2022-2023 Hunting Thread

[fattyflattie 4636]

14 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

I am taking my first run at butchering/processing whatever deer I bag this year.  Have field dressed and quarted previously (and removed backstraps) but never taken it all the way through the process.  Not looking for anything fancy as an end product, just some sausage, jerky, steaks, and I guess stew/burger meat.  As a noob, I am looking for any of the basic tips or tools/etc. that will help make this a success.  I know there are a lot of off the shelf options when it comes to jerky/sausage kits etc., but I am hoping to tap into the collective culinary knowledge of surly's greatest wild game bouchers/bouchère.

Wish I could help but I've never taken the full plunge.  I DO bone, cube, and bag everything for the processor so I can lose as much silver meat and tendons as possible.  I do mostly sausage/dry sausage, and you could tell the difference in quality immediately.  But I trust Bellville's ability to make a better final product than I could. 

[Anastasis 23392]

On 11/10/2022 at 9:44 AM, hookemATL said:

I am taking my first run at butchering/processing whatever deer I bag this year.  Have field dressed and quarted previously (and removed backstraps) but never taken it all the way through the process.  Not looking for anything fancy as an end product, just some sausage, jerky, steaks, and I guess stew/burger meat.  As a noob, I am looking for any of the basic tips or tools/etc. that will help make this a success.  I know there are a lot of off the shelf options when it comes to jerky/sausage kits etc., but I am hoping to tap into the collective culinary knowledge of surly's greatest wild game bouchers/bouchère.

Absolutely do it. I usually take one to the processor and do the rest myself. I have a few different butchery books, but I find myself using this one when I need a reference during processing or just need a refresh. Lots of pictures, spiral bound. 
 

https://www.amazon.com/Gut-Cut-Cook-Processing-Preparing/

Keep your knives sharp and wear one of those cut gloves. Keep all the shanks. Don’t bother trying to trim them out. Save them for stews and soups. Use the shoulder and hindquarter bones to make a bunch of stock for chili and soups. Back straps for steaks, shoulder and trimming for grind, hinds for thin steaks for chicken fry, roasts and jerky. Borrow a good grinder from someone the first time or do a group processing with someone that has one, and if it is something you are going to get into buy a good grinder from LEM or similar grade. Then a foot pedal and a sausage stuffer then a meat mixer. And a dehydrator and some pink salt. LEM also sells the high temp cheese if you are into that kinda thing in your sausage, and seasonings, casings, etc., but you can probably find them cheaper elsewhere.

 

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Anastasis
double posted, merged because this site is run by an aggie.

[hookemATL 11604]

Fuck yea thanks a million. Excited to take the plunge. 

[Anastasis 23392]

Speaking of skinning deer, has anyone ever used an air compressor to balloon off the skin? I’ve seen it done with lamb and figure that it would work just fine for a deer as well except you have to work around the bullet hole. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11805]

8 hours ago, Anastasis said:

Speaking of skinning deer, has anyone ever used an air compressor to balloon off the skin? I’ve seen it done with lamb and figure that it would work just fine for a deer as well except you have to work around the bullet hole. 

Looks interesting.

 

[USCATX 1067]

That looks like a lot of work with the air compressor.  In 5 minutes I’d have the skin off and pulled down past the neck.  If you skin while it’s slightly warm still it’s even easier.

I did cut a standing rib roast two seasons ago and might do another this year.  It’s really not that hard with a sawzall and I enjoy doing venison up special.   

[deadshank 24651]

40 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Looks interesting.

 

Mofo need to stop clowning around and just skin his deer.  Looks to take just as long as the regular old way.  
 

 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Yeah, and there was a good bit of meat that came off with he skin as well.

[williemackgarza 1826]

Headed up to the texas panhandle tomorrow. Lookin at a god 10-12 days of hunting. Gomna hit the great weather. FINALLY!!

[Anastasis 23392]

1 hour ago, USCATX said:

That looks like a lot of work with the air compressor.  In 5 minutes I’d have the skin off and pulled down past the neck.  If you skin while it’s slightly warm still it’s even easier.

I did cut a standing rib roast two seasons ago and might do another this year.  It’s really not that hard with a sawzall and I enjoy doing venison up special.   

 

 

Hell yes.  That one looks very well butchered. I double cut the chops, sous vide, and sear typically with a coffee chili rub.  Have never tried using it as a straight up roast.

For posters that might not make it over to the food board, there is a game thread there.

 

[MalibuSheriff 1088]

11 hours ago, Anastasis said:

Speaking of skinning deer, has anyone ever used an air compressor to balloon off the skin? I’ve seen it done with lamb and figure that it would work just fine for a deer as well except you have to work around the bullet hole. 

