I have 2 deer quartered and in my cooler. I will be attempting to process them in a few days. I have never done this. I have not read too much (there is info overload on the internet if you haven't noticed). What is a good/simply/easy resource to guide me through the process? Thanks in advance!

Here ya go, has good photos.

http://ramblingredneckmom.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-process-your-deer-at-home.html

Hope you have good equipment and patience. I tried it once and I have neither of the 2 things that is needed

Go get a meat grinder, a food saver, and get to cutting is all I can say.

All your doing is seperating the muscles and removing the bones.

BUT...It's plenty of work. and time consuming.

For $40 I let someone else do it.

in dallas it is not $40

I processed mine. Hamburger, chili, steaks and roasts.

The mixing and grinding was very time consuming on the burger and chili.

The real pisser is that my freezer went out 2 times on me that summer so alot of meat was ruined and all that work for not.

I shell out the money again and let the processor do their job

Kuby's only charges $38 to process 4 quarters. My time is worth more than that.

I do all my own. You definitely get more grinder meat by doing it yourself. It does take some time but just cased 25 lbs of Delish polish sausage. Follow bones and muscles usually seperate the roasts. Grinders are also very helpful.

Should be no more for basic processing.
Sausage. Jerky. Added pork, beef or fat. Capeing. Skinning. etc. All add cost and run up the bill.

Where do you guys get it for $40? someplace "sanitary"?

I haven't seen it for that cheap in years!! My Lem grinder prolly uses that much in electricity on one deer LOL.

If you don't have someone to help you, I would recommend spending the money on a processor. Not that bad with 2 people, but by yourself, sucks.

Hmmm, they cut steaks and grind the rest? Will have to look them up. Do you get your own meat back?

Probably the best processor in Texas. And yes they give you your deer.

YEP, I kill it, I chill it, I slice it,I grind it ,I smoke it, I wrap it, then I eat it. All done at home. Good clean livin.

Buy a deboning knife and a steel, that's all you need other than a grinder for burger and sausage.

Google "McClendon meats bone out a deer step by step" for the best video tutorial you can get for free.

Couple tips.

Have ice readily available. Keep your station sanitary, I use a bleach solution. Keep your knife sharp. Use gallon freezer bags for your trim meat and freeze until you are ready to grind. Follow the muscles in the hams with your hands to find the different groups. The muscles will separate when you pull and use your knife tip to help as you pull.

The first time is going to suck but you will feel quite the satisfaction when you are eating it.

Last tip! Grill those tenderloins after a long hard day of butchering. Miine never hit the freezer.

It's not hard, I do several a year by myself. Only takes a couple hours. Have two knives on hand. One should be sharp and thin (filet knife) the other should be thicker (hunting knife). Remove all silverskin and fat. Tenderloins and back straps get finish-trimmed and sealed. Front shoulders go in the grinder for burger or sausage. Rears get made into steaks, roasts, and sometimes jerky. What's left gets ground. Neck meat makes awesome coarse chili meat.

The trick with the rears is to separate the major muscles. You'll then see what looks like a roast, and others that can be cross-cut for steaks.

A vacuum sealer makes life easy for storage, but is by no means necessary.

Best way to learn is to dive in and give it a try. I find a few cold beers and a football game to watch makes it all the more pleasant.

Yes you get your own meat back.

http://www.kubys.com/wildgame.asp

I normally get 20 logs jalapeño/cheese salami and 40 lbs of fajita, chipotle/jack, and jalapeño/cheese smoked sausage and rest steaks/hamburger from a few deer a year. I serve it anytime more than 6 people will be around.

OK boys & girls, one more question....Should I add extras to my ground meat? Spices, fat, or just have pure ground venison? I suppose, If I wanted to introduce extras closer to the time I cook it up, I could always mix it later. Might just grind it as is, and freeze. Good/Bad plan?

I don't add anything to mine. Some people add some fat (beef or pork) to their burger to make it hold together better on the grill. I just cook mine over foil and its just fine.

10% beef fat to your burger/ chili. That is what my processor uses and it's just fine. All deer would be dry and damn near un edible

It all depends on you and what you like to eat.
If you are adding "extras", you are making pan sausage which is great for a variety of things.

I usually just grind the venison and put in game bags pure. The wife can then make things like spaghetti, taco soup, chili, etc. with it. The rest of my grind I make into link sausage.

My tip, after deboning and trimming, you will have a lot of meat for the grinder, so just toss it in 1 gallon freezer bags and put in the freezer for later. You don't have to completely process the deer in one setting. This way, you can decide later on if you want to make burger, pan, or link sausage out of it. As you trim, cut the grind meat into smaller chunks for the grinder so you dont have to do later.

Grinding can take a while all by yourself (especially when making sausage) so sometimes its best to do that on separate days.

ALSO, make sure the grind meat is COLD! I doubt you are going to buy yourself a commercial grade grinder that can eat anything you throw at it, so keeping the meat nearly frozen will make grinding much easier. I usually take the meat out of the freezer to thaw, and once its able to pull apart (still partly frozen) I start grinding. Coarse grind, then fine.

We do our own. Every deer we have shot this year has been cut up and ready to grind within 12 hours of the shot.

It is easy to do and doesn't take much time. Shot a deer in the morning got back to camp, gut skin take weights for logs let chill while drinking some coffee and had it de-boned steaks cut and meat ready to grind and all in the freezer before lunch.

A week ago we thawed out mixed with pork and seasonings and had 100 links of dry sausage and 10 lbs of Mexican chorizo done by noon and all the clean up done.

I don't believe any meat market gives you "your" meat back. I know a local one always swore up and down you did, then after he shut down he fessed up and said you never got your own back.

If it's meat me and my family is going to eat, I process it. If it's meat to donate or give away I have it "professionally" done.

[quote=redchevy]We do our own. Every deer we have shot this year has been cut up and ready to grind within 12 hours of the shot.

It is easy to do and doesn't take much time. Shot a deer in the morning got back to camp, gut skin take weights for logs let chill while drinking some coffee and had it de-boned steaks cut and meat ready to grind and all in the freezer before lunch.

Red, how do you get around "keeping 4 quarters and backstrap" until final destination section of the Regs? I keep loosing the argument that final destination is either home or a processor. I would love to de-bone at the camp and just bring back the processed meat.