Been doing it for going on 55-years, see no reason to change now. Even when I lived in an apartment, I did my own.
2013 DIY Deer Processing Drive
- Thread starter bowriter
- Start date
Treestand Troubadour
Well-Known Member
Very good post, its a little intimidating to think you have to turn this critter thats layin in a pile of leafs with its tongue hangin out into a burger, but once you learn how to it is a satisfying end to the hunt.
At $60 a deer,I started doing my own deer 2 seasons ago.Its definatly a learning curve,but once you learn where all the different cuts of meat are and how to seperate them,it becomes easier..Notice I said easier and not easy..LOL Its still a job that I don't care much for,but its better than paying $60.
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
I've decided to try one on my own if I can get one in cold enough weather that I'm not too rushed (I generally kill about 50-75% of my freezer meat before gun season opens).
I don't own a grinder, but I do have a KitchenAid mixer that I would consider getting the attachment for. I've also got a friend at work that has offered to grind burger for me.
Even if I decide that it's worth the trouble, I'll still take a deer per year to the processor to get some specialty stuff made. The kids will have to grow up a bit more before I have time to start making Andouille, chorizo, and summer sausage
I don't own a grinder, but I do have a KitchenAid mixer that I would consider getting the attachment for. I've also got a friend at work that has offered to grind burger for me.
Even if I decide that it's worth the trouble, I'll still take a deer per year to the processor to get some specialty stuff made. The kids will have to grow up a bit more before I have time to start making Andouille, chorizo, and summer sausage
Redfred16
Well-Known Member
Once we purchase a house I plan to give it a go.
woodsman87
Well-Known Member
I have gotten to where I do all of mine myself for enjoyment, pride and saving money. Got a grinder for Christmas and put it to work for the first time new years eve. Was not hard at all. I am really looking foward to this now.
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
I had talked to my parents months ago about starting this when we were over at their house for dinner. I guess they had remembered, because I got a vacuum sealer for Christmas.
I already plan to put it to use when spring time comes around and I start putting fish in the freezer. It will be nice to have for the venison as well.
Poser - do you skin them in the field and then quarter them for the cooler, or do you do that when you get home? I guess you could quarter them with the skin on, but that sounds like a lot of clean-up mess later with the hair. I just keep thinking about the 70 degree days with the long ride home from some of my trips...
I already plan to put it to use when spring time comes around and I start putting fish in the freezer. It will be nice to have for the venison as well.
Poser - do you skin them in the field and then quarter them for the cooler, or do you do that when you get home? I guess you could quarter them with the skin on, but that sounds like a lot of clean-up mess later with the hair. I just keep thinking about the 70 degree days with the long ride home from some of my trips...
444 Fan
Well-Known Member
I completely butchered a youg doe myself for jerky this year. I plan to do more next season as time permits, but definitely enjoyed the work and saving the $$$$!!!!!
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
I keep a gambrel and hoist on a hanging post all deer season. I wait until I'm home to hang and skin my deer. I quarter them and into the fridge they go for the next 1-3 days until I can get around to cutting them up and manicuring the meat. Then I vaccuum pack the cuts and into the freezer they go. The more you do the faster and better at it you get.
catman529
Well-Known Member
Been butchering my own dice my first kill last year. Only one ill take to a processor is when I take one to donate to HFTH.
I have a gambrel and winch hoist hanging in my garage. Just back the truck up and go from there. Everything is right a hand from truck to the freezer.
DntBrnDPig
Well-Known Member
Poser, you were saying a .75 grinder would process the silver skin. But, doesnt that just leave the silver skin in the ground up burger?
Doesn't that affect the taste?
I bought an LEM 5# stuffer recently on Amazon. I'm thinking about sending it back (havent used it) and getting one of these grinders with the accessory kit. Do you use the grinder for stuffing too?
Doesn't that affect the taste?
I bought an LEM 5# stuffer recently on Amazon. I'm thinking about sending it back (havent used it) and getting one of these grinders with the accessory kit. Do you use the grinder for stuffing too?
Vermin93
Well-Known Member
Deer fat negatively affects the taste (in my opinion), but not silver skin. For ground venison I trim off the large outer layers of silver skin and don't worry about smaller pieces or interior pieces. I have used my 3/4hp Cabela's grinder for stuffing, but you really need a foot switch to be able to control the fill rate so that you don't blow out the casings.
