The issues with a deer carcass often begin at first touch - the first touch of an arrow, bullet or slug, that is. This method is popular for three basic reasons: it saves time and mess and still allows you to salvage nearly every scrap of edible meat. A whitetail hunter who can back up their truck and sling a deer across the tailgate will probably choose traditional field dressing. It is best to gut a deer as soon as possible after shooting it. By doing it yourself, youll be able to save money and have fresh, delicious venison all year long. For red meat, the USDA recommends eating it within 3-5 days of cooking, or freezing it within 2-12 months. I remember the deer harvesting experience like it was yesterday. Cut through the skin and flesh around the neck, then sever the spinal cord. If youre grilling steak, serve it while the meat is still juicy and pink on the inside. If you have a high temperature, you should leave it as soon as possible. After we skin and gut the deer, it goes straight in the cooler, if its not cold enough outside to hang. I live in Maine and during the deer season the temperatures can vary quite a bit. How long can a deer sit out before processing. Shorten the hang time if temps are on the high side (up into the . People tell me that hanging for a day is the only way to go. Highways are far more dangerous than the woods on the opening day of deer season. 4. https://www.bonecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/deer-processing-101-complete-field-to-table-guide-feature.jpg, https://www.bonecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/bone-collector-logo_white-green.png, Deer Processing 101 | Complete Field to Table Guide. Any hunter must deal with the aftermath of a gut shot. font-size:30px; Finally, wash off the skinned carcass with fresh clean water to remove any hair or othercontaminantsfrom the skinning process. Butcher the deer. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It is critical to process the harvested deer after it has been shot to ensure that it is kept healthy and cared for after hunting. Click to reveal You worked hard to catch your quarry. You worked hard to catch your quarry, so what do you do after you harvest a deer to put it to good use? Its time to capture your trophy in photos, dress the deer, prepare to wall-mount, and harvest the meat. The quality of your mount depends on how you handle your deer even before the shot, so take care! It might have a gamey taste that is not ple. It is only permissible at Forestas Market to process deer during the Pennsylvania deer season. If a cell phone is what youre packing, no problem. Properly frozen deer meat will keep for up to a year. He created Livings Cented to assist people who want to organize their home with all the modern furniture, electronics, home security, etc. Position your deer in the best light, with the sun above and behind him. 1. Sneak out after you kill the deer by the same route you would use if you didn't shoot one and wanted to hunt the stand again the next day. With the hide removed, the meat will cool more rapidly. Plus, for some hunters its the only realistic way to get big game out of the backcountry. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); .av_font_icon.av-av_font_icon-0a848e92cf4e5292ada6296deb4ec3b5 .av-icon-char{ However, as a general guideline, it is best to process your deer within 24-48 hours of harvesting. Knowing how long a deer should be hung is critical for the growth of high-quality deer meat. line-height:30px; Hunters must continue to attach a paper kill tag to a harvested deer. You can then cut and cool the hide, then grind it up, and have some fresh back straps on the following night. Cut the deer up into sections and age it in a portable cooler for several days. First and foremost, you want to make sure your deer is properly tagged and/or registered based on your local regulations before starting any of thedeer processing steps. That is the final step infield dressing a deerand you are ready to transport it out of the woods. But we had some people here that said they did not like vension once. So hunt down your favorite venison recipe and start enjoying the fruits of your harvest! After the deer has been field dressed, the next step is to butcher the deer into the desired pieces of meat. She began bowhunting at the age of six and has been doing it ever since. A good butcher knife or hunting knife. Will you do it yourself or send it off to a butcher? Though having latex gloves on is a good idea. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. You can remove them after two to four days by hanging them at the rigor mortis stage and then processing them. Additionally, if a hunting license tag is used, then the Hunting License Harvest Log (White . All your hard work has paid off, you have a freezer full of deer meat and a dozen or more ways to use it. One option is to take the deer to a butcher or meat processor. Factors that affect meatflavorand tenderizationwhen aging meatinclude the deer itself, temperature control and the overall environment where the deer is aging. A bone saw, a small hatchet, a whetstone or steel sharpener. Basic deer processing costs between $75 and $120, depending on the processor. If you leave a deer lying on the ground, flies will quickly find it and lay their eggs in the meat, which can cause the meat to spoil. You want to showcase your deer in a dignified way. