Who cuts their own meat?

[MT Gianni]

Matt is home on leave until this weekend when he reports to Panama City Beach, Florida. Hubert Field I think. Anyway the elk have not been kind to us so we visited a friends ranch on the river for whitetail. Two bucks, a forkhorn and a 3x spike with a 12" spike as well as a yearling are down and he is headed back tonight for one more doe. the limits are down from 99 last year to 6 antlerless plus your either sex tag. I have been slicing and dicing meat all day and wondered who else does this and if it is an issue of no time, no place to hang them or don't know how. I have the local butcher shop grind it and make my own jerky if I decide to do that.
Oh yea, the hunt or more likely the shoot. The deer come out about 12-15 minutes after sundown from a "don't even ask to hunt ranch" and move through so the decision was made by me to use jacketed to keep trailing to a minimum along with the probability of some 250-300 yard shots. I did have a 358627 first in the chamber but at 225 yards or so with the 356W it was not to be. Matt had the blr in 308 with 150 gr Hornadys. I used Speer 180fn and AA 2015 at just under 2700fps. 1 neck shot yearling dead when it hit the ground and 2 front shoulder shots both dropped them within 15 feet of where they were so that part went well. Gianni.

[onceabull]

Mt.Gianni: Haven't paid a gamecutter since 1966 ( Presert SWMBO arrived 9/67).. If we could do it when both working 5 or 6 days/wk, no reason not to now, 9-12 yrs post retirement...and done right our way,too....congrats on your take so far, nice that Matt was there to share the experience....Onceabull

[Bass Ackward]

Yep. Family gets together and we do everything from dicen and slicen to grinding to vaccuum packaging, and we even make jerky from time to time. Have a building with a cement floor that has electric and running water. Acts as a garage the rest of the year.

Nobody cleans and prepares your stuff like you will.

[Hunter]

I have helped several friends gut and butcher harvested deer and was able to share in the meat for my help.

[chunkum]

MT Gianni,

try here for some good pointers on butchering your own. http://home.rochester.rr.com/sevendzero/

Best Regards,
chunkum

[Glen]

Yup, I hang, cut, wrap and grind my own. Had some for dinner tonight in fact.

[threett1]

:mrgreen: I figger if I shoot it, I butcher it. The only exception is if I want sausage, I take it to a place here in Missouri that is second to none with their sausage. Thats what I did Thursday with the 10 pointer I got last Saturday.

[drinks]

I do it all, right down to grinding and smoking the , Czech/ German, style link sausage.
About due to make another batch of goat/ pig sausage as we ate the last a couple weeks ago.
Don't know how much longer, back and hands are going due to arthritis.

[Gunload Master]

I helped manage a grocery store here in idaho, and was one of the main meat cutters there for 7 years. During the game season we cut up wild game quite a bit, so I got to be fairly proficent. I always cut my own, my familys and some friends. I'm just trying to find a good deal on a high commercial grade grinder and a good cutting table.

In fact this year was my first year using a food saver to package the meat, and I must admit, that is the best thing since pumpkin pie. Seals the meat air tight and once you get it going it's actually a bit quicker then wrapping in celephane (not sure if that's the correct spelling) and then white wrapping (butcher paper). I would highly recommend a food saver to anyone that prepares their own meat.

[MT Gianni]

We have been using quart freezer bags and or sandwich bags as the inner wrap then wrap in a good plastic lined butcher paper. I paid to have one cut in the late 70's as it was warm and there was no place to hang and said never again. I did grow up butchering our own game, goats,rabbits and beef at home and know what I consider clean and edible, I was just curious how many others did. GIanni.

[Denver]

My wife and I are in the process of doing my deer now. I skinned it, took out the back loins, and we cut and packaged one hind quarter today. Hope to finish it up tomorrow. One deer a year is all I want to do any more. Had the inner loins last night for dinner. Yumm! :-D

[Bullshop]

BS Mom cuts mine. If she dont I sometimes choke trying to swallow too big of peaces. Aint that nice!
BIC/BS

[TCLouis]

I started cutting mine (venison) some years ago.
The prime reason is I know that it is my deer, how it was handled and what was not added.
Here the issue is whether it will be cold enough to let the meat hang, or thet it must be cut sooner than I would like.

Years ago Fur Fish and Game published a method, that I have modified to my liking, and now I don't even get the saw out to cut one up.

