Game Processing

Butchering Breakdown – How to Cut Up Your Deer (video)

Mathew Brost — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 15:25:13 +0000

Butchering Breakdown – How to Cut Up Your Deer (video)

Mathew Brost Thu, 10/24/2019 - 10:25

Category

Breaking Down Big Game in 8 Simple Steps

While hunting is an enjoyable sport, it’s important to remember that we’ve taken to the woods as hunters for centuries, first and foremost, to provide food for ourselves and our families. And because no one knows your preferences better than you, it makes sense that you take care of butchering harvested animals yourself.

Check out our selection of processing tools!

While it may seem difficult, breaking down a big-game animal can be done in just a few simple steps, and with some extra hands around to help hold the carcass, gather up scraps or transport quarters for cooling, the process will go even faster. It’s a fun, exciting way for you and anyone else involved to learn more about their food, like where it came from and how each piece of meat should be cleaned, trimmed and stored. Doing the work ourselves allows us to be certain that our meat is prepared exactly how we want it and isn’t tainted by unwanted chemicals.

KNIFE TIP:

Having a variety of knives at your side will help with the butchering process. At the least, I try keeping a short bladed paring-style knife, a replaceable-blade Havalon or Outdoor Edge knife, and a larger boning knife ready for use depending on what I'm cutting. You'll need a stout blade for removing the quarters from the carcass, for example, while a sharp, flexible blade works better for removing fat and silverskin.

1. Remove the tenderloins. Ideally, this should be done shortly after field dressing to prevent drying out. It’s pictured here to show what tenderloins look like and where they are on the animal (under the spine, just behind the ribs).

2. One at a time, pull the front legs away from the rib cage and cut where the shoulder meets the body.

3. Since they aren’t attached to any other bones (they are held in place mainly by muscle), the front legs should be quick and simple to remove. When removed, be sure to set them on something clean to make your later processing easier.

4. Remove the flanks and the meat that lies on top of the ribs. Try to take it off in large chunks. This makes it easier and more efficient to work with when processing. While it's perfectly OK to switch steps four and five, doing this first makes it easier to find the lateral part of the vertebrae when removing the backstraps.

5. To loosen the backstraps, make a cut down both the lateral and vertical sides of the backbone (the backbone makes an L shape). Start up by the hind quarters and stay as close to the bone as possible. Continue these same cuts down towards the neck, loosening the loin until you’re able to peel it free.

6. Trim meat from the neck and ribs. Slide your knife between each individual rib to remove the small strips of meat found there. Trim any remaining meat from the front half of the carcass. Like the flanks, this meat will be added to the grind pile, so feel free to cut and slice however you need to get it off the animal.

7. If your animal is hanging, remove the boned-out portion by cutting through the spine, just ahead of the pelvis. Work your knife in-between the vertebrae to help severe the tie. If it’s being stubborn, twist the lower half. It should pop off fairly easily and leave you with just the hindquarters hanging on the gambrel.

8. Now it’s time to put down your knife and pick up your bone saw. Saw between the hindquarters, directly through the pelvis. This will separate them, leaving you with smaller, easy-to-process sections.

Region

United States

Tags

Meat Processing

Wild Game

Deer

Video

Build Your Own Walk-In Cooler

Mathew Brost — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 19:31:22 +0000

Build Your Own Walk-In Cooler

Mathew Brost Mon, 06/24/2019 - 14:31

Category

Game Processing

A DIY Walk-Cooler Is Easily Achievable, And
At A Fraction Of The Cost You'd Expect

CoolBot Temperature Controller

For decades, walk-in coolers have required heavy, expensive and inefficient refrigeration units – a barrier that has kept thousands from being able to justify owning one. That barrier has been torn down by the innovative CoolBot® controller. This simple temperature-control device has completely revolutionized the industry by allowing you to use a standard window-mount air conditioner to refrigerate your walk-in cooler. Now you can save thousands of dollars on a walk-in cooler, and you’ll save even more thanks to your A/C’s increased electrical efficiency compared to standard refrigeration units. Over 35,000 hunters, farmers, florists, breweries and other users have made the switch to CoolBot.

ADVANTAGES OF COOLBOT AND YOUR OWN WALK-IN COOLER:

Build your own walk-in cooler in a shop or garage. Outfit an existing cooler. You can even build a portable cooler using a standard enclosed trailer, so whether you’re at home or on the road, you’ll be able to keep your harvest preserved and even obtain the benefits of aging wild-game meat. That means no more worrying about spoiling meat or fitting everything in a standard portable cooler – two of the greatest problems faced by hunters. Plus, CoolBot works equally well in hot and cold climates – it’s the perfect option for hunters across the nation.

