# Amount of deer meat



## D. R.Hodge

I have been calculating the amount of edible venison based on the weight of the beast. From a web site, the weight is based on measuring around the animal with a steel tape for an accurate number and compare that result to a table which indicates the live weight, field dressed weight, and edible meat weight. I don't know how accurate the table is. When I get venison back from a processor, the weight is about 25% of the live weight. For example if the live weight based on the table was 160#, the weight of edible meat was 40# Does that seem realistic?


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## Shad Rap

D. R.Hodge said:


> I have been calculating the amount of edible venison based on the weight of the beast. From a web site, the weight is based on measuring around the animal with a steel tape for an accurate number and compare that result to a table which indicates the live weight, field dressed weight, and edible meat weight. I don't know how accurate the table is. When I get venison back from a processor, the weight is about 25% of the live weight. For example if the live weight based on the table was 160#, the weight of edible meat was 40# Does that seem realistic?


Yep...that's an accurate assessment.


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## slimdaddy45

Yep Id say so not that much meat on a deer


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## ironman172

Sounds right to me

Not cheap per lb if you pay for everything , why I do it myself, plus know where it's been from shot placement to table


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## privateer

ironman172 said:


> Sounds right to me
> 
> Not cheap per lb if you pay for everything , why I do it myself, plus know where it's been from shot placement to table


this is why arrow killed deer will produce more meat than a rifle kill. there is always the chance of significant meat damage with a bullet compared to an arrow...


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## Harry1959

I think you should get significantly more than 25 % of body weight, provided it’s a good double lung shot with an arrow or lead.... as long as you don’t shoot up your meat. I’d say more like 40-50% of field dressed weight with a single double lung shot.


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## bobk

privateer said:


> this is why arrow killed deer will produce more meat than a rifle kill. there is always the chance of significant meat damage with a bullet compared to an arrow...


Double lung shot whether a bullet or an arrow produces the same damage of meat. Basically no damage.


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## M.Magis

25-30% of boneless meat is standard yield. Even cattle where a lot more bone is kept don’t yield close to 50%.


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## Flathead76

If you cut off the bone and pitch all the blue skin and fat on a gutted deer 35-37 percent. This is provided if there is not major shot damage.


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## privateer

bobk said:


> Double lung shot whether a bullet or an arrow produces the same damage of meat. Basically no damage.


you are right.... i have only achieved once with rifle. few times with arrow as you wait for that shot placement opportunity with arrows.


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## crappiedude

I would think useable meet is probably pretty close to 25-30% of the live weight on a deer.


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## Junebug2320

This is from a buddy. This year:

final meat numbers 17# steak,loin,roast, 37.5# ground. 170 # deer yields 54.5# total . 32%. 


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## MagicMarker

Shoot two deer. Problem solved


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## Shad Rap

Harry1959 said:


> I think you should get significantly more than 25 % of body weight, provided it’s a good double lung shot with an arrow or lead.... as long as you don’t shoot up your meat. I’d say more like 40-50% of field dressed weight with a single double lung shot.


No way.


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## Popspastime

25% - 30% if you bone and use everything. unless you shoot it somewhere else then the chest, then more deduct.


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## Harry1959

I can believe 35-40 % of field dressed weight, no way it’s 25-30...... and if your trying to use live weight......I’d like to see how you weigh your live deer....if you are estimating live weight, I’m thinking the deer isn’t as heavy as you think, or maybe your butcher is skimming of the top


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## crappiedude

I doubt you'd ever see much over 30%, maybe a little.
Look at the weight of the guts, the bones, the head, the feet and the hide. Besides the loins running down the sdes, most of the meet on a deer is on the rump and hind quarters.


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## buckeyebowman

Harry1959 said:


> I can believe 35-40 % of field dressed weight, no way it’s 25-30...... and if your trying to use live weight......I’d like to see how you weigh your live deer....if you are estimating live weight, I’m thinking the deer isn’t as heavy as you think, or maybe your butcher is skimming of the top


Well, the OP never mentioned live weight, so it would be interesting to know what the article he read said about that. My buddy couldn't afford to pay to process the last buck he got. He wasn't working, which is why he had the time to hunt. It was a goofy rack spike with the left side 4" and the right about 12"! But who knows how old that buck really was, because he was just huge, bodywise! He about killed the both of us dragging him out!

