What do you do after the kill?

[Doc Nock]

I learned #4 about greasing the meat in MT.

There was a late season hunt for cow elk and my old boss's wife got one... a week after he asked me to come help cut it up.

I walked into the garage (it had been cold all along) and I took one look at that critter hanging all pink and all and declared I was leaving. He lived 2 doors from a wildlife guy and I was sure that was a recent kill after season to still be that "pink".

the guy laughed and told me to walk up to it and grab a leg..my hand came up greasy with Crisco.

All others I hung had that hard crust on the meat and you wasted a lot of meat cutting off that "rind" before cooking...

That was oh...30 yrs ago and I've done it ever since... Crisco being veggie "fat" doesn't turn rancid.

Since I butcher my own (debone) I just set it up on it's stumped legs, scrape off excess and wipe on paper towel before I start cutting.

No more hard air dried "rind" on my aged critters....

[rastaman]

I use the gutless method also and do the same for hogs.  It's too hot and the older I've gotten, the less dragging I've wanted to do!

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Originally posted by KSdan:
Great info here.  I too have went to an almost exclusive gutless/quartering method.  

I don't want to start a debate on your thread.  But I am from the school that says water on meat is bad business for bacteria growth.  Further, water unfortunately helps the bacteria get deeper into areas of the meat. You do not want that.  Once the deer is hung up, quarters in a cooler, whatever- I always make sure it is wiped down so as to make it dry.  I do not want water on it.  It is not the blood that makes meat taste stronger- it is blood that is spoiling due to bacteria.  Cool the meat ASAP and keep it dry. ALSO- plastic bags are helpful but BE CAREFUL that the meat is completely cooled down before using them- otherwise you are trapping heat in the deep muscle and again allowing bacteria growth, aka rotting meat.

Dan in KS

X2, very close to the way I do mine and have been for 30+ years. If it's warm I will quarter it and hang the quarters to cool faster. If it's to warm they go it into the freezer in quarters in game bags till the next day.

Tracy

[jcolby23]

I do similar as well, hang the fresh kill, cape it, de-bone everything without gutting.  Take the meat chunks to the man fridge for ageing.  I let the chunks sit in my fridge on those cookie type cooling racks for 7 days or so, then vacuum seal and in the freezer.

[Doc Nock]

We all have many varied methods...as long as each is satisfied, it's like choice of BH, draw weight or arrow type...GO FOR IT!

I've also read that MOST plastic bags react to the protein in meat and create a nasty chemical... there are meat approved plastic bags, but where you get those???

I agree keeping meat dry is important, although "Organ meat" we always soaked in salt water in fridge and changed water often for critters...fwiw.  

TEmp seems to be the critical factor...

[pdk25]

Not sure that it is a big deal to have the meat in ice water.  I do it all the time, but the water is always salted.  Osmotic balance and all that.

[RedShaft]

Here is another bit of advice. Have a plan when you get to your vehicle on how to get that deer in the back without blowing a nut or your own back.
They are a real pain to get up in a vehicle sometimes.

I don't hang. If it's cool I may hang skin off till next day and I get rite to it.  Breaking down quarters.
Quick tip. Get too much hair on the meat while skinning a quick shot with propane torch gets rid of that quick.

I utilize a meat hook. Bloody quarters are slippery, last thing ya want is your prized piece a meat laying in the dirt at your feet.

Sanitary meat totes work awesome. Just get the big ones. Best knives I found are the dexter russel. Any of them work well. Easy to sharpen n cheap.

Remove all fat. From cuts. Brings gamey taste.
Remove as much silver skin as possible. Learn to break down hind quarters into proper muscle groups. Watch YouTube brother. Lots of info.

Your best steaks are top round, there is eye of round attached in there. Save that to make medallion steaks. Like the loin only smaller. Just as good.

You CAN do it yourself. Learn, it's all part of the process of being a hunter. You can take great pride in what sits in front of you on the table at supper. Be sure to give thanks

[Krex1010]

If weather permits I'll hang in my garage for at least 5 days, a week is better and ive done 10 days a few times with mature bucks and those deer were ended up being tender as a young doe....if the weather is warm then I loosely wrap the quarters and the back section in cheesecloth and put them on racks in my garage fridge and age them like that for about a week.....worst thing you can do is butcher a deer while it's still in rigor, I've seen that turn even a yearling doe into stringy, chewy venison.

[Rob W.]

I personally don't let the meat touch any water these days. The difference is flavor and longevity in the freezer. Some guys don't mind but I'm pretty picky about my venison.

I do the gutless method and if it is early season place the game bags in a large cooler filled with frozen ice cream buckets. I then process myself and vacum seal.

[bowzonly]

I jump up and down, laugh hysterically, pump my fists, praise the lord and  say that's what I'm talking about ain't no ground shrinkage here it doesn't get any better than this boy that (fill in the blank) broadhead really did the job. Oh wait that's not me, that's every hunting show on TV. LOL hope you don't mind me havin a little fun!

[bowzonly]

I jump up and down, laugh hysterically, pump my fists, praise the lord and  say that's what I'm talking about ain't no ground shrinkage here it doesn't get any better than this boy that (fill in the blank) broadhead really did the job. Oh wait that's not me, that's every hunting show on TV. LOL hope you don't mind me havin a little fun!

[bowzonly]

Oops sorry I double tapped that post. Bad habit leftover from my handgun days

[degabe]

I take out the tenderloins slice them thin roll them in fryin majic then fry them in butter. When I'm done eatin then I worry about the rest of the meat.

[BelegStrongbow]

Haha thanks guys. Pretty excited to try some of these out. Just need to take one down first. All part of the process I guess. Although I've come pretty close to smacking a few with my car the past several days as they seem to be all over the roads right now.

[Mark Normand]

"What do you do after you harvest a deer?"

Do multiple repeated triple fist pumps with both hands while whispershouting "I smoked him, man I smoked him sooo baddd!!!"   Then throw bow out of tree to ground, do 2.5 twisting summersault out of tree, stick the landing, then fall to one knee and say "give me a minute folks..give me a minute.."

LOL! sorry couldn't help it!  

I Womack em into a pack and walk out.

[Burnsie]

Up in northern Wisconsin we always got the skin off them, took out the loins and backstraps, and then let them hang and freeze (if it was cold enough) then we took off the quarters and steaked them out on the bandsaw.  Any scrap meat was brought to the local processor who made a heck of a summer sausage.  Very little ever got ground,  we always thought it a waste to grind up good steak and roast meat.  If possible, we always saved the heart and liver too.  Thin sliced heart steaks with onions - mm mm good!

[carbonflyr]

give thanks...make a small offering to give back and then it's time to get to work

[BlacktailBowhunter]

In Oregon, I do the gutless method and bone it alll out in the field. I place the meat on a plastic table clothe and keep it real clean.

Once I'm done I load my pack and pack it out. I get it on ice overnight and then to the butcher.

My wife and I can quarter and debone an entire deer in less than 40 minutes.