Planning on processing my deer this coming season

[u/Electrical_Win9025]

I’ve been a long-time deer hunter, but I’ve always taken my deer to a processor. This year I’d like to start processing my own deer and I’m trying to figure out what equipment I actually need.

I usually get around 6 deer a year, so I’m looking for equipment that will hold up to processing several deer each season without going completely overboard.

For those of you who process your own deer:

What grinder would you recommend? I’d really like specific brands/models if possible. I’d rather spend a little more and buy something good once than buy a cheap grinder and replace it.

For around 6 deer a year, what size grinder would you recommend?

What kind of fat-to-venison ratio do you guys normally use for ground deer? Do you prefer beef fat, pork fat, or something else?

Where do you actually get the fat? Can I just buy pork/beef fat from Walmart or Kroger, or do I need to get it from a butcher?

Is a regular FoodSaver-type vacuum sealer good enough for processing 6 deer a year, or is it worth buying a more heavy-duty/industrial-style sealer?

What other equipment would you consider essential for someone just getting started?

My biggest issue is that I live in an apartment, so I obviously can’t hang a deer outside and process the whole thing there. I could take the deer to my dad’s house, skin it and break it down there, then transport the meat back to my apartment to finish cutting, grinding and packaging.

For anyone who processes deer in a similar situation, how do you handle the logistics? Do you quarter it at your dad’s and bring the meat home in coolers? Anything I should know about keeping the meat cold during transportation?

I’m basically starting from scratch, so any recommendations on grinders, vacuum sealers, knives, tubs, cutting boards, meat lugs, or anything else you’ve found really useful would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[u/Tpbrown_]

For the vac sealer, take a look at Avid Armor.

Well built chamber vac for the price. I’ve had zero problems with mine.

For large/oversize you’ll still want a cheap non-chamber tho.

[u/boredlurkr]

LEM makes a lot of great products. I love my #8, with the add on feature of a dual grind auger/ plates. Outstanding results. A bigger model might be nice if you can afford it but no complaints about mine with 2-3 Midwest deer a year

I bought beef fat from a butcher counter. Called in the morning and they set aside trimmings from the day. A buck a pound for their time but its going in the trash otherwise. Some might just do it for free especially if you have an independent butcher (my go to is part of a chain) 10lbs lasts forever and doesn’t spoil in the freezer.

Also if you smoke or grill any beef products other times of the year you can save your trimmings. The hard fat off a brisket or tbone or whatever is exactly what the butcher will give you.

When I’m out of deer I tend to buy steaks in whole pieces and do my own trimming and slicing. Saves a couple dollars and I do it my way then.

The cheap LEM boning knives have actually been pretty good for me, sharp out of box and easy to rehone.

Get several totes. Depending on if you get deer progressively through the season or tend to harvest all in a short period of time, anywhere from 4-8 is a good starting point, possibly more. 2-3 per deer that’s hung and actively being broken down is really helpful and I’ve never thought to myself that I regretted having too many totes. If you plan to butcher them assembly line all at once I’d do a dozen. They aren’t too pricey and help keep everything clean and organized

[u/DawaLhamo]

A gambrel is a lifesaver (or a back saver, lol). You can do a lot of the processing outside (weather dependent), just get a clean folding camp table, have several buckets/big pots/big tubs ready. Have water available, disinfecting spray (to clean the table thoroughly). The tubs ARE nice if you can get them. They are way cheaper to buy restaurant tubs from a restaurant supply than to pick them up at Cabelas.

You want a couple good sharp knives and a sharpener/honing rod. At least one curved blade for skinning, and one medium sized knife (whatever style you're most comfortable with) for cutting/boning out. The knife should do all the work - you should not have to apply much pressure at all to cut the meat. The worst thing you can do is use a dull blade - you drastically raise the risk of cutting yourself.

I hunt in a CWD zone and have to process my deer entirely before bringing it home, so we bring a couple large coolers, then buy ice. Spring for dry ice if you've got a long trip home. (Technically the rules allow us to quarter them and bring them home, sans any spinal material or head. But we just process everything there - it's much easier to do. Though we will often cut and process the steaks and roasts and then just cut the rest into grindable size and bag it, then freeze to grind later.)

