westcobbdog
Senior Member
very informative read..thanks
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Do it yourself Processing
- Thread starter Arrow Flinger
- Start date
swamp hunter
Senior Member
Great post, But me bein a smart, Only thing I,d disagree on is the ageing part. Bacteria has no part of making the meat tender it,s as the quote above , The Amino acids that occure naturally that tenderize the meat
Great bump Tim! I do all of my deer myself for all the reasons listed. Its' worth the extra effort, plus I have been able to get my venison cost per pound down below $300/lb. 
That's important to be able to say when discussing the benefits of deer hunting with the kitchen sgt.
That's important to be able to say when discussing the benefits of deer hunting with the kitchen sgt.
BKA
Banned
I haven't taken a deer to a processor for years and don't plan to ever again. Never had a bad experience with one, but I prefer to do it myself and plus I just enjoy. Seems to complete the hunt for me.
7MAGMIKE
Senior Member
I learned to process deer from my brother who used to be a meat cutter. This post is very good. I took my deer to a processor once and he had deer stacked like cordwood, I was amazed they were not even in a refrigerated area and flys were everywhere. He said he was overrun with work. I passed on this processor and called my brother to teach me.
Browning Slayer
Official Voice Of The Dawgs !
Several years ago, a friend and decided to "process" a small doe I had killed.
Not having a clue as to what we were doing, we proceeded to "Butcher" it.
When all was said and done, we had packages labeled, strips and pieces, and, (my favorite) Chunks and Hunks.
Oh well, live and learn.
Nothing wrong with that! You've got to butcher some fish before you learn to fillet them....
W4DSB
Senior Member
check out this video, [retty slow waiting on him to shoot but the processing is top notch!
http://http://www.vidiLife.com/video_play_1066582_Cutting_Up_Your_Deer.htm
http://http://www.vidiLife.com/video_play_1066582_Cutting_Up_Your_Deer.htm
SnowHunter
Senior Member
AWESOME post AF!!! I'll be adding this to my favs, and using it this year!!!
This tells a lot. Thanks.
SemperFiDawg
Political Forum Arbiter of Truth (And Lies Too)
Have done our own processing for last 7 years or so and will never use a processor again. Main reasons are as follows.
)Processors throw out/waste a lot of meat. We bone out everything including the ribs. Every morsel of meat is saved to be eaten. The neck is corned, frozen and later cooked like corn beef in cabbage. I average 20-25 lbs of meat per dear over a processor. That's not insignificant.
)Cost of processing is high. Even higher if you have them make sausage. Don't know how much money I have saved over the years by doing my own, but it's substantial. If you start doing your own, depending on how many you do, you can quickly recoup the cost of a meat tenderizer, electric grinder and an ice machine.
)It's very rewarding to do it yourself. My children all take part in it and it's a valuable skill for them to acquire.
)Cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness. Deer and hogs meat can easily become contaminated with fecal material, dirt, hair, and bacteria from a number of sources. Most people have no idea how their processor combats these problems.....or if they do at all. I can control how clean my cleaning and boning area is and I can assure you no processor has a cleaner area to process their deer/hogs. Before I start processing a deer, I wash EVERYTHING down with hot soapy water, dry, then wipe everything off with vinegar. I repeat this after everything is finished then bleach everything down and let any knives, grinder/tenderizer parts, cutting boards soak in bleach water for a day or two.
)And one hint. I ice my deer in coolers. I cover them in ice and then add 1/2 cup vinegar and then fill with water and more ice. The vinegar will keep bacteria count down (vinegar is acetic acid and is a very good natural antiseptic) and help keep deer from spoiling for a longer period of time. On a gut shot deer this is very important because no matter how well you wash it, it's still highly contaminated. I have never had a deer go bad with this method even after 5 days. Just change the water, vinegar and ice every day for a gut shot deer and every other day otherwise.
)Processors throw out/waste a lot of meat. We bone out everything including the ribs. Every morsel of meat is saved to be eaten. The neck is corned, frozen and later cooked like corn beef in cabbage. I average 20-25 lbs of meat per dear over a processor. That's not insignificant.
)Cost of processing is high. Even higher if you have them make sausage. Don't know how much money I have saved over the years by doing my own, but it's substantial. If you start doing your own, depending on how many you do, you can quickly recoup the cost of a meat tenderizer, electric grinder and an ice machine.
)It's very rewarding to do it yourself. My children all take part in it and it's a valuable skill for them to acquire.
)Cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness. Deer and hogs meat can easily become contaminated with fecal material, dirt, hair, and bacteria from a number of sources. Most people have no idea how their processor combats these problems.....or if they do at all. I can control how clean my cleaning and boning area is and I can assure you no processor has a cleaner area to process their deer/hogs. Before I start processing a deer, I wash EVERYTHING down with hot soapy water, dry, then wipe everything off with vinegar. I repeat this after everything is finished then bleach everything down and let any knives, grinder/tenderizer parts, cutting boards soak in bleach water for a day or two.
)And one hint. I ice my deer in coolers. I cover them in ice and then add 1/2 cup vinegar and then fill with water and more ice. The vinegar will keep bacteria count down (vinegar is acetic acid and is a very good natural antiseptic) and help keep deer from spoiling for a longer period of time. On a gut shot deer this is very important because no matter how well you wash it, it's still highly contaminated. I have never had a deer go bad with this method even after 5 days. Just change the water, vinegar and ice every day for a gut shot deer and every other day otherwise.
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Processing your own meat
I took the first deer I killed at 13 to the processor and have not taken one since. To me, processing the deer is a part of the experience of hunting. I too do not waste a morsel of the meat and have a lifetime of experiences (some great and some not so great) but experiences nonetheless.
I took the first deer I killed at 13 to the processor and have not taken one since. To me, processing the deer is a part of the experience of hunting. I too do not waste a morsel of the meat and have a lifetime of experiences (some great and some not so great) but experiences nonetheless.
beginnersluck
Senior Member
Good post. So many miss out on an important part of hunting...the processing of meat. You get your own cuts and the satisfaction of knowing exactly how it was treated...plus the rite of being a "man" lol.
I would recommend putting up a butchering chart as well, if one can be found. It helps with knowing what cuts are what.
I would recommend putting up a butchering chart as well, if one can be found. It helps with knowing what cuts are what.
GT-40 GUY
Gone But Not Forgotten
I have been using this guys system for years:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xijmge8_NJw&t=54s
gt40
PS: It can not be embedded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xijmge8_NJw&t=54s
gt40
PS: It can not be embedded.
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SlowMotion
Senior Member
I got my first two deer this season. A buddy of mine helped me gut and quarter up both of them. However, he isn't the cleanest/neatest person. I've got the second one quartered up and in the cooler now. I found this video which seems to give good demonstration of processing the cuts.
35 Whelen
Senior Member
SlowMotion
Senior Member
Thanks for sharing. You make me feel better about using the kitchen counter tonight. Organization seems to be the key.
pse hunter
Senior Member
here is a good video and he has a video on Netflix on how to process a whole deer
Big7
The Oracle
Holy Old Threads.
Capt Quirk
Senior Member
I have always processed my self, but am far from experienced. Sort of learning as you go. I'm curious though, about cutting around the nuggets of a buck, as well as the scent glands. I remember back in my High School days, watching a friends Dad doing a hog. He said you had to be careful not to nick anything in that area, as it would "taint the meat". That is about all I can remember. I dispatched a buck a few weeks ago, and spent a while trying to figure out what to do when I got there. I ended up cutting well away from that area, and still don't know about the scent glands. Hoping to get it figured out by the time I have to do another buck. Aside from that, it isn't that hard a task.
