Butcher Your Own Deer

Modern Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Modern Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JStanley

Well-Known Member
*
Joined
Jun 13, 2010
Messages
1,493
Reaction score
4
I know there are a lot of very experienced & highly skilled guys on this forum but if you ever want to try cutting up your own deer, it's really a lot easier than you think. You will be sure you have the deer you shot and you will have total control over the quality of the meat. You might be surprised at how much better the meat tastes when it doesn't have fat & connective tissue on it that often gets transferred from the blades of high speed pro butcher shops.

[youtube]H2UsVd9d8vI[/youtube]
 
Your are right. It really is not all that hard to do. I was lucky enough to have some past friends (He was Czechoslovakian and she German) who taught me. I do go just a little farther. We don't bother with roasts much so we even separate the roasts and remove the thin silver skin that is inside. Then slice it all up into Steaks, Stew meat and burger. I taught my brother and we taught my Nephew. He taught one of his friends too that had decided not to take deer anymore as they hated the wild and gamey taste. After showing them how we do it they are back to hunting and enjoying the meat and could not believe how easy it was and how much is affected the taste. :yeah:
 
ShawnT

I learned how to do this about 10 years ago and haven't taken a deer to the processor since. Everyone who eats the meat from my deer always comments how it tastes different than the deer they usually eat. Plus, 30-45 minutes of knife work saves around $65 here in KY on processor's fee.
 
We always de-bone the hind quarter muscles, take off all the silver skin, and then cut them into steaks. And of course the scraps are hamburger. If I get a couple deer I like to grind one of them into hamburger. Then I make salami out of that. One year I had nine deer total. Those I hunted and those people hit with a car and did not want. So I was on a list to obtain them. So yes, I have ate road kill.... :mrgreen: The wife was tickled to death. That woman would rather eat venison then beef. So I had to make lots of hamburger that year as she liked to make chili, spaghetti, and other wonderful meals out of the ground burger.
 
cayuga said:
That woman would rather eat venison then beef. So I had to make lots of hamburger that year as she liked to make chili, spaghetti, and other wonderful meals out of the ground burger.

I wish I could get my wife interested in eating venison. Always tries what I make, admits that it tastes great, then says "ok, take it away, I can't stand the thought of eating Bambi". :d'oh!:
 
JStanley said:
ShawnT

I learned how to do this about 10 years ago and haven't taken a deer to the processor since. Everyone who eats the meat from my deer always comments how it tastes different than the deer they usually eat. Plus, 30-45 minutes of knife work saves around $65 here in KY on processor's fee.
I guess I was real lucky. I met these people about 31 years ago when I moved to NY, they were actually my landlords for several years and treated me like I was one of the family. After being here about 2 years He invited me to go hunting to their place "Upstate" in the Catskills. Got to go for many years till he passed away. I later learned I had been the only person they ever invited up there. I have not been back upstate hunting since. Anyway they taught me how to do it and I sort of refined how we processed it over the next few years. I noticed right off that it was always better eating than what a butcher did. 2 of my uncles used to butcher it but never removed all of the connective tissue or silverskin. They don't do it any more but even they noticed the difference when I used to give them some of ours. Butchers are just trying to move them out quick to make some money.

I always wanted to learn to make sausage or Bologna but never could have a smoker here. A couple years ago we learned of an Amish family that lived not far from home in Ohio that were big in making sausage. They stop processing hogs at deer season and make Tons of Smoked Venison Trail Bologna that is Fantastic. They have gained a good reputation around home. I've even seen some bring the whole deer to them for just bologna. :shock: If I get a second deer then I always sort out about 15 to 20 lbs of clean meat and take it over to them. They really have a great process and their spice mix is real good. They mix in only about 1lb of pork fat to 5 or 6 lbs of venison, and grind it 3 times with smaller and smaller plates. Then water bath cook on low for 1.5 hours then 3 hours in the smoker. My mouth is watering typing this. The cost is so ridiculous that I no longer worry about doing it myself. For 15 to 20 lbs it only costs about $25! :yeah:
 
JStanley said:
cayuga said:
That woman would rather eat venison then beef. So I had to make lots of hamburger that year as she liked to make chili, spaghetti, and other wonderful meals out of the ground burger.

I wish I could get my wife interested in eating venison. Always tries what I make, admits that it tastes great, then says "ok, take it away, I can't stand the thought of eating Bambi". :d'oh!:
Mom and Dad are like that now. They said they ate so much of it (and other wild game) when they were kids that they don't want it now. Dad did fess up when I was home a month ago that he had found one of my rolls of Smoked Bologna in the freezer I had apparently forgot. He said that was some good fried bologna samiches! :lol:
 
There is a company called "The Sausage Maker" out of New York. They sell pre measured kits for Salami, Sausage, Bologna, you name it... very good results and easy to follow. They also sell casings, smokers, you name it, they sell it. I bought his book and use the recipes to make my own. He's also a good place to purchase your spices wholesale.
 
I've seen this video before and I think it's one of the best ones out there.

Always do my own deer. Pig too. The trick is to not overthink it. If a muscle group "looks" like it should separate, then it probably does. And then don't get caught up in perfect looking symmetrical steaks like you buy at the store.

I love making jerky, sausage and snack sticks too. In fact, I'd say for me, half the enjoyment of hunting is the butchering, processing and cooking of game.

Emrah
 
cayuga said:
There is a company called "The Sausage Maker" out of New York. They sell pre measured kits for Salami, Sausage, Bologna, you name it... very good results and easy to follow. They also sell casings, smokers, you name it, they sell it. I bought his book and use the recipes to make my own. He's also a good place to purchase your spices wholesale.

That place is awesome! Found 'em about 5 yrs ago and buy all my bulk ingredients there. Every year I manage to resist buying that BIG smoker. Maybe this year........
 
:huh?:

It's kind of funny. My wife doesn't eat venison any more either. What the hell gives :?: She's not the only one. My one son only eats the ground meat which my daughter in law makes chili, burgers or meatloaf and the other son only eats roasts that he slow cooks in a crock pot all day. Now my daughter and grand daughters can eat it every day like me..............And they all used to eat it..........

Ray............... :huh?:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top