I made this video a few years about a quick and tidy way that I use to butcher deer.
I personally use it for roadkill deer that I find near where we live.
I’ve also used it for deer I’ve gotten hunting.
The main thing is this method doesn’t involve gutting the deer. So you would be bringing it back to camp “heavy.” Or you could process it in the field if you can leave a carcass.
Note: I can fully bone out a deer and have it labeled and in baggies in the freezer in a half hour using this method.
If I’m just salvaging backstraps from a roadkill, it’s only like 3 minutes. I can get basically all the choice meat off a deer — straps, tenders and both hind legs in 20 minutes. Add the heck and shoulders for a few minutes more.
I just use a pocket knife.
In this video I’m not fully boning out the deer. And I didn’t know how to get the tenderloins at that time. They’re a nifty trick! It says how in the video comments, but you cut up under the short-ribs and you can feel the tenders and remove them from the INSIDE of the lower spine basically with just your fingers in a few seconds. A couple little cuts at the ends will free them up. It’s amazing that you can go INSIDE the deer still without breaking the gut-sack.
A word about roadkill: get them fresh. Warm. Loose. And with minor impact and to the front end. It’s possible that a side impact has spared the OTHER whole side. Don’t butcher one that has its back broken or damaged. I prefer them to have a little clunk on the nose, basically. It’s best to do this in cool weather. But even in warm weather if you get the meat out within an hour of impact you’ll be fine. I sometimes am putting the bagged meat into the freezer while it’s still warm. From being alive. Yikes!
A big positive about this method is it doesn’t smell bad, really. It even smells good. You get the actual smell of meat. After doing it awhile raw meat started smelling good to me. Like sushi. …It’s because this method has nothing to do with guts or bowels.
Funny, it has resulted in me being in NPR twice and getting into a travel mag.
Well, check it out…
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=poacher%27s+cut+roadkill
