Deer to butcher questions?

[Evoac05]

So I finally got my first deer yesterday. We got it to the truck and then gutted it to start cooling. We loaded it up and back to camp to skin, cool, and quarter. Well the hanging pole at our camp (left by previous hunters) broke as we were hoisting up the deer. We didn't have anything to get a new pole up so we put down a tarp and started skinning and quartering. Being our first time, we may have gotten a little more hair  on the meat than we wanted. We had to leave camp so we put the quarters and other pieces of meat into game bags and let them cool for a little bit before we put them in black garbage bags. We packed a cooler full of ice and put the bags in the cooler, leaving the bags untied so that any remaining heat could escape. I plan on bringing the meat to a butcher and wanted to know if I need to thoroughly remove all hair from the meat before dropping it off? If so, what is the best way to go about doing it? Also, would they take the meat if frozen? I ask just in case for some reason I can't get it to a butcher this weekend. Lastly, any recommendations on a good butcher in Snohomish County? Thanks

[pawpaw1934]

Congrats! Hang your meat in a shed or garage. Grab a beer or cup of coffee and clean the meat spotless. Then clean it again. Anything you dont want the butcher to put in your packages needs to be gone! There is also nothing wrong with letting a deer age a while if you can before getting to the butcher. Once the meat is as clean as you can get it, wipe it down with some lime juice and wrap it in old sheets or clean game bags. 

[Hilltop123]

Congrats! Hang your meat in a shed or garage. Grab a beer or cup of coffee and clean the meat spotless. Then clean it again. Anything you dont want the butcher to put in your packages needs to be gone! There is also nothing wrong with letting a deer age a while if you can before getting to the butcher. Once the meat is as clean as you can get it, wipe it down with some lime juice and wrap it in old sheets or clean game bags. 

He's dead on right about the butcher, you bring him dirty meat you get back dirty meat. Your paying for cut and wrap, not cleaning.

[JDHasty]

Easiest way to get hair and dirt off Bone Dust Scraper

http://www.kascosharptech.com/brushes-scrapers.html

Burlap also works well for rubbing dirt and hair off of a carcass. 

[Old Dog]

Rinse it off under the garden hose.  I've seen butchers do that many times.  Pat it dry, put in clean game bags, and take it to the butcher. 

[Molon5labe]

I'll warn you to not go to Del Fox. You can read my review on yelp or Google. Mine is about the bear meat.

[luckyman]

Bart Marzolf's in snohomish has cut a few of mine in the past. No complaints. I only go to a butcher anymore when I want it ground into breakfast sausage tho.
I clean and trim everything that I wouldn't want to eat first and often I bring it in frozen.

[Sakko300wsm]

Cut and wrap yourself if you want a quality product and peace of mind that you're actually getting back your own animal. I just cut and wrapped 2 mule deer this afternoon- it will be some work on your first one , but well worth the effort of time spent

[Bob33]

Rinse it off under the garden hose.  I've seen butchers do that many times.  Pat it dry, put in clean game bags, and take it to the butcher. 

if you can clean it off with water and dry it, that's the best solution. I have seen some people use small propane torches to zap excess hairs.

For what it's worth, I've used butchers in multiple states in multiple instances with multiple animals and never had a bad experience.

[gee_unit360]

     Plus 1 on the small green propane bottle with a torch adapter. Burns all the excess hair off fast.

[brew]

i don't know why a butcher wouldn't take frozen meat to cut up if that is the only way you have to store it for a week or so...just wondering after you put the meat in game bags why you put it in black plastic bags?  most of the deer i have shot, hung, skinned i have hit with the garden hose to remove any leftover stuff you don't want to eat then taken a towel and removed any excess hair.  i don't think that putting meat in a black plastic bag would be good for it as it can't "breathe" and that is where you would get bacteria growth.  as far as cooling the deer i've let some of mine hang for a couple days in this type of weather before cutting them up-as long as they are in a shaded spot not directly exposed to the sun.  you can hang them for a couple/3 days before you have to do something with them.  once you have them quartered and clean why would you want to take them to a butcher ?  cutting up a deer is easy (there are many videos and i'm sure you can even you-tube some).  take a clean sheet and flop them on the dining room table if you don't have any other place to do it...grab a sharp knife and separate the muscle groups on the meat and cut those up for steaks.  remove any of the silver skin (we call it wang) and trim off any fat.  What doesn't go in the steak pile cut it up for stew or whatever-just don't leave any membranes on the meat cuz this is what gives it that "gamey" taste.  if you've got a bunch left over that you don't wan't for stew meat grind it up for burger or take that to the smokehouse for peperoni.  vac sealing the meat is best as it will last years but if you don't have a vacuum sealer wrap it in seran wrap and freezer paper and it should last 1/2 a year or so.  i specifically bought a cheap fridge to put in the garage/barn just for beer and game...they are not expensive and you can put meat in them in game bags to last a week or so until you have time to cut them up.  if you have any more questions give me a shout and i can hopefully walk you through the process...at first glance it seems daunting but one you have done it its pretty easy.

brew

[jagermiester]

Do you have a beer fridge in the garage? That's what I do. My son shot a doe last Saturday. One day on ice in the cooler.  I'll butcher tomorrow. My buck from yesterday is in the cooler right now. I'll put it in the fridge tomorrow.

[Jeeper]

I just wipe it down with a clean dish towel and  vinegar! Hair comes off much easy.