Whitetail Processing - First Time

[jsb04]

Looking to start processing my own deer. Have been paying to have it done but I’m finally ready to start myself. Starting from scratch, so I really have no preference for brands or equipment. Any recommendations on what I need and who makes good equipment is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Leverwalker]

Presuming it's skinned, I just use what I use to break down any other large animals - good cleaver (I have an F. Dick 4 lb), couple of good boning knives (I have many, but a flexible and rigid are good), and a meat saw (mine is 22". Even a hacksaw can work, though it is tough going because the hacksaw blade is too fine and will bind.) Nice but not necessary is a breaking knife (something like a smaller version of a butcher's scimitar), or a true butcher's knife (again, scimitar, or bull nose).

 

[2-Stix]

MEAT! has some items I use.

This is my grinder https://stxinternational.com/produc...der-&-Sausage-Stuffer-w-Foot-Pedal-p252696895

I bought 1 boning knife (Victorinox), had fish fillet knives (Dexter), costco vacuum sealer, scale, meat grinder with foot pedal, hamburger maker with papers, spices to mix in (https://himtnjerky.com).

I did a buck last weekend. Back straps, roasts, bacon burgers (I grind in 20% fat a mix of beef and bacon how ever I feel) and grind meat I add a sage mix to... about 35# of meat (blacktail) total all seperate vacume bags around 1.25# per bag. Vac lasts about 2 years or so before the meat color will brown a bit.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

You can make do with any old set of basic kitchen knives as long as you have a way to keep them sharp. A good grinder should be top priority IMO (assuming you want ground meat). I struggled through grinding with an attachment made for a Kitchenaid stand mixer for a few years before ponying up for the real deal (a #32 1.5 hp Meat Your Maker). The Kitchenaid grinder attachment was surprisingly strong for its size and cost but very slow. The grinder upgrade shaved hours off my processing time. I would recommend no smaller than a #22 grinder.

 

[Novashooter]

In my opinion, you really can't make full use of meat without a grinder. I mean technically you could mince it up with a knife like they did before the meat grinder was invented. I don't want to do that. Lots of info online on good meat grinders. Chop-Rite #12 hand crank works for me.

I also like jerky, although you can live without it if you call that living. I use a jerky cutting board, and it is so easy I see no reason to use anything else. I use the one from ebay called "WORLD FAMOUS JERKY BOARD PRO WITH EXTENDED CUTTING SURFACE KNIFE SET MADE IN USA". I'm sure there are cheaper options if you look.

A charcoal grill works fine for a smoker.

I don't see much need for special knives. A good butcher knife is more comfortable to use, and usually more effective, but a sharp kitchen knife works fine. I use my boning knife for processing meat. I only use two knives start to finish from gutting to processing. I don't want bones in my meat, so I don't use saws at all. A cleaver might be handy, but not necessary.

 

[nettereo16]

Here’s an awesome tutorial with pictures: https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/step-by-step-deer-butchering-pictorial.92472/

 

[Desk Jockey]

good for you. I was unhappy with the processors in my area and started to DIY my deer. I taught myself watching videos and reading a few books. Have been building up a kit for the last few years. Here are some thoughts:
- take your time, doing a really good job will take a few hours. I sometimes butcher mine over a few days doing the back straps, tenderloins and organs first and then a quarter a night after work and finish up with grinding.
- have a spot to work. I use my garage to break down, if I can and then the kitchen counter but also clean up really well. My wife gets cranky when I leave bits and pieces on the counter
- victoronix fibrox knives are great. I bought cleavers and breaking knives, but I use their boning knives more than anything.
- I bought a big ass cutting board. 18x30 off Amazon.
- I like to wrap meat in plastic wrap And then butcher paper. The extra wide stuff from Sam’s is good And fairly cheap
- I have a weston bone saw. You can get a stainless blade for a hacksaw pretty cheap.
- I use the heck out of cabelas meat tubs.
- agree on the grinder. Doesn’t take much to grind 5-20# of whitetial meat. I have upgraded but the lem countertop one below worked just fine.

Amazon.com: LEM Products 1224#8 Countertop Grinder: Sports & Outdoors

Buy LEM Products 1224#8 Countertop Grinder: Meat Grinders - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[Mike Islander]

Needs?