I think one loses some flavor in boneless cuts, but the savings in space and the ease of wrapping the boneless cuts is amazing.

I buy the large commercial rolls of poly wrap to wrap the meat and then follow by placing the individual packages in 1 gallon plastic freezer bags. The space savings over paper wrap is an=mazing and there is NO air between the meat and wrap. This method works for me and meat seems to stay well preserved as long as it lasts in my freezer.

[drinks]

GM;
Have you checked the bandsaw/grinder at Harbor Freight and Northern?
About $300 for a heavy duty machine.
A friend has one and is very happy with it.

[Ivantherussian03]

Yeah, a food saver vacuum packer and a meat grinder are mandatory. When I butcher moose; it is in quarters and other large sections of meat and bone. I cut and slice the nice and neat muscle groups into roasts. Alot of meat gets frozen and latter sliced for consumption. The meat grinder works best if the meat is 50% frozen; some of it served most of those large grinds get refrozen for later.

[snowman]

BS Mom cuts mine. If she dont I sometimes choke trying to swallow too big of peaces. Aint that nice!
BIC/BS

my mom quit cutting my meat when i got married...now my wife cuts it for me. i'm still pretty scared of choking. this one weekend, she went out with her friends and i tried to swallow a steak without cutting it. it hurt my throat.

ok...can you tell me i've been drnking? err..

truth be told, my grandma wouldn't let me use a knife with serrations til i was about twelve years old.

[snowman]

oh yah...i wish i could butcher meat, but i dont know how to do it...and i dont have the space either, nor the dead animal to practice on.

[Gunload Master]

Actually drinks I was just there this morning getting a grease gun. Never even thought about a grinder.. Didnt know they had them? As far as a bandsaw I saw a few that they had which I dont think would be tall enough for fitting a whole round in. I might have to go in and do some snooping around.. $300.00 isnt too bad a price.


**edit**

I'll be a son of a gun!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45006

[Ed Barrett]

Got spoiled for the last ten years or so. One of the eight of us who hunt together worked for Swift meat packers for 20 years. We did the skinning, hauling, packaging and he did all the cutting. We usually worked at least 10 deer a year. The old guy died a few months ago, we sure missed him, none of wanted to use his regular stand this year. Weather has been nice and cool this year so we are going to start on 14 hanging deer this week. Still have a few more days of season so we will probably get some more.

[Ken O]

I don't process my own deer. I know I could do it, but what holds me back is the skinning, I haven't tried it, but it looks like a pain.
With rabbit it peels right off, then there is squirrel which takes (me) a lot of time for the meat you get. But some guys claim they can skin a squirrel in a minute.

[snowman]

I can prolly do a squirrel in a minute, and I'm not that good!

check this out:

http://www.huntingfootage.com/showphoto.php?photo=377&sort=1&cat=523&page=1

[Boz330]

I have been doing my own since the price went to $65. I'm not fast but it comes out the way I want it. I just hand grind my burger an stuff sausage with an attachment that came with the grinder.
My hunting buddy takes his to a friend that is a meat inspector. He said that the guy can process a deer from skinning to completely packaged in an hour. He has all of the professional stuff necessary and he said that the bones look like they have been laying in a desert for a year when he is done. I need to go watch some time since it takes me a day to do one. Although making sausage takes longer than just grinding.

Bob

[drinks]

GM;
It is a combination unit, a ss bandsaw with traveling carriage and a , I believe #21, or larger grinder.Item # 45006-1BZA, at least in one Harbor Freight catalog, likely will have several different numbers in different catalogs.
Friend likes his quite well, he did work as a butcher in a grocery store just after high school.

[MtJerry]

I have NEVER sent mine to a processor. I worked for a butcher in High School.

Here is a GREAT and simple sausage recipe. My wife says it tastes like Jimmy Dean.

Buy a 3 pound package of "ends and pieces" bacon. Grind it up with 3 pounds of venison. The bacon has amost all the spices you need and it has the smoke flavor as well.

Mix this together and then add ground sage. I add some, cook a small piece, taste it and add more if needed.

When done, roll into logs of whatever size you want and wrap in butcher paper.

3 ingredients = venison, bacon, sage. Can't get any easier.