CoolBot Pro Digital Temp Controller

The best part of owning a CoolBot is the unmatched ease of use. With a properly insulated

room, CoolBot’s simple controls let you dial in a custom temperature down to 34°F without having to worry about freezing up the fins on your A/C unit. If you don’t own an insulated room or trailer, building one is simple – CoolBot even provides multiple guides for DIY walk-in coolers. Once you’re up and running, there’s virtually no maintenance required at all – just set the temperature and let CoolBot do the rest.

Many hunters dream of having a walk-in cooler. Make one a reality with CoolBot, and enjoy the benefits of hunting earlier, more often and in warmer temperatures.

Tags

Meat Processing

Big Game

Deer Hunting

Trimming For Taste

Mathew Brost — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 17:54:25 +0000

Trimming For Taste

Mathew Brost Mon, 06/24/2019 - 12:54

Category

Game Processing

Ridding your meat of fat and gnarly tissue

We crave the melt-in-your-mouth richness of densely marbled meat produced by cows. In fact, the fat of most domestic animals tends to be an appealing and necessary ingredient in most recipes as it enhances flavor and succulence. Far fewer of us have the same appreciation for the fat of game animals. Why is this so? The short answer is the fats of wild animals aren't as predictable as the fats of domestic animals that are bred with the purpose of becoming the main course. Not in terms of age, diet, sedentariness or stress level — all factors that affect the amount, as well as the flavor, of fat present in an animal.

Havalon Talon Replaceable-Blade Kit

Check out our lineup of processing gear right here!

For these reasons, the fat on wild meat is off-putting and "gamey" to some, both in taste and aroma. If it remains in the processed, wrapped and

ready-to-prepare final product of your kill, pleasing not-so-wild-fat-friendly palates at your dinner table could be a struggle.

There are those among us that embrace the natural flavor and choose to leave the healthy-looking fat on each cut. But for those that don't, the following tips will come in handy.

Always remove the silverskin, regardless of your opinion on fat. It is easiest to remove when the muscle groups are left whole. This allows you to make long, productive knife strokes. When removing long strips of silverskin, such as on the backstrap, begin where it is the thinnest. Cut enough silverskin loose that you can grip it with your spare hand. While pulling the loose silverskin away from the meat, angle the blade of the knife toward the connected silverskin. Angling the blade into the silverskin instead of the meat minimizes losses. This skin is tough and difficult to cut through, so angling your blade into it shouldn’t sever it (this is similar to filleting a fish). However, if you do cut through it, simply begin again, starting at the area where it was severed. Slide your knife forward, staying just below the skin and just above the muscle. Continue until you've removed all of the silverskin.

PROCESSING KNIFE TIP:

While a flexible knife is best for removing large pieces of silverskin, a paring knife excels at trimming.

A simple paring knife like Wusthof Pro
3.5" Paring Knife from your kitchen is
great for trimming trimming meat.

A thin layer of fat covering a relatively large area can be removed fairly quickly. Begin by placing the meat fat side up on the table. Slide the end of your knife between the meat and layer of fat with the blade facing away from you. Lay one hand on top of the muscle at the end you're starting on (this helps hold the meat still as you work) and slide your knife forward, staying just below the fat and just above the muscle. Fat isn't tough like silverskin, so you can't angle your blade into it without cutting through. A flexible blade is vital here. You can gently push up into the fat while leaving your blade parallel to the meat. If it's flexible, it will bend slightly, keeping your blade in that tiny space between the fat and meat. If it's too stiff, it will cut through the fat.

"Leaving tendons and silverskin on your cuts creates tough areas within your meat..."

The hardest fat to remove is the bubbly-looking stuff. This fat is so easy to cut through that if you try any of the prior methods, you won't be successful. Instead, lay the meat flat with the bubbly side up. Grab one end and fold it over on top of itself. This causes the meat on the other side to protrude, making it easy to remove with a large butcher knife. Notice that this technique is unique in that it requires you to cut the meat off the fat rather than the fat off the meat like the others. As meat is removed, increase the size of your fold to gain access to what remains. Here, you should cut using the same rocking motion as before.

