I' ve been doing my own for about 20 years, and usually do about 25+ every year. There' s alot of good suggestions here. For me personally, I take the backstraps out and the loins, and I grind all the rest. Once in a while I' ll save out a roast.

A few things I' d recommend. Get a good saw (ie: a butchers saw). They cost about $40, but they are worth every dime. Get a big cutting board, (like 2' x3' or bigger if you can). Keep your knives sharp, it makes it alot easier. If you decide to grind your meat, don' t waste your money on a cheap grinder....get a commercial grade, even if it' s a small one. I think cabelas has the small ones for around $250(maybe go in on it with a couple of your hunting partners). Last tip, don' t waste your time with freezer paper. Use quart sized freezer bags. With the burger, put the meat in so it lays in there flat (make sure to work the air out before you zip it). They hold about 1- 1 1/2 lbs per bag depending on how thick you stuff them. They stack great in the freezer, last a long time without burning, and thaw quickly if you do it this way (vs the big round block of burger). If you decide to make steaks, roasts, etc...just put them in the bags (only enough for one meal per bag), and again make sure to get all the air out. It' s not that hard, and once you get a few done, you' ll be good to go. Good luck

I forgot to add....I don' t mix anything in with my burger. Over the years, I' ve tried it all, and its ended up that we like it best with nothing added. If you want to add something, you should be able to get what you need at most grocery stores or a local slaughter house.

Since no one has posted any yet, here are the obligatory links that show the cuts of meat.

[link]http://www.riverratt.com/huntingbutcher.html[/link]

[link]http://www.whitetaildeer.com/howto/butch/[/link]

By all means, butcher it yourself. You think the butcher is going to cut around bone, cut out all the fat, peal big hunks of silver skin, save all the steaks? No way. He' s going to buzz through it with a saw and you' ll get bone chips, fat, hair, and gristle -- all the things that make venison taste gamey. Get all the cuts just the way you want them, save a few bucks (dollars), and have a great time of fellowship butchering with your hunting buddies.

Find someone who butchers and offer your services for the apprenticeship. That' s what I' ve done for the past 3 seasons and I think I could do it myself, now.

Butchering is like most things, everybody has a different way of doing it but we like steaks so EVERYTHING is cut for the grill. Loins, straps, and hindquarters. What won' t justify a steak I do take to a local sausage maker. For two does last year, that was about 20lbs of venison -- the rest is all steak

But by butchering yourself you get to make those decisions and whatever you cut, you can take your time and get good clean cuts.

rhetoric
0h, and it cuts better when it' s nicely cold -- say, about 35 degrees.

Yes I would agree Butcher your own!

As for me I made a little investment with a few guys I hunt with often, well to be honest I gave them no alternative..

We all chipped in on a item I sale and market to hunters, clubs etc. for a minimal cost.

Meat Band Saw/Grinder/Sausage Stuffer
Stainless Steel roller moving table (23.5" X 18.5" ) with 18" movement groove to allow you to easliy cut even the largest pieces of meat.
Band saw cut capacity = 9.4" Thick X 9.9" High.
Heavy-Duty steel construction.
110V, 3/4 hp, 550W motor.
Blade - 5/8" width X 2085mmlong X 4 teeth per inch.
Motorized meat grinder with sausage stuffing tube.
Grinder plate size approx. = 2-3/4" diameter with 3/16" holes.
Blade guides and rear blade bearing rollers.
Guide fences for saw.
Grinder feed pusher.
Overall height approx. = 58"

This unit I distribute wholesale @ 300.00 + shipping

It' s been a great asset to us thus far! Us as in the guys I hunt with of course we got it below cost. Nevertheless a few others followed saved us a lot of time processing.

Just thought I would leave a comment or a FYI for those interested, I will have 3 in stock 8/20/2003 of course as we get closer to the season demand becomes greater.

I do

I butcher my own animals except for elk. Did that once and trust me, 18 hours wasn't worth it! But a couple of good knives, some wax paper, some butcher paper, freezer tape, and a sharpie marker and that is all you have to do!

WOAH! It just hit me! A>K>A! WHere have y'all been?

My sons and I have been butchering our deer for many years. A lot of advice has been given here. One thing I would like to add is that I rented a video the very first time we decided to do it ourselves. It was by Leonard Lee Rue III and it showed in detail all the steps necessary to do a clean, complete job. It was great because you have the ability to rewind anything that may be confusing. If you do get a how-to video my only suggestion is to watch it from beginning to end before beginning the butchering. That way, you'll have a good idea what steps are necessary and why. Good Luck!

My hunting party has been butchering our own for years, I just started a couple years ago. This is the video I bought so I would have an idea of what to do and not look like a fool. Here's the link.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...=&cmCat=search

I have only had one deer processed at the meat locker. Never again. First off, when i took my deer in, their were some laying their that had been shot a few days earlier. And you do not get your own meat back. Just so many pounds of venison. Now i take a lot of care with my deer. Cleaning, cooloing quickly with ice, making sure their is no hair in the cavity, etc. I don't want all of my hard work going to someone else who doesn't. I got a book and video on processing and went from their. My wife and I do it together and it is quite easy once you get the hang of it. I would also recommend a vaccum sealer. You can buy them at wal-mart, and it does wonders for the meat.