[BD]

Deer, Bear, Moose, lambs, pigs and caribou. In our garage in Maine I have a 10 foot stainless countertop with a sink in one end. Also a big old 3hp meat grinder for the big jobs. I have paid to take RK moose to the butcher shop for cut and wrap in hot weather. I always used plastic wrap then freezer wrap over, but I'd like to try one of those shrink wrap gadgets. The idea really makes sense.
This past weekend I went for the easy way out, shot a little pig, maybe 60 LB live weight. Twenty minutes to clean and skin it and I think the whole thing will fit on the big grill to roast. To stay on topic it was a 265 gr. .44 WFN to the head that did the trick.
One day about ten years ago I was cutting up a moose, doing the big work in the yard and then cutting and wrapping in the kitchen, when some friends of ours from down in the islands showed up for a visit. I had just put some steaks from the tenderloin on the stove when they came in. I had totally forgotten that they were vegetarians. The guy lasted about 30 seconds before he had to go out in the yard. He was behind the shed for a good while. The kids were interested but Mom was shooing them out pretty quick.
BD

[Bullshop]

I sure would like to get me one a them combo units but for me the freight was more than the unit itself!!!! Bummer!!!!
BIC/BS

[carpetman]

MtJerry---If the folks living in sage brush country add more sage the sausage will not taste like Jimmy Dean---It will taste like Big Bad John.

[MtJerry]

MtJerry---If the folks living in sage brush country add more sage the sausage will not taste like Jimmy Dean---It will taste like Big Bad John.

You got a point there ... :drinks:

[Vegas Vince]

Guess , I'm lucky! I have a son in law who is a meat manager. I do the gutting and he does the cutting. Only problem, is I have not drawn a tag of anything in four or five years. So there has been any gutting or cutting.

[JSH]

I agree with the rest of you gents, I cut my own so I know it is mine and cut how I want it. I had a dandy Hobart grinder that was just the ticket for deer sized batches of grinding and sausage making. I WAS a generous sort, and loaned it out to a lot of friends. It had all the attachments you could think of. Last fellow I loaned it , said he lost it. How in the H*** you can lose a 100 pound grinder is beyond me. I still have not gotten it replaced.
I will caution you all on the meat grinder/ band saw. One of the fellows I hunt with bought a meat saw at a sale. It worked fine and did save a lot of time. If you are going to use one, it gets no dirtier cutting one deer or 20. That thing was a PITA to clean. If you missed anything it would sure tell you in about a week, phew. Last time we used it we did the better part of a dozen deer in one day. Started early and worked late, I won't volunteer for that again.
Also the frist year of the electric meat saw we made a bunch of chops bone in. Man those things looked picture perfect. I took some out of the freezer a few weeks later, they stunk to high heaven when cooking. Ever since then I have deboned everything.
The one I cut up last year was the sons first go at one hands on. I warned him he would cut himself either on bone or a knife. He did nick himself a time or two, but haven't we all. I hate trimming the rib cage and front shoulders, so I gave them to him to "chop" on as I grind that all any way. I went outside to get the hind quarters and came back in, the ribcage was done and one front shoulder was almost done. You would think the kid had been doing this for quite a few years.
I have quite a bunch of knives but just a few I prefer to use. I told him to pick out one he could handle and felt right and liked. Danged if he didn't take all three of the ones I use most of the time,lol.

Two things missing in this house around hunting season anymore. My grinder and an English Pointer. Every year I go bird hunting I swear it is the last without a dog of my own. Dunno if I could keep up with a pointer anymore, may settle for a Brittany.............................
Jeff

[waksupi]

I've cut my own for years. And I definitely agree, the way to ruin venison, is to cut the bones, and drag the marrow through the meat. Do that, and you may as well feed it to the dog. This is why many don't care for venison, poor meat handling.
You need to get up to animals the size of buffalo, and moose, before the marrow is palatable, and when butchering buffalo, I would always keep the marrow bones.
I just don't trust commercial cutters,to give me MY meat, to keep it clean, and certainly to not remove all the sinew and silverskin. When I'm done, that is all removed. It takes me 4-5 hours to do a deer, including grind, packaging, and cleanup, but it is worth the time to me, to have the best meat possible.

[fatnhappy]

My wife's cousin used to do mine. He was a meat cutter by profession, and I could trust him. But as all good deals, it went away. After a short succession of dealing with thieves, I bought a grinder from weston supply (their inventory of rebuilds is low right now) and have never looked back. Next monday a bankrupt supermarket here is have an equipment auction. I'm going to go check it out.

