Let' s See, At $200 each....
11-06-2003, 09:42 AM
#21
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Posts: 1,964
RE: Let' s See, At $200 each....
NBH,
There are books and there are videos. They will take your money. They will show you some things. BUT..... your best opportunity is right now!!! I assume your deer season is just coming up, and if it is over some hunters may be aging their deer carcasses so there is still opportunity.
Work your network and find someone who will butcher their own and offer to help but be careful not to get put to work doing the menial stuff while you are missing the " big picture --- how to do it" scene. My elk hunting mentors from Michigan let me sit in their tent while they butchered 3 elk. I didn' t touch a knife, they didn' t want me to, they were a well oil disassembly line.
I sat in the corner and drew pictures of the quarter, the pieces after " the big cut" (debone) and made notes of how they did it. Front quarter this way, here is how you debone it, and out of the two pieces that fall off of the bone, there is one steak quality cut in there and here it is, the rest is roast, if in doubt everything else is burger.
Here is how you debone the hind quarter, here are the pieces that " fall" of the bone. You kinda pull/cut them apart like this... here is a steak cut, see how fine the grain of the meat is, these are roasts see how they are more course, that is trash, that is hamburger, oooh that is a nice cut of meat!
Here is the back strap, these are easy but here is one little trick to get it all.
Nothing, and I mean nothing will substitute for that experience. Find someone that has several animals to process -- this is crucial that way you can draw/record on the first one and then anticipate and see if you were right on the second and third ones, plus draw more clarifying pictures. Once you get the big picture (and only then like after the 3rd animla) offer to jump in with a knife and work, trim off silverskin, trim off fat, trim off tendons, sinew; pick off hair, square up ends, no that' s too big -- there' s not that many in my family cut it in half and make two.
Just bear in mind that you are now versed in the way one person butchers, it might be good, it might be poor but it is light years ahead of the balance of hunters that don' t have a clue! Now you can save some serious money, control the quality of your meat, and make the whole hunting process much more personal (kinda like the Lion King' s " circle of life" ).
Once you have them dead, packed, and the quarters on the cutting table, then you can pretty much apply what you learned on deer straight over to elk - sizing may vary a bit, but the anatomy will be the same. Sitting in on someone' s elk butchering session would be best, but sitting in on someone' s deer butchering session will still put you light years ahead of the books or videos. In fact, buy the books and videos AFTER you sit in on someone' s session --- they will mean LOTS more to you!
It' s not too late!! The window of opportunity will close pretty quick for you, though. Find someone local and jump into it! You' ll be all ready for next year, bear in mind that on your first animal alone that you will proceed at about 1/3 the pace that an experienced butcher does -- check your pictures/notes and be bold and blaze ahead! Once you pay the price of the watching/drawings/helping session and the " first one by myself" session the price is paid and you are there!
Go get ' em!
Never Go Undergunned, Always Check The Sight In, Perform At Showtime,
EKM
There are books and there are videos. They will take your money. They will show you some things. BUT..... your best opportunity is right now!!! I assume your deer season is just coming up, and if it is over some hunters may be aging their deer carcasses so there is still opportunity.
Work your network and find someone who will butcher their own and offer to help but be careful not to get put to work doing the menial stuff while you are missing the " big picture --- how to do it" scene. My elk hunting mentors from Michigan let me sit in their tent while they butchered 3 elk. I didn' t touch a knife, they didn' t want me to, they were a well oil disassembly line.
I sat in the corner and drew pictures of the quarter, the pieces after " the big cut" (debone) and made notes of how they did it. Front quarter this way, here is how you debone it, and out of the two pieces that fall off of the bone, there is one steak quality cut in there and here it is, the rest is roast, if in doubt everything else is burger.
Here is how you debone the hind quarter, here are the pieces that " fall" of the bone. You kinda pull/cut them apart like this... here is a steak cut, see how fine the grain of the meat is, these are roasts see how they are more course, that is trash, that is hamburger, oooh that is a nice cut of meat!
Here is the back strap, these are easy but here is one little trick to get it all.
Nothing, and I mean nothing will substitute for that experience. Find someone that has several animals to process -- this is crucial that way you can draw/record on the first one and then anticipate and see if you were right on the second and third ones, plus draw more clarifying pictures. Once you get the big picture (and only then like after the 3rd animla) offer to jump in with a knife and work, trim off silverskin, trim off fat, trim off tendons, sinew; pick off hair, square up ends, no that' s too big -- there' s not that many in my family cut it in half and make two.
Just bear in mind that you are now versed in the way one person butchers, it might be good, it might be poor but it is light years ahead of the balance of hunters that don' t have a clue! Now you can save some serious money, control the quality of your meat, and make the whole hunting process much more personal (kinda like the Lion King' s " circle of life" ).
Once you have them dead, packed, and the quarters on the cutting table, then you can pretty much apply what you learned on deer straight over to elk - sizing may vary a bit, but the anatomy will be the same. Sitting in on someone' s elk butchering session would be best, but sitting in on someone' s deer butchering session will still put you light years ahead of the books or videos. In fact, buy the books and videos AFTER you sit in on someone' s session --- they will mean LOTS more to you!
It' s not too late!! The window of opportunity will close pretty quick for you, though. Find someone local and jump into it! You' ll be all ready for next year, bear in mind that on your first animal alone that you will proceed at about 1/3 the pace that an experienced butcher does -- check your pictures/notes and be bold and blaze ahead! Once you pay the price of the watching/drawings/helping session and the " first one by myself" session the price is paid and you are there!
Go get ' em!
Never Go Undergunned, Always Check The Sight In, Perform At Showtime,
EKM
11-07-2003, 08:43 PM
#22
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Shakopee MN USA
Posts: 1,001
RE: Let' s See, At $200 each....
ELKampMaster,
Where you a teacher at one point in time?? You have offered some great insight into many different aspects of the hunt. Maybe I skimmed over it, but not once did you talk about the hunt, the kill or setting it up. Just the aspect of what happens after the kill. Really refreshing in my eyes.. Great camp setup and thanks for all the info.
Where you a teacher at one point in time?? You have offered some great insight into many different aspects of the hunt. Maybe I skimmed over it, but not once did you talk about the hunt, the kill or setting it up. Just the aspect of what happens after the kill. Really refreshing in my eyes.. Great camp setup and thanks for all the info.
