Make 2013 the year you cut and wrap your own wild game.

[ICEMAN]

Happens every year around here. Guys at the last minute have to take their wild game to a butcher to get, well...."butchered". For profit butchers who are in this business vary in quality of work and cost. You are not always assured to get your own meat back, and the end product may not be what you expected. I am not going to bash butchers any more than that.

Instead, if you cut and wrap your own meat, you are totally in charge. I feel that you can assure less waste, better quality, and far better wrapping.

Plan now to get ready to process wild game this year.

At a bare minimum, you will need;

*Place to hang, cool, cut and wrap your game.
*Good knife, cutting boards, knife sharpener.
*Clean bins to toss cut meat into.
*Quality plastic wrap (saran type wrap) (Or Vacuum packing supplies)
*Waxed butcher type paper and masking tape, marking pens.


If you are planning to learn this rewarding part of hunting, get ready now. Get your supplies early. Line up a buddy who already knows how to do this, or go online to get a good idea of how to do this.

Members have even offered to come help newbies. What an offer!

[3nails]

 I'd be willing to show someone how we do it in Whatcom Co. For quality table fare cutting and wrapping your own is the best way to go. 

[deerhunter_98520]

I've always done my own
 

[Eli346]

 Thurston or Mason county? I can help if not out hunting! I've done my own for a lot of years but I learn something new every time I cut one up. Never quit learning.

[elk247]

I've always done my own
 

Deerhunter you are killing me with the pic of the backstrap. Im not sure how I will be able to think straight waiting for Sept. 1st.

[Johnb317]

If you're butchering Elk I would suggest freezing the meat in a cooler with Dry Ice.

Too much mass for a regular freezer and it won't freeze fast enough.  Better off doing the above and quick freezing..... meat will last longer and taste better when thawed out.

[Tjajwilson]

I am a butcher of wild game for others, have done it a few years now out of my garage. It works well when the person who is cutting up your animal is a normal hunter like I am. And in case you need help with yours pm me I'll help.


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[Sportfury]

Anyone have any good recommendations on dvds (or youtube) for cutting and wrapping. I cut and wrapped my sons elk last year and just used the computer to look at different cuts of meat, but it would be nice to see how the pros do it.

[Eli346]

 I haven't looked at them but I've been told that Outdoor Edge has some vids out on butchering.

[dscubame]

Nothing is wrong with using a butcher.  They have been around forever and for good reason.  Why the negativity of "not doing your own". 

I pay for a car wash and have not "done my own" for over a decade.
I have a house cleaner come once a month to help out the wife so she does not "do her own".
I have Window washers come once every 3 months so I do not "do my own" windows.
I have Jiffy Lube change my oil in the truck and car so I do not "do my own"
I have Symetra Investments invest for me so I do not "do my own" investing.
I have a CPA do my taxes so I do not "do my own" for uncle sam.

I "do my own" lawn mowing.
I "do my own" butchering of elk and deer.
I "do my own" home remodel that is a seriously long list of trades.
I "do my own" chain saw chain and lawn mower blade sharpening.


So I am sure everyone has a list that differs from mine but why the big chest of superiority of "I do my own" butchering?  This is not in reply to the OP rather I agree with the OP that this comes up every year and this is my general thought.

Each his own right?

 

[ICEMAN]

Nothing is wrong with using a butcher.  They have been around forever and for good reason.  Why the negativity of "not doing your own". 

I pay for a car wash and have not "done my own" for over a decade.
I have a house cleaner come once a month to help out the wife so she does not "do her own".
I have Window washers come once every 3 months so I do not "do my own" windows.
I have Jiffy Lube change my oil in the truck and car so I do not "do my own"
I have Symetra Investments invest for me so I do not "do my own" investing.
I have a CPA do my taxes so I do not "do my own" for uncle sam.

I "do my own" lawn mowing.
I "do my own" butchering of elk and deer.
I "do my own" home remodel that is a seriously long list of trades.
I "do my own" chain saw chain and lawn mower blade sharpening.


So I am sure everyone has a list that differs from mine but why the big chest of superiority of "I do my own" butchering?  This is not in reply to the OP rather I agree with the OP that this comes up every year and this is my general thought.

Each his own right?

 

I will answer up.

My thought is that because the meat will go to my freezer, I can dedicate more time to caring for the meat than a butcher can. I trim meat off the bone and do not use a bone saw, many butchers use a bone saw to cut a quarter quickly. Remember, they are in the business to make money. They cannot possible spend the time many of us do, to debone the entire animal. Since the meat is mine, I can also make sure every cut is the cut I want. IE: more steaks, less grinder. When you cut for yourself, you can decide to work over irregular sections of meat that are normally destined for the grinder, and instead make small steak cutlets from them. Butchers cannot generally perform this way. Lastly and most importantly, when processing your own game, you can take the time necessary to really wrap it well. My group does two heavy wraps with saran/plastic wrap, followed up by a waxed butcher paper wrap taped down well.

In all my young years, I have never seen wildgame from a butcher that did not have occasional bone chips and marrow from bonesawing quarters, never seen wildgame cut into cutlets creating less grinder and more steak as a percentage, and have never seen butchered meat wrapped any where near as well as I do. I argue that a hunter can take the time to cut better, have higher quality control, and preserve his game better by superior wrapping. These all take time, and I feel that a butcher by his very nature has to hurry to make a dime. Do it yourself costs less, and you get a better end product.

[dscubame]

I agree but you did not catch my point.

[biggfish]

If I had the space I would jump all over it but I don't.  I use Stewarts meats for my game meat and they do an excellent job of wrapping. I am the only one that eats deer in my home so it lasts a long time and I've opened up meat three years old good as the day it was froze.

[ICEMAN]

I agree but you did not catch my point.

Sorry, must be my pain relievers rearing their ugly head...

[ICEMAN]

My big chest of superiority of cutting my own meat is just that. Cutting my own meat is a prideful fun event, some family heritage is involved, a team thing with my fellow hunters. It seems to me that meat cutting is the logical end of a year long effort to hunt.