I've been playing around with sausage making for about 5 years. It's becoming almost as addictive as shooting. Butcher packer is a good source for supplies online.


www.westonsupply.com

[Gun Junkie]

I sure wish some of you guys lived close by. I've done most of my butchering myself, and I'm pretty tired of it. It seems to take me FOREVER! I've got 3 legs still in the fridge from a doe I harvested last week. Of course when I'm done I've got nothing but pure boned venison. No bones and no silver back.

Oh by the way, who is it that keeps saying cast doesn't give you bloody meat. I took this doe with a 150 gr FNFB in 30 cal, I got total penatration from ribcage on one side, breaking a rib to a hole out the ham on the other side. I got as much bloody gunk as I usually do with a condom bullet in my '06. I do admit the meat wasn't torn up as bad. The deer ran about 60 to 80 yards before she figured out she was done.

That was a great sausage mix. I'll have to try it. I usually make a lot of burger with the bits and pieces. I dump about 50/50 ground venison with discount hamburger meat and then add every spice I can think of...Cavander's Greek Seasoning, sausage mix I got from a butcher shop, garlic, mint flakes, onion bits and salt and pepper. It's the reason I'm still willing to cut up meat!

[357maximum]

I have never had my meat any way than doing it myself...the meals I have had from people who had keeps me from paying someone to ruin my meat...It takes me about three hours or so to do everything except the grinding....my wife does that later...anything an inch square gets canned all the other tidbits and strips from the hocks get ground...had a guy that did my canning for me,, but alas he has moved to Arkansas so now I will be doing that myself too....I was given a huge pressure canner...now I just have to contact him for advice when I thaw all them packages that read "ready for canning". Never used a pressure canner...should be interesting...

Michael

[swheeler]

357Mag; the wife does up several pints of venison in the pressure canner every year, it makes very good BBQ sandwiches, just open a jar, dump it in a pan and heat with BBQ sauce. I believe she uses "dry pack" process, and I know she is always concerned with the amount of headspace left in the jars ? We do trout too, add a jalepeno, slice of onion and a little garlic, an openened jar never lasts very long- GOOD STUFF.
Scot

[Tracy]

I've cut every deer I've ever killed. One time a few years ago I was given a deer by a fellow whose family doesn't like venison; he dropped it off at a processor and I picked it up later & paid for the processing. It was OK but when I kill a deer I consider butchering to be part of the overall job, for the same reason that I load my own ammo & cast (most of) my own bullets.

So far all I have used for butchering is a knife; I haven't tried making my own sausage and I'm not a big fan of "deerburger". I make steaks, roasts and jerky, and can a lot of the bits and pieces.
I am, however, thinking of getting a small tinned iron hand-cranked grinder so I can try making my own sausage.
Depending on where I am, I use either a hand axe or lopping shears for cutting the bones.
I debone the meat immediately and generally don't bother hanging it.

I am far from being an expert but I would rather have a simple, do-it-myself butchering job than to harvest my meat and then have to pay for it too, and lose the whole self-sufficiency thing.

[fourarmed]

We have a Food Saver, but only use it on the stuffed sausage after quick-freezing. Has somebody figured out how to vacuum seal fresh, unfrozen meat without sucking blood into the sealer? We double wrap as several here have mentioned: first in plastic wrap (pressing out all the air) then in freezer paper. Vacuum seals will fail sometimes, but I've had 2-year old venison wrapped this way that was still fine.

Years ago a local department store was going out of business, and I bought a lever-type masking tape dispenser. This cuts wrapping time and aggravation by a huge amount.

We grind with an Oster grinder. They cost less than $100, and the one we have now has probably ground 25 deer. Just make sure the meat is partially frozen.

We stuff sausage with an old lard press I bought at a gun show for $80 - best deal I ever got at one.

[carpetman]

I do my own--no bone left as bone takes up space and I dont eat bones. Not only can you not eat bones--the meat seems to spoil around them. Until last year,the grinding was done with a hand operated grinder--bought electric one last year. I make my jerky using ground meat and adding dry spices and then the jerky gun. I much prefer it made that way and it's easier.

