After the Hunt

[Mike]

Do you butcher your own deer?

How long do you let your deer hang before you butcher?

While aging the deer do you have hide on or off?

Just wondering what the trend is now days. TIA

[BigA]

I butcher up my own deer right under my deck in Brookings.  I usually start butchering it right away when I get home.  I'm not a fan of working bare-hand with cold meat.  If it is late when I get home, it hangs outside until 5 or 6 in the morning before I start working up the meat.

When it comes to aging it (this is for does only), you can hang it my yourself, it is a yearling.  If it needs 2 people, then its 2 years or older.

And after butchering, I also do my own proccessing (deer patties, brats, and summer sausage).  Make a Saturday of it with family --> drinking beer, playing cards, and smoking deer.

[TLA]

When you're drinking beer and smoking deer I have a question.

What kind of papers are you rolling the deer in and isn't it pretty hard to light?

Uh, my mind went weird on me for a minute.

[BigA]

Well, with that propane powered flame going, we usually don't have the problem of lighting it--more so putting it out.  And the flame is a big one.  Our smoke house use to be a 6' x 8' icehouse.  You need a big hot plate and flame to smoke in there.

[Smarty]

I cut up my own.  My dad was a butcher.  I don't always do as a person should. 
First the deer should be cooled and let the blood drain out of the meat.  It cures best with the hide on, but I don't like skinning a frozen deer and thawing it out is a waste of time. Sometimes it hangs a couple of days, sometimes I cut up right away, depends on my time. You decide that one.  Cut the membrane tissue away as best you can.  It can leave a ranscid (sp?) taste.  I grind my own, but most butcher shops will take and grind your burger along with making an other products you'd like.  We, too, enjoy the cut up time.  Time to reflect on the hunt, plan the next one, eat, and have a beer or 2 or 3.  This can save you $75.  It usually only takes me about an hour to skin, cut up, bone it out and grind/package.  Takes longer to set up and clean up, I think.
Have fun!!!!!!!