Meat Handling of Game Animals

tynimiller

New member
Deer meat

Have to share this with all who hunt deer and either process their own deer or take it to a processor. After years of deer both processed by ourselves (pops and I) or by other processor we started only going to this one processor...even though he is an hour or more away from our main place we hunt here in Indiana (He's in MI). The reason was because after years of thinking we loved venison we were shocked with how much better that first deer we took to him was than any of the other deer we'd ever had...

Why was it though? Well we've become very good friends with the guy and he shared with us the biggest mistake a lot of people make with deer meat:

They hang it for hours, a night, a day or days....

The absolute worst thing you could do he said. He learned from an old time butcher that deer are the same as I believe it was goats and sheep (but don't quote me on it, I'll find out for sure) that the second their bloodline has stopped they start to rot from the inside/bones out...unlike beef where the belief is to hang it to cure it in order to taste better.

We've since introduced numerous hunters to this guy and they will never go back to another processor ever again...also the buddies of mine who do their own meat have since tried to clean the deer as quick as possible and they were amazed at the taste difference!

He also debones everything and never touches a saw...because cutting the bone would partially defeat the purpose of cleaning it quickly.
 

Gunplummer

New member
I agree with tynimiller about getting the bone out of the deer. I never heard his reason before. I always thought that the bone marrow held the laurel and cedar bitterness in it. Either way, it does make a difference. I started doing it because hunting out of state forced us to cut up deer in camp. Now I never leave the bone in. We quickly cut big chunks off the deer and put them in 2 gallon freezer bags and then in coolers. I have meat in a cooler for 5-6 days before I cut and trim it. It makes your hands numb when you finally get to cut it up. Just watch your coolers and if it is real hot keep draining and adding more ice.
 

Desertfox

New member
I agree with Lt. Long and Gunrunner. I do as some of you and get the meat in the cooler asap. I debone the meat the same day and get the meat in the cooler. I ice it down for 3 to 5 days and drain the water off daily. This period works wonders for removing the blood from the meat. If you keep the hair out of your cooler, you will improve the meat taste alot. If you try this method of soaking the meat in ice water for 3 to 5 days and draining it off, you will never want to eat venison any other way.
I use no saws in processing and of course, don't split the bladder open, while field dressing.
Anyone else tried the "butt out"? I am proud to use it. Works great.
 

FrontSight

New member
Here's video of a deer being skinned using a winch and cables - it's just a simple prototype version, with the deer laying down on a tarp on the ground, which isn't that great since lots of hair remains stuck to the meat. The clamp is an EZ-Skinner and was purchased online, but I think they no longer make it, which is really sad b/c it's awesome. A machine shop can probably make you one, or with some ingenuity you can make your own.

I've developed a much better version since this video was made, allowing an easy hoist by the neck up to a branch using first a pulley from a gambrel, and then an easy transfer to cables (for strength while pulling the skin off), and then an easy transfer back to the pulley with a gambrel attached to the hind legs for ease of butchering.

I'm hoping to get a deer this season so I can test it out and post an updated video...people can just make their own since it is so easy to put together, or maybe I'd even make and sell the kits to anyone who is interested but doesn't have the time / desire to make it themselves.

The nice things about a set up like this is that you can use it with pretty much any animal bigger than a squirrel and it takes up so little room. The cables loop into a neat little pile no bigger than the clamp, as opposed to the stationary skinners made from pipes / tubes weldded together. So if you don't have a lot of room in your garage / shed or just don't want another contraption taking up space, but you do have a couple of trees or sturdy structures to attach the cables to then this is great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ykGB3ZGfU
 

Elkins45

New member
This guy is lightning with a knife and deer. He debones an entire carcass in less than 8 minutes. I never thought I was fast, but I never realized how slow I am processing my game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xijmge8_NJw

That was pretty amazing! I noticed that he made really efficient use of a meat hook during the process. I may have to try that. I'll bet it really helps when processing very cold meat because my hands get numb and my arthritis starts to kick in after a while. I'll bet the meat hook would really help with that.
 

Rembrandt

New member
What do you guys have for meat processing equipment? How far along the process do you take it?....like making your own sausage etc. or just cut and grind?

When the kids were at home and we were hunting multiple states, not uncommon to have 10 or more animals to process. Locker fees got too high, so we bought all the equipment and started doing our own....savings paid for all of it the first year.


Picked up some of it used and a little here and there.


