Ten Steps to Better Venison

by: Robert L. McMahon
FALL 1990

You have just shot your deer and the work is about to begin. Now is the time when a little common sense and a few basic steps can reward you with venison that is both edible and enjoyable.

The deer is down. Most hunters now cut the throat to "bleed" the carcass. I do not recommend this procedure. It serves very little purpose, as only small amounts of blood can be drained once the heart has stopped. In a killing plant the animals are stunned and the throat is cut while the heart is still pumping. Cutting the throat of a deer just provides another access point for dirt and bacteria.

Similarly, many hunters inadvertently spoil their meat by carelessly removing the two musk glands from the inside of a buck's hind legs. It is much better to carefully avoid these glands rather than risk transferring the musk to the meat via your knife or hands.

Here is the procedure I recommend:

  • Place your deer on its back on a slight incline, head low. Spread and tie the hind legs to two trees. this keeps them apart, out of your way, and holds the deer on the incline.
  • Using the point of your knife, carefully cut a circle around the anus and pull out six or seven inches (15-18cm) of the intestine. (This small cavity is completely surrounded by bone, so you cannot waste any meat). Squeeze the stool from the intestine and knot it to keep more stool from fouling the meat.
  • Locate the tip of the breastbone and make a small incision through the hide and the belly wall. Take care not to cut or puncture the paunch or intestines. Insert your index and second fingers into this opening and spread them enough to allow the knife to be placed, edge up, between them. (Always cut from the inside out when dressing a deer. This will cut far less hair and keep the carcass much cleaner). Slide your fingers and knife, point up, towards the anus, taking care to cut around one side of the penis and scrotum of the buck or the udder of the doe. Your fingers should keep the intestines from coming in contact with the blade. Now cut around the udder, or penis and scrotum, to loosen them, being careful not to puncture the urinary tract.
  • Turn the deer on its side and roll out the stomach and intestines. Carefully free the knotted bowel and bladder. Pinch or tie off the urinary tract above the bladder so that urine will not be spilled on the meat.
  • Trim out the diaphragm which separates the chest and stomach cavities, and remove the heart and lungs. Reach as far up as you can and cut and remove the windpipe. Remove the heart and liver from the pile of waste and place them in the plastic bag that all prepared hunters carry.
  • Reverse the position of the deer so that the fore quarters are elevated. This will allow any fluids that have collected inside the body cavity to drain out the rectal opening.

    In the unfortunate event that an animal has been "gut-shot", it is imperative that the stomach juices and contents be removed from the sides of the cavity as cleanly as possible. Use cold water, snow, or even a rolled-up ball of twigs to clean out the materials, which will not only accelerate spoilage, but impart an objectionable odor to the cooked meat.

    Don't attempt to trim out bloody, "shot-up" meat while in the woods. This will only open the carcass to more external contamination.
  • The safest way to get a deer out of the woods is to drag it, and always head first. A piece of strong cord tied around the neck with a half-hitch around the nose and a wooden T-handle approximately sixteen inches (41 cm) from the nose will keep the front of the deer slightly elevated as you drag. For a large deer, an additional six feet (2 m) of cord and another handle work much better than two hunters trying to drag a deer between trees and rocks side-by-side.

    If the deer is a buck and the head is to be mounted, you must take care to protect the hide on the head and neck areas.
  • On reaching your vehicle take a couple of sticks 10-14 inches (25-36 cm) long and prop open the stomach cavity. This will allow the body heat to escape faster. Body heat trapped too long in the carcass is another cause of bad odors during cooking.

    Never put a deer carcass on the hood of a vehicle where it will get additional motor heat. The best place to cool the carcass during the trip home is on the roof with the stomach cavity held open. Upon arrival remove the carcass as soon as possible. Many carcasses are ruined every year by a person's desire to "show off" his or her trophy.
  • Hang the deer, head down, with the hind legs spread, and skin it as soon as possible. The objective is to further cool the carcass and let the meat "set up" as quickly as possible. We have had many deer to process where the hide was left on too long and the meat had become so soft and mushy that we had to freeze it in order to properly cut steaks and chops. Hanging the carcass by the hind legs is preferable because it allows the fore legs to stiffen in a more natural position, making it easier for the meat cutter to produce acceptable cuts.

    When skinning, always cut through the hide from the inside out. If you get too much hair on the meat you're most certainly going to eat it; no meat cutter has the time to pick off hair that has become glued to the meat. The condition of the carcass when he or she receives it tells the meat cutter exactly what your eating standards are. Enough said.
  • When the hide has been removed, cut through the meat around the neck just behind the ears. cutting the ligaments at the atlas joint will allow you to disjoint the head so that it can be removed with a knife. Likewise with the legs at the knee joints. With a young deer the breastbone can easily be split with a knife to open the chest cavity. With older deer this may require a saw. We don't recommend an axe for cutting bones as it may produce dangerous splinters. With the chest cavity open, split the throat lengthwise and remove the rest of the windpipe.

    Now clean the carcass so that it meets your standards for eating enjoyment. Keep it hanging in a cool place for aging. Aging a deer carcass is done to improve the flavour and to help tenderize the meat through the enzymatic breakdown of connective tissues. It's simply a controlled process of decomposition or spoilage.

    Since the rate of aging depends entirely on the temperature, it's ridiculous for anyone to say that a deer must be aged for any certain period. For example, a deer hung in a garage at 60oF (15.5oC) may age as much in one day as a deer hung in a cooler at 36oF (2oC) will age in four or five days. And remember that meat to be frozen should be aged less than meat to be eaten fresh. Tests show that frozen meat continues to age - although much more slowly.

    Whether you cut up your own deer or have it done by a meat cutter, we offer a few suggestions to improve your eating satisfaction:

    1. Have the carcass processed only into those cuts which you enjoy. If you don't like roasts, have the meat cut into steaks and chops - or the reverse.
    2. If you like venison stew, remove the fat and replace it with some pieces of fatty beef.
    3. When grinding venison, remove as much fat as possible and replace it with some beef suet.
    4. Always wrap the meat in approved freezer wrapping materials. Using porous material such as brown paper or newspaper can cause freezer burn (dehydration) and rancidity.
    5. Cook properly, and any cut of any deer will be tender. Do not overcook! Overcooking can turn the most tender cut into a piece of rope.

    Enjoy your hunt and enjoy your venison.