So as the years have went by, I continue to see lots of uses of deer meat and body parts that I have incorporated to my processing skills.
Here is what I keep on the primal end.
2 hams
2 shoulders
2 top loins
2 tenderloins
Liver
Heart
All rib meat
All neck meat
Here is what I do on the processing end.
All meat is either cut into meal size portions or ground or cut into stew meat or canned.
I mainly use the neck meat as stew meat.
The last deer that are taken are turned into highly prized jerky that takes way too much time for how fast it is consumed.
All scraps cut off the meat are dog food. (silver skin, bloody meat, fat). I freezer them in gallon zip loc bags half full. Saves me on dog food and adds "gravy" to store bought dry food in their bowls.
Bones are either given to the dogs uncooked or my daughter uses them for collagen bone broth. She is now using the front shanks for her broth.
The dogs get the cleaned ribs and the spinal column. Yes my dogs are very "healthy" this time of year.
The liver is either frozen to eat later or used for dog food in smaller portions or cut up and salted as catfish bait. Lemme tell you, salted deer liver is one awesome catfish bait and it's tough enough to be used for multiple catches. Just give it a good salting and set out in the sun and make liver jerky for the catfish. You won't be sorry!!!
I don't use the brain or the hide as that is seen to me as WAY TOO MUCH work.
Even got to where I don't care about the antlers unless I am gonna mount it. Get thrown out with the hide and guts.
What else do y'all do besides what I have mentioned? I like to use as much of the deer as possible.
Good post, thanks.
What do you do w/ the rib meat? I try to grind some rib meat, but it's tough to get much off the ribs.
I agree wholeheartedly with your stew meat.
I turn in the hides. A number of places around here love accepting deer hides, and most offer something in exchange.
The tail can be used for fly tying.
The carcass can make bobcat bait.
Some save urine for deer lure.
I've seen people use the tail to add to the rear end of their decoy to make it more life-like.
I donate the head b/c our state wants them for testing.
The Marshfield Clinic wants people in Wi to turn in wood ticks from their deer as part of an extensive study they are doing on ticks.