Time to try cleaning a deer myself!!!

[TheWarrior87]

I have been hunting 4 years and have never cleaned my own deer but have seen it done! Usually get them processed but think im ready to try cleaning myself...any tips???

[redkneck]

Folks do it a lot of different ways. Skin mine head down, and cut from back legs to the belly, then to the bottom of the neck, cut down front legs and start yanking hide.

Biggest simple thing I see foods do that bothers me is cutting from the outside in and causing hair to fly. Get the tip of the knife in and pull out or use a gut hook.

[TheWarrior87]

Thanks redneck, this sounds the way ive seen it done as well!

[too_pointer]

Hello. Here is a vid of cleaning, and there are tons more out there.

Good luck

too_

Deer Processing Video Field Dressing Deer How-To Dress Game Meat Videos

[bowhunter97]

We hang em by their back knees where there is a tendon connected to the bone that we cut through the skin and separate put the hooks of the gambriel through them on both back legs, then we cut the skin around that bone (do not cut the tendon) then we cut down the center of the legs on the inside (white side), meet the cuts in the center between the legs, cut the blatter and tail and all out and flip that skin back to the back of the deer, cut down from where the two cuts initially met to the center between the shoulders, do the same to them that we did to the back ones, go back up the the top legs and cut the hair all the way down from where you cut around the legs to start off, then kind of cut the bubbly stuff back from the skin around the hips all the way down to the shoulders, grab the hide in the back and pull down, for the most part it should go all the way down to the neck, cut hte head off with a meat saw or sever the vertebrea's, then cut the meat to get the head off, get the guts out, rinse it all out with water really good, cut out the backstraps and loins, quarter it up and toss it in a cooler as you go. We dont save ribs down here because the deer down here are really small compared to up in GA and more north and north west so there aint much meat on em.

Edited November 18, 2012 by bowhunter97

[TheWarrior87]

Thanks for the tips guys...ive decided to take a doe monday hopefully unless a nice buck comes through! Then ill let you know how the cleaning goes!!!

[jbeck]

I do all my own processing, price of getting a deer done up around here is $90.00 it takes me a half hour to Skin then bone the deer, takes another hour to cut it up and grind the burger. I think it is worth it , and I know what meat is going in my burger. I will say the family likes the deer meat better now that I am doing the trimming and cutting.

[pointing_dogs_rule]

I agree with all the above. I skin from hocks downward towards the head. After that I usually like to let the carcass hang 3-5 days (this is obviously dependent on the temperature). This allows the enzymes to break down some of the meat (tenderize). It is not always possible, however, I like to cut my deer up when it is slightly frozen. This way the meat is more "firm" when carving the steaks and de-boning (it just works better). Rear legs are de-boned and cut into steaks. Backstraps are made into steaks. Front legs are trimmed for burger. Any small trimmings are saved for burger. Do not forget the tenderloins... the small strips beneath the backbone near the kidneys... these are excellent. I am also a "cheap person" so I cut the meat out between the ribs.... this is added to the burger meat... remember the deer is very lean and the ribs have fat to add to the burger. My local meat processor will grind the burger and package it for .40 cents a pound which is a real deal (I do NOT opt to add any pork). Steaks are wrapped by me with freezer paper & labeled. good luck it's fun & I KNOW I AM EATING MY OWN DEER AND NOT SOMEONE ELSES.

good luck to all

the dog

[Tominator]

I always treat them like a big rabbit.

Don't forget the filet up inside the ribcage.

[redkneck]

And for after the hide is off, here's a good video of how to de-bone.

Untitled on Vimeo

[Husabud]

Or you could try it like this...

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=eight%20min%20deer&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dxijmge8_NJw&ei=rjGsUPiRJ8WP0QHvtIDwDg&usg=AFQjCNFQShqcLEv2qN4CZj9FLi3R3n65bg

[Turkeygirl]

In the woods I'l ldrag my deer on a slight incline, make a large enough belly cut to pull out the guts (have to cut the diaphragm), tie an end of the intestine so nothing comes up. When the deer gets home, we get the heart out, finish the cut between the back legs, split the pelvis, hang it by the back legs and start skinning!

[dbHunterNY]

unless your having a full shoulder mount done... roll the deer onto it's back. pinch and pull up on the skin of the belly toward the rear of the deer. cut that to start a hole without puncturing the stomach. then take two fingers from one hand to hold open the incision. take the knife with your other hand and your index finger running along the back edge of the blade. run the blade up through the hide of the belly with your index finger keeping the blade away from the organs below. once you get to the rib cage the center of it is softer. cut up through this to open up the chest cavity. now roll the deer belly side down hill and help the insides out. carefully cut them free of the inside of the carcass. keep in mind the heart and liver can be eaten if not shot and left inside the deer attached. from there continue the cut down removing the parts as you go... a rubber band or string can be used to tie off the rectum so you can sever it to free the intestines. be careful of a bladder that can be full of pee when you get back there.

as for processing it i do that all myself too. i hang it with a triangle frame head down. each end through the leg between the leg bone and the main tendon. skin it down to the head. pulls down easy when it's still warm. fillet knife works well for this. you can cut around and along each of the legs to free the hide. also the legs can be detached by cutting the connective tissue at the joints and bending them the wrong way. now get a couple of bigger container/meat pans, along with a pot of warm slightly soapy water, old towel, and a slightly more ridged knife. i start with removing the heart, liver, tenderloins (inside of carcass along either side of backbone), and then the backstraps (outside of the carcass either side of the backbone). easier to remove the straps by starting a cut on either side tight to the spine, from the hind quarters to the front shoulders. now remove the hard layer of fat and then cut from the outside in toward the spine and down to free each strap. now do the hind quarters, between the ribs, front shoulders, and neck. if you see meat cut it off and if you see a muscle separate it from the others trying to leav it intact. keep in mind while doing this that front shoulder will be mostly ground up, while the hind quarters can mostly go into steaks and roasts. cut steaks from muscles perpendicular to the grain of the tissue. also i remove all silver looking skin on the outside and anything white (legiments and fat) from each piece that doesn't go into ground. a good majority of it for ground up stuff. don't add any pork or beef when grinding. if you need it together when cooking stuff like burgers, use an egg and some bread crumbs. also i've used commerical paper and plastic wrap in the past but a good food saver vaccuum sealer works much better. for ground i use sleeves that have incremental 1lb markings on the outside with cheap small zip ties to tie them off. when i grind i grind twice. first with larger holes and then again with smaller ones. makes the hands ache a little but helps to have the meat real cold (almost frozen) when grinding. otherwise it'll stick to everything and your hands.

[dbHunterNY]

...i should add i let the boned out meat, before grinding too, sit in the pans in the fridge for a week or so to age. just don't let the meat sit in a bath of blood that has drained from it for too long. you can buy pads to place in the pans first that will soak that up or just drain off the pans once or twice while it ages.