Meet the turnip-patch doe. It happened back when my middle son Ethan was just a boy. We were on a special youth hunt not far from the west bank of the Missouri River in South Dakota. The youngster was working like a trooper through some rough, cold weather in an attempt to kill his first...
Expert whitetail hunting guide Jon Heaton from Texas explains how he learned to fully process a deer in less than 10 minutes. If you’re looking for a new way to skin and process a deer, this may be it. Heaton has been using this method to process deer for years on the Patterson Ranch....
Everyone who hunts deer and processes their own meat has a way of doing it they believe is the best, and for them it usually is. But there’s nothing wrong with considering another way and, possibly, learning something to use at your camp or home. Scott Rea is a father and butcher from St....
Do you know how to efficiently and economically take apart a deer’s hindquarter, from top to bottom? If you’ve been processing your own deer for years then you likely have a method that is comfortable and works well for you. But it’s always good to maybe learn something new, right? One of our favorite...
Venison jerky is one of the easiest and most delicious snacks you can make, and it’s more fun to turn out some tasty batches with your own deer. Weston Supply’s awesome Jerky Board and Knife Combo combines a double-sided oak cutting board and stainless steel knife. Make precise cuts for slices of meat that...
What kind of knives do you have for breaking down your deer at camp or home? Good ones? Dull ones? Something crappy you hack with because it was Great Uncle Petey’s he lost in the dirt at the barn, and you feel compelled to continue using it? C’mon, now, we all know better. With...
What do you get when you combine the greatness of venison, the fantasticness (is that a word?) of tequila-spice marinade, and the awesomeness of hot fajitas? Fantastically awesome Tequila Marinated Venison Fajitas of greatness, of course. Whether your processor preps your deer meat or you take the time to do your own at home,...
OK, all you DIY deer hunters out there, don’t blow a gasket when you read the next sentence. I’ve paid more than $250 this year for venison processing, which doesn’t include the gas purchased to drive to my hunting spots and any other costs associated with the seasons. The latter costs have been minimal...
One of the easiest things you can make with your venison is jerky, and with the season wide open it’s a good bet you’ve had more than one snack stick or two this year. Jerky has been around for many, many years. Various forms of it have been recorded through Native American history, of...
While doing a little venison prep the other night on a deer I killed last week, I started thinking about the post-trim routines I’ve heard of over the years. “Soak your venison in …” and then it’ll often be followed by water, milk, buttermilk or maybe something else. Not a marinade. These “soaks” are...
