don't look if you're a bit squeamish- first deer!

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Clouston98

Woodsman & Beekeeper
Aug 19, 2013
4,364
2
25
Cumbria
on a car ride four miles from our house we found a dead fallow deer, he was still warm to the touch and his blood had not even coagulated. We had driven on the same road at seven the night before and he wasn't there then though we knew he had been killed this morning. An old farmer asked us if we planned on eating it and when I told him he said good because if we weren't he was! It had been hit in the head so all of the body and guts were intact and he was in great condition. I took him home and in one of the barns there are the remains of a potters kiln from a potter who lived here years ago. I hung him by his hind legs from that so he was suspended above the ground so I could work on him. Knives freshly sharpened I opened him up, I punctured his bowel a bit but I managed to get that out before it leaked on the Carcass and the rest came out fine. When remove his heart and lungs, his heart was still warm to the touch and it was a cold day at about 8 degrees so we really knew he was fresh. I didn't bother taking pictures of his entrails as they weren't particularly pretty viewing. Guts and all out I set about skinning him- unfortunately I had no means of preserving the hide so it had to go. It needed up in a few pieces rather than whole but there was one big bit that would've been good could I have tanned it. Then I set about removing the ribs and the shoulders, then the saddle and was left with the two hind legs (or haunches I believe they're called?) I cut the ends of the legs of - leaving the bits with useable meat on and I cleaned them up taking the sinew and unwanted bits off. I did the same to the shoulders and haunch to leave me with the lovely venison at the end. We probably got about 8-10 kilos of meat from him as he was only young but I count that as pretty good! He came out rather well- I'm no butcher but I did a decent job and I was dead chuffed that I got so much from him. The majority is now in the freezer and one leg in the fridge for a roast tomorrow. After gutting, skinning and butchering it I can say that I'm still a 100% meat eater! I've had a great day doing it and learnt a lot more about the animal in the process - and I've got loads of wild venison to eat! Anyhow - here are the pictures:

On our lawn when we got him home:

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Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,209
362
73
SE Wales
Good on you, Cameron, hands on is the only way you can learn that stuff; and more to the point, he wasn't wasted so that takes some of the sting out of what's otherwise a wasted life. The only thing I might have done differently would be to have hung the meat for a while, but it'll be fine to eat and a tasty young 'un!

Did you use the liver, kidneys and heart for anything?
 

Clouston98

Woodsman & Beekeeper
Aug 19, 2013
4,364
2
25
Cumbria
Good on you, Cameron, hands on is the only way you can learn that stuff; and more to the point, he wasn't wasted so that takes some of the sting out of what's otherwise a wasted life. The only thing I might have done differently would be to have hung the meat for a while, but it'll be fine to eat and a tasty young 'un!

Did you use the liver, kidneys and heart for anything?

Cheers Mac! And yeah I though about hanging it but I was a bit worried about it attracting rats in the barns so I went with it fresh- something I'll bear in mind in the future though. I've never been a fan of offal really but we wondered wether they. Other be a bit dodgy or what not so I left them out and went for the main meat- I will probably keep the liver in the future though and possibly kidneys too :).
 

Clouston98

Woodsman & Beekeeper
Aug 19, 2013
4,364
2
25
Cumbria
Good work Cam
I've butchered two deer in total one a muntjac and the other a roe.
I watched a fallow deer being butchered last weekend but I was handcuffed to a tree so couldn't get a good look at the whole process (lomg story)

You gonna tan the hide too?

Cheers Sam! Unfortunately not mate, I didn't have anything to stretch or anything to tan with- so it's just ended up going. I do hope to try some tanning though :).
 

rorymax

Settler
Jun 5, 2014
943
0
Scotland
Well done, a very impressive first attempt.

The pics are really good also.

Out of interest, did you keep the ribs, I do not know if deer ribs are good for eating.

rorymax
 

cranmere

Settler
Mar 7, 2014
992
2
Somerset, England
Nice, and it looks like you made a neat job of it. Deer liver is good, just make sure that it looks in good condition and doesn't have lumps and bumps on it. Keep all of the bones, they will boil up to make a good tasty stock.
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
You got some nice meat there Clouston98, well done for having a go with butchering it you did well, a little tip for skinning deer in case you ever need to do it again, if you loosen the skin from meat in the area around the belly flaps and the area where the inside of back legs meet the belly flaps you can then often peel the rest of the skin off whole without using a knife at all especially on a young deer (pull skin with one hand and wriggle/push fingers of other hand between skin and meat). I have had to deal with a few deer killed on the roads (and sadly had to kill a couple of badly injured ones). Usually the carcase was so badly bruised it was fit for dog food only. All you got to do now Clouston is cook it and eat it, enjoy your meal. ATB. :)
 

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