If you’ve got something strong and substantial to hang your deer from, you can pull the skin off with a jeep or four wheeler by tying a rope and gently reversing away from deer.  You’ve got to have a strong enough support that there isn’t much give and as already mentioned, it always easier if deer isn’t cold.

First, with deer hanging from strong support - cut the skin around the neck and pull down enough to put a rock behind the skin - something big enough to get a rope behind/around and tied off.  Tie the other rope end to the bumper of truck, jeep, four wheeler and reverse slowly and ease away from deer carcass with deer pulling away at roughly 45 degree angle.  If you’ve got a buddy there, have him help the skin off with a skinning knife as the hide is peeling off (again, slow and easy).

The above probably sounds complicated and possibly unsafe but if done gently, you can have a deer skinned in a few minutes with virtually no effort.  I’ve skinned dozens upon dozens of deer this way over the years with no mishaps aside from knot coming loose from the deer that required repeating the process.

Slow and easy like a Don Williams song…

Edited November 11, 2022 by MalibuSheriff

[hornmpa96 2598]

Only word of caution on the golf ball method of skinning - it works great for a buck with a big strong neck but not so great on a thin necked doe.

[noharleyyet 2837]

Took the gussied up Marlin Big Loop out for hogs last weekend. Bastages stood me up...

 

[Reagan1k 3016]

Decades worth of trial and error on skinning 100's of deer in numerous ways under various weather conditions and fresh dead vs. hung has led me to this conclusion.......

Unless you have a permanent set-up at the ready and dedicated to either air or wench methods, it's far quicker, easier, and safer to just skin the SOB with a good knife rather than to dick around with all the shortcuts. 

Just like driving somewhere.....point A to point B - don't get delayed on the side roads looking for a faster way.

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

23 hours ago, hookemATL said:

I am taking my first run at butchering/processing whatever deer I bag this year.  Have field dressed and quarted previously (and removed backstraps) but never taken it all the way through the process.  Not looking for anything fancy as an end product, just some sausage, jerky, steaks, and I guess stew/burger meat.  As a noob, I am looking for any of the basic tips or tools/etc. that will help make this a success.  I know there are a lot of off the shelf options when it comes to jerky/sausage kits etc., but I am hoping to tap into the collective culinary knowledge of surly's greatest wild game bouchers/bouchère.

@Anastasis put together a really nice summary.  This hits close to home as we just did over 300 lb of whitetail, axis and elk sausages this weekend (and still have some elk left over).  A few tips that I've learned over the years in addition to what @Anastasis noted.

-Get a group of people.  Kind of like making tamales, it's a lot more fun when you turn it into a social event.  If you're doing it solo, keep it manageable.  300 lb between my wife and I sucked and took all day Saturday, all day Sunday, and most of the evenings Monday and Tuesday to get everything packaged and vacuum sealed.

-Buy the good shit.  Spend as much as you can on the grinder.  Get lots of lug tubs.  You'll need more than you think.  

-Be diligent with trimming silverskin, removing tendons, etc.  IMO, it makes a huge difference on the quality of the sausage.  So much better when you don't have a big chunk of gristle or a wad of silverskin ruining a bite.  I think I'm going to buy one of these before next year.

https://www.lemproducts.com/product/silverskin-knife-kit/meat-slicers

-Keep everything VERY cold.  It's safer and the meat grinds so much better when it's almost frozen.  Clean your grinder parts between grinds, dry it and throw it in the freezer.  The friction will heat it up quickly, and when the fat gets warm it will start to gum up the grinder blade.

-Add ice water when you stuff into casings.  We do one cup per 5 lb and that seems to be about right.  It'll make it slide through the casing much easier.  

-Try different seasonings to dial in the flavor.  Keep a skillet nearby and make a little patty to try before you call it done.  We tweaked damn near every run in some form or fashion.  More salt here.  More pepper, there.  

-Vary the sausage you make.  This year we did pan, Italian, Greek and chorizo (pic below).  We'll do boudain, andouille, regular smoked and jalapeno cheddar smoked later this winter.  We did nothing but smoked sausage at first, and got tired of it after a while.  We bought half a steer as well this summer, so we're set for at least a year on hamburger and sausage.  We won't have to buy a single link of sausage or a single pound of ground.  It's nice to get some variety out of the same meat.

-Make sure you have a system set up to hang the links.  Cold smoking is awesome, but if you do the other varieties, you need to have a rack to hang them cold so the casings can dry out some.  We use our garage beer fridge and I rigged up some S-hooks to hang them in there.  

