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When the deer is down, the hunt is not over.
An important part of any deer hunt is processing the meat. Hunters have choices to make after harvesting a deer. They must decide whether to take the deer to a professional processing company or to butcher the animal themselves.
In mid-October, 51 people chose to learn how to process a deer at a “Field to Freezer” program put on by the Missouri Department of Conservation at the Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center in northern Newton County.
The program was divided into six sections. Adam Bracken, conservation agent in Jasper County, spoke about this year’s deer hunting regulations. Later he pitched in to help workshop instructor Don Scott process the deer. Bracken said that Scott’s presentation is probably the only program like this in the state of Missouri
Dave Wood, of Scott’s Taxidermy Studio, showed how to preserve the head and cape if a mount is to be made from a harvested deer. He emphasized that too many people do not leave enough cape.
“The sooner you get your mount to the taxidermist, the better,” he said.
Don Scott then took over the night’s program. He began by showing the best tools for processing a deer. A flexible boning knife, a good steel, an Arkansas stone, a meat hook, a cleaver, and a protective glove for the holding hand are the tools that make deer processing much easier.
Scott then began processing a “road killed” deer. He demonstrated a method of deboning the deer while leaving the meat in one large piece. He said this procedure was perfected after a fear that some deer may have “wasting disease.”
Humans can only get this disease from the spinal cord or brain of an infected deer, Scott said. But, by not cutting bones there is never any danger of contracting the disease.
Scott also played a video of a deer being field dressed, pointing out the best way to do this job immediately after the kill.
After removing the meat from the bones, Scott showed how to cut the meat from a deer. Showing the best cuts, the loins, he said, “Now these are what you cook for your special friends.”
In the demonstration, Scott cut everything from filet mignon to venison roasts. He told how to prepare stew meat and jerky. With the major cuts taken away, the remainder and trimmings of the meat are ground into venison hamburger.
Scott’s wife Lois helped show how to wrap the cut meat selections and told how to place them in a freezer.
Don Scott told his students, “I only have 50 years experience doing this, but I learn from members of the audience at each of these programs.”
Scott said he feels that processing the harvested deer is just another pleasure that can be gotten from a successful hunt.
When the deer is down, the hunt is not over.
An important part of any deer hunt is processing the meat. Hunters have choices to make after harvesting a deer. They must decide whether to take the deer to a professional processing company or to butcher the animal themselves.
In mid-October, 51 people chose to learn how to process a deer at a “Field to Freezer” program put on by the Missouri Department of Conservation at the Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center in northern Newton County.
The program was divided into six sections. Adam Bracken, conservation agent in Jasper County, spoke about this year’s deer hunting regulations. Later he pitched in to help workshop instructor Don Scott process the deer. Bracken said that Scott’s presentation is probably the only program like this in the state of Missouri
Dave Wood, of Scott’s Taxidermy Studio, showed how to preserve the head and cape if a mount is to be made from a harvested deer. He emphasized that too many people do not leave enough cape.
“The sooner you get your mount to the taxidermist, the better,” he said.
Don Scott then took over the night’s program. He began by showing the best tools for processing a deer. A flexible boning knife, a good steel, an Arkansas stone, a meat hook, a cleaver, and a protective glove for the holding hand are the tools that make deer processing much easier.
Scott then began processing a “road killed” deer. He demonstrated a method of deboning the deer while leaving the meat in one large piece. He said this procedure was perfected after a fear that some deer may have “wasting disease.”
Humans can only get this disease from the spinal cord or brain of an infected deer, Scott said. But, by not cutting bones there is never any danger of contracting the disease.
Scott also played a video of a deer being field dressed, pointing out the best way to do this job immediately after the kill.
After removing the meat from the bones, Scott showed how to cut the meat from a deer. Showing the best cuts, the loins, he said, “Now these are what you cook for your special friends.”
In the demonstration, Scott cut everything from filet mignon to venison roasts. He told how to prepare stew meat and jerky. With the major cuts taken away, the remainder and trimmings of the meat are ground into venison hamburger.
Scott’s wife Lois helped show how to wrap the cut meat selections and told how to place them in a freezer.
Don Scott told his students, “I only have 50 years experience doing this, but I learn from members of the audience at each of these programs.”
Scott said he feels that processing the harvested deer is just another pleasure that can be gotten from a successful hunt.
