# A few questions about deer



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Am going deer (almost said Dear hunting but hubby gets to live a little longer  ) hunting in three days so have been reading up on hunting and processing deer like a mad thing all summer. I learned lots but still have a few questions for y'all.

Why do you take the fat off? I read the processing threads and they all say take the fat off. Any meat I have ever eaten fat makes flavor. Are deer so different from pigs for example? I have processed a few fattened wild hogs so its not all new to me but the fat is yummy with them.

As I am hunting in swampland in central Florida, is it better to drag the deer (If I am lucky enough to get one) out in one piece and gut at home so no dirty water or mud gets in or should it be field dressed regardless and just washed really good once I get it home?

I know it needs to be cooled ASAP so am glad the WLMA is so close to home!

I am SOOOOOOO EXCITED! I only got to try hunting for the last week of the season last year and with no one to teach me it was all trial and error. Well, mostly error  But it was such good fun.

Fingers crossed I get some meat this season!


----------



## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

Several tips:

Be sure to shoot the animal forward of the diaphragm! Opening up any of the stuff from the stomach down is bad news for the meat (if you do get any of this nasty stuff loose, flush with lots of clean water asap!).

Keep the meat clean and dry, and get it cooled to around 40 degrees as quickly as you can. Some bacterial growth is ok (after all, this is one method of tenderizing meat) but you want everything to be controlled. Hanging the deer (as opposed to letting it lay on the ground) will facilitate drainage and cooling.

Keep insects off the meat! You do not want to be eating fly eggs!

In FL, your best option (like in south Texas) is to hang and gut the animal, rinse off all blood, etc, trim off any bloodshot meat, then get it into a cooler asap.

Your meat will also taste better if you kill the animal quickly. Aside from the obvious ethical issues, less lactic acid in the meat is always better.

Be sure to ream out the anus and get all the colon out of the animal. I also like to slit the belly all the way up the throat and pull out the entire esophagus. That esophagus is often a nasty breeding ground...

Oh, and good luck!


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Why do you take the fat off?


Deer fat has a waxy quality like tallow, and really doesn't taste very good.
It leaves a nasty coating in your mouth

It's not "marbled" through the meat like beef, but all on the outside.

Deer is so lean that fat (beef or pork)) is often added during cooking to keep it moist


----------



## Nature_Lover (Feb 6, 2005)

Deer fat tastes terrible.
Bearfootfarm is right, it will collect on the roof of your mouth if it wasn't thoroughly cleaned, then the fat skimmed after cooking stew or chili.
It is the weirdest thing, it re-solidifies in your mouth.
NOTHING more gross than scraping the deerfat off the roof of your mouth.
Good Luck!


----------



## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Deer fat has a waxy quality like tallow, and really doesn't taste very good.
> It leaves a nasty coating in your mouth
> 
> It's not "marbled" through the meat like beef, but all on the outside.
> ...


exactly and if you DO grind deer meat up, add a little of beef or pork fat never its own


----------



## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

And I could wait until you get it home to gut it so that you can hang it to clean it out and wash immediately. Don't skin until you are ready to put the meat in the cooler on ice. If you skin and let it hang, it drys out BAD.


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Bearfootfarm is right,


I never thought I'd see that from you


----------



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Thank you all so much for such great info :goodjob:

As I have no one to teach me hunting its so nice to be able to ask my silly questions and get real answers.

My hunting last year was more farce than anything else, like getting lost on the flood plain or calling up another hunter when I was trying to call in some pigs......................

I have learned it pays to have a sense of humor when hunting lol


----------



## Nature_Lover (Feb 6, 2005)

Bearfootfarm, you must be thinking of that other naturelover. 
I am the original from Missouri, not the second one from Canada.
If you're thinking of me, I don't know why you'd say that?


----------



## doc623 (Jun 7, 2004)

To Tarbe:
"Some bacterial growth is ok (after all, this is one method of tenderizing meat) . . . "
How so? Please explain.


