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Suggestions for Deer processing equipment

What I am looking at getting is

A cleaver
A 10” butchers steak knife
A couple good boning knives
A bone saw (just using a hacksaw with clean blade)

And eventually a good grinder. This year I will attempt to use the grinder attachment we have for the Kitchen-aide
Also, at some point I would like a stainless table for the garage with a couple large cutting boards.

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The kitchen aid will work. But it takes a bit of time.

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cb750 said:
I use a k ice from @madknives on Instagram who is an old buddy. Its heavier but sharp as hell looks great. Once home like a couple people have said I use outdoor edge knives. I was given a set of e with a sharpener. Never needed anything else. Actually I used my madknives knife on the last one.

I use a kitchen aid stand mixer with grinder attachment for my ground. Its ok. Not great and I would much prefer something else. But since we had the stand mixer already this was the cheap way into grinding.

For storage I have been using a food saver vacuum sealer. I'd like to learn how to use butcher paper though. I've a couple times where I've double sealed the bags because I don't have complete faith in the food saver.

There's a you tube video from growingdeertv about processing too that's pretty good.
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+1 for the KitchenAid attachment. I have a small kitchen, and grind maybe 5 deer a year tops. Can't justify another huge piece of space gone for something that barely gets used. It does fine if you plan on doing sausage, tacos, or spaghetti meat. Doesn't do well enough to make sexy burgers.

I use that, a meat scale, and a havalon. Before the havalon I had a victorinox paring knife. Lightweight, comfortable, and easy to sharpen. Simple, simple, simple!

I package ground 1lb to a quart Ziploc. Makes a nice, wife-friendly package. Cuts get wrapped in freezer paper. I date everything so we can eat the oldest stuff first, but rarely does it last long enough to really matter.
 
We process all our own deer and make our own sausage. Even on years when we’ve only done 1-2 deer or when I’ve done a deer by myself the gear takes a beating. Especially the grinder. We spent about a decade buying a new grinder every other year because the gears wear out. We tried all the brands LEM, cabelas etc. We tried going with the more expensive options with each type and still had issues. The problem is that these manufactures use a type of plastic gears instead of metal and they wear out on a regular basis. Further then they don’t have options for buying replacement gears or material lists so that you could source them independently. After many years and talking with many people who also home process we found the STX model grinders. These still have a couple of plastic type gears in the housing but we have not had a single failure with this machine over the last 5 years and if we do they have a complete list of parts and the sell them so you can replace your 5-15$ gear rather then buying a new 100-400$ machine. Also I was able to find this grinder used for $50.

For a stiffer we use a 15# model with metal gears. We went with the 15 just because of the metal gears and not wanting to deal with stopping issues we had read about in the reviews of the 5# models. However I can’t imagine using a 5# model. As it is with the 15 it seems like your always having to fill it with more meat. Pressing the sausages goes quick. Loading and setting a run is the part that takes time.

Mixer. Originally we just mixed the meat by hand and it works but your hands freeze and it’s best to let it sit overnight for proper saturation of the spices in the meat especially if you will be using a cure and aging the sausage. With a mixer you can mix thoroughly and then stuff immediately. We bought a 20# mixer. If you fill it to the top with 20# it doesn’t work very well but with 15 it works perfect and since we have a 15# stuffer this works very well.

For knives while processing we bought a few of the “deer processing knife kits” that are available at any outdoor sports store. Once you put a better edge on these they work very good and are a nice cheap option (not everyone who comes and helps understands how to treat a knife) except for one item. The bone saw is not adequate. I recommend buying a good bone saw. Depending on how you decide to break the deer down however there may be no bones to cut through. We use ours to cut out bone in rib chops.

Hope this help5EF90FF5-9039-41D1-9DA3-779AC09C25BF.png
 
I am a fan of a deli slicer for making even cuts for jerky. Other than that what everyone else has said!
 
I use mostly a rapala fillet knife, they are like 20 bucks. Keep a sharpener nearby. Use kitchen knives for the heavier work.

Cling wrap and butcher paper. May upgrade to vac seal someday, but cling wrap keeps it fresh for a year plus no problem.

I have an antique cast iron hand grinder a buddy gave me. Works just fine for one deer. I don't grind enough burger though, it's the first thing we run out of every year then I have to thaw roasts and grind them.

The most expensive thing in my kit I think is a giant industrial cutting board I bought that I think it 48x36".

I also have a spare fridge which I hand quarters in to age, but coolers work for that as well.
 
I really enjoy butchering my own deer and I'm sure you will too. You really don't need much to get started and you probably have most of what you need already.