 

  

[BabaYaga 15208]

11 hours ago, MalibuSheriff said:

If you’ve got something strong and substantial to hang your deer from, you can pull the skin off with a jeep or four wheeler by tying a rope and gently reversing away from deer.  You’ve got to have a strong enough support that there isn’t much give and as already mentioned, it always easier if deer isn’t cold.

First, with deer hanging from strong support - cut the skin around the neck and pull down enough to put a rock behind the skin - something big enough to get a rope behind/around and tied off.  Tie the other rope end to the bumper of truck, jeep, four wheeler and reverse slowly and ease away from deer carcass with deer pulling away at roughly 45 degree angle.  If you’ve got a buddy there, have him help the skin off with a skinning knife as the hide is peeling off (again, slow and easy).

The above probably sounds complicated and possibly unsafe but if done gently, you can have a deer skinned in a few minutes with virtually no effort.  I’ve skinned dozens upon dozens of deer this way over the years with no mishaps aside from knot coming loose from the deer that required repeating the process.

Slow and easy like a Don Williams song…

We've done that with a jeep winch mounted on a steel frame.  Make a cut in the skin, wrap it in a tennis or racket ball, secure with zip-ties, and slowly peel it off with someone with a sharp knife helping.

Or just do it the old fashioned way.....;)

[BabaYaga 15208]

And for those of us with growing little hunter carbon-copies. 

HEY.  YOU.  See that deer taking a dirt nap?  See them' knives.  Get at it.

[fattyflattie 4636]

3 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

Be diligent with trimming silverskin, removing tendons, etc.  IMO, it makes a huge difference on the quality of the sausage. 

QFMFT.  Our quality went way up when I started boning, trimming, and cubing it all before I take it in.  It takes time, but, I like drinking beer alone in the garage/kitchen. 

[hookemATL 11604]

Thanks again for all the contributions. One other side question:  if I get everything deboned and cubed/etc, how long is too long to wait to get the meat turned into sausage/etc?  Roasts/back straps/larger full pieces I assume I can freeze as long as they are packaged properly (butcher/Saran or vacuum?), but should the sausage/jerky/burger makings stay unfrozen and processed quickly ish?  Trying to schedule a processing party and want to know what kind of runway I have. 

[Reagan1k 3016]

1 hour ago, hookemATL said:

Thanks again for all the contributions. One other side question:  if I get everything deboned and cubed/etc, how long is too long to wait to get the meat turned into sausage/etc?  Roasts/back straps/larger full pieces I assume I can freeze as long as they are packaged properly (butcher/Saran or vacuum?), but should the sausage/jerky/burger makings stay unfrozen and processed quickly ish?  Trying to schedule a processing party and want to know what kind of runway I have. 

Cold and dry (not submerged in water), you can keep well prepared meat a LONG time.  In fact, it probably enhances most if not all cuts and the final product.

[Spaulding Smails 1551]

1 hour ago, hookemATL said:

Thanks again for all the contributions. One other side question:  if I get everything deboned and cubed/etc, how long is too long to wait to get the meat turned into sausage/etc?  Roasts/back straps/larger full pieces I assume I can freeze as long as they are packaged properly (butcher/Saran or vacuum?), but should the sausage/jerky/burger makings stay unfrozen and processed quickly ish?  Trying to schedule a processing party and want to know what kind of runway I have. 

I usually skin and hang my meat for 3-5 days.  We're fortunate that we have a walk-in at the ranch.  After deboning, I vacuum seal everything in the 15"x18" bags and throw it in the freezer.  The WT was from last January, Axis was from April and Elk was from October.  All the meat was great.  No freezer burn.  I pull everything out and let it get just barely thawed before we start cutting the muscles apart, removing silverskin and cubing.  And, I make sure it stays super cold throughout the whole process.

Like @Reagan1k said, I think you can leave it for a pretty good chunk of time if kept cold and dry.  So, if you shoot a deer and you're going to process two weekends later, I think you're good.  I'd freeze it in vacuum seal bags if you're going to wait any longer than that.  

[Reagan1k 3016]

7 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

I pull everything out and let it get just barely thawed before we start cutting the muscles apart, removing silverskin and cubing.  And, I make sure it stays super cold throughout the whole process.

That's a pro-tip.  Easier to work with and you can be more precise with your trimming and separation when the meat is in this state.  Even if the meat hasn't been frozen before, popping it into a freezer for a period of time to firm before you trim / separate is a helpful practice.

[Kennythetiger 9334]

11 hours ago, noharleyyet said:

Took the gussied up Marlin Big Loop out for hogs last weekend. Bastages stood me up...

