Considering boning my deer out in the field this year to avoid the long drags I'll have. I figured if I already had them boned out, it wouldnt be to much more trouble to cut em up myself. I never do anything fancy anyways. Mainly burger and cube steak. What would be some good small scale options to start with?

Also, let's say I killed on a Saturday mornin of a weekend trip. If I packed the deer on ice, would cutting it up on Monday afternoon be to long to wait?

No you should be fine. I’ve used processor & done my own. Just keep iced down and drain water unless you want nasty gray brown meat. I’ve quartered them and finished back home a week or 10 days later.

I've cut my own for the last 14-15 years. It's easy, a good fillet knife and a good butcher knife is about all you need. Quarter it out and pack on ice. When you add ice make sure the meat stays on TOP of the ice not down in the bottom of the cooler soaking in the bloody water.

Why lord no. Red meat is best if aged at least a few days anyway.

I do my own. I debone it when I process it. Hams get turned in to small steaks (get a handcrank cuber). Backstraps get cut into 2-3 sections per side. Remaining gets ground into burger (get a grinder). Then I split up the burger and make some into sausage, and the remaining burger is made into jerky (get a jerky gun). All of it gets frozen in freezer bags (get a vacuum sealer).

I've had meat on ice for 4-5 days with the drain plug open. Don't let it soak in ice water.

What’s the deal with not soaking in ice water? We’ve always let it soak in ice water couple days before dropping at processor

i do my own

With CWD in the picture, there’s no way I’m letting my deer meat mingle with other folks’ deer. It can only increase the odds of exposure.

I watched the kids working at a processor "de-bone" a couple of my deer about 15 years ago. Two cuts and they were done with a hindquarter. Those were the last deer I didn't de-bone myself.

My guesstimation is that when I de-bone my deer, I'm getting, at a minimum, twice the amount of meat those jackwagons managed to cut off a deer.

ive left quartered deer in ice water close to a week just the surface turns gray never notice it after its processed. the back strap and tenderloins just go strait to the freezer

I don’t see the point. I don’t soak my ribeyes in ice water.

If i have time I do it myself. Quarter it up and soak in ice and salt for about 5-6 days. De-bone after that then grind and wrap. I definetly notice more meat from a deer when I do it myself and the taste us usually better too.

Me and Tyler have been doing our own for several years. Nothing to it. A grinder is the only thing special we have bought. I use freezer paper from Dunham’s and ziplock bags.

I would recommend a good 6” fillet knife for boning and a decent butcher knife to slice your steaks.

Quarter mine and store in tubs in a fridge for 4-7 days. Then debone, grind, cut steaks etc....Aging the meat allows enzymes naturally present to tenderize it...Don't put in any water except to rinse off as I process...

I've cut mine up last 20 years and most peoples that i know... but sold out store last year..salt water helps the taste if there's a lot of blood shot..otherwise I've done both...most deer will taste the same grind wise but the real differences in a nice job comes in the cube steak, need to separate all muscles then pull the silver off and cube up then sideways about 7 times each..save this post and remind me I'll help u on the 1st one next season...i got other stuff to add, just pm if interested im tired of typing

Hang them in cool temps for a few days then process. Best meat ever if you can do it.

Wow ain't u very confident bowtard. I've never knew of u killing anything but a bunch time and nearly urself one time lol. Ur nothing more than a berry picker

I would tell you what to do, but I’d be wasting my time like always. WilbAnks never listens to me anyway, so why now? That’s why I catch more fish than you, and I’m not married. 🤣🤣

If I store mine in a cooler, I keep it in ziplock bags until I get it to a refrigerator. I like to do the final processing after about 10 days or so. I'm not a fan of meat soaked in water. I separate the 2 large muscles from each hindquarter, the back straps, the tenderloin then rest will be ground. I like a good flexible boning knife and I keep a few sharp and ready. During the de-boning process, keeping your knife and hands clean, and thus the meat, is the most important part of the entire process, imho.

The only thing you can tell me that I dont already know, is how to get fatter.