When cutting fat off of meat intended to be steaks, you want the knife strokes to be as long as possible. Start your cut with the very tip of your blade, and use a rocking motion until you get to the base. This makes your cut long and greatly reduces feathering. It's also important to never angle your knife into the meat and keep your blade touching the fat in order to maximize yield.

Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener

CARING FOR KITCHEN KNIVES: FIVE TIPS

HONE REGULARLY SHARPEN RARELY

To maintain the sharpest edge, hone your knife with a steel or diamond hone each time before you use it. Once or twice a year, resharpen it using a stone or electric sharpener.

CORRECT CUTTING SURFACES
Always use wood, plastic or cork cutting boards. Never cut on stone, metal or glass which can damage the blade and dull it prematurely.

SCRAPE WITH THE SPINE
When transferring your chopped or diced ingredients into a bowl or pan, flip the knife over and use the spine as a scraper. This way, you won’t be dulling the blade.

HAND WASH, HAND DRY
Hand wash each knife in warm, soapy water and then dry by hand. Never place your kitchen knives in the dishwasher. The extreme heat will quickly dull the blades and warp the handles.

STORE SEPARATELY
Knives with blade guards can be stored in a kitchen drawer. If they’re without guards, store knives in a wooden block or hang them from a magnetic strip mounted to your cupboards.

Tags

Meat Processing

Field Dress

Knives

Deer Field Dressing Step-By-Step

Mathew Brost — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 17:44:27 +0000

Deer Field Dressing Step-By-Step

Mathew Brost Mon, 06/24/2019 - 12:44

Category

Game Processing

Outdoor Edge The Outfitter Field Dressing Kit

Most people who go hunting are thinking, “I can’t wait to get my hands on my deer,” not “I can’t wait to gut my deer.” While field dressing is rarely the

favorite aspect of a successful hunting trip, it’s one of the most important parts. Properly field dressing game allows the meat to cool quickly and stops bacteria growth. Whether it’s your first time field dressing or you’re a veteran at it, you should keep these things in mind to ensure your kill cools quickly, is clean and stays fresh.

Prior to field dressing or moving the animal, the appropriate hunting-license tag or permit must be attached to your kill (check your local laws)
Always make cuts with the blade moving away from your body.
Be aware that your broadhead, a sharp piece of bullet metal or a broken bone may be present – so be careful.

1. Put on a pair of gloves, get the animal on its back, pinch the hide just below the breastbone and carefully make a small, shallow cut to start your incision. If you’re going to have a mount done, cut well below the brisket, leaving as much of the skin uncut as you can.

2. Cut the hide down the belly, around the genitals and to the pelvic bone.

3. Skin some of the hide away from the belly, but not too much, as it serves as a protective layer during transport.

4. Insert two fingers into the body cavity behind the blade and hold the knife blade between them. As you hold the skin and membrane up, cut from the sternum to the crotch, penetrating the hide and the membrane below, being careful not to puncture the stomach.

5. Using the pelvic bone as a guide, cut around the rectum to fully separate it. Pinch or tie off the rectum to make sure no waste escapes, and reach into the front of the pelvic canal and pull the intestines and connected rectum into the stomach area.

6. Open the chest cavity and detach the diaphragm.

7. Reach deep into the chest cavity, find the gullet and windpipe, sever both and bring them back toward you.

8. Pull the entrails out, starting from the crotch, while also cutting the membranes linking the innards to the spine. Take care not to cut too close to the spine or you may cut the tenderloins.

9. Entrails will come out in one package, keeping the cape as clean as possible.

Choice Cuts Of Venison Meat

Mathew Brost — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 17:28:12 +0000

Choice Cuts Of Venison Meat

Mathew Brost Mon, 06/24/2019 - 12:28

Category

Game Processing

Much like domestic beef, wild ungulates have many different muscle groups, each with their own best use. While it isn’t a disaster if the meat doesn’t come off the bone in perfectly separated muscle groups, it does degrade the quality of the meat somewhat. By not combining two muscle groups into one cut, you limit the amount of tough gristle and inconsistencies in tenderness. Pictured above are the main muscle groups found on most big-game animals. Sizes will vary, but shape and usage will be similar from species to species.

HIND-QUARTER

1. Rump or Top Sirloin – Use to make stew meat, jerky or grinds.
2. Sirloin Tip – An excellent muscle group for turning into a roast.
3. Bottom Round – Great for steaks,stew meat and fajita strips.
4. Eye of Round – Can be grilled whole, depending on the size of the animal, or cut into steak medallions.
5. Boned-Out Shank – Full of tough tendons and gristle, this is best turned into grinds.
6. Top Round – Makes excellent large steaks.