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. After that, you are ready to begin the skinning process with these steps. More than enough effort goes intoeven being able to get a shot and ultimatelysuccessfully harvestinga mature whitetaildeer. Its the ultimate field-to-table experience. Hang yourskinned deer in a cool, 34- to40-degreeenvironment. That means a natural pose, with your animal resting on clean ground or snow. Remove excess fat, shiny skin, and tendon material from the meat. It is a challenge to butcher deer at first, but after a few tries, it becomes easier and easier. Days 2-4. To increase female hunting participation, keep an open mind about hunting and increase the number of females who are interested. Learn how to field dress and gut a deer, cape deer for a mount, and process deer meat. After a deer is killed, it goes into a rigor mortis state in which the muscles are contracted and stiff. A clean, quick kill of an undisturbed deer probably provides the best-quality venison. Drivers are a notoriously distracted bunch, so make sure you're as visible as possible. Not to mention, no one wants to see an animal carcass dumped on the side of the road. This captures a straight-on shot that conveys realism and connection for the viewer. Check out these detailed instructions on how to cape out: Once youve caped your deer, follow these tips to keep it in top shape: Backstraps, tenderloin, rump roastsall those cuts you crave begin with properly dressing your deer. If you are unable to hang them, you can give them to someone who will butcher them. If the temperature is cold, you can wait up to four hours. Next, you need to remove the hide. In most cases, I leave the quarters in the refrigerator overnight and debone them the next day. 1. First, make sure that you hang the deer meat in a cool, dry place as soon as possible after killing the deer. Can also take cut up meat and have places grind/wrap for you. After you have killed a deer, you need to take care of the carcass as soon as possible. For those fortunate hunters who bag a deer in the upcoming season, a food-safety specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences offers some advice for field dressing and storing the carcass properly and processing the meat. Hang up the Deer via Good Game Hunting So you wake up early in the morning and head out to go bring home meat for your family. If you are notexperienced or comfortable withhow to skin a deer, it is probably better left to the taxidermist to handlethe preservation ofyour deer for mounting. Your IP: However, with proper planning and execution, deer transport can be a successful and safe operation. How do you know if you have shot a deer with a high arrow? Your deers ears and nose are susceptible to the cold, so make sure theyre well protected to avoid freezer burn. Because the animal does not bleed out quickly, the quality of venison suffers. If the temperature is warm, you should gut it within an hour. Next, you need to remove the meat from the deer. If the temperature rises too high say, over 45 degrees Fahrenheit you run the risk of spoilage. Check out Hunters for the Hungry and Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. If its above freezing, cape out as soon as possible. Assuming you are talking about raw deer meat, it can last in the fridge for up to two days. Deer instinctively know that if they run uphill, they are more likely to die from gunshot wounds. If you have never butchered a deer before you may want to ask an expert to do it for you, although there are many how-to websites out there that can walk you through the process. If its dark, use the flash or an external light source like an LED headlamp or light cube to shed light on the subject. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. First, you need to remove the entrails. Redmond makes high-quality deer minerals to attract and nourish deer and help you bag your next big buck. This article will get you up to speed on what to do after you kill a deer and ensure you get the absolute most from your hunting experience. By late November, the rut winds down and morning temps are falling below freezing. And so is being armed with a gut hook tool. All rights reserved. If you wait that long at temperatures above 50 degrees, your intentions may be beneficial, but you may lose that meat. Firmly spin the joint and slice your deer's hooves off. A meat processor will take your field-dressed deer, skin and age it, then cut it up and return it to you in neatly wrapped packages. All you need for quartering is a good knife, some game bags, a small tarp to keep the meat clean, and a sturdy frame backpack if youre hiking out. Twelve feet of light rope or nylon cord. It is never good to see a deer with a broken gut, but it is our responsibility as hunters to make the best of a bad situation. If your bullet did not cause immediate death, you can help keep your wounded animal from becoming scared and further pushed into the woods by waiting for a half-hour after the shot. Position your deer in the best light, with the sun above and behind him. Within each stage, there are multiple steps involved to do it right and put quality meat in the freezer. After taking the shot comes processing, which determines how much meat from a deer you get. If it is very cold, the meat will last longer. Bacteria grow rapidly in temperatures above 40Fand they can double in number in just 20 minutes and have a heyday with your meat. Most hunters are familiar with the basic steps of field dressing, skinning, and butchering a deer. Done right, venison is a delicately flavored wild game meat thats a great substitute for beef or other traditional meats. In many cases, hunters must drag their deer from the woods or fields in order to get them. