So, new to the concept of hunting for meat

[Wombat of Doom]

The family and I are moving to Idaho with some major life changes planned ahead. I am a good shot, so ethical kills do not worry me. I am not the kind to make a shot I can't be sure of. Probably would use a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39 or a Ruger in .308. Other option would be a T/C encore. It is the gun I shoot best, and well, I have at least a dozen caliber options.

I have a background in eliminating nuisance animals years ago. However, there is a difference in bringing a mangy coyote body in for bounty and hunting for food. I have never butchered a kill. I have never been on a deer hunt or a hunt that I was not on private land with very limited access.

How does one start Deer hunting? Butchering? I know I would need licenses, tags and all that. Any good books?

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[solv3nt]

YouTube. Meat Eater and Fresh Tracks are good shows. I'm still yet to kill a deer with a rifle. I've got more deer kills with my buddies car.

 

[2506]

The family and I are moving to Idaho with some major life changes planned ahead. I am a good shot, so ethical kills do not worry me. I am not the kind to make a shot I can't be sure of. Probably would use a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39 or a Ruger in .308. Other option would be a T/C encore. It is the gun I shoot best, and well, I have at least a dozen caliber options.

I have a background in eliminating nuisance animals years ago. However, there is a difference in bringing a mangy coyote body in for bounty and hunting for food. I have never butchered a kill. I have never been on a deer hunt or a hunt that I was not on private land with very limited access.

How does one start Deer hunting? Butchering? I know I would need licenses, tags and all that. Any good books?

Google is your friend when it comes to cleaning/butchering. YouTube as well. In terms of hunting, go where the animals are and the people aren't.

 

[Xaevian]

The family and I are moving to Idaho with some major life changes planned ahead. I am a good shot, so ethical kills do not worry me. I am not the kind to make a shot I can't be sure of. Probably would use a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39 or a Ruger in .308. Other option would be a T/C encore. It is the gun I shoot best, and well, I have at least a dozen caliber options.

I have a background in eliminating nuisance animals years ago. However, there is a difference in bringing a mangy coyote body in for bounty and hunting for food. I have never butchered a kill. I have never been on a deer hunt or a hunt that I was not on private land with very limited access.

How does one start Deer hunting? Butchering? I know I would need licenses, tags and all that. Any good books?

I learned by going with others. Hands on > any other method.

 

[Member 34319]

Definitely recommend going with someone.

Getting hands on on how to break down an animal in the field is not something for the faint of heart.

I recall my first hunt for big game. I almost cried. I certainly got emotional once I was up close and personal. My friend helped me through the mental aspect of a first kill along with the tear down and such. I got bloody and cut up an animal I just shot and killed. It is something you will never forget. The second and third get easier. After that it's a lot easier. By the time you have a handful or two hands count, it won't be that big of a deal.

As for learning without a mentor.

Practice small.

Rabbits and pigs are great ways to learn. Hell, even practicing on whole chickens from the grocery store will help. It trains you how to disassemble an animal. Get a chicken and practice removing the skin from the muscle. Practice cutting joints and separating the sections of the chicken. Practice removing the breast meat from the carcass without tearing it all up. I worked kitchen prep during my high school years and that restaurant knife experience really helped.

Shooting is the easy part. Cutting up a significant sized animal is where the work begins! Get a good sharp knife! I swear by havalon knives. Buy one in a bright color and get a pack of extra blades. Use it when practicing on the chickens. Or whatever knives you choose, just don't buy something for the trip and open it the day before.


Oh, I also love butt plugs! This little device saves you a lot of crap! It's definitely a thing you'll need to learn how to use, but if you ever gutted without one before using one, you'd wonder why you never learned about them.



Enjoy the hunt and best of luck!

 

[ORhutner]

Check out Randy Newberg's video's on the gutless method. Any video on an elk or a deer will be the same principles just a difference in size. Have done both the traditional gutting method and gutless. I prefer to use the gutless method if the situation allows but I am not as quick with it as the traditional method of gutting an animal.

Lot's of good video's out there on butchering but nothing will beat hand's on experience. Just remember that the worst screw up only results in more meat for the burger pile so don't over think it.

