I do all my own. Learned how to butcher via youtube videos. I think I do a pretty nice job. I made venison scrapple a few years back. yum!
My dad and I have done our own since I started hunting 26 years ago. It's not hard. It's just turning big pieces of meat into smaller pieces.
you tube taught here. A sharp knife and a little knowledge can really "butcher" a deer. Quartered a doe Monday, may not be perfect......but those backstraps tasted real g00d last night.
Since most of use are YouTube taught - how about posting your favorite? Can probably learn something new. My favorite is Dr. Grant Woods of the Growing Deer channel. Many people don’t know about the lymph node in the rear quarters. I also like Scott Rea who has a whole butchering channel
I like Scott Rea's videos. He butchers a lot of different animals plus has videos of him cooking them. Scott Rea
A quality grinder is a huge time saver. For the longest time, we used an electric that my dad probably bought in the 80's. Any little sinew would plug it up. 3 years ago we got a new, more powerful grinder and it grinds faster than we can feed it.
Totally agree blacktail. I use my kitchen aid mixer and their grinder attachment. It grinds as fast as you can cram it in the hopper. Wish the hopper was larger but for $40, for the attachment only, it works surprisingly well. Before that, I used a hand crank grinder with a drill turning it. No bueno Good sharp knives speed things up for silverskin removal also. My next purchase is gonna be a good knife sharpener. I currently pay a guy so I don't screw up my $400 knives.
Dad bought a old Hobart Grinder from a old pig farmer that use to grind his hogs, when I was knee high to a grasshopper. Its still going strong and I couldn't begin to count how many deer its processed since he bought it...
I have butchered every deer since the first I harvested 30 years ago. Taking care of the game starts in the field. Entrails, including lungs and heart come out as soon as possible. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen other hunters gut a deer and not cut the diaphram and remove the lungs, heart and esophagus. The throat is cut and I prop the carcass with the hinds uphill and neck down to drain as much blood in the field as possible. Cleaning up, packing my gear and most times a sammich and cup of coffee is sufficient. Once home, its hung, head down and skinned. Depeneding on temp, if it stays below 35* overnight Ive let them hang for a week. Loins hit the grill when skinning. Straps get filleted to 1.5". Front shoulders are ground along with any other scraps including neck into either sausage or burger. Burger includes 20% bacon. Rumps are for the slow cooker and what most would consider "steaks" from the hinds are cut into little chunks for stirfry. Heart and liver are fried with onions and garlic. I dont care to freeze those pieces.
I like to butcher my own, that gives me a couple hours of time with my dad or a good friend. That's what it's about
Unfortunately I won't be butchering one this year.... Big fail....And I won't be muzzle loading this year cause I am just plain worn out and my muzzle loader is at a friends and I can't get a hold of him....
It is possible to resharpen those depending on the style, also new ones might be available. I get a few sets in every season for sharpening. Got lucky a popped a small doe Sat, evening. Got her chunked up and deboned- on to the grinding shortly.
This one hung since tuesday afternoon. Temps overnight dropped below 30*. During the day I wrapped a heavy blanket around it and took it off at night. Always hung in the shade. Tonight I butchered and grilled the loins and a few pieces of the straps. Tasty.
Processed some myself and had others butchered. More fun doing it yourself. Learned how to from watching Leonard Lee Rue videos. We have a guy who makes the best smoked pepperoni outta deer with pork. My kids would watch tv while eating a whole stick. They were delicious. damm, that makes me want to hunt again.
We’ve always done all our own from start to finish including sausage, smoking, jerky or whatever we decide. Turkey, deer and fish mainly now as for the smaller game it’s a shame that I haven’t had time to get out and chase them much. Plus don’t have a good dog for rabbits anymore just a couple foot warmers now