BACK

7. Backstrap and 8. Tenderloin are the tenderest, most-prized cuts. Tenderloins can be grilled whole, while backstraps are excellent when butterflied.

GRIND MEATS

9. Flank – Best thrown in the grind pile.
10. Neck – Can be turned into a roast, especially on larger animals.
11. Ribs – On larger animals with more meat, you can grill the ribs or even make bone-in spare ribs. Don’t be scared to experiment.

FRONT QUARTER

12. Shoulder – Can be turned into stew meat or steaks.
13. Top blade – Kind of tough. Usually best for grinds.
14. Mock Tender – Again, kind of tough and usually best ground.
15. Bone-in shank– Leaving the bone in gives you some fun added options. You can cure it and grill it, like a turkey leg at a carnival, or braise it to create a moist, flavorful meal.

NUTRITION FACTS

1. Low in fat
Based on USDA data, 1"-thick venison backstrap steaks – about 150 calories each – contain only 2.4 grams of fat.

2. Heart healthy
Not only is venison low in fat, the fat it does contain is high in Omega-3 fatty acids and thus, healthier to consume.

3. Complete protein
Venison contains all 10 essential amino acids, which our bodies need but cannot produce.

HOW TO BUTTERFLY A STEAK

To create butterfly steaks: 1) Put your knife 1/4" to 3/4" from the end of your backstrap. Then, cut 3/4" of the way through using a smooth rocking motion. 2) Now, move your knife over another 1/4" to 3/4" and cut all the way through the meat to the tabletop. 3) Pull the two sides away from each other (like you're opening a book), and lay the steak flat on the table. It should look like a butterfly.

Tags

Meat Processing

Venison

Big Game

Big Game Hide Removal Tips

Mathew Brost — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 17:22:37 +0000

Big Game Hide Removal Tips

Mathew Brost Mon, 06/24/2019 - 12:22

Category

Game Processing

Processing 101: Big-Game Hide & Hair Removal Tips

Outdoor Edge Butcher Max Knife Set

Growing up under the watchful eye of a custom butcher, there were a few things my brothers and I learned quickly: keep your knife moving away from your body, grinder blades face outward, use as much of the animal as you’re able and keep everything clean from start to finish. It might be hard to believe that my most painful memories from my father’s butcher shop don’t involve careless slips with just-sharpened blades, but it’s true. They involve keeping each piece of meat I handled as clean as possible. They involve neck cramps, blurred vision and involuntary cussing. They involve hair.

Amidst the craziness that rolled around each fall with the onset of deer season, us kids were taught several different methods for removing hides and hair from game. While not always foolproof, these tips can help you with this tedious process. –Melissa S.

STRATEGIES FOR HAIR REMOVAL

Field Dressing.

Outdoor Edge Butcher-Lite Field Dressing Kit

When field dressing your kill, begin at the animal’s breastbone. The knife will be moving with the natural front-to-back growth of the hair, not against it, and less will be pulled loose.

Skin, rinse and repeat.

Keep a bucket of water nearby. Every so often, dunk your hands and any skin that has touched the hide into the water to remove loose hair that may have stuck to you.

Give it a good rub down.

Once the animal is completely skinned, dip your hands into a fresh bucket of water, place one on either side of the carcass, and run them over the meat in a downward motion, forcefully wiping from the rear legs toward the neck. Be sure to shake your hands off and dip them into the water again before rubbing down a new area of the animal.

Get fired up.

Quickly run a butane torch over the skinned animal. This should be done very quickly. Beneath the flame, you’ll be able to see any remaining hairs fizzle away almost immediately.

Pro Tip: If some chunks of muscle pull off with the hide, simply trim them off and set them aside. They can be added to your grind pile.

Big-Game Hide Removal In 6 Steps:

1. Starting just above the “knee” joint at the rear shank, cut around each leg in a circle, separating the hide completely. Do the same on the two front legs.

Cabela's Alaskan Guide Ranger Skinner Knife

2. Where the hide is separated, cut down the inner part of each rear leg toward the pelvis. Repeat this step on the front legs by cutting toward the chest. Peel the skin away from the flesh, using your knife when necessary.

