spine contour from rear to neck(which are steaked - either medallions or butterflied). If you care to you can remove the intercostal rib meat for grind or cut in half for a rack of ribs-this requires a saw. Finally I debone the hinds, their are 3 major muscle groups on the rear hinds. By way of following the natural contours or bones you will remove these three cuts..which can be steaked, roasts, etc. The lower shank meat on both front & rear is for grind. Remember no matter how you cut the meat you will have grind so if you happen to leave a little one your first few attempts it will not be wasted! Also whenever you cut steaks, roasts or stew you want to cut cross grain, the meat is like wood you will be able to see the grain so before you start cutting your muscles make sure it is cross not along!!!! The small caps on the muscles and end of the cuts on the rounds can be used for grind or stewing.

For table quality make sure you remove hair/debris after skinning. I use a clean cloth with some vinegar and water to wipe down the carcass. It does not taint the meat. If their is still hair remaining I use a small propane torch to burn the hair off, being hollow they disolve very quickly. Secondly remove any bloodshot or ruined meat from the shot site. Finally removethe fat & silver skin as much as possible from your cuts. Game fat is not great in the taste factor, so if your grinding beef or pork fat is what you want to add.

I have never had a problem with brown waxed paper wrapping. First I wrap the meat in butcher grade freezer saran wrap, then make sure to tuck and tightly fold my butcher wrap on my cuts. I tape with freezer tape and mark the packages with a marker (contents and year).My meat rarily lasts the year, but have never had a single freezer burn issue. The key is make sure the air is removed by tightly wrapping and your meat frozen throughout. I never stack my meat until it is completely frozen, so I lay it out with some air between each package before stacking.

It is very rewarding and I found more enjoyable, so just go for it. Books, videos or a buddy who has experience won't hurt but nothing teaches like practice!

Best of luck

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Thanks...I always do my own but this has still been very helpful in knowing specific cuts.
Chuck

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Great video Longrifle. I was a butcher on a sword fish boatfor almost four years and was glad to see a video out there that really went in depth as far as the cuts. Alot of deadend when you do an internet search for butchering info

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

Dan Fitzgerald has a good video that my family uses, starts with the hunt, shoots it, tracks, guts, drags, skins, butchers and wraps. He is very clear in direction on cutting up the meat and gives a couple of ways to use most parts.

We pretty much follow his steps and end up with lots of good meat.

RE: Deer Butchering?
 

the easy way is this and i know what im doing my father is a bucher for 30 years.(1)every hindquarter has seams between musles.they look like white lines cut membrane between musles you can almost pull them apart.(2)seperate all musles that way every musle is a differnt cut so keep seppret.(3)o.k. now we have the quarter totaly deboned (i usualy do all this while deer is hanging and end up with compleat skillaten when done)in time youll do the same with practice. Now that slimmy sinue on out side of musle will ruen tast it is critacal to get that off.theres 2 ways take alot of time tring to hold it still while you cut it off or put in freezer for about 30min give or take it will stiffen musle and memrain makes easy 2 shave off membrain with good sharp knife.(4)the musle is kinda like wood its got a grain.never cut with grain.reason tough steaks and a blood tast the blood wont drain out of meat properly.most musles you will side to side not long ways which is usualy the longest point. it is up to you on thickness.(5)ok hinds should be done.back straps clean off membrain the same and cut with of strap never lenghth.iner loins fri as are.front shoulders cut off all meat and grind with about a half a hand full of beef fat or pork try both to tast neck give away aint worth trouble unless chunk for soap ribs cut lenghth of deer while hanging might want to do that first.wash in water to remove some bone meral put in freezer for little while let stiffen then shave off membrain. hope this will give an idea takes me about 2 hours from start of deer to finished steaks.go to dollar store and get pair of yellow cleaning gloves bring home and wash them good then you can use them the less contact with bear hands the less likely to cantamenate your meat