We hung him in the barn and decided to process him ourselves. The temps were good for it, and we went on the internet to try and learn a thing or two. The first thing I learned firsthand was just how heavy a deer hide is! Good Lord! No wonder they can stay warm through the Winter! Then consider that everything from the hocks and knees down is waste, the head is waste, and all the bone is waste. I can believe that it's only around 30% of field dressed weight. 

And as far as live weight goes, I once helped a buddy pick up a road kill that he had smacked. It was an ungodly huge 12 point. We were both very young and very strong back them, and it was all we could do to get that thing in the bed of my pickup! We took it back to my place, where I turned on the back yard lights so we could see to gut it! I didn't want a pile of deer guts laying in my yard, so we put them in a garbage bag. That bag had to weigh around 60 lbs! That included liver and heart. Yeah! We were stupid back then!


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## Muddy

Harry1959 said:


> I can believe 35-40 % of field dressed weight, no way it’s 25-30...... and if your trying to use live weight......I’d like to see how you weigh your live deer....if you are estimating live weight, I’m thinking the deer isn’t as heavy as you think, or maybe your butcher is skimming of the top


I weigh a lot of my deer before gutting on a scale. I’ve found that many people over estimate the live weight of their deer.


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## Harry1959

buckeyebowman said:


> Well, the OP never mentioned live weight, so it would be interesting to know what the article he read said about that
> 
> 
> You might want to reread the OP, he said he is getting back about 25% of the live weight


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## fastwater

Have always figured hanging weight of a deer about the same as a cow when estimating all boned meat. Assuming very little ...to no meat wasted from shot placement.
About 1/3 of total weight equals boned meat
About 2/3 of total weight equals head,hide,guts,bones
Of course, this includes taking your time picking the carcass clean including neck, rib and hock meat. Which most commercial processors don't take the time to do.


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## pawcat

2 Deer leaves my freezer half empty!...


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## M.Magis

I’ve weighed a lot of deer, as well as finished meat. 25-30% is it.


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## crappiedude

Muddy said:


> I weigh a lot of my deer before gutting on a scale. I’ve found that many people over estimate the live weight of their deer.


Live weight varies greatly depending on numerous variables almost too many to list.
Live weight goes up if you have to drag the deer vs using a quad.
It goes down if you drag your deer out downhill (note this is very rare)
If you drag your deer uphill the weight goes up and can vary depending on the length and degree on incline.
Another factor to consider is your age. As you get older gravity is stronger and weights increase each year you age. I'm 68 and 50# is the same as 100# in my 30's.
The length of your drag increase weight of a deer too.
It's just not an easy task to get an actual weight of a deer.


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## Muddy

Yea, I hear you. The hanging scale is always consistent though.


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## bobk

I butcher my own deer and usually get about 20% of meat. I won’t eat the front legs. Too much silver skin, sinew and connective tissue.


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## Muddy

bobk said:


> I butcher my own deer and usually get about 20% of meat. I won’t eat the front legs. Too much silver skin, sinew and connective tissue.


Try this. Cut the front legs off whole. Cut the lower portion of the leg off at the joint. Leave any fat on the leg. Season the leg(rub A-1 sauce on it if you like A-1) and wrap in heavy duty foil. Cook in the oven at 325 for 3-4 hours depending on the size of the leg until the meat is falling off the bone. The meat comes out fork tender and delicious. It’s by far the best and easiest way that I’ve found to utilize front shoulders.


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## Shad Rap

crappiedude said:


> Live weight varies greatly depending on numerous variables almost too may to list.
> Live weight goes up if you have to drag the deer vs using a quad.
> It goes down if you drag your deer out downhill (note this is very rare)
> If you drag your deer uphill the weight goes up and can vary depending on the length and degree on incline.
> Another factor to consider is you age. As you get older gravity is stronger and weights increase each year you age. I'm 68 and 50# is the same as 100# in my 30's.
> The length of your drag increase weight of a deer too.
> It's just not an easy task to get an actual weight of a deer.


