Processing game deer

The following series is a step by step demostration accompanied by photos on how to dress out a deer. Warning.... some of these photo's are very graphic.

Step One: We have chosen to hang our deer by the hind legs for the reason we like using the ribcage as the "gut bucket" until the time to remove the internals. This is not the only way to dress a deer, there are several ways.

To securely hang the deer.... find the space just above the hooves between the leg bone and the tendon. Cut a slot at this point and put the hooks of your hanging rig here.

Here you see the incision. Caution! Be very careful not to cut into the tendon or this will result in your deer falling off your hanger!

This is a secondary place to make a incision for your hooks if for some reason the primary place is not workable.

Now you have the critter hung up securely... you are ready to retreive your booty...

Step Two: Make a cut in the hide only all the way around the leg at this point and expose the muscle beneath. Do this on both legs the same way. Again... be careful not to cut into the tendon!

Step Three: Now make a cut connecting the previous incisions you made around the legs. This incision will dip into the "crotch" of the deer.... but be very careful.... you are only cutting the hide at this point.... not any deeper!

Your intentions at this point are to expose the "privates" of the deer so as to make the dressing out of the area easier and cleaner.

Step Four: Pull the "cape" (the hide) down and expose the meat beneath.

This deer is a doe. There is a bit of difference at this point between dressing out a buck or a doe. Either or.... you want to avoid cutting the pee sack. Cut it away and depose of with minimum "spillage". With the buck, you need to cut away his "workings" in one piece.

Step Five: Continue to pull the cape down. When you reach the tail, cut the tail bone off at the base and continue to pull the cape downward.

Once you are past the privates and the tail..... pulling the cape down is basically free sailing. You will have to play your skinnin' knife here and there as you go... just don't go cutting into the meat. Remember... you are just seperating the hide from the meat.

Here we've made it down to the front quarters... and here it gets tough again.

You are still seperating the cape from the meat... that is from around the neck and the front legs. It gets tougher to pull the hide from these areas. It'll take some strengh....

Get your arm in there and really push.... it'll give way.

Step Six: Well this is as far as you need to go since you aren't a canibal. So at this point make the cut at the neck and legs for removal. If you plan on keeping the hide for other use, then there is other steps beyond this.... but that's another story.

Basically the area where to make the neck cut. This deer being a doe, there was not much meat on the neck. A buck, especially one in rut will have much more meat on the neck.

And the area to make the front leg cuts.

Step Seven: Now you can remove the front quarters.... or the front two shoulders. These come off very easy.

Just follow the "seams" between the muscles down to the bone shoulder socket.... and cut away.

Do the same for both sides.

Step Eight: Up til now.... the guts have been left alone. The ribcage has held them in place (thankfully), but now we must deal with them. Use a bonesaw or hacksaw and cut the breast bone apart and allow the internal organs to spill into your disposal bucket. You will need to cut the esophogus lose from the deer.

Step Nine: Cutting out the back straps! This is the best meat of the deer in our opinion.

All that is left is the hide quarters and the rib cage. Not many consider the ribcage worth messing with.

You can barely see them.... but what Snakebit is pointing out is what is called the sweet meat. Well worth retreiving! (the ribs have been cut off)

Step Ten: Seperating the hind quarters. Cut off the spine at the hind quarters.

Then with your bone saw, cut the hind quarters apart.