Deer Down - Texas Hunting Forum

Posted By: Brother Phil

Deer Down - 02/16/20 08:46 PM

Here is what I have done for many years after harvesting a deer. Load it in the truck. Drive it to camp. Hang from rack or tree. Skin, quarter, and off to the cooler. I did not forget gutting, I do not do it. Here is what I did with the last two deer I shot. Drive truck to deer. Quarter deer while it is on the ground, with the skin on. Place quarter(s) on tailgate, remove skin, and place in cooler. I remove the backstraps from the carcass, and remove the head for proof of sex. What is left, stays there. I pace some plastic on the tailgate, to reduce the mess. I use lopping shears to remove the head, and lower legs. I learned how to do this from watching videos on Youtube. Much quicker. I don't plan on going back to the old way. I use the same method for hogs.

Posted By: kmon11

Re: Deer Down - 02/16/20 09:04 PM

Donot tell me you do not open the cavity enough to get the tenderloins

Posted By: Texas buckeye

Re: Deer Down - 02/16/20 09:15 PM

You can open the cavity just enough at the back side of the pelvis to get the tenderloins. Once you get the back straps out, lots of videos on YouTube about the gutless method.

I prefer this method, saves time and gets the meat semi-processed already.

One thing I will do where I dump my carcasses is just open the gut for females to check pregnancy status and check size of fetuses to help iron out the conception date.

Posted By: unclebubba

Re: Deer Down - 02/16/20 09:32 PM

I've done it the way that you do it, but I went back to the hanging method. As I get older, it is easier to do the work with them hanging at shoulder level. Bending over and getting down on my knees is a pain in the back. Literally.

Posted By: Texas buckeye

Re: Deer Down - 02/16/20 09:52 PM

Unclebubba, I agree completely. I hang and then take the meat off. I find cutting the head off is easier on the ground, but then hoist up and go to work.

Posted By: TEXASLEFTY

Re: Deer Down - 02/16/20 10:56 PM

Been using the tailgate to 1/4 deer for years, working on a deer while their hanging is a lot more work.

Posted By: Hudbone

Re: Deer Down - 02/16/20 11:19 PM

Quarters, back straps and that's it? No neck, no heart, no nothen else?

Posted By: DQ Kid

Re: Deer Down - 02/16/20 11:57 PM

I can gut a hanging deer or laying in about 15 minutes, brisket cutting through being the hardest
part...I will continue this method

Posted By: Jgraider

Re: Deer Down - 02/17/20 12:08 AM

I gut the deer where it lays so I can whack coyotes off the gut pile for a day or two afterwards. It takes about 30 minutes to hang, skin, and quarter a deer. I do get the tenderloins and backstraps first.

Posted By: Hudbone

Re: Deer Down - 02/17/20 10:52 AM

if that is all your taking, what is done with the meat you do take?

Posted By: don k

Re: Deer Down - 02/17/20 01:00 PM

I must be old school. When I shoot a Deer first I cut the throat. Then I take it home and hang it up by its back legs. I gut it. Always cutting from the inside out. That way you don't cut hair. Then I skin it. Then I cut off the legs. Then I take the water hose and wash it. Let it hang a bit to dry then hang it in the cooler for a few days before I do whatever I decide to make with it.

Posted By: Hudbone

Re: Deer Down - 02/17/20 02:42 PM

Old School II - make sure its dead, otherwise cut the throat. Load the deer into the vehicle and take it to hang. Skin it first and wash it off. Darn sure minimizes hair on the meat issue. Gut it. Wash off, let it dry out and put in the cooler. When leaving, cut off the head and quarter it. Put the hams & shoulders in the chest cavity and all that in the ice chest. Take it home and bone out selected cuts for steaks with all else to be cut into 2 inch chunks, placed in the freezer and pulled two days prior t making sausage. There isn't a lot to pull off the rib cage and we don't mess around with that a whole lot, but that there neck provides a bountiful supply of meat to go in our sausage. Walker, Texas Rancher insists his mom used to have a neck roast recipe, but have not gotten there yet.

Posted By: hook_n_line

Re: Deer Down - 02/17/20 03:34 PM

Load it, hang it skin with the truck (no hair on meat) quarter, back straps, and tenderloins in 15 minutes or less. No gutting necessary unless someone requested the organs then its 20 to 25 minutes.

Posted By: sig226fan (Rguns.com)

Re: Deer Down - 02/17/20 03:49 PM

Depends.... at our main place, I have gotten use to the hanging/skinning racks, and use them. I am still old school, I gut them and get every scrap of meat I can get. If it's last hunt before coming home, or at one of the places without a rack, then I will field dress it on the ground, pack full of ice, and get it to Bluebonnet Meats in Trenton TX. ( They get me more meat per deer than anyplace ever.)

Posted By: Hunter Daddy

Re: Deer Down - 02/17/20 07:00 PM

Tag it then I take it back to deer camp. Hang it by the back legs and skin it down to the neck. First, I remove the front shoulders. Then I remove the backstraps. Finally, I open up just enough of the belly between the hindquarters to remove the tenderloins. Lastly, I cut the spine next to the hindquarters and drop the ribcage with head/neck into a wheelbarrow and separate the hindquarters. You have to have a reciprocating saw zaw to get the job done fast!

Posted By: redchevy

Re: Deer Down - 02/17/20 08:03 PM

Depends on who im with.

I was raised to gut them on the ground then later to gut them hanging. I prefer to gut on ground. Then hang and skin. We take the quarters, straps tenders, flank and meat between rib bones and neck so gutless method isn't really an option.

If im with any of my buddies they all hang them skin first then gut. I will say it keeps more hair off the animal, but doesn't jive with our live/dressed weight record keeping. If its cold enough I like to hang them outside overnight and like to leave the hide on for that.

Posted By: Sparta

Re: Deer Down - 02/17/20 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Hudbone

Old School II - make sure its dead, otherwise cut the throat. Load the deer into the vehicle and take it to hang. Skin it first and wash it off. Darn sure minimizes hair on the meat issue. Gut it. Wash off, let it dry out and put in the cooler. When leaving, cut off the head and quarter it. Put the hams & shoulders in the chest cavity and all that in the ice chest. Take it home and bone out selected cuts for steaks with all else to be cut into 2 inch chunks, placed in the freezer and pulled two days prior t making sausage. There isn't a lot to pull off the rib cage and we don't mess around with that a whole lot, but that there neck provides a bountiful supply of meat to go in our sausage. Walker, Texas Rancher insists his mom used to have a neck roast recipe, but have not gotten there yet.

The neck is one of the tastiest pieces of meet on the deer. It has enough fat to make it juicy and the connective tissue breaks down nicely. Recipe is pretty easy:

Season with Cajun seasoning (or whatever you like) and put if fridge over night
Brown very well in heavy cast iron pot
Remove and cook down 1 large onion and 1 whole garlic
Put roast back in pot and add enough beef or veg stock to cover a little less than half the roast
If you like a little spice add 1 can of chipotle peppers with adobo sauce
Cover and cook as low as you can until it starts to fall apart (6-8 hours)
When done remove the roast and thicken gravy with corn starch
Make tacos or serve over rice
Enjoy!

Here is a pick of one I did last week:

[Linked Image]

Posted By: don k

Re: Deer Down - 02/20/20 11:38 PM

Tuesday afternoon. Time from leaving the house until this picture was taken a little less than 30 minutes. And I know I will hear some crap but I needed some meat to make sausage. This was a Axis spike.

Posted By: Sneaky

Re: Deer Down - 02/22/20 05:45 AM

Roasting the neck is a necessity, for me. Cutting the neck is certainly not.