It is if you're weighing it, which quite a few people do...


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## Hatchetman

Have a friend that used to cut deer as a money maker for his trips and was a butcher by trade. Every year he would get into arguments with customers that wanted to know why he stole their deer meat. Guy brings in a average buck dressed out at around 130 lbs and expects 100 lbs of meat. A couple guys he refused to cut there deer because of that. If you get 30% out of a deer you did good....


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## ironman172

bobk said:


> I butcher my own deer and usually get about 20% of meat. I won’t eat the front legs. Too much silver skin, sinew and connective tissue.


Ruined a meat grinder from the calf tendons, but WILL trim for the dog added some to his food.... a friend will can the calf meat.... all the meat for the grind now is added dog food(he loves the tiny morsels) , as I don't grind much if any.... just to much trouble..... most that isn't grilled is made in jerky.....
I've been doing my own from the first one I ever shot, and didn't like the bone fragments from the band saw they used at the processors..... that was over 40 years ago dating my bride.... debone , now freeze whole muscles with all the silver skin on (helps eliminate freezer burn) trim on the thawl
You can always cut to steak,tips,or grind, .... but can never put back to roasts..... just my way I've learned over the years..... even vacuum sealing you'll get a little freezer burn in time


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## crappiedude

Shad Rap said:


> It is if you're weighing it, which quite a few people do...


Of course you do know I was just kidding.
Anyone who is worried about a few pounds of deer meet one way or the other should give up hunting as a means of obtaining meat. Hands down meat is cheaper to buy at a grocery store for most people.


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## garhtr

crappiedude said:


> Of course you do know I was just kidding


 Ha ! Humor and Sarcasm are often wasted on this crowd 


bobk said:


> I butcher my own deer and usually get about 20% of meat. I won’t eat the front legs. Too much silver skin, sinew and connective tissue.


 I stopped picking meat off the front legs for sausage-- now I Smoke the front leg whole and the good meat will be easy to separate from the the bone and sinew---delicious and if it's too dry a b-que sauce.

I've killed a ton of 400 lb deer in the hills (up hill both ways) I hunt and normally get about 40 lbs of good meat-- 25 -30% seems good to me 
Good luck and good hunting


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## crappiedude

garhtr said:


> Ha ! Humor and Sarcasm are often wasted on this crowd


Not me...now that's funny


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## Muddy

ironman172 said:


> Ruined a meat grinder from the calf tendons, but WILL trim for the dog added some to his food.... a friend will can the calf meat.... all the meat for the grind now is added dog food(he loves the tiny morsels) , as I don't grind much if any.... just to much trouble..... most that isn't grilled is made in jerky.....
> I've been doing my own from the first one I ever shot, and didn't like the bone fragments from the band saw they used at the processors..... that was over 40 years ago dating my bride.... debone , now freeze whole muscles with all the silver skin on (helps eliminate freezer burn) trim on the thawl
> You can always cut to steak,tips,or grind, .... but can never put back to roasts..... just my way I've learned over the years..... even vacuum sealing you'll get a little freezer burn in time


I do the same thing with whole muscles. Surface area=freezer burn. Whole muscles go in the vacuum sealer before trimming. Once thawed and trimmed you have fresh red meat that looks as good as the day you killed it. The same goes for the back straps.  Leave the sinew on the outside of the chop until you’re ready to marinate or dry rub for cooking. I eat venison every day, sometimes twice a day. I’ve learned a few tricks over the years to insure a quality product after long term storage.


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## mashunter18

We weigh them all with hide on, field dressed. My buddies muzzleloader doe weighed 115.
We got 19 pounds burger, 10 pound trimmed roast for jerky, plus he got the inners and backstraps. We never mess with ribs or neck either. I always felt those areas were a lot of work for not much more burger. You got me curious now, wonder what that deer weighed with hide off? It was double lung, some minor damage on one front leg, but he didn't loose much.


