Howdy. Was wondering how many hunters out there do your own skinning and cutting. My neighbor has a cooler box that me and couple friends use. We set up a little shop there we have lexon cutting tables a hamburger grinder, meat slicer, dehydrator, jerky shooters. We have a hand winch and pulley for skining. I get a lot of satisfaction out of doing it all myself. Just wondering how many other huntingnuts did there own.

I get asked alot to make a guide to cutting up a deer, sorta like my field-dressing guide. Its easy enough to do... I just dont think I do it the "right way" LOL.

I'd love to see a professional butcher put together a guide for it.

Anyway I cut up all my own deer, Elk I take to a professional to have done... they are just to darn big to do in a garage. I end up paying around $175 to get the elk done (but its done extremely nice).


-DallanC

I always cut up my own game, but I'm sure I don't do it like a butcher would. I have a wood lot to dump all the stuff I don't want, so I skin and quarter the carcus out on my game pole and then bring the "good stuff home to do in my garage. I just go with the grain to take off the big chunks amd slice against the grain of those and put in serving size zip-lock bags. The whole family gets into the act, I cut, the girls weigh out the portions, and my wife marks bags and stuffs them in the freezer. I wish I had the opportunity to take an Elk to a butcher. There aren't any of those critters up here.

Blaine

I wish we had half as many elk and twice as many deer :(. For the past 3 years I've had 2 elk tags per season, with 1 of those being a freebie from the state.

Sounds like I cut up my deer like you do. I do alot of butterfly cuts, lots of small strips for stews or jerky etc etc. Deer are pretty easy to do, elk... ugh dressed, head off, skin off you are still looking at a 300+ LB carcass.


-DallanC

I can relate...I hit a moose once with my truck on the interstate. I didn't weigh her for dressed weight but I got 300 lbs of meat after the spoiled parts were trimmed off. I had a butcher do it and he let me watch. I would not have wanted to try it alone. I still wish I could have a chance at an elk. It is one of the things on my "things to do before I die" list. Maybe someday........

Blaine

Howdy you guys sound like you cut like i do. I get the back straps and tenderloin/ cut the hind quarters into top round and bottom round roasts (wich im sure i dont do it right, but it sounds good ) as long as i get that gland out between the two roasts im happy and the shoulders i cut up and grind into burger for jerky and chilli and such. Im a much better skinner than a butcher but i enjoy doing it.

I was forced to learn, Antelope hunting. I hunt walk in areas and you either drag it our or pack it out. Being an old guy I have to use my brains more. In the case antelope they are skinned boned and quartered. Then I fix them to a pack fram and it an easier walk back to the truck.

Where I can have access to a vehical I get them hung and skinned that day. Then it is a simple matter of cutting them up and packaging them for the freezer. My family will eat the roasts so I don't grind much for "Burger". I do make sausage and for that I thaw several packages and prepare them for sausage stuffing. Simple and neat.

Do my roasts look like the ones in the market? Nope. But the cook pot doesn't mind.

I also do all my own skinning and butchering. Like most others, the cuts probably arn't textbook, but they eat well all the same. Like alot of other things, I consider butchering part of the hunt. Nice to hear that alot of others do their own butchering.

Here's a video that I found.

members.shaw.ca/inberg...uments.htm

Howdy HuntAway, Welcome to the HuntingNut thanks for the link.
Joe

Joe,
Thanks and your welcome.
I cut my own deer as well. My cuts don't look quite like the butcher shop variety, but it still tastes great. If it's flat it's steak, round it's a roast, and everything else is stew or burger.

I've done a couple of deer but not well.
LEM products has a couple of videos on dressing and details on butcher. The guy is a butcher. www.lemproducts.com I did have a little falling out with them after the Harrisburg, PA hunting expo. The book DRESSING & COOKING WILDGAME shows how to dress various animals and how to butcher a deer/elk. It's part of THE HUNTING & FISHING LIBRARY.

There is also The Sausage Maker @ www.sausagemaker.com. They carry a book I'm thinking about getting called BASIC BUTCHERING OF LIVESTOCK AND GAME FOR ABOUT $14.

i found out that it's better to cut up your own game,had 2 deer and an elk come back from the processor bad,so if it gets messed up it's my fault,had pretty good luck so far....

The video that Huntaway posted is the business!

The only thing left is bones for the dog!

All I need now is a deer!

D

Hello guys.
my screen name is ripper007 for internet use.
my real name is Kevin. a texas boy, born and raised.

I have never had anyone else cut up any game for me.
allways felt that anyperson that shot something should cut it up them selves and eat it.

I am not a pro at any means. and I know i do not do things the right way at times. but I geter done.

last time I cut up a deer, I used my pocket nife. did not have any rope or any means for hanging the deer. so I skinned on leg at a time. cutting each leg around the joints till it was free. carefully putting each cut off peice in a plastic bag.
skinning around the back after each hind leg was gone. then cutting out the back straps. then worked my way up and for the front shoulders.

that was a real sloppy job and not recommended. but it worked.
hind legs I cut in slices for steaks. probly about aound 3\4" to 1\2" thick.

I never realy learned how to do it right. was raised up in the back woods and taught myself. as far as I know it all tasted the same. then again, I do not complain about food.

I am gald I found you guys here. I do belong to a few other sites, but they do not talk about hunting or shooting.

I own
marlin 30-30 336 C,
marlin 39A gold series 22.
savag 22 bolt action.
iverjhonson carbine 22 simi auto.
winchester 12 gage.
beretta 92 fs 9mm.
cheap 22 six shooter with interchangable 22, and 22mag cylinders.

and in the process of ordering a savage 10fp tactical 223 .

my favorite gun that i have has to be the marlin 30-30, next to its side kick the marlin 39a 22.