----------



## Wis Bang 2 (Jan 12, 2010)

WstTxLady said:


> exactly and if you DO grind deer meat up, add a little of beef or pork fat never its own


You don't 'need' to add beef or pork to ground Venison. We stopped having the butcher add some years ago and any we do our selves mom grind w/ her Kitchen Aid mixer attachment. Burgers still stay together.

Regarding deer tallow. Mix some alum and paraffin, take it outside I squash it on some old dirty board for a while, then chew some...that would taste GOOD compared to deer tallow! Kinda feels like wax and Elmer's glue stuck to the top of your mouth with a disgusting taste too...


----------



## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

We process our own and never add fat but that was for those who might want fat in theirs.


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Bearfootfarm, you must be thinking of *that other naturelover*.


LOL 

You're correct.
I get you two confused at times
I should pay closer attention

Sorry


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

or save the tallow and render it down , it's so waxy that when mixed 3 to 1 with bees wax it makes bullet lube for the muzzle loader , as well as many other uses from conditioning and sealing leather , wood , it also works well on cracked fingers.

we don't add any fat to the meat we just trim and grind , even my canned venison gets no extra fat , just a bit of bulion some times but not even all the time 

as for hang times if it's below 40 let it hang till the meat is cooled to the bone 

if not quater it and get it in the cooler were it can cool on ice but it is not needed to wait any longer than it takes to get the meat cold , it just cuts som much easier when they are not still warm , but i have cut a few still warm , but thats why i recomend just quarter and pack on ice till it gets cold then cut. i can get both rear and front quarters in my cooler , i cut the neck meat , tenderloins and backstraps then discard the ribs and spine and head on deer that have to be quarterd and packed on ice i loose very little meat that way.and it fits in the cooler with some ice , it is a large cooler.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

i mention the hang times , because i hear it asked quit a bit, there are lots of answers floating around , i feel it is unnessacary and i feel i have proven it unnessacary because i have done personaly over 25 deer with less than 2 days hang time basicaly we hunt opening day saturday and sunday ,at sun down sunday we take the run to town to register the deer then the come back eat dinner and after dinner we proccess all the deer shot for the weekend in the garage and pack the meat into coolers in 2 gallon ziplock bags then bring it home to wash and repackage and grind 

last year i cut a 10 point buck up less than 4 hours after it had been shot , and noticed no issue with the meat , but that was one of those deer that wern't quite cold to the bone yet even thou it was below freezing , it just tsakes time for the cold to get deep in large rear quarters 

i admitedly only keep tenderloins and backstraps for steaks and grind or cut jerky from the rest so i am not trying to get a tender round steak. but thats whe way we eat package what you eat eat what you package we eat about 4 deer a year almost no beef , i only grind in pork when i am making sausage 

as for sausage we did brat patties , they were so good , and so much less work than stuffing cassings , all the flavor 1/2 the work , we spread the ground sausage mixed meat and spices on cookie sheets on wax paper then score with a butter knife then when they are froze they snap apart and we pack them into bags , then strait on to the grill frozen when we want one. maybe 1/4 the work now that i think about it 
the spices com packed for 25 pounds we can do 5 pounds at a time in the kitchen aid mixer i just weigh out the meat add 1/5 of the spices and mix 5 pounds make about 2 cookie sheets if i recall fairly close and that give you about 12 bugers per sheet or just less than a 1/4 pound of meat for each burger and because the are frozen thin they stay together when cooked


----------



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Was going to ask any possible uses for deer tallow as I HATE to throw anything away but you answered my question before I even had time to write it down lol.

Love the idea of the cookie sheet sausage burgers. Making burgers by hand just for dinner is a chore but doing so many was a bit daunting.

Providing I actually manage to bring home a deer of course.

Do you not make stock with the left over bones? When I do a pig the head gets cooked and then the scrap bones and bits gets cooked in the same water so by the time I have cooked three lots of scraps its a strong dark stock that I use for all sorts of things.

What do all of you do with the likes of heart, liver, kidneys, tongue and the like?


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If I want port tasting meat I get pork, if I want beef tasting meat I get beef. Don't ruin my venison with any of that other stuff.

Tallow is the same on goats and antlope, We used to cut it off and put in those mesh bags oranges and such came in, freeze it then when winter hits hang it out for the birds to peck at. Can't find those mesh bags any longer i n this area so we use a recycled wire cage suet blocks comes in from the store.

