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Can you process a deer yourself?
Let’s begin broadly with the three stages of processing your own deer. First, you have to gut the animal then skin and hang it and finally process all that natural, lean venison into table-ready cuts. Within each stage, there are multiple steps involved to do it right and put quality meat in the freezer.
Can you butcher a deer right away?
You should let your deer hang for 2 to 4 days at minimum before processing to avoid this. A general rule of thumb is, the older the deer, the longer the hang time. Longer hanging times will allow the deer’s natural enzymes and acids to break down and tenderize the meat and give it a smoother, less “gamey” flavor.
How do you butcher a deer on the ground?
How to Skin a Deer on the Ground For on the ground skinning, you’re going to do the animal in two stages: right half, left half. Extend the gutting incision from the sternum all the way up to the base of the chin. Position the animal so that the left side is facing up, and finish skinning the left legs.
What do you need to butcher a deer?
Before diving in, make sure you have the right tools. Gambrel. A gambrel suspends the deer in the air to make the process easier. Knife Set. A quality set of sharp knives is most important. Knife Sharpener. Meat Grinder. Scale. Dehydrator. Sausage Maker Attachment. Vacuum Sealer.
How long after killing a deer is the meat good?
If you wait too long to recover the deer, the blood will spoil and ruin the meat. The old bowhunters’ rule is to wait eight to 12 hours before following a gut-shot deer. If you wait that long when it’s 50 degrees or above, your intentions may be good, but there’s a good chance you will lose that meat.
Do you have to field dress a deer before taking it to a processor?
Sportsmanship includes the responsible care and use of meat obtained while hunting. That’s great, but most hunters field-dress their deer on the ground prior to bringing them home or taking them to the meat processor.
What are the best cuts of deer meat?
The tenderloin, striploin, knuckle and rump are the most tender cuts. Medium-tender cuts are the eight rib rack, top round and bottom round. The flank steak and osso buco are the least tender.
How long do you have to get a deer to a processor?
However, there’s lots of factors to consider. On average, hang your deer for 5 – 8 days. If you have never tried aging your deer meat after a hunt, you have never really tasted venison.
What to do with deer after killing it?
HANGING. Once the deer is transported to your destination, you should immediately hang it, so it is not touching the ground. Some hunters prefer to hang it head up, while others prefer to hang it head down. The key is to hang it, because this lets remaining blood drain out of the deer.
When should you butcher a deer?
You should age young deer at least two days while older deer should be aged between 5 and 7 days. Remember, the most important thing is to keep the meat between 32 and 42 degrees. Once aged, its time to start butchering deer.
Should you skin a deer right away?
SKIN IT TO WIN IT When winter hits—especially in brutally cold areas—this natural insulation is what allows the animals to survive. But when you kill a deer, that same protective sheath needs to be removed quickly so the meat can cool.
How long will a deer last after being field dressed?
If the temperature is warmer, and the area is not too humid or rainy, then you might have as long as 12 hours; anything past that and you’re pushing your luck significantly. If the temperature is cooler, then 24 hours is around the maximum amount of time you want to wait before the meat starts to spoil.
Can you butcher a deer in the woods?
If you’re hiking deep into the woods or hunting large game like elk, it might not be possible to drag or carry out an animal. In these circumstances, hunters complete the first steps of the butchering process in the field. This is actually the most common method for avid deer hunters.
Is it worth processing your own deer?
The reasons to process your own venison are many. I certainly could have used one of the many processors around Auburn, but there are a couple of major reasons I decided to do it myself. The first is simple – saving money! Venison processing also allows you much more flexibility when the time to cook arrives.
What knives do you need to butcher a deer?
7 Essential Knives and Tools for Butchering Wild Game Wusthof Come-Apart Kitchen Shears Wusthof. T-shaped boning hook TinaWood. Messermeister Four Season 6-inch boning knife Messermeister. Dexter Sani-Safe 6-inch curved boning knife Dexter. Dexter Sani-Safe 8-inch butcher knife Dexter.
How should I process my deer?
This is today’s most straightforward and popular way to process a deer: skin the carcass, remove all of the meat from the bones, and cut it into roasts, steaks, chops and trim for ground meat. This makes for great eating, but perhaps you will want to reserve some of the meat for the processed products that follow.
How long after death is meat good?
While this happens, the lifeless body of the animal remains in the refrigerator. The animals are hung upside down so that gravity drains the blood that may still be in their viscera. Most of the meat nowadays takes 4 to 10 days from the time the animal is slaughtered until it reaches the market to be sold.
How long can an animal be dead before the meat goes bad?
Indeed, a dead animal that stays on the road can quickly spoil in anything longer than 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the area’s climate. In that case, the meat would be dangerous to cook with or inedible altogether.