- Gambrel to hang game from unless you do the gutless method and quarter in the field. You should be able to pick one up for $20 or less. You can go cheaper with just a stick and a rope. These just make skinning and to some extent quartering easier. Whatever knife you use to field dress your game should work just fine for skinning.

- I like the victorinox boning knifes and I use the flexed curve and straight. You don't need both but I like to have both. They run about $15 each. Any kind of fillet knife will work if you already have one. You can quarter and bone out with whatever knife you use in the field but these knifes make separating the muscle groups and getting the silver skin off much easier.

- Any kind of flat surface is nice for breaking down the quarters and I've used the kitchen table many times. I did upgrade to a plastic folding table which has worked out great. They run about $30-80 depending on the size that you get. They are great as you can just wash them down when your done. A large cutting board is helpful as well.

- Plastic meat tubs. You can use large mixing bowls but the tubs just make life easier. I have two and that works great. I just really helps keep things cleaner as it gives you a place to put meat before you go to wrap. It is also very helpful when grinding. You should be able to get them for under $10 a piece.

- I use plastic wrap and freezer paper to package whole muscle meat. You can use a vac sealer but I don't think it works any better than wrapping and it's one less thing to buy. I like the plastic tube bags for ground meat but you can do freezer wrap for ground meat too.

- A grinder is the one big investment that I would start with. I feel like you get what you pay for with these. I would avoid the really cheap and I would avoid the kitchen aid with grinder attachment. The kitchen aid with attachment just seems a little undersized from what I've seen, however if you already have a kitchen aid getting the attachment is cheaper than buying a grinder so it might be worth it in that case. I have the Cabela's Pro Series DC Grinder and it has worked great so far. I've had it seven years now with no problems and we process 3-5 deer a year with it. You should be able to get it on sale for under $200. If your really lucky you can find a friend who has a grinder that will let you use theirs.

That is really all you need to get started. Things you can add later would include sausage stuffer, meat slicer, smoker, dehydrator, pressure canner, ect.

Hope that's helpful. Like I said home butchery is not that hard and I have come to really enjoy it. You are able to do so much more with your deer as you can cut it how you want. You will be hard pressed to find a processor who is going to cut a bone in chops, a crown roast, neck roast, osso bucco from the shank, or ribs. When you do it yourself it opens up so many more culinary possibilities.
 
Thanks for all the tips! What does everyone do with the leftover bones and hide? Do you just chuck it back in the woods? I’m not in a cwd state so there’s no issues with that


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Where I live there are places that you can donate the hide. I would ask around at local sporting goods shop as they may know of places that take hides. As for bones you can always make your own stock from the bones. There are plenty of places to find recipe for that. I would check out Hank Shaw website for lots of game recipe including stocks https://honest-food.net/ If your not going to make stock then I would just put them in the trash or as stated above in the field where legal.
 
Jgetch said:
We process all our own deer and make our own sausage. Even on years when we’ve only done 1-2 deer or when I’ve done a deer by myself the gear takes a beating. Especially the grinder. We spent about a decade buying a new grinder every other year because the gears wear out. We tried all the brands LEM, cabelas etc. We tried going with the more expensive options with each type and still had issues. The problem is that these manufactures use a type of plastic gears instead of metal and they wear out on a regular basis. Further then they don’t have options for buying replacement gears or material lists so that you could source them independently. After many years and talking with many people who also home process we found the STX model grinders. These still have a couple of plastic type gears in the housing but we have not had a single failure with this machine over the last 5 years and if we do they have a complete list of parts and the sell them so you can replace your 5-15$ gear rather then buying a new 100-400$ machine. Also I was able to find this grinder used for $50.

For a stiffer we use a 15# model with metal gears. We went with the 15 just because of the metal gears and not wanting to deal with stopping issues we had read about in the reviews of the 5# models. However I can’t imagine using a 5# model. As it is with the 15 it seems like your always having to fill it with more meat. Pressing the sausages goes quick. Loading and setting a run is the part that takes time.

Mixer. Originally we just mixed the meat by hand and it works but your hands freeze and it’s best to let it sit overnight for proper saturation of the spices in the meat especially if you will be using a cure and aging the sausage. With a mixer you can mix thoroughly and then stuff immediately. We bought a 20# mixer. If you fill it to the top with 20# it doesn’t work very well but with 15 it works perfect and since we have a 15# stuffer this works very well.

For knives while processing we bought a few of the “deer processing knife kits” that are available at any outdoor sports store. Once you put a better edge on these they work very good and are a nice cheap option (not everyone who comes and helps understands how to treat a knife) except for one item. The bone saw is not adequate. I recommend buying a good bone saw. Depending on how you decide to break the deer down however there may be no bones to cut through. We use ours to cut out bone in rib chops.