 Al


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> What do all of you do with the likes of heart, liver, kidneys, tongue and the like?


The heart makes a passable steak if you slice it and clean it well.
The texture is a little unusual.

I've never liked the liver, although I LOVE other types of liver.



> Do you not *make stock *with the left over bones?


You can, but you will need to let it cool so you can skim off ALL the fat

I never really have anything "left over" though, since I have 7 dogs
I sometimes boil all the scraps in a washtub and throw in enough rice to soak it all up and feed it to the dogs


----------



## Wis Bang 2 (Jan 12, 2010)

We've cut up deer at camp the same day as they were shot. Let 'em hang a few hours & then started skinning & cutting.

When we use the butcher, he skins & hangs them 2 - 3 days. He likes the meat chilled so he can saw the quarters into steaks. He cuts our deer up while we watch & he is real strict about cleaning the saw blade between cuts.

When we cut up one at the cabin we deconstruct the muscle groups in the quarters and use a fillet knife to remove the silver skin from each side by sliding the knife under it and placing your hand on top while slicing lengthwise on both sides & the squaring the ends making roasts or steaks depending on the size.


----------



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Whats wrong with the silver skin?


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

GBov said:


> Whats wrong with the silver skin?


It's basically tendons and sinew. Can't even be ground very readily. It's the stuff that you find wrapped around the grinder knife if some gets mixed with the ground meat material.

Martin


----------



## CNCfamily (Sep 13, 2010)

We always skin and quarter ours in the field, then pack them out, cool them for a couple days, then process. 

I suppose it's a personal preference, but to me, hanging a deer makes it taste nasty. That "gamey" taste people talk about. People say hanging them for x-amount of time "cures" the meat. To me "cure" = rotting meat. *barf* You dont cure wild game like you would beef. It's just different.


----------



## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

doc623 said:


> To Tarbe:
> "Some bacterial growth is ok (after all, this is one method of tenderizing meat) . . . "
> How so? Please explain.


I probably should have qualified that...

Ok for those who practice it and have the stomach for it...ie my old friends in southeast Asia who let meat practically rot before they eat it.

Not for the westerner...the primary gist of my comments apply to 99% of us....keep your meat clean, dry and cool (under 40F).


Tim


----------



## jross (Sep 3, 2006)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Deer fat has a waxy quality like tallow, and really doesn't taste very good.
> It leaves a nasty coating in your mouth
> 
> It's not "marbled" through the meat like beef, but all on the outside.
> ...


In the old days they made candles out of deer tallow. Try getting it off your teeth.


----------



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Of course all this info is only good if I can actually FIND the deer. 

Have spent the last three days in the WMA without a sight or sound of them. 

Saw lots of turkeys but its not turkey season is it? No, its deer season, so of course I see lots and lots of turkeys ound:


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Saw lots of turkeys but its not turkey season is it? No, its deer season, so of course I see lots and lots of turkeys


I used to go deer hunting and I'd see nothing but squirrels.
Then I'd go back with a 22 and see nothing but deer.

I started carrying a 22 AND a deer gun, and I'd see NOTHING at all LOL


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Bearfootfarm said:


> I used to go deer hunting and I'd see nothing but squirrels.
> Then I'd go back with a 22 and see nothing but deer.
> 
> I started carrying a 22 AND a deer gun, and I'd see NOTHING at all LOL


I never had that problem. Use a .222 and can slip in a converter to shoot .22 LR. Often got strange looks from other deer hunters when they'd see me carrying a few squirrels!

Martin


----------



## Wis Bang 2 (Jan 12, 2010)

I hunt in PA and they close small game during rifle deer season...there is a week of muzzleloader doe hunting in October when Grouse & Squirrel is open but they have caliber restrictions that keep you from shooting tree rats w/ a smokepole...


----------



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Bleed immediately, hang, get the skin off right then and totally clean the inside, everything. Cool, quicker the better. I do it the same as goat. Remove all tendon and sinew. I process the next day. I have let them hang, if cold no ill effect....James


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

what to do with the heart , a freinds mom used to make the best deer heart and gravy , we would eat it over toast or mashed potatoes


----------



## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

Don't leave it hang with the skin off. It will dry the meat out and that toughens it.