 

[Howard1955]

If you're fit and strong, you probably won't need a block and tackle - but as you get older, you might want to use one with your gambrel.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/cabelas-spt-hd-gambrel-system?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=BPS%7CShopping%7CPMax%7CProprietary%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CNVol%7CNMT&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk96lBhDHARIsAEKO4xZgAs20CHsKt5rJU20ZG3THQNJ1Xb2igDnnQGi1rlAZ0thI1fXPQ4kaAjEfEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

The work begins after you've killed the animal. Have a plan for how you'll get the meat (or the whole carcass) moved to your vehicle.

You don't have to re-invent the wheel. Find someone who has a lot of experience, and learn from them.

If you're a good shot, and can clip the animal's spine, it'll drop in its tracks. "Shoot'em high, and watch'em die. Shoot'em low, and watch'em go."

 

[ColeInOregon]

YouTube. Meat Eater and Fresh Tracks are good shows. I'm still yet to kill a deer with a rifle. I've got more deer kills with my buddies car.

Also Meateater's "The Complete Guide To Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game" great books with great advise, directions, and step by step photos. If you find yourself looking for more recipes their cookbook is awesome too.

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Vol. 1, Big Game | MeatEater

A comprehensive big-game hunting guide book, perfect for hunters ranging from first-time novices to seasoned experts, with more than 400 full-color photographs, including work by renowned outdoor photographer John Hafner.

store.themeateater.com

 

[solv3nt]

Also Meateater's "The Complete Guide To Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game" great books with great advise, directions, and step by step photos. If you find yourself looking for more recipes their cookbook is awesome too.

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Vol. 1, Big Game | MeatEater

A comprehensive big-game hunting guide book, perfect for hunters ranging from first-time novices to seasoned experts, with more than 400 full-color photographs, including work by renowned outdoor photographer John Hafner.

store.themeateater.com

I haven't bought it yet, but it's in my cart.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

Check out Randy Newberg's video's on the gutless method. Any video on an elk or a deer will be the same principles just a difference in size. Have done both the traditional gutting method and gutless. I prefer to use the gutless method if the situation allows but I am not as quick with it as the traditional method of gutting an animal.

Lot's of good video's out there on butchering but nothing will beat hand's on experience. Just remember that the worst screw up only results in more meat for the burger pile so don't over think it.

^^^^^THIS!^^^^^
I've done this with my last 8 or 9 deer and elk. Much better way of doing things. Buy good game bags and have them with you. Bring along some black pepper also. Once the meat is in the bags dose the bags with the pepper and it'll help keep the yellow jackets off of 'em.
Have a way to touch up your knife blade!!! A very sharp knife is your best friend when breaking one down in the field.

 

[Bobbygun]

I swear by havalon knives. Buy one in a bright color and get a pack of extra blades. Use it when practicing on the chickens. Or whatever knives you choose, just don't buy something for the trip and open it the day before.

I got this exact knife for free by subscribing to a magazine. When it arrived, I nearly dismissed it as a cheap plastic piece of junk. It is now my "go to" knife. I keep it and some extra blades with my hunting license and tags. It is crazy sharp. I ran it into the palm of my hand while skinning a bull several years ago and didn't realize it until it became apparent there was more blood than should be coming from the elk's skin.

As for the OP, go slow on your first gutting job. The difference between doing it right and a stinky mess is a small fraction of an inch. Having someone who has done it before show how you would help immensely.

 

[Yarome]

I'll say... no matter how good of a shot you are, the adrenaline pump with a big game animal is very different and no one really knows how good of a shot they'll be with big hair in your sights. IE., I have an uncle that can light stick matches at distance with a .22, but put some big hair in front of him and it's almost a given we'll be doing some tracking. He's been real good at breaking spines, blowing up quarters with bone shots and producing a lot of green meat over the years though.

Other suggestions are great. I would be in the "go with someone who knows" camp. There are certain things you just can't learn from a 30min youtube or even a book. Tips and tricks for hauling, pinning for field dressing, etc... that just comes from experience about what works and what doesn't. Knowing when to quarter, the types of rucks that work... vs... sleds or wheeled carts... etc.

Knowing the terrain is half the battle and knowing how to read sign, vegetation or understanding animal habits and patterns is critical. Being able to navigate effectively and accurately is also critical. Those types of skills take time to hone and come much easier with someone to guide you.

In theory, dressing and butchering a deer, elk or moose is similar, except in scale, but some different approaches and the tools required can differ greatly. IE., you can reach right up under a deer's breastplate to get to the esophagus and upper organs... and worst case... a good knife and a rock will get you easily through the plate... if you wanna... but that simply isn't practical for an elk... let alone a moose.


There is no better way to start than just getting out and actually doing it though.. and you're never to old to begin.