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## buckeyebowman

Hatchetman said:


> Have a friend that used to cut deer as a money maker for his trips and was a butcher by trade. Every year he would get into arguments with customers that wanted to know why he stole their deer meat. Guy brings in a average buck dressed out at around 130 lbs and expects 100 lbs of meat. A couple guys he refused to cut there deer because of that. If you get 30% out of a deer you did good....


I read an article years ago about this. A couple of guys were at a butcher shop that did both beef and deer. Walking past an open cooler door, one guy points at a side of beef and says, "that big buck I got 3 years ago was about that size!" The butcher looked at him like he was out of his mind! He told him that side came off a 15 hundred pound steer! 

Around here, deer are the biggest game we hunt. I think that's partly the source of buck fever, which I have re-named "deer fever". We sit in our stands, and watch tweety birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. Small stuff. Then a deer shows up, and it looks as big as a horse! I can sit in the stand and watch does walk by with no change in pulse. Until I decide I'm going to shoot one! I have then decided to cause a BIG DEATH! 

And if you have to drag 'em, yeah! That really adds to the weight!


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## Misdirection

Years ago, I received the attached from the Pennsylvania game commission. The butcher I used use (since retired) would weigh your deer in front of you and write that amount on the tag he game you. That way there was no question on what it weighted when you brought it in. Many people were surprised as they thought their deer weighted more. I know I took a buck in that hanging weight was 125# and I got back 62# of meat. So for that entry, this chart was close. But I also shot a hanging weight 60# yearling (it looked bigger in the scope) and I only got back 18# of meat. I think all of it depends upon the deer and how much fat reserves it has built up for the winter.










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## fastwater

^^^And if you don't have a scale for getting the actual hanging weight of your deer, here is a chart using chest girth measurement to get total weight. I've actually checked this method out and it's surprisingly accurate:


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## Harry1959

Ok ...... those charts fall in line with what I expect. I don’t actually get that much. If a butcher gave me back 25-30 lbs from a 100lb field dressed deer that was a double lung shot...I wouldn’t be a happy guy. 40-50 % is what I’ve usually gotten back, except once I got 35-40 lbs from a doe that dressed out around 150, I let the butcher know about it and never used him again. The shop I use now does mix a little beef fat with the burger, which adds a small amount of weight. for what it’s worth, I get 2 shoulder roasts, all the good meat into steaks, tenderloin and the rest burger. I’m pretty sure he puts neck, ribs and other scrappy pieces in the burger..I cut the back straps out at home.
I do weigh every deer I kill, I don’t get one very often anymore as I generally pass on does and small bucks.


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## DHower08

bobk said:


> I butcher my own deer and usually get about 20% of meat. I won’t eat the front legs. Too much silver skin, sinew and connective tissue.


Are you talking throwing out the shoulders or the shanks


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## bobk

DHower08 said:


> Are you talking throwing out the shoulders or the shanks


No, I'm talking that I won't eat that part of the deer.


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## DHower08

Which part bobk just the shanks?


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## TomC

The last year I took to the processor was 190 lb buck. My bill was 150 I had it boned skinned ground and the backstrap cut out I kept brought back over 90 lb of ground and 10 lb of loins I didn't think that was too bad of a price considering ground chuck at a store 369 a pound


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## bobk

DHower08 said:


> Which part bobk just the shanks?


The whole front legs. Just not a fan of any of it. Too much junk in all that area to sort through. Lop it off at the shoulder and save it for the neighbor that does what Muddy described.


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## ironman172

bobk said:


> Lop it off at the shoulder and save it for the neighbor that does what Muddy described.


A good friend does it that way but in his smoker....
The larger sections goes in for tips.... and then the grind bag for the puppy..... he loves a little cooked, added to his food


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## DHower08

bobk said:


> The whole front legs. Just not a fan of any of it. Too much junk in all that area to sort through. Lop it off at the shoulder and save it for the neighbor that does what Muddy described.