5-6" sharp thin knife (Victorinox Boning knives work great)
Clean table
Clean hand saw of almost any variety

Watch MeatEater and various deer processing videos on the Tube.

Plastic wrap, then into zip lock bags or wrapped with butcher paper, which protects wrap from getting punctured if you move stuff around in your freezer.

You need a grinder if you want burger. Anything from a KitchenAid to a dedicated unit will work. Dedicated unit is better, but if it's one deer per year, anything will work.

 

[adamkolesar]

Great tip I picked up a while back.
If you're going the plastic wrap w/ freezer paper exterior route. Make sure it's Saran wrap. Saran refers to the specific plastic and is air tight. Generic plastic wrap may be permeable, and you'll risk freezer burn.

 

[Boarmaster]

I buy LEM equipment. I started with knives and my great grannies old hand grinder. It worked but it was a heck of a job. If I was starting up I would consider MEAT equipment.

I bought these in this order. All were purchased on sale.
1) Victorinox boning knives. Curved. I bought three of them.
2) LEM wide mouth 1hp grinder. I bought the extra kidney shape plate later for stuffing grind and bulk sausage in meat bags.(bought a bag sealer and bag tape and three meat tubs at the same time).
3) upgraded my vac packer to a LEM Max 500.
4) LEM 5 lb stuffer. Works great but should have bought a larger stuffer. Pain to keep reloading.
5) LEM 15Lb stuffer.

When someone asks I always tell them to spend their budget on some good boning knives and a grinder first. Buy the best grinder you are willing to pay for. If you have to blow your budget do it with your grinder. My grinder is a pleasure to use. What used to be the biggest chore processing game has become the least effort. In my opinion my grinder is the back bone of my processing equipment. It grinds as well as stuffs meat into bags.

I didn't and don't know anyone who bought their whole set up in a year. I added something every year as they offered good sales.

 

[BugleMeTimber]

Personally use a vacuum sealer myself, costco has a good one. Dexter knives are my favorite. If you can find a local restaurant supply store they will have meat tubs, cutting boards and other supplies for usually a decent price. I've used a plastic table from Costco solely for butchering. It's my giant cutting board and works great. Give it a good scrub and disinfect when done.

 

[Zdub02]

Echoing a vacuum sealer for your list. I use mine for everything from game meat to veggies and store bought items that I want to keep for a long time and stay fresh. I never had the best luck with plastic and freezer paper so I switched to a vac sealer and love it.

 

[Mike Islander]

Interesting to hear about folks who did not have good results from freezer wrap. Never used Saran, specifically. Normally it's just plain old Reynold's or Glad plastic wrap. I've been using it for years with great results. Cuts stay red colored and fresh for years. I watched Steven Rinella do it this way as well. I have a very nice vacuum sealer, but use this method instead. I also generally use a freezer bag over the plastic wrap instead of butcher paper. It's definitely more expensive than paper. Perhaps less expensive than vacuum.

Not saying vacuum isn't a great way to go. Just that plastic wrap should work very well. I put quite a few wraps on a cut, say 2.5 foot section on a pound of meat. I wrap, fold, wrap, fold, until it's all around the meat.

There is a whole thread here on Rockslide about people having excellent results doing using plastic wrap.

Steve Rinella meat freezing method

So I saw a video a while back that showed Steve Rinella not using a vacuum sealer but instead wrapping meat in plastic wrap followed by freezer paper. I’m guessing this was before he picked up the sponsor from Weston. Anyway, so we are eating everything in our deep freezer right now, including...

rokslide.com

 

[rayporter]

i have a couple of 3/4 hp grinders. i keep one in arkansas and one in ohier.

before i got them i burned up 2 half HP grinders. up in smoke.

we wrap in freezer paper or use ziplocs.

 

[long hunter]

Tip if you cut steaks and roasts de-bone them no sense in freezing bone. As to wrapping went the vacuum route for a while it became expensive with the cost of the freezer bags, now I wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then double wrap that in good quality freezer paper.

