Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Ambull01]

Yes you can. There is jerky, and hot sticks, and pretty much anything you want. I haven't gotten enough to experiments with jerky, hot sticks or the other stuff. Soon you will be asking about grinders, butchering knives, and butchering techniques. By the way since I started cutting up my own deer, I won't take it to a shop. I wrap my meat in plastic wrap and freezer paper or straight into freezer game bags.

Anytime you want to share some tips/resources regarding how to properly butcher a deer you can share it with me via PM. Will be much appreciated. Get some "me" time alone in the woods with a bow/crossbow then go straight to scrounging firewood. Sounds like good times lol

 

[Ambull01]

Gorilla cart then load him in the van LOL

lol. Well for now it will be one handle wheel barrow then van.

 

[nomad_archer]

Get a drag rope with double shoulder straps and pull. Or for the really big one get a deer cart.

 

[svk]

I've scrounged 2 cast iron Dutch ovens over the last few years
Now that the temps have dropped it's the time to get in the woods for next year's wood before the snows stop us .
TKeller , thanks for that , the neighbour thot it was called walking stick so with what you and DFK have provided I know what it is , I was hoping for locust
Nobody wants to trade that terrible looking red oak for balsam fir ?
I'll do a 2 for 1 trade

I have scrounged two as well. Big one I traded a guy for a sleeping bag. Small one from a yard sale for $20.

 

[huskyslinger]

That was just the top. The butt log had at least 2 cord in it.

 

[MustangMike]

Tough to keep up with all the posts.

Unless I'm at a party, I don't consume alcoholic beverages until the day is done, just something that works for me (and keeps me out of trouble).

I butcher my own deer, it is a lot of work. Just use knives, it is better that way (no fat or bone when I'm done). I put it in zip lock freezer bags, works well. I try to make as much of it as I can into steaks, then some stew chunks, then some for the grinder for burgers. I generally mix it with 1/3 store bought chop meat, and add various things.

Oh yea, I dropped two trees today, a Red Oad and a Hickory. They were both near, and leaning toward my friend Harold's house, so we roped them and pulled them the other way. Harold echoed what I have said previously, "that Hickory can really slow a saw down". Everything went as planned, was done dropping and cutting them up by 11:00, then it was warm enough to finish staining a portion of the house. Done with that project for the year ... thankfully!

And finally, The Mets SWEEP!!!! I almost can't believe it. The last time they won a Word Series, I was hunting/backpacked in a remote area of the Adirondack Mtns and we were trying to listen on a little 3' X 5" battery powered radio, when the signal came through!

 

[farmer steve]

Your buck? If so congrats! That's a nice one.

not mine. i wish.my 1 buddy's deer. his son told him about some big bucks hanging out at their aunts property. only about 300 yards off of rt. 30. after he got this one his son told him that was the smallest one of the 3 he had seen. i did see one yesterday morning that dwarfed him but i wasn't in my stand.

 

[nomad_archer]

If that was the small one of the bunch, then there are some super bucks down on that property. I am going on a quick scouting mission this weekend to attempt to find a spot on some game lands 5 min from my house. I plan on hunting next Friday and maybe Saturday. I am tempted, to take off Thursday from work as well but that is weather dependent. Next weeks hunting is my first time out this year and really just to get the kinks out before I go to my cabin for a week in November. Although I wont pass up a shot if one presents itself.

 

[nomad_archer]

MustangMike, I only use knives and a grinder to butcher my deer. It is a lot of work but worth it. I take the tenderloins and backstraps out and the rest goes in the grinder since that is 90% of what gets used in my house. I like to add beef suet(fat) into the ground meat. Helps keep it from drying out when cooked.

 

[svk]

My guy charges 100 bucks. That includes wrapping all steak meat in packages of your choice, at least two roasts, making the mock tenderloin from the front legs into a delicious breakfast meat concoction, bagging meat scraps, and disposing of the carcass.

I then take the scraps and have them ground with 50 percent beef meat which adds fat, reduces venison flavor, and doubles the poundage. Or when we have them make sausage they add 1/3 pork. Either way you can't go wrong.

 

[Ambull01]

I need to be an electric chain grinder. Have 10 chains I got from Ace Hardware for free but now I don't feel like hand sharpening all of them lol.

Just finished the online portion of the hunter safety course and registered for the required field day part. Field day is Nov 7. I read the first few weeks in November is when the bucks are most active due to breeding so looks like I'll probably miss my chance for a P&C record this year.

 

[nomad_archer]

svk - its 80-100+ around me to get a basic cut without fat. Last one I had butchered I was disappointed with the quality etc. I have only had my own grinder for 2 seasons, this is the third year I have had it and it has paid for itself. Since I put 4 deer through it, my dad put one through it and my friend put a few through as well. I have been butchering with my dad out of necessity sometimes since I was 15 or so. Now we do all of our own. I used to use his equipment but then I grew up got a job and moved out.

Ambull, November is good period. I take my vacation the second week of November every year and have had some good results. Not many bucks but I have gotten deer. The hunting at my cabin is less than ideal. Low deer numbers and a lot of big woods with very little crops. Once you get your ok from hunters safety get out and hunt. Go out now to walk in the woods and do some scouting.