LEM Products Meat Grinder Foot Switch
LEM Products Meat Grinder Foot Switch
Vermin93
Well-Known Member
Poser said:
I broke down and finally bought a stuffer. I got this 15# capacity one on sale before the season for $150. I'm really liking it and think it was a good investment. This is the same 15# stuffer that LEM sells except it has a Gander Mountain label on it.
Guide Series 15-Lb. Vertical Sausage Stuffer
Been doing it for years!
DaveB
Well-Known Member
I nearly always butcher my deer. However, I need to make some kind of stand for the hoist/gambrel so I can take the process out of the garage. Got trees, but no branches to hand the hoist from. Kinda thinking about lag bolting something to this big white oak in the backyard.... Any better ideas?
Maybe a 2x4 thing that would like an engine hoist? Or a hanging platform for nosey neighbors?
Maybe a 2x4 thing that would like an engine hoist? Or a hanging platform for nosey neighbors?
Vermin93
Well-Known Member
DaveB said:
Portable limb holds up to 250lbs
Outdoor Logics The Portable Limb
Artificial limb holds up to 300lbs
Artificial Tree Limb Portable Game Hoist
One of my favorite devices for when I road trip to hunt in other states (it is sold out but they will get more):
Guide Gear� Deluxe 360� Swivel Lift System
One more option:
Game Hanger Portable Tripod
-DRM-
Well-Known Member
At $60 processing, most of the time it is easier and more convenient to just pay someone else to do it.
That said, out of 6 this year, I processed one myself.
That said, out of 6 this year, I processed one myself.
whistlinwingman
Well-Known Member
The only and most important thing (for me) missing on the list is TIME. I'd love to butcher my own but its hard to make the time to do it with work And kids at home
Bone Collector
Well-Known Member
Poser said:Crosshairy said:
Quarter them up and put them in coolers. I have one sitting in a coller on my front porch right now
this works very well. If it is hot out just pack it in ice. this way you can get it quartered and the straps and loins out and then wait till later in the day or the next day to cut and package the meat.
PcDeer
Well-Known Member
Cutting off this silver skin is the only part of deer processing that I hate! I know I go a bit over board on making sure every strand of it is removed but I will stand there cutting it away until it is all gone.Vermin93 said:
woodsman87
Well-Known Member
Cutting the silverskin off is terrible, and I cant figure out a good way to do it other than just cutting it off while wasting as little meat as possible. I also cut most of the fat off.
Do any of yall leave the fat on? I have never ground up my own deer until just the other day and I cut most all fat off but mixed just a little bit of beef burger with it so it will have some fat. It is about 90/10 deer to beef. If yall say the deer fat doesn't ruin it I may not cut if off anymore.
Do any of yall leave the fat on? I have never ground up my own deer until just the other day and I cut most all fat off but mixed just a little bit of beef burger with it so it will have some fat. It is about 90/10 deer to beef. If yall say the deer fat doesn't ruin it I may not cut if off anymore.
benellivol
Well-Known Member
I quarter most all of mine up and my father in law has a weekend where he grinds all of his and his club's deer up.
He's got a nice set up
He's got a nice set up
Vermin93
Well-Known Member
I think deer fat has a nasty taste and none of it stays on or in my whole or ground venison
tennesseejb
Member
It runs me about $100/ea for a processor nearby to do it. Had the first one processed this year, but learned how to do the next two myself while my father in law was in town. Have two hanging right now (one is a buddies) that I plan to at least quarter out tonight, in anticipation of getting out this weekend.
This is my first year hunting, so it's been extremely rewarding to learn the whole process from bullet to freezer (or in some cases, dinner plate).
In terms of supplies, I picked up a hand grinder to get started on some summer sausage, but can already tell that will be the first thing I'll upgrade. It was just hard to cough up the $ on an electric grinder. Anyone had a lot of success with the attachments for a kitchen-aid mixer?
This is my first year hunting, so it's been extremely rewarding to learn the whole process from bullet to freezer (or in some cases, dinner plate).
In terms of supplies, I picked up a hand grinder to get started on some summer sausage, but can already tell that will be the first thing I'll upgrade. It was just hard to cough up the $ on an electric grinder. Anyone had a lot of success with the attachments for a kitchen-aid mixer?
woodsman87 said:
Think of it as filleting a fish. It is the same principle. Get a sliver of silver skin started, then holding that firmly down on the cutting board, just fillet it off. It takes some practice but you will lose little meat. It is especially easy on the backstraps.