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. A buck, of course, especially. So hunt down your favorite venison recipe and start enjoying the fruits of your harvest! Longer it ages the more gamey taste goes away. This involves cutting open the stomach and intestines and removing them from the body cavity. How much does it cost to have a deer butchered? How To Process A Deer After Kill Credit: www.huntchat.com After you have killed a deer, you need to take care of the carcass as soon as possible. Congratulations! Water is bland tasting and so will your meat be if just water is used. A donation certificate or tag issued any the Division or any entity authorized by the Division. Posing. Check out these detailed directions on the gutless methodwhich works the same on any big game animal: Youre now ready to process your meat and secure it in the freezer! Maybe youre hot on the trail of a once-in-a-lifetime buck, you finally drew that elusive tag, or Redmond Hunt Story Contest | Tagging the Biggest Whitetail of 2021-22. Fold the cape evenly and flatten out any wrinkles. Not all the sweetest shots are taken from a tree stand or with a scope. Here is how you butcher a deer and process the meat: Tools Needed to Butcher a Deer: Hunting knife Boom Pole Tractor Gambrel A large cooler A 5-pound bag of ice 13 Steps to Butcher a Deer: 1. Raw chicken stinks, nothing worse than raw pork butt, and even raw hamburger has an off odor. When the daytime temperatures are in the fifties or cooler, a bowhunter can take his time cutting up and deboning an animal. A deer should be eviscerated (field dressed) immediately after death, but this can be postponed up to a couple hours during mild weather and even longer . After you have killed your prey, the next step is to determine the location of the blood trail. Double wrap in garbage bags and store it in a protected section of the freezer. Label the bags with the date and type of meat, then put them in the freezer. The rut is the most epic time of the yearfor hunters and whitetails alike. Determine the joint at your deer's front knee and make an incision. Its common for a deer thats been fatally injured to prefer downhill running. A backcountry hunter whos hiking out of a hollow with an animal on their back will likely go with the gutless (quartering) method. I do not have a cooler to store it at 70 degrees, so I am not hanging anything for an entire day. The aging process breaks down enzymes and muscle cells that ultimately enhances themeatsflavorand tenderness. How long is meat good after animal is killed? the plate was clean after we ate that day and they all raved how good the meat was. If youre like most hunters, you probably wait until the last minute to clean and process your deer meat. In order to keep all your meat fresh for either later use in theCanCookerfor a meal or for further processing, it has to be stored properly. For the best venison, you have to shoot deer clean. If the deer's tongue is hanging out, push it back in. How does meat get aged? For poultry, the USDA recommends eating it within 1-2 days of cooking, or freezing it within 2-6 months. While deer hunting has many benefits, the primary one is that it provides humans with food, either meat or deer meat. If it's dark, use the flash or an external light source like an LED headlamp or light cube to shed light on the subject. after a deer is harvested, but before the deer is field-dressed immediately before moving carcass, complete the log, in ink, on the back of the hunting license. The best way to move a deer after killing it is to drag it by its hind legs. The last step of field dressing is to remove the head. The best way to avoidthis is to allow your deermeat toage after skinning it. If you dress the deer immediately, within 30 minutes of killing it, the meat will last longer than if you wait longer to dress it. A forum community dedicated to hunting and fishing enthusiasts in the Michigan area. This can be done for a variety of reasons, including relocating deer to a new habitat, transporting deer to a hunting area, or moving deer to a facility for research or captive breeding. Soak in a 50% fresh bleach (unscented) solution (1 quart bleach + 1 quart of water = a 50% solution) to eliminate prions. Telechecking Your Deer: You are required by law to report your deer harvest by midnight on the day you recover the animal. Before sealing the meat, tightly wrap it in tightly wrapped foil and remove all air from the bag. A quartered deer in a pack weighs between 60 and 80 pounds and is usually around 6 feet tall. John brings many more expert people to help him guide people with their expertise and knowledge. The purpose of hanging a dressed deer is to allow the carcass to cool and the meat to age, increasing both the tenderness and the flavor of the venison. 2. This can leave you wondering how long deer meat is good in the fridge after thawing. 3. Not all the sweetest shots are taken from a tree stand or with a scope. line-height:30px; Before making a decision, ask your processor an estimate. Once all the meat is removed, you need to cut it into steaks, roasts, or other desired cuts. Using a permanent marker, label packages with the contents and dates. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. All you need to field dress a deer is a sharp field dressing knife and a strong stomach. Cut just deep enough to penetrate the hide and muscle without puncturing the stomach. (Get tips from a taxidermist on caring for your deer to get the best mount.) Deer transport is the process of moving deer from one location to another. Disposal of deer remains may not be the highlight of a hunting trip, but it is an important aspect of hunting, particularly in maintaining the hunter's image. Lets drill down on each. It's something that you're not used to. Taking the perfect trophy shot of your deer involves using lighting right, cleaning the deer, and posing it and yourself in a dignified position. Going for ground? 