 

[Yarome]

Just on knives.... investing in a decent set of meat knives makes butchering exponentially easier, neater and more uniform. Always double wrap (butcher paper) or as an alternative... the heavy freezer plastic wrap with a paper wrap.

Field dressing.... the best little knife I've every used... on any size animal is an oldtimer sharpfinger. Keeping it small, controlled and just an extension of your finger really makes life easier.... vs.... wrapping your hand round a handle and trying to use the blade as your "finger" without any fine tactile feedback.

 

[Knobgoblin]

Butchering is semi- intuitive. But knowing what to leave behind is going to help you save time, effort, space and materials ( freezer paper ain't free).

 

[Yarome]

Butchering is semi- intuitive. But knowing what to leave behind is going to help you save time, effort, space and materials ( freezer paper ain't free).

This is true. Some animals make for better hamburger than others, too... so getting into jerky and/or sausage making kind of goes hand in hand with processing your own meat. Either that or pay out the nose for a shop to do it for you... and don't plan on getting the meat you turn in coming back to you.

(Nothing worse than getting back processed products from someone elses animal that didn't take care of their meat properly)

Even steaks, many shops will put your animal through a bandsaw. Marrow tained meat from game animals and the inevitable bone fragments you'll get back isn't at all pleasant.

Processing your own is really the only foolproof way to ensure the quality of your meat... and makes the time and care you took to take care of it properly prior to processing worth the effort.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

Start with buying and butchering/boning whole chickens so you can get a feel for separating meat from carcass. Then watch a few YouTube videos and dig in. I've processed a few deer, turkeys, cows, ducks, emus, rabbits, and a few other animals. The first one can be a bit intimidating, specially when you're by yourself, but most animals are pretty similar once you get the skin off.

 

[2506]

The family and I are moving to Idaho with some major life changes planned ahead. I am a good shot, so ethical kills do not worry me. I am not the kind to make a shot I can't be sure of. Probably would use a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39 or a Ruger in .308. Other option would be a T/C encore. It is the gun I shoot best, and well, I have at least a dozen caliber options.

I have a background in eliminating nuisance animals years ago. However, there is a difference in bringing a mangy coyote body in for bounty and hunting for food. I have never butchered a kill. I have never been on a deer hunt or a hunt that I was not on private land with very limited access.

How does one start Deer hunting? Butchering? I know I would need licenses, tags and all that. Any good books?

Where in Idaho?

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[joken]

The family and I are moving to Idaho with some major life changes planned ahead. I am a good shot, so ethical kills do not worry me. I am not the kind to make a shot I can't be sure of. Probably would use a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39 or a Ruger in .308. Other option would be a T/C encore. It is the gun I shoot best, and well, I have at least a dozen caliber options.

I have a background in eliminating nuisance animals years ago. However, there is a difference in bringing a mangy coyote body in for bounty and hunting for food. I have never butchered a kill. I have never been on a deer hunt or a hunt that I was not on private land with very limited access.

How does one start Deer hunting? Butchering? I know I would need licenses, tags and all that. Any good books?

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=How+to+process+a+deer

 

[Tlock]

The bearded butchers are a good one to watch

 

[saw2]

If you plan on butchering the animal yourself as others have said there's a lot of info on the internet. One thing you won't find there is the smell and textures you'll be dealing with. Especially is there is much bloodshot on the critter. The more you do the better you'll get.

Also if you plan on breaking down and processing the meat yourself the one thing you'll want is some decent quality knives and a way to sharpen them. The other thing I recommend is a good quality meat grinder. A bit of expense at first but well worth the $$ in the long run. Don't buy a cheap inferior quality or one thats to small. You can use the grinder for all kinds of stuff. I don't raise or butcher hogs but buy pork butts when on sale and grind to make our own breakfast and other flavor sausage.

I bought my grinder used for Craigslist for about half price 15 years ago and it hasn't had one problem. Myself and hunting buddies use it to grind at least 3 elk a year plus all the other stuff we make. The used grinders if a quality grinder go fast in the classified ads so keep a eye out all the time and don't hesitate if you see a good deal as it will be gone fast.

It's a lot work but once you do it you'll get better at it. Can even be a family affair. When I started doing it my wife wanted nothing to do with it now she's a very good meat wrapper and always says "I'll be there to wrap". A sense of self satisfaction doing it yourself and when done the freezer full of quality meat that you've done from field to freezer is well worth it.