3. Now that the hide has been loosened, try to use your knife as little as possible throughout the rest of the skinning process. Instead, use your fist to push down where the hide meets the flesh, freeing it from the haunches, back and sides of the carcass.

4. If the deer has been sitting in freezing weather for a few hours, it may be difficult using your fist. When this is the case, use your knife as a supplement, cutting through stubborn sections.

5. If your arm tires, or you're finding the hide is simply too difficult to remove (this is likely to happen as you get closer to the shoulders), grab the hide with both hands, pull it taut and place your knee between the animal and your handhold on the hide. Using your body weight, push down on your knee to free the hide.

6. Split the underside of the neck, then work the tip of your skinning knife between the first vertebrae and the base of the head, both in front beneath the chin and in back at the base of the skull. Twist the head until you are able to sever it at the atlas joint. You'll need to use your knife to remove the head completely.

Tags

Meat Processing

Field Dress

Knives

Why Butcher Your Own Big Game?

Mathew Brost — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 17:17:43 +0000

Why Butcher Your Own Big Game?

Mathew Brost Mon, 06/24/2019 - 12:17

Category

Game Processing

The Advantages Of Butchering & Eating Wild Game

Cabela's Carnivore 1/2 HP Meat Grinder

Even among hunters, butchering is often the point of disconnect between hunted animal and food on the plate. Whether from lack of knowledge, time or resources – real or imagined – this is a job many hunters feel comfortable handing off to a processor, even though it’s where the magic happens. On the butchering table, your harvested animal is turned into choice cuts for your dinner table, making it a step best left for your hands.

TIP:
When butchering game, a sanitary workspace and high-quality food processing equipment is vital.

The connection hunters experience with their food has been well-discussed in this book, and it can’t be overstated during the butchering process. You start this process with things like hindquarters, shoulders and backstraps and end it with things like steaks, roasts and burger.

Tip: Cabela's Carnivore Meat Grinders are perfect for the home butcher shop. They feature high capacity, meat-grinding power, high-output air-cooled fan, patented auger-pull-handle tool and much more.

Your pre-season planning, hours of honing your shooting skills, the hunt itself, the field dressing and pack out – these all begin to manifest themselves into dinner-ready cuts.

Check Out This Video About Cabela's Carnivore Meat Grinder

Cabela's Commercial-Grade Vacuum Sealer

Not only are you strengthening the connection with your food, but you retain complete control over what touches it and how it’s cared for. There won’t be any wondering if the meat in your freezer is from your animal or someone else’s, no questioning how long it was left out or contemplating the cleanliness or ethics of the butchering facility.

If you have a family, the lessons learned and bonds built around the butchering table are ones that will stick with everyone for years. When the entire family pitches in, everyone gets to feel like they contributed to meals down the road. And that’s a feeling that can’t be replaced.

Cabela's 10-Tray Deluxe Dehydrator

Tip: The Cabela's 12'' Commercial-Grade Vacuum Sealer. Smart Heat Technology delivers continuous sealing with no waiting periods to help you get through large sealing jobs faster. Plus its Intelligent Sealing Bar automatically monitors and adjusts the vacuum sealer's heat to provide the perfect seal every time.

If you’ve been handing your downed game to someone else for butchering in the past, try a do-it- yourself approach this season. You’ll find the rewards are gratifying and plentiful beyond measure.

Tip: Crank out lots of delicious, dried fruit and vegetable snacks and jerky at home with Cabela's 10-Tray Deluxe Dehydrator. The high capacity design offers 1,703 square inches of cooking space over 10 trays. he adjustable thermostat delivers precise dehydration temperatures between 80°-160°F. A fold-down door with magnetic closure and clear acrylic viewing window let you monitor cooking without opening the door and disturbing the consistent internal temperature.

Outdoor Edge Butcher Max Tool Set

Venison Meat Nutritional Facts

1. Venison Meat Daily Vitamins

Venison is a good source of niacin, riboflavin, vitamins B6 and 12, phosphorus, zinc and thiamin.

2. Venison Meat is Better for Your Heart

Because it contains so much less cholesterol than beef, venison is a better option for your heart’s health.

3. Venison is a True Organic Meat

Animals born, raised and killed in their natural environment are free of injected chemicals.

