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High Plains Outdoors: Tips For Butchering Deer

Luke with a quartered mule deer buck he harvested in New Mexcio last week while hunting with his friends at Hunters Supply www.hunterssupply.com.

In this week's show, Luke gives some tips that might help you transform that big buck or doe into some tasty steaks and roasts.

Hanging a deer a couple of days before butchering is always a good idea, but sometimes not possible because of warm temperatures. In a controlled environment, such as a walk-in cooler that can keep the meat just above freezing for several days greatly improves the flavor. If the weather is cool, it's always a good idea to hang the deer in a garage, barn or covered structure for a couple days.

During warm weather with no access to a cooler, Luke often quarters his deer and packs it in ice in a cooler for a couple days. With the cooler tilted, the melt water can drain.

Some hunters swear by leaving their venison in a cooler with ice for up to a week, but a couple days definitely improves the flavor.

Marinating the steaks in buttermilk is also a good idea before cooking them. The lactic acid in the buttermilk works to not only tenderize the meat but give it a bit of added flavor, as well.  

Outdoors writer, radio host and book author Luke Clayton has been addicted to everything outdoors related since his childhood when he grew up hunting and fishing in rural northeast Texas. Luke pens a weekly newspaper column that appears in over thirty newspapers.