Processing my own deer for the 1st time was a tough challenge

By Pete Warner

My older son has a subtle way of getting me to try new things. William sometimes makes me feel as though I’m missing out on something by not doing it, or that I would relish the accomplishment.

Last summer, having talked about it for years, it was at his urging that I finally set a plan in motion to climb Katahdin for the first time. It was a difficult, memorable and rewarding trip for both of us.

Last fall, after harvesting my first doe on the next-to-last day of firearms season, he did it again. William nonchalantly asked whether I was planning to cut up the deer myself.

If he hadn’t said anything, I almost certainly would have found a meat cutter and dropped off the deer for processing. Instead, I sensed from his tone that he was again challenging me to get out of my comfort zone.

Not only would I save considerable money by cutting up the deer, but I would derive the satisfaction that goes along with doing it myself, I theorized.

My only deer-cutting experience came when I “helped out” for a few hours — but never actually wielded a knife — when former BDN colleague Terry Farren graciously offered to process my buck in 2012.

I figured that this time, with the help of some YouTube videos and a sharp knife, I ought to be able to process the animal. I had my hands full.

My biggest worry was that the meat would somehow spoil, but we had cold nights and not-too-warm days as the deer hung in my mom’s garage. I was going to need those conditions to persist long enough to plod through the butchering and packaging process.

In retrospect, I should have taken the hide off the night I shot the doe, since it apparently comes off more easily when the carcass is warm — live and learn.

That said, wielding sharp knives in the cold meant my progress came in fits and starts. Since I was operating alone, and wanted to be deliberate, I only worked on the deer for a few hours at a time. 

I worried about rushing and doing a bad job and I was concerned about fatigue or inattention leading to a knife-related injury. I escaped unscathed.

I know there are professional meat cutters and even many veteran hunters who could have skinned, cut up and vacuum-sealed the deer in one afternoon or evening. But I was relying on internet videos, which meant viewing, rewinding and rewatching the segments on my laptop to help me get things right.

Ideally, I would have had an expert standing right there next to me. I didn’t ask for help, but if I had it to do again, I probably would.

It took me parts of five days to get the deer cut up, packaged and in the freezer. That included a sausage-making session that went pretty well. In hindsight, I’m pretty sure that I overthought the process and worried unnecessarily about messing up the cuts.

When removing the backstraps and tenderloins, the most tender cuts on the deer, precise cuts are important in preserving the most meat. And it’s definitely good to know how to remove the fat and “silver skin” from the parts of the hind quarters without sacrificing too much meat.

Fortunately, any meat that doesn’t make it as a steak, a roast or stew meat goes into the grind pile for burger and sausage. It will always go to good use there.

Some folks wind up grinding up the majority of their deer, but having some different cuts of meat to prepare and use in different ways adds to the pleasure of eating the venison meals.

Suggestion No. 1 for first-time deer processors is that you solicit the help of someone with experience. That way, they can show you first hand what needs to be done.

While the internet meat cutters I watched all performed the work in a similar fashion, I would rather have been able to follow the lead of a friend in the room rather than peering at a small laptop screen.

I learned years ago that it’s a good idea to cut out the tenderloins (along the inside of the spine) immediately after harvest and either eat them or freeze them. Otherwise, they’ll likely dry out a bit.

A sharp boning knife is a must. It will save you time and enable you to make more accurate and efficient cuts. You actually get to the point where you can tell if your blade needs sharpening.

And when it comes to making sausage, don’t skimp on the fat. I used pork belly from Emery’s Meat and Produce in Brewer for mine, and 20 percent wasn’t enough to achieve the desired moisture content.

I would go 30 to 35 percent fat next time around, since venison is so incredibly lean. You could probably get away with a bit less for your burger.

Processing your own deer is definitely a worthwhile experience. I’m sure that each time you do it, you get more comfortable with the process and the job gets easier.

That said, I came away fearing that I may not have maximized the amount of meat because of my inexperience. Sure, I saved a lot of money, probably $150-$175, but the butchers who do it are worth every penny as far as I’m concerned.

Don’t be afraid to try cutting up your own deer next season. It will enable you to immerse yourself in yet another facet of the harvest experience. Just make sure you do some research so you know how the process works, or maybe call on a friend who has done it to help out.