Game Processing

Breaking Down Big Game in 8 Simple Steps 

While hunting is an enjoyable sport, it’s important to remember that we’ve taken to the woods as hunters for centuries, first and foremost, to provide food for ourselves and our families. And because no one knows your preferences better than you, it makes sense that you take care of butchering harvested animals yourself.

A DIY Walk-Cooler Is Easily Achievable, And

Ridding your meat of fat and gnarly tissue

We crave the melt-in-your-mouth richness of densely marbled meat produced by cows. In fact, the fat of most domestic animals tends to be an appealing and necessary ingredient in most recipes as it enhances flavor and succulence. Far fewer of us have the same appreciation for the fat of game animals. Why is this so? The short answer is the fats of wild animals aren't as predictable as the fats of domestic animals that are bred with the purpose of becoming the main course.

Much like domestic beef, wild ungulates have many different muscle groups, each with their own best use. While it isn’t a disaster if the meat doesn’t come off the bone in perfectly separated muscle groups, it does degrade the quality of the meat somewhat. By not combining two muscle groups into one cut, you limit the amount of tough gristle and inconsistencies in tenderness. Pictured above are the main muscle groups found on most big-game animals. Sizes will vary, but shape and usage will be similar from species to species.

Processing 101: Big-Game Hide & Hair Removal Tips

The Advantages Of Butchering & Eating Wild Game

There Is More Than One Way to Skin a Buck

For hundreds of years deer have lost their coats to an old fashioned skinning post and a sharp knife, but that doesn't stop hunters from striving to make the process faster and more efficient.

After decades of declines, the number of hunters in certain areas of North America has actually increased in recent years. This bodes well for the future of hunting, as more hunters means more funds for conservation and habitat preservation, more political clout, and overall more "relevance" in today's increasingly urbanized society.

While properly field dressing game is a key element in the race-against-the-clock effort to preserve your harvest, a hunter's work is not over once this has been done.