we have done our own deer now for about 5 years how many of you do?
and how do you do it?
what is the best knives for doing it? were can we get them?

Pretty much the same as you would cut a beef , except I put more of it into hamburger thanI do when I cut a beef . Quite a bit goes into jerky also . Mainly I use a large chef knife ,a boning knife ,a grinder ,smoker and a vacumn sealer . I got my setup a piecehere and there over time but mostly at a resturant supply . Started when I was twelve years old ,my dad said if you kill it you take care of it .

I've been cutting all mine for about 10 yrs or so now. My wife is not a big fan of venison so she rarely cooks it. I cured that problem by using probably around 80% for jerky. The boys and I love it and it usually goes quickly.

I have only shot two so far so it isn't worth the investment to me to buy the equipment. I have to drive 3.5 hours to hunt, some years I only get two or three days of hunting.

But it is a skill I would like to learn.

I have never had a processor do my deer...We used to butcher 20 pigs a year and smoked and processed our on hams, sausage, etc...

We kill 40-50 deer a year and can have one butchered and on ice in about 30 minutes...
Typically, I bone out the whole deer...If the hunter wants whole hams, I seperate at the ball and socket joint...To me this is easier than messing with a saw and the pee sack...

I use a 3-3 1/2 inch drop point for most of my skinning and boning work...I have a Buck Duke and a Scherade Pro Hunter (USA made)...

I quarter and debone all of the meat I can.I do take it to be processed into sausage,burger,bacon burger,etc.though.

I only cut the small ones up!If it is a big buck or big doe,i'll pay $50 to have it all cut up into steaks and burger!

I have processed my game my entire life. Bone it out, cut into steaks and roast with a filet knife, neck meat and scaps for stew meat or grind it up for hamburger.

one of the best things about deer hunting is hanging up the deer in the garage and inviting friends over to clean the deer and have some beers!

I always cut up my own, make my own burger ,but not sausage. Hang em by the head, skin ,then cut the loins/chops off. Then take hindquarters off (boned). Remove all scraps for burger, take a neck roast and use a skil saw for ribs, (best part). Slip a large garbage bag over carcass and throw in garbage.Or if its winter throw carcass in OUR woods for critters and birds to feed on
RC