----------



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> what to do with the heart , a freinds mom used to make the best deer heart and gravy , we would eat it over toast or mashed potatoes


Yummmmmm! Any chance of the recipe?


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

GBov said:


> Yummmmmm! Any chance of the recipe?



i wish i had it , i know she cleaned them out then diced them small i think that they then were fried with diced onions then i belive she used water to bring the juices to a broth then make a gravy with a bit of flour 


what i don't know was if any bulion or any thing was used 

i havn't talked with him in a few years we used to go to school and work togetther and he took a different job several years ago. then he moved i moved ect...


----------



## Wis Bang 2 (Jan 12, 2010)

My pappy always cooked the heart the same day the deer was shot. He would remove the outer casing and slice it in thin slices and fry w/ onions & butter in a cast iron pan...

He always got mad at my father who had this bad habit of exploding deer hearts...


----------



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> i wish i had it , i know she cleaned them out then diced them small i think that they then were fried with diced onions then i belive she used water to bring the juices to a broth then make a gravy with a bit of flour
> 
> 
> what i don't know was if any bulion or any thing was used
> ...


Wish I had some deer hearts to experiment with but no joy so far. Cant seem to find lambs or cows or pigs hearts for sale down here. Pity, I like heart meat, its nice and strong. Makes a great soup! Or cooked and diced and mixed in with stuffing.


----------



## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

remove as much of the silvery lining and fat as you can...it is downright bad, and will taint your meat. As far as field dressing...I do it on the spot. I only have to drag my deer a short distance and most of the time it has been through a grassy meadow, but I have a package of "netting" that you can get at Gander Mtn. or Dicks. It is designed to keep flies off the meat, assuming it might be a while before you have it processed, or the temps get too high. I field dress immed. cause I don't want any bacteria having a chance to start growing in the gut. Heart? It's the best part...I slice thin, and sautee it in a medium/hot skillet (on both sides). Sautee some onions. Toss all of it in a 350* oven, for 20-30 minutes.


----------



## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

GBov said:


> Am going deer (almost said Dear hunting but hubby gets to live a little longer  )


When the topic of deer (0r dEar) hunting comes up, to clarify the 'adventure', it's asked if one is going 4 legged deer hunting, or 2 legged dear hunting. 

As for some other details that might have already been brought up:
-regarding the liver and heart. The heart, especially, I find are nicely edible with some good easy recipes. Personally, I just cook up the liver for the dogs. If using the kidney, not really recommended, as is also not to eat brain or spinal tissue. This is just recent precautions against picking up or transferring some of the uncommonly discovered prions or wasting disease.

-rid the animal of the tough silver covering over the meat. Fat is quite nasty tasting in a big buck, but not so bad in an agricultural area feeding doe.

-If given the chance, and you can shoot does, go for it. The meat is better.
Though, targetting a younger buck is better for freezer camp than an experienced buck. I think that too many trophy bucks are targetted already, that might deplete the gene pool for future deer stock. As meat hunters will say "you can't eat the horns" !


----------



## chuckhole (Mar 2, 2006)

Excellent posts and comments. Good luck to you.

I hope you find it as exciting as I have. This is my second year of hunting. I got a really nice compound bow from the DW for my 50th birthday. I got one doe last year and my limit of two doe this year. If I see a good management cull buck, I will take one but other than that I am probably done.

Everybody has assumed you are using a rifle but if you throw sticks at them like I do, then the place to get them is a little different. I made the mistake of trying for the best shot placement with a rifle instead of an arrow. Finally, a long time bow hunter told me to go for about the 4th-6th rib back and up just a little bit. The heart is lower and just behind the front leg. This is a really tough shot for a bow hunter but the double-lung shot is a sure dropper with a good blood trail to track.

I did not know that the fat was so bad tasting. I cut it out because the wild game butchering book I read said that the fat goes bad very quickly even after cooking and freezing. So there is another reason not to try to use the deer fat.


----------

