Butchering your own big game

[firefighter4607]

Ok so I have searched this site and found nothing. I have looked on youtube with little to no results. Same with the web. Now I am turning to you fellow hunters.

I was wanting to find a good write up with pictures or a good video on how people process their own game. I was thinking it would be better on my wallet if I did it myself. With the price of tags going up I have to save money somewhere. I have a few questions that I am not sure about. I am mainly looking to make jerky and sauage out of my game. Not too fond of steak and roast. Also I would make some hamburger.
How long to you let it hang? At what temp. would you let it sit in?
Any tips, write ups or a website or video would help me out greatly. Thanks for all the advise.

[MtnMuley]

There's been a few links posted up quite a while ago on here.  I can't sem to find them now though. 

[MichaelD]

Ourdoor Edge has a series that shows you how to care for your game basically from the time you shoot your animal to the time you eat it.  I have a couple of them and they take you step by step through the processes.  We have always taken care of our own game (at least a couple of deer a year over the past 20+ years) and I learned a couple of great tips and hints when I watched it.
I am sure there are more/better out there, but this was easy to watch and informational for me.
 
Michael

[firefighter4607]

There's been a few links posted up quite a while ago on here.  I can't sem to find them now though.

  I thought I saw some a few years ago also but I cannot find them.

Thanks MichealD I will look into that!!!

[runningboard]

there are a few, look here
http://www.highcountryhunting.com/index.html
I bought a video from them at a sports show and it didn't work they sent me a new 1 no questions asked.
as mentioned outdoor edge
http://www.outdooredge.com/Articles.asp?ID=132
step-by-step, I like that even though the guy has all the equipment at his disposal he uses a hand powered grinder and uses it to stuff his sausage too. shows that you don't need all the expensive "cool" stuff

[steve04]

There is a 5 part video on you tube that I thought was pretty good. It is called How to butcher a deer at home.

[bearpaw]

This is a good topic, sorry I don't have any useful info handy, try googling for some info. Post any good links or info you find in this topic, someday I will try to remember to look back here and compile useful info for everyone to use in the future.

[3nails]

 You might change your mind about steaks and roast after you do your own. I felt the same way after going through several different butchers. The quality of the meat is so much better when you do it yourself. We bought a 1 horse meat grinder from Cabelas and was some of the best money I have ever spent.

[bearhunter99]

You might change your mind about steaks and roast after you do your own. I felt the same way after going through several different butchers. The quality of the meat is so much better when you do it yourself. We bought a 1 horse meat grinder from Cabelas and was some of the best money I have ever spent.

 

[stormin85]

I actually just butchered my deer for the first time last weekend, all the others have been taken to the butcher, I guess we'll see if i did everything correct  lol however i just made steaks out of the tender loins and back straps, i know you can make other cuts with different parts, but the rest of the deer i made hamburger, but was able to pull a few roasts out of the hindquarters.

Looking back i should've taken some pics through the process and that might have helped, my brother in laws brother is a butcher and gave us a bunch of tips while doing my deer from last year.

If i get an elk down i will try to take pics as i run through it next time, but all in all it isn't hard, just time consuming with how tedious you want to be de vaining (sp?) and stuff.

[BIGINNER]

 

[Miles]

I have always cut/butchered all my own animals.  It's a pretty simple process once you do it a couple times.  If I was to offer one piece of advice in a situation like this (where person to person instruction isn't really possible) it would be this:

 Separate the muscle groups and cut steaks by cutting across/against the grain, not with it (see image below). 

The muscle fibers (grain) are going left to right.

[Sumpnneedskillin]

I actually just butchered my deer for the first time last weekend, all the others have been taken to the butcher, I guess we'll see if i did everything correct  lol however i just made steaks out of the tender loins and back straps, i know you can make other cuts with different parts, but the rest of the deer i made hamburger, but was able to pull a few roasts out of the hindquarters.

I've done a couple of deer on my own now.  The wife had bought a recipe book that had a section on butchering your own.  I'd look at the pics and start cutting.  There were a few times I had to have her hold the book while I was trying to figure out where to cut.  There's been some trial and error too.  Some of my roasts and steaks don't look very pretty but they taste fine.  Usually save the tenderloins, straps and the sirloin roasts.  Rest gets ground up.  I spend quite a bit of time taking the silver skin and gristle out.  We use straight ground venision like some people use ground beef, burgers, tacos, stroganoff etc.

[Bean Counter]

Grinding the meat inherently tenderizes the mrat so no need to hang it. It is a waste of timr and a risk for bacterial growth for no benefit. If you prefer to grind more than less definitely buy a commercial grade grinder rather than a cheaper $100 model. If you buy a Cabelas model you get sausage equipment as a nice bonus.

[spookgus]

Firefighter

It is not as daunting as it seems. Your basically going to remove the meat from the skeleton. Trim off anything your not willing to eat. Separate out each individual muscle that you feel is big enough to roast, steak or strip jerky and grind the rest. You can blend in fat later if you make sausage or patties.

This is how I do deer.

If the temperature is around 40, I will hang for a few days. If I feel that the temperature is not conducive to hanging, I will remove the legs and fillet the carcass from the backbone down. Grab the tenderloins and scavenge the carcass for useable meat. Bag each leg and the loose meat and place in the shop and camper refrigerators in a manner that allows air flow.

No saw.

I remove the rear legs by trimming along the spine and pelvic bone until the ball joint is exposed. Cut the ligaments holding the joint in place and remove the leg. The upper muscle group of the rear leg is taken off the bone by trimming around the femur from the inside. Each individual muscle is separated and trimmed and froze whole to be steaked, roasted or made into strip jerky later.

The front legs I remove by cutting behind the shoulder blades. On deer I just remove the meat from the front leg bones and put the meat in the burger bucket. The three sections of meat on the shoulder blades are used for strip jerky.

Cut around the neck close to the head and cut along the spine to the pelvic bone. Continue filleting from the spine down to the brisket staying as close the ribs and neck bone as possible. Take the backstrap out of this section. The neck meat can be rolled into a roast but on deer it usually goes in the burger bucket with the rest of the front quarter.

Remove the tenderloins and scavenge the leg bones, ribs, and carcass for useable meat that can be put into the burger bucket.