turkey guide

Sounds like you're doing a fine job! The cutting, grinding, cleaning and packaging takes a while. Thats why I just skin and quarter them or take all the meat off the bone. My part only takes 20 minutes and the wife does the rest while I hunt. She thinks she has the easy part cause she doesn't have to field dress or skin it, or sit outside all day trying to get one. She just has to deal with the clean meat.
I guess she's right, I do spend a lot of time hunting! It just isn't fair!! And,will the steaks be done soon dear? I'm awful tired and almost outta beer, do you mind going to the store while I take a nap before supper?

buckinbowhunter

Nothing wrong with taking the time to do the job right, after all, you're the one eating it. It generally takes me between 5 to 7 hours I would say once I get it hung and start skinning. I am very particular with skinning to keep from getting any hair on the meat. I always end up with some but hey, I try. Some people say I get a little to carried away with trying to save every little piece of meat but it just tastes so good!!

iSnipe

I do all the deer in my family, so that means I get some practice. LOL! Last time I did it, I believe it took me around 4 hours. Not sure when the clock starts, but last time I dressed a deer, it took 15 minutes. That's a little slow, but I don't rush that. Then drag time and getting it to the registration and back to the house for cleaning. Skinning doesn't take much. Either use a knife, pull it off with a pickup or winch, then get to cutting. Backstraps only a few minutes, the neck roast, the meat under the shoulders, the backstraps, split up the hind quarters, salvage the little meat on the front legs and carefully remove the loins inside the chest cavity. I don't use freezer paper, but freezer Glad zip up bags. I can put the meat in them, press to remove air, then seal and mark the packages.

What takes the most time is separating the muscle groups, the removing all the tendons and sinew. My steaks have 0 sinew and membrane on them as I cut it all off. It's one of the major contributors of the "gamey" taste people refer to.

Usually I can get someone else to package the meat while I'm cutting. Oh, and my hand grinder for the hamburger works ok, but I need a larger one as mine is too slow for my fast paced world. LOL!

iSnipe

StraightArrowNY

It takes me about 5 hours to butcher and package a deer. I've seen people do it quicker, but they just bone it out make sausage.


iSnipe,

I have a hand grinder that I modified into a power grinder. Just replace the hand crank with a 3 or 4 inch long bolt and use a power drill to crank it. Saves me alot of time and effort.

My hand crank grinder only cost about $20, but I hate replacing something if it's not broken.

skeeter 7MM

Its not a race, like mentioned if you process only a couple times a year and do it all in one stage then expect it to take some time. The most important thing is the end result! Sounds like you did AOK to me.

steveb76

Friend of mine got 9 deer last year between his 3 hunting aged kids and himslef, I got 1, couple neighbors got 1 a piece. We had it down to a science. about 2 hours and we had steaks, ground meat, jerky slices, and roasts bagged and in the freezer. 2 of us cutting.....

iSnipe

I thought about making a platform to hold the grinder and electric generator so I can move it around easily... and of course, to grind faster... then I heard the idea of using a drill. I passed that idea up too.

My concern is the small hopper. It helps to have the meat in strips to feed it faster, as small chunks have to be pressed into it and the small shoot that accepts the meat is a pain.

However, in regards to your drill tip refreshing my memory, I should just give it a shot before knocking it. LOL!

Thanks,

iSnipe

Steve863

When grinding the meat I have found that meat cooled in a refrigerator overnight will speed up the process and won't clog up the grinder nearly as much. Room temperature meat can gunk up the grinder way to fast.

StraightArrowNY

It really works great. The hopper is the issue. I had to feed it as fast as I could to keep up w/ the drill.

I no longer need to use this method. My wife got a KitchenAid (the big one) for her bridal shower this spring. We just bought the meat grinder attachment tonight.

In my initial response to this thread said that it takes me about 5 hours to finish butchering my deer. Hopefully now with this horse of a grinder I can get that down to between 4 or 4.5 hours.

I'll find out tomorrow.

zrexpilot

I found an easier way, for me anyway. I run the legs through a band saw, both front and back an package up. Later when I want to do something I take some sliced steaks and do whatever I choose, maybe I'll just make a steak or maybe I'll cut up for jerky; or grind some up. plus a sliced steak is easier to cut the sinew off.