Deer processing

[Quest1001]

Do you bring your meat to a processor or do it yourself?

What cuts of meat do you package separately vs blend?

[Lockdown]

always butcher myself.

There are 3 muscles in each hind quarter that I either make steaks or roasts out of. Backstraps and tenderloins are kept separate, everything else gets ground up. Mix it with beef/pork fat.

My local butcher will take my trimmings, add beef fat, grind and package it for 40 cents/lb. That’s a no brainer! It would cost me the same to do it myself.

[Moose]

I used to take it to a few diffrent lockers but was never really satisfied with the quality or the price for that matter. Now process my own, but i also enjoy doing it aswell. I always keep the backstraps and tender tips separate. Everything else i grind into sticks, summer sausage, bratwurst or anything else sounds good at the time.

[MichiganMike]

Do you bring your meat to a processor or do it yourself?

What cuts of meat do you package separately vs blend?

I do it all myself. Its a lot of fun for me and I really enjoy it! Also self rewarding.
Anyway- I usually package & separate: steaks/roasts/backstraps/jerky strips/cubes for Stew or kabobs/burger. For the burger I usually mix it 60/40 with vension/pork fat. If I do burger jerky- its straight venison burger. I separate the 2 of course.

[Jtcamo]

I’ve always taken mine somewhere the last five or so years. Though the place I’ve always used has closed the doors on deer because the sheer amount of people that don’t pick up or don’t pay the remaining balance and pickup so they’re left to deal with a lot at the end of season. So I’m tinkering with the idea of processing for myself. I did when I was younger and in high school with a friend , wrapped in wax paper. Wasn’t bad but we were young and it wouldn’t last forever in the freezer. If I can get a lead on a good source of instruction and or a good starting equipment needed list I might take up the challenge this fall. I’m sure the mrs won’t mind as long as I keep it on my side of the garage!

[Dewey]

Do you bring your meat to a processor or do it yourself?

What cuts of meat do you package separately vs blend?

Do yourself a favor and watch some videos on YouTube. Plenty of great instructional videos out there.

It’s actually real easy and very rewarding doing it yourself. You never again have to unwrap something and wonder how good the quality will be when somebody else does it. Your in complete control of how it’s cut and packaged. The best thing is there is no one way to do it. Changing it up and trying new things is the fun part.

[hcooper84]

My family has always butchered and processed our self. 90% of it usually just turns into burger. Usually just straight venison, I would like to start adding some fat.

Something I just found out, which is probably a crime to some people...I always thought the backstrap was the tenderloin...for some reason my family has always called it this and we never even cut out the tenderloin. I feel like I've been missing out, definitely not forgetting this year.

[RiverBottoms]

I butcher my own. Love/hate it as it’s a lot of work but I do take pride in the finished product

[Quest1001]

[/quote]
Do yourself a favor and watch some videos on YouTube. Plenty of great instructional videos out there.

It’s actually real easy and very rewarding doing it yourself[/quote]

That’s my plan but I was interested in what other have done and what cuts they liked. It’s always fun to hear from others.

[tuff4x4]

I do the cutting...backstraps and tenderloins are butterflied , everything else is made into burger...The wife and kids help with the grinding and packaging ..

most will say I am ruining all that good meat by just making it into burger but we use a lot of burger..a lot

[Dewey]

I do the cutting...backstraps and tenderloins are butterflied , everything else is made into burger...The wife and kids help with the grinding and packaging ..

most will say I am ruining all that good meat by just making it into burger but we use a lot of burger..a lot

I like a lot of burger. So many more options for it. The prime cuts are spared but the rest gets ground.

[Primetime]

Last 5 years or so ive done it on my own. I pretty much take the backstraps and tenderloin and turn the rest into burger with pork fat.. I made a bunch of summer sausage for the first time last year and it turned out just "ok" in my opinion. Everyone that tried it said it was great but I have had so much better. I also made a roast in the slow cooker that was actually really good. I'll admit I get inpatient and just start hacking away when im deboning and it takes soooo much time to make the sausage.. I might just take it to a good processor from now on. but like some people have said, it is rewarding doing it all yourself.

[Evanszach7]

70/30 diy. If its one I need to quarter and pack out, diy. Any out of state, diy. If work isnt too busy, diy. Being in construction, thats hard to predict. Pretty much the only time they go to the processor is when Ive got to pick hunting more or process.

[alleyyooper]

Been doing it my self for 50 some odd years. These days I keep tenderloins and backstrap seperate for my self.
My wife and kids were not steak eaters of any thing pork or beef. We do how ever use a lot of burger, so much can be done with it, meat loafs, golashes and chillie.

Adding fat I feel defeats the goodness of a fat free meat might just as well buy beef and pork instead.

Do you add fat to your fish?

Al

[jhpa]

I keep the front shoulders whole to make blade roasts, shanks and neck go in a crock pot, backstraps get roasted or butterflied, tenderloins pan fried with a little salt and pepper the day I butcher, hindquarters I break apart and cut the nicer muscle groups thinly for jerky and the rest gets ground. My grind pile is usually just the trim and remaining pieces of meat on the carcass (ribs, leftover from bad knifework on the removal, etc.)