 

 

[Revolution512 1480]

On 11/8/2022 at 2:49 PM, Brisketexan said:

Thanks for the recs.  I shot a small doe, and still have meat from last year in the freezer, so I'm just getting some sausage and snack sticks made, went to Hudson's over lunch.  I'll see how it turns out.  Good to know there are some options out there now, though.  Hell, I drive by the one in Liberty Hill on my way back from hunting -- would be an easy drop off, and not a bad pickup.

I’m not a huge fan of their sausage but it’s definitely not bad. Their chop steaks and snack sticks are legit.

[686 3404]

Had a little twister go through my folk’s Lampasas place this morning, lots of small hail as well. Several big trees down close to the house, one tower blind destroyed, and the roof peeled back on a second tower. No damage to the house or barn we’ve seen yet. Lightning blew up a power pole at the road and we didn’t have power for about 8 hours. Back to normal now, but lots of clean up once the mud dries up.











Last weekend after my oldest shot her doe I got my food plots planted, and we’ve gotten about 2” of rain this week which was great.

Saw a nice 10 point this evening running a doe while we were driving around in the mule checking feeders and blinds. Almost talked myself into pulling the trigger on him. Would probably have been the highest scoring buck we’ve shot on this place. Cell phone pic from -150 yards:

[hookemATL 11604]

Glad everyone is safe and the house and main structures are ok. That’s is some storm to do that kind of damage. 
 

oh and nice deer🤘

[686 3404]

Thanks. 67mph peak wind on our weather station

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2724]

Cold and rainy in Mt Vernon.
Less than ideal.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

My three year old has been talking about deer all week. The wife asked him earlier in the week what he wanted to eat for dinner, and he said "cone." She didn't get what he was saying and asked him a couple more times. Then she looked in the rear view mirror and he said "cone" again, but with his hands up next to his head with his fingers out. Little dude wanted to eat deer corn for dinner because he has been coming with me to fill and check the feeders and looking at the pictures from my game camera. So tonight we went to the inlaws place because we were in town and I took him to go sit in the blind with me to go "hunting," figuring he'd make all kinds of noise and it would just be a chance for us to spend some time together. He was quiet the whole time and did better than anybody could ask a 3 year old to be. Nothing came out for us to see or anything, but I couldn't have asked for a better experience with him.

One of my earliest memories was standing in the back of my grandfather's truck out in the pasture and watching him shoot what was probably a huge buck for East Texas at the time, so him doing so well going hunting with me is one of those memories I'll cherish and hope he does as well.

[Speedtrucker 2063]

Took 4 good sized doe opening weekend. Still about 16 big ones roaming around without pressure from the bucks.

None were skittish

[RMac5 1550]

12 hours ago, 686 said:

Had a little twister go through my folk’s Lampasas place this morning, lots of small hail as well. Several big trees down close to the house, one tower blind destroyed, and the roof peeled back on a second tower. No damage to the house or barn we’ve seen yet. Lightning blew up a power pole at the road and we didn’t have power for about 8 hours. Back to normal now, but lots of clean up once the mud dries up.











Last weekend after my oldest shot her doe I got my food plots planted, and we’ve gotten about 2” of rain this week which was great.

Saw a nice 10 point this evening running a doe while we were driving around in the mule checking feeders and blinds. Almost talked myself into pulling the trigger on him. Would probably have been the highest scoring buck we’ve shot on this place. Cell phone pic from -150 yards:

Our place is just up the road in Mills county, hope my pop up withstood that storm. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4968]

Was out this evening crossing an oil road, and paused to watch this guy go by...

He was about 250 yards out according to the google earth's. I had my flintlock handy, so the shot wasn't going to happen.

For this property in East Texas, that's pretty much a monster.

[Brisketexan 104553]

In front of my house right now:

[CycleTex87 2953]

Odd. Wonder if something is wrong?

[Brisketexan 104553]

Odd. Wonder if something is wrong?

Yes. That something is “I didn’t see him on the ranch last weekend.”
They actually nap on the island by our house all the time. Usually not a big boy like that.

[hookemATL 11604]

He is challenging you brisket. It’s imperative that you piss all over yourself/yard and go call him a bitch. 

[Kennythetiger 9334]

11 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

In front of my house right now:

He’s clearly seen you shoot. 

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

This guy fucked around and found out. He was stalking a doe at my feeder behind the house and I was able to get down from the house in time. Scared the shit out of the doe as she did about six or seven bounces straight up in the air like a damn bucking bronco.

