Processing Your Own Game

Do you process your own game? If not, there’s plenty of reasons to start:

• It saves money;
• There's no waiting to get your meat from the processor
• You know where your meat came from and how it's been handled;
• You know that the meat you eat is from the animal you shot
• You can learn about the anatomy of the animals you hunt.

Every hunter should at least be familiar with what it takes to process an animal. And while it may seem like a daunting task at first, if you gutted the animal, and packed the animal out, you've already taken care hard part.

The best way to learn how to process game is from someone that is experienced and has at least a mild interest in coaching. But if that’s not possible, there are many great resources available by which to learn. Check out the guides below and if you decide to give processing a go, be sure to keep the following tips in mind:

• Always follow natural separations of muscle
• Remove fat to limit gamey flavor
• For best storage, seal in air tight, vacuum packed bags
• To avoid freezer burn, cut into steaks just before cooking, rather than when freezing

Be sure to check out this 3-part Video Series by D.E. Benson, from Colorado State University:

1. Field Dressing
2. Skinning
3. Processing

Tim BrassTim Brass

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