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TXGunNut

New member
Nice setup indeed. I've decided game processing is like ammo manufacturing, it's not just about saving money.
How's that sausage stuffer working for you, Rembrandt? I have an old-fashioned lever type but I'm not happy with it. Casings are an issue as well.
 

Rembrandt

New member
TXGunNut said:
....Nice setup indeed. I've decided game processing is like ammo manufacturing, it's not just about saving money.
How's that sausage stuffer working for you, Rembrandt? I have an old-fashioned lever type but I'm not happy with it. Casings are an issue as well.

You're right about it being similar to reloading....almost as expensive to get started. Stuffer works well, my son is the expert at it. Can also stuff casings with an attachment on the grinder.
 

hogdogs

Staff In Memoriam
I use the crap outta my foodsaver machine. Finally got a little fancy though...

bassproshops-black-friday-6.jpg

Fer Christmas, I got mrs.hogdogs to get us the 3 piece combo of grinder, slicer and dehydrator...

The slicer is wimpy but we will find use for it (likely tender veggie/fruit slicing for drying).

Haven't used the grinder yet but it has to better than my little TOO DANG LOW SITTING chinese hand grinder that absolutely sucks and wears me out using it...

The dehydrator will get lots of use drying produce found on sale for sure!

As for other "equipment" I have some sharp Dexter Russel "Sani-Safe" knives and several starboard cutting boards...

Brent
 

TXGunNut

New member
Can also stuff casings with an attachment on the grinder. -Rembrandt

I usually just bag it, tried some brats once but had casing and probably fat ratio issues. My grinder has a stuffer too, guess I should try it.
Used the heck out of my foodsaver tonight too, Brent. Just put 85# of venison in the freezer. Congrats on the additions to your setup, think you'll make good use of it.
 

hoffbill

New member
I have equipment similar to Rembrant. I like the Bradley smoker, I run 3. I make summer sausage, my private recipe for soft salami, smoked breakfast links(without casings), jerky and slim jims. We have a walkin cooler at the ranch I built. 2x8 floor insulated, 2x6 walls and ceiling insulated, vinyl floor and walls, insulated metal door, 8' wide x 12' long. Has a drop in cooler unit on top purchased for that purpose. Has a barn door track upside down with eyebolts every 18" for the meat hooks and suspended on cables with a pulley system and crank winch located on the outside. Works great, 36 degrees regardless of outside temp. Not expensive , I think about $20 a week, can't remember for sure.

Check Northern Tool for game processing equipment. They have some stuff that looks cheaper than Cabelas etc for comparable quality. Best savings are on their stuffers. Once you have a hand crank gear driven stuffer you will never want to use the grinder attachment again.

I like to butcher young 120# female feral hogs, grind the meat, pack it in vacuum bags flat (not more than 2" thick so it thaws fast) and freeze it until I need it to mix with venison for sausage. The meat of the young females smells better than the tame pork when you open those vacuum bags for the grocery store or Costco.
 

hogdogs

Staff In Memoriam
hoff, You basically said exactly what I have said for 5 years... well more like 7+ but time has sped by since gettin' on the stinky end of swine while my dogs manage the sharp end...

I have a little local grocer that sells "large name brand" packed pork but from the smaller kill houses legal to pack under their name....

It is no feral swine small sow but it is as close as a retail buyer could come to feral pork.

The "ChinaMart" pork and Win-Dixie pork both smell and taste of NOTHIN'... I mean sanitary sterile NOTHIN'!!!

If I serve you a tenderloin steak from feral BOAR or from barnyard swine (the BIG LOIN)... If you prefer steamed napkin well done, you might say the China-Mart pork steak will satisfy...

If you like FLAVOR... BIG DEEP COMPLEX flavor, you will pick the loin steak from a 250# BOAR or a 120# sow o' da' woods but you won't like the bland "WHITE TIRE" flavor of the high production pork kill houses...

Brent
 

hogdogs

Staff In Memoriam
Not yet!!!:D Need meat worthy to use...

Done a few runs of non-meats on mine getting used to it so far.

Jerky becomes high dollar per pound of finished product in a hurry so my cheapazz self may not be makin' much.

Brent
 

Rembrandt

New member
Never done jerky in a dehydrator.....just oven and smoker, don't see why it wouldn't work.

Just ordered supplies from the "Sausage Maker.Com", should start making sausage and novelty meats from this years deer next week. Can't wait for the finished product.
 

viciouskitty

New member
I just recently made my first batches of jerky with a dehydrator. I used strips of meat from a whitetail deer the neck. It had to be put in over night but the jerky came out great, I ended up with 3 gallon ziplocks full
 
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