 

[ZipsNLbs]

all above great advice and spot on to what I would prioritize ! But !!! Add a GOOD dehydrator to the mix !!! Jerky is my favorite ! As for spices I recommend www.sausagemaker.com ! The hot Italian and maple breakfast blend is awesome !! . I have never dropped a deer off to be processed . I use to drop off trim’d de-boned meat off to a guy who would make burger sausage jerkey and all that stuff but it got expensive ! If you’re doing jerky and eat it like I do skip the “cure “ all together ! No need for it . It keeps good in the fridge for a week or two but usually doesn’t last that long . ! Enjoy ! It’s nice knowing 1) you get your actual deer back. And 2) there is no parts of that deer you wouldn't want to eat in the meat (blood shot meat , tallo etc ) if your lucky maybe you can talk the wife and kids into helping too ! We’ve got it down pact . I gut skin hang . My wife will debone it off the deer while I start cutting steaks grinding and stuffing then she makes the jerky ! . Good luck ! It’s not as overwhelming as it might seem !

 

[Mike Islander]

About a grinder. I disagree about it being necessary, but more of a nice to have, depending on how you cook. While I use lots of burger, literally all of it goes into stew. I don't like it in chili or tacos. All those chunks of meat you would grind if you had a grinder can be used for stew, and they actually taste better in chunks than in ground to me in stew.

Not that a complete processing solution doesn't include a grinder, and a sausage maker (usually one and the same). But if your initial budget is limited, you are good with a simple sharpenable knife, hand saw, and plastic wrap.

 

[Novashooter]

Interesting to hear about folks who did not have good results from freezer wrap. Never used Saran, specifically. Normally it's just plain old Reynold's or Glad plastic wrap. I've been using it for years with great results. Cuts stay red colored and fresh for years. I watched Steven Rinella do it this way as well. I have a very nice vacuum sealer, but use this method instead. I also generally use a freezer bag over the plastic wrap instead of butcher paper. It's definitely more expensive than paper. Perhaps less expensive than vacuum.

Not saying vacuum isn't a great way to go. Just that plastic wrap should work very well. I put quite a few wraps on a cut, say 2.5 foot section on a pound of meat. I wrap, fold, wrap, fold, until it's all around the meat.

There is a whole thread here on Rockslide about people having excellent results doing using plastic wrap.

Steve Rinella meat freezing method

So I saw a video a while back that showed Steve Rinella not using a vacuum sealer but instead wrapping meat in plastic wrap followed by freezer paper. I’m guessing this was before he picked up the sponsor from Weston. Anyway, so we are eating everything in our deep freezer right now, including...

rokslide.com

I'm thinking a lot of people expect meat to last a long time, which a vacuum sealer can get you. I've tried vacuum sealing, freezer paper, and plastic wrap with freezer paper. If you are eating the stuff as you kill it, there is no difference in quality. I very rarely get meat in the freezer for a full year. I have never had meat from 2 years ago that I killed. In that time frame, freezer paper does just as good a job as a vacuum sealer.

I also played with plastic wrap. In 2021 everything was first wrapped in plastic wrap, then in freezer paper. Last year I did half in plastic, half in paper only. I deemed the plastic wrap a complete waste of my time. I did like how well it sealed, and I suspect it would last for multiple years that way. It was also an extra step, and I hate trying to tear sheet after sheet of that plastic. Going forward it will be freezer paper alone for now.

Vacuum sealing works, but at least with the affordable units, I found them really inefficient. My foodsaver lasted one year, and it quit working sometime later. Bags costed a lot, and it didn't do any better job. If I were to try this again, it would have to be with an expensive chamber sealing unit. They should last, and you would probably pay for it in a few years what you save on bag cost. The regular edge sealing vacuum sealer bags are really expensive.

All that said, my opinion is don't mess around with anything but freezer paper until you see a reason to do otherwise. You can buy the stuff anywhere, and like $10 worth is enough for a deer. No equipment needed, although I did build myself a roll stand to make tearing them easier. Some freezer tape, and a sharpie, and there you go. Don't over complicate it.

 

[Elk-fanatic91]

If you plan on making steaks, roast, stew meat, etc. Leave those pieces in larger chunks for storing. This will reduce the likelihood of freezer burn, due to less surface area exposed. Plus, if it does get a tad bit of freezer burn, odds are in the bigger chunks, you can trim a minimal amount off and be left with a lot of good meat!

 

[ZipsNLbs]

Also wanted to add I cut everything except steaks with a havalon knife now . I have many many custom knifes and still wear one in the field but from dressing the deer to deboning to chunking it up is done with the havalon . Something about being able to just pop off a dull blade and sliding on a fresh one makes it worth it . I’m also able to do 2 -3 deer before needing to replace it .