 

[USMC615]

Peak of the rut here is mid-Nov. Does that don't get bred during that time will come into estrus approx 30 days later in Dec. All is not lost if ya can't get in the woods during the peak of the rut. Buddy of mine texted me a little while ago...shot a decent 8-pointer and then two does first thing this morning over a big food plot of iron peas and rye grass.

 

[svk]

NA there are a lot of hack jobs around here too. You may (probably) don't even get your own meat. I have a big problem with that. My guy is my former neighbor and used to be a butcher. He keeps a clean shop.


Some places charge upwards of 200 and the biggest operation requires you to skin it and still pay 125. No thanks.

 

[MustangMike]

I add some bacon, onion, etc to my chop meat (and I have a grinder) but I find it just comes out better if I also mix it with 1/3 chop meat.

The backstrap is my favorite. Cut it in sections about 4" long and cook it rare like filet minion. A marinate with sliced ginger root, olive oil, and some Kikkoman soy sauce gets rid of any gammy flavor.

My father in law, before he passed, told me they were as good as the best filet minion he ever had, and he did not hunt and grew up in NYC.

 

[nomad_archer]

svk, the last butcher I took it to was a legitimate full time butcher at my cabin. And my deer was the only one he had. I had to wait until he finished some hogs before he got to the deer. What I didn't like is I asked for boneless roasts and ended up with bone in. That didn't make me to happy when I opened the pack to put in the slow cooker and that was the last time I went to a butcher. I was at cabelas two days later picking up my 3/4 horse grinder. There are a lot of questionable butchers as well.

Mike - backstraps are my favorite. I like to cut mine into reasonable 8"-10" chunks when I butcher depending on the side of the deer. I like to butterfly the fillet and add a little salt and 5 pepper blend and grill on low for 6 min a side. Ends up rare to medium rare and is so good. My dad puts backstraps in the slow cooker and they always come out dry. I cant get him to change either.

 

[crazywolf]

Ya'll are making me jealous with all this hunting talk. I've wanted to start deer hunting for a while but have no clue how to get started.

I was lucky to have some friends who hunted so I started going with them. It made learning to break down the deer easier and gave me a 2nd place to hunt. You really just need a decent knife to break down a deer. Youtube has a ton of video's for field dressing. However if you are careful you can get 90% of the meat without gutting. I pull the loins an back strap the rest will go to grind or maybe a bone in roast. I did jerky for the first time last year and it was pretty good. I cheated and hit Bass Pro for the seasoning. There is nothing like knowing exactly where your food comes from. If I kill a deer late or am in a hurry I have a processor that you just need to gut then drop off. He charges a little over a 1$ a pound. If you want sausage it's a little more for the seasoning. He wraps in butcher paper and it stays good a long time. I usually vac seal mine including the grind. I use a 80/20 mix of beef fat.

We get 3 antlered and 3 non-antlered tags a year in VA. I try and hunt every season but it works out to about every other weekend. Late bow/muzzleloader/early gun is generally our best time due to the rut. If you are buying a bow or crossbow I usually tell people get a bow if you want a challenge get a crossbow if you just want more time to harvest deer.

Not sure how far away from KD you are but you are welcome to come down and hunt my place. It's not very big but we have plenty of deer. I have a couple ladder stands up.

 

[crazywolf]

I add some bacon, onion, etc to my chop meat (and I have a grinder) but I find it just comes out better if I also mix it with 1/3 chop meat.

The backstrap is my favorite. Cut it in sections about 4" long and cook it rare like filet minion. A marinate with sliced ginger root, olive oil, and some Kikkoman soy sauce gets rid of any gammy flavor.

My father in law, before he passed, told me they were as good as the best filet minion he ever had, and he did not hunt and grew up in NYC.

svk, the last butcher I took it to was a legitimate full time butcher at my cabin. And my deer was the only one he had. I had to wait until he finished some hogs before he got to the deer. What I didn't like is I asked for boneless roasts and ended up with bone in. That didn't make me to happy when I opened the pack to put in the slow cooker and that was the last time I went to a butcher. I was at cabelas two days later picking up my 3/4 horse grinder. There are a lot of questionable butchers as well.

Mike - backstraps are my favorite. I like to cut mine into reasonable 8"-10" chunks when I butcher depending on the side of the deer. I like to butterfly the fillet and add a little salt and 5 pepper blend and grill on low for 6 min a side. Ends up rare to medium rare and is so good. My dad puts backstraps in the slow cooker and they always come out dry. I cant get him to change either.

Man ya'll are making me hungry. I usually cut the backstrap into 1/2" slices then pound it out. Makes removing the silver skin easier too. Soak in worcester for a little while then do a House Autry jalapeno breading. Fry in cast iron and bacon grease until the blood just starts to rise then flip. Generally 90 seconds a side if that.
I just love vension in general though. Last weekend we had quesadilla's with ground vension made up in a chipolte sauce.

 

[svk]

I use Lawry's "Steakhouse" marinade on any venison I intend to grill. Put it in a covered glass bowl (never marinade red meat in stainless bowls as it can leach chemicals as the meat reacts to it) or in a ziplock with all of the air squeezed out.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

My wife and I butcher right on the kitchen table (with a big plastic tablecloth on top of it). The loins become chops and roasts. I cut a few steaks from the hindquarters. The rest gets either chunked up into stew meat, which we pressure can, or ground into burger.

If you haven't done it and have the technology, canned venison is the best thing on earth - great flavor, and just need to heat and eat.