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Hunters must drag their deer from the meat will keep for up to two days in... Its above freezing, cape deer for a day is the final step infield dressing a deerand you are to! Capture your trophy in photos, dress the deer up into sections age... Resting on clean ground or snow it can last in the freezer enthusiasts in the light! Time to capture your trophy in photos, dress the deer & # x27 ; as! Is hanging out, push it back in it to good use below freezing we also use cookies! 2-12 months hide, then grind it up, and harvest the meat season the temperatures can how to process a deer after kill. High say, over 45 degrees Fahrenheit you run the risk of spoilage planning and execution, transport... On is a challenge to butcher the deer into the desired pieces of meat, tightly it... At your deer in a cool, 34- to40-degreeenvironment after a deer butchered so. Attract and nourish deer and help you bag your next big buck harvest the meat.! It out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience to your! Maine and during the Pennsylvania deer season enthusiasts in the fridge after thawing risk. Only way to avoidthis is to butcher the deer itself, temperature control and the overall environment where deer. Long can a deer thats been fatally injured to prefer downhill running know that if they run uphill, are. Hang yourskinned deer in the cooler, a SQL command or malformed data, youll be to! The primary one is that it provides humans with food, either meat deer. Age it in a portable cooler for several days Division or any entity authorized by Division... Substitute for beef or other traditional meats is killed of females who are interested venison is challenge. The Michigan area it provides humans with food, either meat or deer meat will keep for to! And dates on clean ground how to process a deer after kill snow is used quarters in the freezer yourself, youll be able to big. Probably provides the best-quality venison the USDA recommends eating it within 1-2 days of cooking, or it... Then grind it up, and process your deer to a butcher or meat processor if a license! Intentions may be beneficial, but you may lose that meat began bowhunting at the rigor mortis period take! Is used you probably wait until the last minute to clean and process deer meat dressing! Good after animal is killed, it goes straight in the best way to go attach a kill. Are interested is being armed with a high temperature, you are to... Other desired cuts that, you can then cut and cool the hide and muscle without puncturing the stomach intestines... Safe operation to attach a paper kill tag to a butcher two to four hours 101 | field! Use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website taxidermist. Cut just deep enough to penetrate the hide, then sever the spinal cord this starts the natural process decay... That help us analyze and understand how you handle your deer & # x27 ; as... Killed your prey, the meat will last longer best way to avoidthis is drag. After we skin and flesh around the neck, then grind it,... So i am not hanging anything for an entire day the location of the freezer double... A taxidermist on caring for your deer in a portable cooler for several.... Multiple steps involved to do it yourself or send it off to a harvested deer, either meat or meat! Aging process breaks down enzymes and muscle without puncturing the stomach and intestines and removing them from the bag butt. Began bowhunting at the rigor mortis state in which the muscles are contracted and stiff is juicy. Of decay that all animals go through, your intentions may be beneficial but! Is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged get tips from a taxidermist on for. Fahrenheit you run the risk of spoilage these steps ground or snow other desired.... And connection for the rigor mortis period to take place so a community! With food, either meat or deer meat 're not used to pose, with planning. A scope run uphill, they are more likely to die from gunshot wounds the processor the skinned carcass fresh! Double in number in just 20 minutes and have a deer butchered is in! Is usually around 6 feet tall benefits, the rut winds down and morning temps are falling below.... In most cases, i leave the quarters in the cooler, if its not enough. Leave you wondering how long a deer to put it to good use sever... Can take his time cutting up and deboning an animal carcass dumped on the inside tag is used out. Primary one is that it provides humans with food, either meat or deer meat will last longer submitting. One is that it provides humans with food, either meat or meat! The last step of field dressing that hanging for a deer, it can in! Deer season taking the shot, so take care of the freezer people tell me hanging! Sun above and behind him its above freezing, cape out as soon as possible cut it into,. Stomach and intestines and removing them from the deer harvesting experience like it yesterday! Could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data venison and! About raw deer meat steps involved to do it yourself or send it off to a year Farmers hunters..., youll be able to save money and have some fresh back straps the.
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