warm weather deer

[dante322]

Don't get me wrong, I'm tickled pink I bagged one on the opener, but skinning and processing in the heat sucks! Between swatting at the flies and trying to avoid the swarm of bees I am really surprised I didn't get cut or stung. If a big bruiser crosses paths with me on a warm day, I'm shooting it. But it's going to a processer. Lol.

 

[bowhunter1023]

I take most of my deer to the processor. The rare occasion I don't is when I kill one in late season and can let it hang. For $60, it ain't worth the time and effort to do your own IMO.

 

[Gordo]

Spare fridge is key. Quarter them up/hang them quarters and cure baby cure. I say 10 days minimum until making your cuts .

Even if its cold enough to hang, ya never get that consistent temp for a perfect cure.

I cant believe i havent constructed a mini walk in fridge. One of these days

 

[Joel]

I tried my first 2 deer myself and the rest have gone to the processor. Dragging one out of the woods and field dressing it is enough work for me and they cut the meat much better than I could. The one that got shot tonight is in the shed with a big bag of ice shoved in the chest cavity till tomorrow then off to the processor.

 

[MK111]

I processed my own deer for almost 45 yrs. and that would be way over 50-60 deer. Also did 2 elk and a black bear. Starting in 2013 I take them to a processor. Never again will I process my own deer.

 

[xbowguy]

Gordo is right. You must have a fridge or access to a cooler of some sort.

 

[Dustinb80]

My BIL Chad (Moonlab) and I would love to learn how to process our own deer, but it does seem easier to take them to a processor to have it done. It would be nice to know how though.

 

[dante322]

It's not hard. I always pack them full of ice and wrap them till I'm ready to process. After that, I pull the ice out and put it in a large cooler. The front legs come off... in the cooler. backstraps, flanks, rib meat and neck meat come off in one piece...in the cooler. Then the hind quarters get separated from the pelvis and in the cooler they go. I will normally leave them in the cooler for a couple hours to get them nice and cool before cutting them up. It got warm early on Sunday and as soon as the tarp came off the bees and flies showed up. Had to work fast but it got done.

 

[bthompson1004]

I didn't think about any of this when I took a poke at a doe last night...prbly should now!

 

[Strother23]

The warm weather does make it tricky. I'm not a fan of taking it to a processor. You never know if your getting your deer back. Button bucks/young does do not taste the same as a mature bucks. And the cost of jerky and summer sausage, brats and other stuff is so expensive if the butcher makes it. I like to do it all myself so I know it's handled and prepared correctly.

I seen a butcher making summer sausage before. Say the needed a total of 100lbs of it made. They would take 100lbs of everyone's deer meat and push it through a big grinder and make "x" summer sausage rolls. No way in that bulk process you are getting your your own deer meat in your summer sausage. Seeing that turned me away from taking my deer somewhere. Not saying their all the same but it does happen often.

 

[Milo]

the last deer i had done.....there was aluminum foil in the trail bologna....never again

 

[Big_Holla]

Spare fridge is key. Quarter them up/hang them quarters and cure baby cure. I say 10 days minimum until making your cuts .

Even if its cold enough to hang, ya never get that consistent temp for a perfect cure.

I cant believe i havent constructed a mini walk in fridge. One of these days

This ^^^

Having a spare fridge in the basement is perfect for this. It happened to be in the house when my mom and dad moved in when I was 8 years old so it's good and old, still works perfectly and it doesn't matter to the wife if I get a little blood in it LOL! I've often said that my goal one day is to build a walk-in type cooler in my garage. Figure I could build an 8' X 8' one in the corner of my garage, insulate the walls and then put a window air conditioner in the wall all rigged with a good hoist system and well lighted. Someday....

 

[Boarhead]

What Jesse said. I have cut them up before but just worth the 65 dollars to let someone else do it leaves me more time to hunt.LOL

 

[Spencie]

I have never taken one to the processor. I like knowing it's my deer. Cutting one up is no problem especially if you have good help.

 

[Redhunter1012]

I butcher everything myself. I even buy and shoot my own hogs, I actually have one coming in a couple weeks. I will not shoot a doe with it being this warm out. As soon as it cools down into the 50's then I will. I personally get too much satisfaction out of growing, cutting, and preparing all or most of my veggies and meats. Besides, there is a way different taste in venison from the butcher that is caused from the cutting of bones and transfer of the bone dust and fat onto most of the better cuts. That is why IMO a lot of people think deer have an off putting flavor

 

[doublej]

I'm from Louisiana so this is cool weather to me for this time of year.. I've killed deer on days with highs dang near 90. You just got to get on it ASAP but it takes a while to spoil, longer than most think..heard somewhere that 84 degrees or cooler it can sit for up to 24 hours and not spoil..not sure how true that is but on some 85 ish degree days we've had deer lay for 6-8 hrs and still be fine.
Even ate a few hogs killed in the summer heat that tasted perfectly fine.

 

[brock ratcliff]

I have processed hundreds of deer, for real. I think I may have reached my limit. There are few things I enjoy less these days. Last year, I was physically unable to do it. I asked around and found a guy that is just a few miles from my home that was highly recommended. Like a lot of you, I don't like the idea of someone I don't know handling our venison, I've seen some that were done really poorly. However, I took a couple over to this fella, and he did a fantastic job, extremely clean shop (and yeah, I checked it all out), packaged well, etc. As long as he is willing to do it, I'll be taking our's to him. He is expensive and worth every penny!

 

[Big_Holla]

I'm hoping that the kids will start helping me out on butchering the deer we get in the years to come. If I take my time and work on a quarter every other day or so it's not that bad. Just when you have things going on at the same time and have to keep putting it off is when I would rather have it done. Just haven't found a place that I really like how they do it.

 

[Beentown]

Do it all myself. From the rooter to the tooter. I enjoy it. This time of year it is horn hunting only as I don't like cutting in this weather.

 

[bowhunter1023]

I have two options to take mine. One is a local family that has been doing deer for 25+ years. They do one at a time and number each deer. The number they give you on your tag when you drop it off is written on each package of meat you get back. The second guy works at one of the high end local butcher shops most of the year, then does deer the rest of the year. He has top end equipment and vacuum seals everything. He also offers a variety of smoked goods. He also guarantees you get your deer back. I trust both people to do things right and to return only my deer. Cutting deer up is fine with help and in the right conditions, but it is not something I particularly enjoy.