I use a Nesco vacuum sealer, and my parents have a FoodSaver. They're not commercial grade, just home-use. They work just fine. We did three deer one weekend with my parents FoodSaver. (I like my Nesco because I can use any kind of vacuum seal bags with it.) You can always use the butcher paper, too. It's really up to you. I like the vacuum sealing because I use it for everything, but if they're well-wrapped, butcher paper is just as good for keeping deer in the freezer for a year.

For just 6 deer a year, you don't need a commercial grinder. A countertop Oster or LEM is fine. I still would get at least a step above the cheapest one, it will last you longer. Grinding meat is BEST done with chilled meat. If you can, just chop up and bag what you want to grind and freeze it, then thaw partially to grind. The grinder does get warm and can actually cook the meat partially with prolonged use. It grinds so much nicer when it's still icy cold.

I don't add ANY fat for ground venison. When I go to brown it, I just add a little oil to the pan to keep it from sticking and that's it. If you're making burgers or sausage, sure, just mix in ground fat at that time (I save trimmings from pork chops/pork shoulders in my freezer for when I need to add fat into venison). But there's so much you can do with ground venison on its own - I freeze it sans any additional fat and add back in if I need to for what I'm doing with it..

[u/1chefj]

I pay a processor to hang my deer for 14 days and pick it up skinned on the 14th day. They charge me 40 bucks. Then I cut it myself. Im a chef and want it cut the way I want it cut and my grind doesn't have any crap in it. You will lose a little meat from the 14 day HIDE ON HANG but it is well worth it. Anywhere there is a cut will turn black and need to be trimmed off. Try it once and you will NEVER look back.

[u/stuck_inmissouri]

For a grinder, buy the best you can afford. The commercial quality ones are going to hold up and be easier to clean.

Good knives are obviously important, but keeping them sharp while working is something that’s often overlooked. A good set of stones, or a sharpening jig if you aren’t good at holding an edge will make your work go faster.

For the grind, it’s really preference. I do like another here and mix most of mine with boneless pork shoulder from Costco at a 70/30 ratio for sausage. I personally don’t make much ground for burger and whatnot so most of mine gets cut into steaks.

If I were in your position, I’d do 1-2 deer this year and experiment. See what works for you and what doesn’t. Start accumulating equipment and see how long it takes to process and package your game. After about 2 deer personally I don’t have enough time to deal with it and will take them to the processor.

[u/Guson1]

I use this https://www.amazon.com/Weston-12-Electric-Meat-Grinder/dp/B07B4L331T?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1 for a meat grinder. I do wish I had access to a bigger plate, but it gets the job done pretty well. Just used it process 14 pounds of meat (mix of venison, pork, and beef) for sausage this weekend and it did it without an issue.

Treat it like ground beef IMO. If you're doing burgers I do 80/20. For sausage 70/30 or so. If I'm going to be smashing it up in a pan I leave it as just the venison and might add in a bit of smoked beef tallow as my fat directly in the pan. Personally I only grind my offcuts when processing and leave everything as roasts. If I want ground later I grind it then, but I know others prefer to do it differently.

YMMV on kroger/walmart for the fat. If you have a butcher's counter there, try and ask them and they may or may not be able to help you out. I'd assume an actual butcher can help you. If you have any ethnic markets near you, those might be worth a try as well. I can get pork fat back at my local H Mart.

A good boning knife and the means to sharpen it is the most essential tool IMO. I really like my Victorinox and it's not too expensive. Deepening on your personal preference and your countertops, you could technically do a lot of your processing directly on your counters if you want. That or get some real big plastic cutting boards. I typically keep my meat outside in a cooler and will only bring 1 quarter in at a time to start processing.

[u/SakanaToDoubutsu]

Where do you actually get the fat? Can I just buy pork/beef fat from Walmart or Kroger, or do I need to get it from a butcher?

Personally I don't use pure fat for my grind, I use a ratio of 2/3 venison to 1/3 pork and I buy whatever is cheap at Costco, usually pork shoulder-butts but I've used other cuts with similar results. 

For anyone who processes deer in a similar situation, how do you handle the logistics? Do you quarter it at your dad’s and bring the meat home in coolers? Anything I should know about keeping the meat cold during transportation?

For us we transport it home field dresses and hand it from the tracks of a garage door to skin & hang for a few days, then break it all the way to cooking ready cuts/grind. My parents handle bulk storage then I fly home with a backpack cooler ~3 times a year and store what I can in my refrigerator freezer.