If you want, you can then use the silver skin to wrap your knapped bh's into the slit shaft of your arrows. Dats what da Engines did.
DaveB
Well-Known Member
Deer fat is bitter and definitely contributes to a bad taste. I cut off every last piece, one reason why I have taken exactly one deer to a procesor since 1995. Processors just aren't as picky as I am, or we are.
I no longer grind mine,(my grinder blew up) but I do trim all the meat I am going to have ground and then watch the butcher grind it to make sure I get mine back. The trimming is the key to good tasting meat when talking about ground. I have a little beef fat mixed in and the guy figures a mention here and there in my column deserves a price break. So, what little I have done is not too costly.
If the kids were still at home and I went through six a year just here at the house, I would go back to grinding my own. I do still make my own jerky. But of the 10 I killed this year so far, I only saved two (young, fat does) for my own use. The rest I gave away.
Think about it. If you kill and use 2-3 deer a year, at $100 per, how many do you have to do yourself to pay for all the equipment you need? It really takes very little.
You don't even need a gambrel or a place to hang one. I did and do a lot of mine laying down on the tailgate of my truck. If you don't grind, all you really need is a good boning knife, one you can steel easily, a quality steel, a skinning knife and packaging. A vaccum packer is sure worth the money but not required. If you pre-wrap in film, such as Saran wrap, then wrap in butcher paper or put in ziploc freezer bags, you will do just fine.
You do not need to butcher immediately. Even when hot, just skin, remove backstrap and tenderloins, quarter and put in cooler with bottles of frozen water, also called ice. The bottles keep the meat dry and cold. That should take no more than 15-minutes max.
When you have time, a day or so later, do the front shoulders for roasts, bone out the hind quarters following the seams and cut to desired cuts. Trim out the backstraps and tenderloins and wrap it up. Takes about an hour.
If you need to keep an entire carcass over night in hot weather, 2-3-4 liter bottles of frozen water, inside the cavity will keep it overnight just fine. Just wash it out well with cold water first.
It isn't rocket surgery and I never could understand why everybody did not do their own. I have never heard an excuse yet that held water except...I have to leave town in 20-minutes. For all those who plead they don't have time, if they turn off the TV, turn off the computer and turn off the wife, I'll bet they do.
If the kids were still at home and I went through six a year just here at the house, I would go back to grinding my own. I do still make my own jerky. But of the 10 I killed this year so far, I only saved two (young, fat does) for my own use. The rest I gave away.
Think about it. If you kill and use 2-3 deer a year, at $100 per, how many do you have to do yourself to pay for all the equipment you need? It really takes very little.
You don't even need a gambrel or a place to hang one. I did and do a lot of mine laying down on the tailgate of my truck. If you don't grind, all you really need is a good boning knife, one you can steel easily, a quality steel, a skinning knife and packaging. A vaccum packer is sure worth the money but not required. If you pre-wrap in film, such as Saran wrap, then wrap in butcher paper or put in ziploc freezer bags, you will do just fine.
You do not need to butcher immediately. Even when hot, just skin, remove backstrap and tenderloins, quarter and put in cooler with bottles of frozen water, also called ice. The bottles keep the meat dry and cold. That should take no more than 15-minutes max.
When you have time, a day or so later, do the front shoulders for roasts, bone out the hind quarters following the seams and cut to desired cuts. Trim out the backstraps and tenderloins and wrap it up. Takes about an hour.
If you need to keep an entire carcass over night in hot weather, 2-3-4 liter bottles of frozen water, inside the cavity will keep it overnight just fine. Just wash it out well with cold water first.
It isn't rocket surgery and I never could understand why everybody did not do their own. I have never heard an excuse yet that held water except...I have to leave town in 20-minutes.
For all those who plead they don't have time, if they turn off the TV, turn off the computer and turn off the wife, I'll bet they do.
JJ3
Well-Known Member
I've probably put a dozen through my wife's Kitchen Aid -- it works well. But I've gotten lazy the last few years. The processor I use does a nice job and eliminates about 3 hrs of work for me. But I usually like to do one myself each year.