Man that's alot of wasted meat. It's super easy to trim up real quick for grinding for burgers or sausage . Now the shanks I don't put much work into them


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## bobk

I don’t see it as wasted meat. It goes in someone else’s belly. I just don’t want that part of the deer. I don’t want it as grind either. Just because you grind it up doesn’t mean it’s good quality lean meat.
When cutting up meat I’m always saying “crap in equals crap out” it never made sense to me to grind up the undesirable meat. Still have to eat it. 

We all do things differently.


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## DHower08

I don't grind in any silver skin fat or grissel. It all gets cleaned the same as any other cut. You will never find a piece of anything unwanted in any of the meat I process. To each his own though


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## Muddy

Here you go-whole front shoulder off a doe I killed back in December. Frozen whole. I seasoned and double wrapped in heavy duty foil. Going in at 325 for 4 hours.


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## Bluefinn

Muddy said:


> Here you go-whole front shoulder off a doe I killed back in December. Frozen whole. I seasoned and double wrapped in heavy duty foil. Going in at 325 for 4 hours.
> View attachment 341029


Hank shaw is wild game chef, nice website. Last few years I,ve done the shanks osso bocco style. Pretty much crock pot for 7 hours. All that tendon melts into a smooth gravy , It's very good. Same with the neck. I shake my head when I think of all the good meals I tossed out. There's more meat on shanks than you think .


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## STRONGPERSUADER

Muddy said:


> Here you go-whole front shoulder off a doe I killed back in December. Frozen whole. I seasoned and double wrapped in heavy duty foil. Going in at 325 for 4 hours.
> View attachment 341029


Just enough fat on that bad boy to have it bake really nice with some good flavor.


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## Muddy

The fat is very crucial to the finished product. People who say that deer fat tastes bad don’t know what deer fat tastes like. We are getting close to the finished product.







Another benefit of this slow cooked shoulder is that you can go start framing in a new elevated box blind while it’s cooking.


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## Muddy

Finished product. Falling off the bone.


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## Muddy

Lower shank ate first. Fall of the bone tender and delicious.


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## Muddy

After you’re done going cave man on it because it’s so tender and fatty, pull the bones out and do whatever you want with it. It makes great venison and noodles or burritos. I usually just eat it heated up with some horse radish sauce. This is the pile of meat after you pull the bone out.


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## Bluefinn

Muddy said:


> Lower shank ate first. Fall of the bone tender and delicious.
> View attachment 341067


That looks great!


Muddy said:


> After you’re done going cave man on it because it’s so tender and fatty, pull the bones out and do whatever you want with it. It makes great venison and noodles or burritos. I usually just eat it heated up with some horse radish sauce. This is the pile of meat after you pull the bone out.
> View attachment 341109


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## ironman172

Muddy said:


> Try this. Cut the front legs off whole. Cut the lower portion of the leg off at the joint. Leave any fat on the leg. Season the leg(rub A-1 sauce on it if you like A-1) and wrap in heavy duty foil. Cook in the oven at 325 for 3-4 hours depending on the size of the leg until the meat is falling off the bone. The meat comes out fork tender and delicious. It’s by far the best and easiest way that I’ve found to utilize front shoulders.


I remembered you mentioning this so searched for it..... brought the 2 whole front shoulders home to try..... I know a friend would do similar , so he might get a shoulder to ......while fresh 
Thanks


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## Muddy

ironman172 said:


> I remembered you mentioning this so searched for it..... brought the 2 whole front shoulders home to try..... I know a friend would do similar , so he might get a shoulder to ......while fresh
> Thanks


I’m eating one this week that I cooked over the weekend. Wrap it tight, cook low and slow. It’s good!


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## bridgeman

Amazing how many new hunters buy a big deep freeze after killing their first deer..lol


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## ironman172

After messing with it, it's going to the grind/dog bag.....I know why I never messed with it in the past ...... might try canning (friend does that and all the tendons separate and turn to mush) the neighbors dogs sure like it (won't be wasted)



bridgeman said:


> Amazing how many new hunters buy a big deep freeze after killing their first deer..lol


Small cooler holds it just fine with a couple ice jugs to.... till vacuum sealed


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## OptOutside440

I have found I love the options for venison as ground. So the last two years when butchering I've ground every single last bit of meat. A lot more options for recipes.


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