[MT Gianni]

357 Max, My wife has a Master Food Processer certificate from Univ Of Idaho and was the main call for canning questions in our county. She says home canned meats are a quick way to salmonella if not done exactly right. Two sources are "Putting Food By" and "The Blue Book" from Ball canning jars. Basically, stay away from quarts and use pint or 1/2 pint jars. Gianni.

[Rick Hodges]

I process my own. No bandsaws to get bone meal in my meat. All is deboned, cut and ground. I even make my own breakfast sausage.

[357maximum]

357 Max, My wife has a Master Food Processer certificate from Univ Of Idaho and was the main call for canning questions in our county. She says home canned meats are a quick way to salmonella if not done exactly right. Two sources are "Putting Food By" and "The Blue Book" from Ball canning jars. Basically, stay away from quarts and use pint or 1/2 pint jars. Gianni.

Bought the blue book..just getting into it now...thanks for the recommendations folks...I will try to be safe...had salmonella once...once is enough....aren't family reunions greeeeaaaat...

[jerdog53]

Depends what it is the Speed Goats I will do in house along with does. Most everything else I will send out.

[swheeler]

The house I grew up in had a walk-in meat cooler, smoke house with under ground fire box, and a dedicated canning room. We canned red meat, chickens whole, a small fryer can be slipped into a quart jar whole, and tons of vegetables. We also milked our own cows, had a cream seperator(the cream was put in a cream can-tagged-and set next to the RR tracks- "Old Black Smoky"- the last steam coal train operating in the state, picked them up and took them to the creamery, the check came in the mail at the end of the month.), butter churn, and ice cream churn. I don't ever remember getting sick from anything we ate. I grew up cutting meat with my parents, beef, pork and game- still do! How soon we forget. Life before Safeway!
Scot

[45nut]

We have a Food Saver, but only use it on the stuffed sausage after quick-freezing. Has somebody figured out how to vacuum seal fresh, unfrozen meat without sucking blood into the sealer?

Try partially freezing the meat before sealing,,even a short time in the freezer should solidify the liquids enough to prevent that.

[TCLouis]

But most years are too warm here in TN anymore. I have always said I was going to build a walk-in cooler just for storage and hanging meat til I was ready to cut it.

Guess it will NEVER happen.

[Junior1942]

TClouis, get a spare refrigerator and quarter your meat and store it in the refrigerator for a couple of days before cutting it up.

[DLCTEX]

My son and daughter-in-law just arrived at the house with two six points, that makes 16 deer this week for our group (nine hunters). We do our own processing, grinding and sausage making. We have a commercial grinder, slicer, sausage stuffer. When everyone pitches in we have a great time and it goes rather quickly. PS: We wound up the week with 20 deer, all processed into steaks, ground meat, roasts, and various sausages. Much of it frozen and off to Florida.

[TCLouis]

A guy that used to work for me married into a family of hunters.
They have 3 refrigerators in the barn for meat cooling ONLY. They make meat cutting into a family actvity
In fact Saturday morning is going to find me in a tree on one of their pieces of property that is much closer to me than them and they have not visited in several years.
Asked if I was willing to hunt it and give them a report on their posting markers.

Oh Darn I will force myself.
We are limited to three or four bucks for the rest of the season and three antlersless deer per day til Mid January some time.

All that and the feral pigs (8 in two bunches) have been spotted in the neighborhood.

[drinks]

I had 2 Regal grinders,managed to do the motor on both.
I now have one from Northern, 1 hp. motor, big grinder, uses standard plates, no problem with the motor.
$100, + shipping.
I also have the 5lb vertical stuffer from Northern.

[C1PNR]

My hunting partner and I used to cut and wrap the weekend following when the deer were shot. Usually had to put them in the old refrigerator in the shop, unless the weather cooperated and we could hang them. With two guys and two tags each, it seemed we were ALWAYS working on the weekends.

Along with hard work, it was a good time, too, as there are always some small pieces that just don't get packaged. They were our "fry pieces" and sort of a reward for the work we did packaging the rest of the animal. Just rolled in flour and sautéed in lard in the cast iron skillet, they kept up with the beer consumption to help us NOT cut anything but deer!:shock:

[Ivantherussian03]

Another thing about butchering your own meat. Unless you request special consideration. The butcher will batch grind your meat. Meaning he will weigh the amount to be grinded then grind with the other 10 or 20 animals he is working on, and then just package an amount equal to what you wanted grinded.