Tags

Meat Processing

Field Dress

Knives

How to Skin a Deer Using an Air Compressor (infographic)

Bass Pro Shops 1Source — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 21:29:13 +0000

How to Skin a Deer Using an Air Compressor (infographic)

Bass Pro Shops… Mon, 11/23/2015 - 15:29

Category

Game Processing

There Is More Than One Way to Skin a Buck

For hundreds of years deer have lost their coats to an old fashioned skinning post and a sharp knife, but that doesn't stop hunters from striving to make the process faster and more efficient. From skinning knives and specialized tools to a method involving a golf ball and a pickup truck, we are always looking for a better way.

Havalon Knives Piranta-Edge Skinning Knife

Tip: Watch video: Skinning a Deer with a Golf Ball and Pickup Truck: Original

This new process utilizes a tool you may already have in your garage or shop: an air compressor.

The purpose behind skinning a deer this way is simple. It makes removing the hide easy and it wont damage the meat. The air simply goes under the pelt and forces its way through the animal, separating the skin from muscle and sinew. There will be few places that your knife will even touch the deer, so no meat goes to waste.

Check out this step-by-step visual guide on how to skin a deer using an air compressor, courtesy of Quincy Compressor. Click here to view the full-size printable PDF infographic.

original source: Quincy Compressor
How to Skin A Deer With An Air Compressor by Quincy Compressor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Check Out the Six Steps to Skinning a Deer With An Air Compressor Process:

1. First, hang your deer up like usual. Make sure its secure so the deer doesn't fall during the process. You'll still be handling it quite a bit and pulling the skin off at the end, so you don't want to rush through this step.

2. Next, take your knife and cut a small hole in the deer's back thigh. This hole should be as close to the exact size of your air compressor nozzle as possible. Start small, as its always easier to make a bigger hole than to try to make a smaller one.

3. Insert the nozzle of the air compressor into the hole you just made. If you made the hole too big, wrap some cloth or even tape around the nozzle. This prevents air from seeping out. It doesn't have to be a complete air-tight seal, but it will work best if little or no air is escaping.

4. Turn the air compressor on and watch your deer expand. The pressure of the air is pushing the skin right off of the meat, leaving little or no waste.

5. After a minute or so, check and see if the deer is fully inflated. If not, cut a new hole wherever theres a trouble spot and pump some more air near the area. If its still stuck you can just use your knife to loosen it.

6. Finally, once you feel the skin is loose enough, cut a slit on the deer's leg and then start pulling the skin downward. It should come off cleanly in one piece. In some cases you'll run into spots that are a bit more stubborn. Take your knife and cut away any of these sections that are stuck.

Be sure to share this with your hunting buddy and let us know your thoughts in the comment section!

Tags

Hunting: The Ultimate Organic Food Source

Don Sangster — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 11:00:00 +0000

Hunting: The Ultimate Organic Food Source

Don Sangster Tue, 03/18/2014 - 06:00

Category

Game Processing

After decades of declines, the number of hunters in certain areas of North America has actually increased in recent years. This bodes well for the future of hunting, as more hunters means more funds for conservation and habitat preservation, more political clout, and overall more "relevance" in today's increasingly urbanized society.

Food processing equipment like meat grinders makes it easier to eat organic foods at home.

Even more promising is that the number of women hunters as a proportion of the total continues to increase (see "Get Your Wife or Girlfriend Out Hunting"), and that's great. Not only does this trend mean that more families are spending more quality time together in the field, but it also means that the perception of hunting and hunters as held by a group that represents more than 50 percent of the total population may be changing for the positive.

But what is the reason for these increases? No doubt the increase in women hunting is due in part to the influence of positive hunting role models such as Brenda Valentine, Tiffany Lakosky, Melissa Bachman, and other well-known huntresses. But it, and the overall increase in hunter numbers, is also due in part to a growing demand for access to organic foods and to locally-produced foods such as processing your deer meat.

If the number of organic food stores that seem to be popping up all the time is any indication, the interest in sustainability and eco-consciousness when it comes to our food is only increasing, and it's no surprise. More and more people are becoming aware of and concerned by the use of pesticides and herbicides in farming, and those that eat organic regularly swear that foods such as milk, eggs and produce, as well as beef, pork and fowl, simply taste better too when produced without chemicals and hormones and with the benefit of "free range" farming practices. Unfortunately, store-bought organic food tends to be pricey, often costing several times the price of non-organic options.

The so-called "locavore" movement is also clearly gaining steam. According to Wikipedia, a locavore is a person interested in eating food that is locally produced (usually within 100 miles) to ensure freshness without the need for preservatives, while also supporting local food producers.

