How to Skin & Butcher a Deer

Some hunters shoot and kill a deer, and then take the whole thing to a meat processor to have it skinned and cut up. Others, however, prefer to personally do the work of skinning and butchering the deer, and make the process of doing so an extension of the hunt itself. Though this is time-consuming, taking part in the process of transforming a wild deer into venison adds personal satisfaction to enjoying the meat in meals to come.

Things You'll Need

  • Knife
  • Saw
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Instructions

    • 1

      Insert your knife into the skin around the deer's crotch, to a depth just below the animal's hide. Cut up the length of the body until the knife is at the deer's sternum, then cut back down toward the crotch with your knife about 1/2-inch into the animal. Cut slowly, taking care to not puncture internal organs.

    • 2

      Reach into the cut you made and remove the deer's organs. Use a knife as necessary, taking care not to slice the animal's stomach.

    • 3

      Hang the deer with its head facing downward, if possible. Make an incision around the deer's neck so you can grab its skin and fur. Make vertical incisions on each of its legs so that you can remove the skin and fur from these as well, then grab the skin and fur from the neck and pull downward to peel them off the animal's body. Use your knife as necessary to remove the hide.

    • 4

      Remove the deer's head by cutting it off with a saw. Dispose of the head in the garbage, or per local regulations. Saw the bottom of the deer's legs off, just above the joint in the middle of the leg.

    • 5

      Locate the backbone where it meets the animal's hind end. Saw through the middle of the backbone all the way to the other end of the deer. When complete, the deer body should be in two equal halves.

    • 6

      Saw through the joints that connect the deer's legs to its body. The shoulder and ham meat surrounds these joints. Use a knife to cut the meat from the bone, then package this meat in a paper or plastic wrapping and freeze it, unless you plan to use it right away.

    • 7

      Cut the meat on either side of the spine with a knife. This meat is the backstraps and tenderloins. Cut them into steak-sized sections and wrap them. Freeze the backstraps and tenderloins also unless you have plans to eat them right away.

    • 8

      Cut out the meat between the ribs. Combine this meat with any other extra meat from the deer. Cut it into small sections. This can be used to make a stew, or packaged and brought into a meat processor, and have it ground.