Hope this helpView attachment 5987
Click to expand...


My folks run a cooking school and have been through plenty of meat grinders. They swear this one is the best bang for your buck and it is very lightweight and compact for the power it puts out.
 
Skinning/gutting knife. Couple of good knives for deboning. I have an attachement for my kitchenaid to grind meat and make sausages. Wax paper, cling wrap and ziplocks. I also recently took up pressure canning with the intention of pressure canning my stew meat pieces. I do not vacuum seal because the last two crapped out on me and it is expensive, especially the bags. That is why I am going to can a bunch of meat.
 
Tom W said:
Thanks for all the tips! What does everyone do with the leftover bones and hide? Do you just chuck it back in the woods? I’m not in a cwd state so there’s no issues with that


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Couple of guys at the gun club I belong to bait coyotes in the winter so I take hide scraps and bones and put them in contractor trash bags and donate them for that purpose.
 
Tom W: I cut meat for a living and i will try to get you started without breaking the bank, with CWD I would not take my deer to a processor because of the risk of cross contamination, i believe you will see more places refusing to cut deer because of the lialability.
large cutting board
table
a small propane torch
1 or 2 6inch victorinox boning( they are only about $15 and last me a year or two using them every day).
A meat handsaw or a hacksaw will do
a couple of cheap carbide sharpeners and a 6inch sharpening stone.(coarse/ fine)
a small grinder( a kitchen aide mixer with a grinder and sausage stuffer attachment will work and might make your wife happy!)
a meat lug or pan or several large tupperware containers
a large cooler or an extra refrigator
Saran wrap and freeer paper. If you can afford it a vacuum sealer is a good investment.
a good video on deer processing
It is about 5 hours work to cut up a deer if you have good equipment and are experienced, it will probably take you tice that long. you DO NOT have to cut your deer up in 1 day if you have a cooler or refrigator.
I skin my deer as soon as i can and break them down and put them in a cooler with ice , then a garbage bag that I lay the meat on and cover with the blue plastic freezer packs. DO NOT belive all the BS about aging meat, itt really only works with beef. If you vacuum seal the big pieces they will keep if chilled for 1-2 weeks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
alpaca jeff said:
Tom W: I cut meat for a living and i will try to get you started without breaking the bank, with CWD I would not take my deer to a processor because of the risk of cross contamination, i believe you will see more places refusing to cut deer because of the lialability.
large cutting board
table
a small propane torch
1 or 2 6inch victorinox boning( they are only about $15 and last me a year or two using them every day).
A meat handsaw or a hacksaw will do
a couple of cheap carbide sharpeners and a 6inch sharpening stone.(coarse/ fine)
a small grinder( a kitchen aide mixer with a grinder and sausage stuffer attachment will work and might make your wife happy!)
a meat lug or pan or several large tupperware containers
a large cooler or an extra refrigator
Saran wrap and freeer paper. If you can afford it a vacuum sealer is a good investment.
a good video on deer processing
It is about 5 hours work to cut up a deer if you have good equipment and are experienced, it will probably take you tice that long. you DO NOT have to cut your deer up in 1 day if you have a cooler or refrigator.
I skin my deer as soon as i can and break them down and put them in a cooler with ice , then a garbage bag that I lay the meat on and cover with the blue plastic freezer packs. DO NOT belive all the BS about aging meat, itt really only works with beef. If you vacuum seal the big pieces they will keep if chilled for 1-2 weeks.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The large cutting board for me is a must. Two large plastic tubs you can get at Walmart or elsewhere. I get a folding plastic table and set up in the garage and do all my cutting and grinding. I would also suggest using these type bags for the freezer https://www.cabelas.com/product/hom...-ground-meat-storage-bags/716081.uts?slotId=1 Slide them over a grinder tube and let the grinder fill the bag, twist, tie and you are done. Also a vacuum sealer is what I prefer for meat that doesn't get ground, however freezer paper has been the standard for many years.

Honestly, I don't know why more people don't do this themselves. At $150 / deer + extra for snack sticks and sausage it pays for itself on the first use. Hopefully we will all be doing quite a bit of this in the fall.
 
I had forgotten about this thread. I used a kitchen aide last year. It is slow. I had an old hand grinder one of the bigger models years ago. It was actually a little faster than the kitchenade. It worked well for me. I broke it up over a couple afternoons. Got home from work and deboned a ham and shoulder each day. Deboned outside and stuck that in the deep freeze. After supper it all went through two grinds. The second was with added fat and sausage seasoning and vacuum sealed. It was time consuming but I was able to do my grinding at a leisurely pace as my prime cuts aged. Killed two deer one weekend and that wasn’t much fun with the kitchenaid. Cleanup was easy.
 
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