I have a friend that only eats organic foods. He doesn't hunt, but he gladly devours all the venison, waterfowl and other wild game that makes its way to him from my freezer. And why not? Wild game is the ultimate in free range and organic food, and is often sourced locally to boot. Fortunately, the quality and variety of game processing products available to hunters today is unprecedented. Everything that you could possibly need to process wild game, from knives and tools to meat grinders, vacuum sealers, smokers, food dehydrators and seasonings is readily available and affordable.

Wild game is a delicious, safe, healthy, low-fat and affordable source of protein, so get out there and do some grocery shopping.

Good hunting

Region

International

Tags

Meat Processing

Wild Game

Transporting Game After the Hunt

Bass Pro Shops 1Source — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Transporting Game After the Hunt

Bass Pro Shops… Mon, 10/28/2013 - 00:00

Category

Game Processing

While properly field dressing game is a key element in the race-against-the-clock effort to preserve your harvest, a hunter's work is not over once this has been done.

Field Butcher Kit with Belt Scabbard

Just as important as properly field dressing your game harvest is effectively transporting game back home after field dressing is complete.

Tip: Shop Cabela's Deluxe Game Cart

Don't let your hard work this hunting season go to waste as a result of poor transit practices. Check out our tips below for safely getting game from Point A to Point B:

After field dressing, transport the carcass absolutely as quickly as possible to refrigeration.
Note that heat not only affects whether the meat is safe or spoiled, but it can also affect the taste of meat that hasn't spoiled. Keep it cool to preserve both the overall integrity and the taste of the meat.
If outdoor temperatures are anywhere at or above the high 40s or you're transporting your harvest a long way, fill the cavity with bags of ice to keep the meat cool.
Do not transport your harvest on the hood of a car or on top of a vehicle; the meat will be exposed to the heat from the engine and/or the elements, which will affect the taste of the meat ... or cause it to turn entirely.
Transport dead animals out of the elements – preferably in a trailer, enclosed truck bed or trunk. Use a dropcloth or tarp to keep the vehicle clean. With this method, your harvest will stay both cool and clean.

Note: To make efficient work of your field dressing in order to get on to transporting your harvest more quickly, try using a pocket guide to field dressing game with step-by-step instructions , tool checklist and anatomy.

For more hunting tips, be sure to check out the resources on the Bass Pro Shops 1Source website, and stop by in person at any one of our Bass Pro Shops store locations for face-to-face discussions with our passionate and knowledgeable on-site hunting experts.

Region

United States

Tags

Game Processing

Butchering Breakdown – How to Cut Up Your Deer (video)

Breaking Down Big Game in 8 Simple Steps

Check out our selection of processing tools!

KNIFE TIP:

Build Your Own Walk-In Cooler

A DIY Walk-Cooler Is Easily Achievable, And At A Fraction Of The Cost You'd Expect

ADVANTAGES OF COOLBOT AND YOUR OWN WALK-IN COOLER:

Trimming For Taste

Ridding your meat of fat and gnarly tissue

PROCESSING KNIFE TIP:

CARING FOR KITCHEN KNIVES: FIVE TIPS

Deer Field Dressing Step-By-Step

Choice Cuts Of Venison Meat

HIND-QUARTER

BACK

GRIND MEATS

FRONT QUARTER

NUTRITION FACTS

HOW TO BUTTERFLY A STEAK

Big Game Hide Removal Tips

Processing 101: Big-Game Hide & Hair Removal Tips

STRATEGIES FOR HAIR REMOVAL

Field Dressing.

Skin, rinse and repeat.

Give it a good rub down.

Get fired up.

Pro Tip: If some chunks of muscle pull off with the hide, simply trim them off and set them aside. They can be added to your grind pile.

Big-Game Hide Removal In 6 Steps:

Why Butcher Your Own Big Game?

The Advantages Of Butchering & Eating Wild Game

Check Out This Video About Cabela's Carnivore Meat Grinder

Venison Meat Nutritional Facts

1. Venison Meat Daily Vitamins

2. Venison Meat is Better for Your Heart

3. Venison is a True Organic Meat

How to Skin a Deer Using an Air Compressor (infographic)

There Is More Than One Way to Skin a Buck

Check Out the Six Steps to Skinning a Deer With An Air Compressor Process:

Hunting: The Ultimate Organic Food Source

Transporting Game After the Hunt

A DIY Walk-Cooler Is Easily Achievable, And
At A Fraction Of The Cost You'd Expect