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

Good grief another one tonight. Was watching a herd of doe on the south end of my hay field and they started acting funny. Turned back to my right and on the north end was a dingo sniffing around the blood where I popped that one this morning. Click bang pow. Dingo #2 down. Fucking aggravating because I had a big fella sniffing around the doe that is at least a 10 and this would have been my first good look at him in person

Edited November 14, 2022 by Herbie Hancock

[686 3404]

Sat in the blind with my oldest yesterday morning, she took a shot at a doe but missed. Sophomore slump maybe. She’d been on the rifle for a solid 10-15 minutes waiting for this doe to clear the brush/barbed wire so I know some fatigue was a factor.

Went and bought some trees to plant where we lost some of the big cedars. We have oak wilt and the best tree I’ve found that will survive without supplemental water on our place (other than live oak) is cedar elm. Definitely not as attractive as live oak, but it will get us down the road 30 years and then maybe there will be a live oak cultivar immune to oak wilt and my grandkids can re-forest more of the place with them. A good nursery had some big elms, got one installed yesterday and two today. Blew the shaft seal in the auger drive right as I was finishing the third hole, I’m sure that will be expensive.




Have any of you east Texas guys tried Dunstan Chestnut trees? I have a low area that has deeper soil and pretty consistent moisture where I’m tempted to try some.

http:// https://chestnuthilloutdoors.com/learning-center/dunstan-chestnut/


Got to watch some deer as I was finishing up which was nice. Saw a 3 yr old 8 point and a bunch of does. My dad said he saw the big 10 up by the house this morning, hopefully I can get a closer look at him next weekend. Had an epic sunset tonight.

[hookemATL 11604]

Agreed🤘

[JCHIL 414]

Nice weekend to hunt with the cooler temps! The rut seems to have kicked in pretty good in our neck of the woods. (Hill County). My buddy shot this 10 point literally right after he pulled into our front gate on Saturday at 12 noon!  I passed on several beautiful young 8 pointers that need another year or 2.  I’m looking for a few 10’s we have on game cams, especially the one rubbing right behind one of our blinds- cocky sob.  I really enjoyed hearing all the sandhill cranes constantly streaming overhead all weekend riding the north breeze south and yes those sunrises and sunsets were great. 

[fattyflattie 4636]

That's a great looking deer @JCHIL  My first "big" buck was nearly identical to that one.  

[MalibuSheriff 1088]

On 11/12/2022 at 7:12 PM, Brisketexan said:

Yes. That something is “I didn’t see him on the ranch last weekend.”
They actually nap on the island by our house all the time. Usually not a big boy like that.

This monster 8  point used to lounge around our hood a few years ago.  I’d be 4-1/2 hours away in Shackelford County, freezing my ass off in a stand and my wife would text me photos of this deer lying around the yard and “you should have stayed home”.

 

[williemackgarza 1826]

28 and windy today. Pic from after a light snow and icy rain came thru. Deer were locked bedded down. Tomorrow should be good

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

Something incredibly odd is happening and idk wtf the explanation is.

I’ve watched one very good looking but very young 10 point that’s obviously been fighting by the condition of his rack, and two doe all in the last 20 minutes limping around with leg injuries. I can’t recall ever seeing more than one injured deer every couple seasons, and I’ve seen 3 in less than a half hour.

[DalTxHornFan 3085]

12 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Something incredibly odd is happening and idk wtf the explanation is.

I’ve watched one very good looking but very young 10 point that’s obviously been fighting by the condition of his rack, and two doe all in the last 20 minutes limping around with leg injuries. I can’t recall ever seeing more than one injured deer every couple seasons, and I’ve seen 3 in less than a half hour.

Coyotes need to eat, too.

[hookemATL 11604]

23 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Something incredibly odd is happening and idk wtf the explanation is.

I’ve watched one very good looking but very young 10 point that’s obviously been fighting by the condition of his rack, and two doe all in the last 20 minutes limping around with leg injuries. I can’t recall ever seeing more than one injured deer every couple seasons, and I’ve seen 3 in less than a half hour.

My take is that they are using the injury to opt out for the rest of the season. Will probably portal to a different lease next year after getting healthy in the off-season. 

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

My take is that they are using the injury to opt out for the rest of the season. Will probably portal to a different lease next year after getting healthy in the off-season. 

Goddamn you. This hits too close to home to be funny. But I laughed. Damn you

[Herbie Hancock 7303]

Coyotes need to eat, too.

I would agree but we don’t have much of a coyote problem and I took two of them out Sunday morning (see up thread a few posts). I rarely hear them and usually only see 1-2 a year and it’s usually after I pull through the gate late at night/early AM. I mean it’s not as if the artificial turf on the playing field is to blame, so I don’t have a better explanation than you do about it being ‘yotes. It’s just….unusual?