The last few deer seasons have been a bit frustrating for us, but there’s nothing to complain about this year. It seems the curse has finally been lifted, and we were able to wrap our hands around two beautiful sets of antlers.
My girlfriend, Emily, took her biggest buck ever, an odd-racked 10-point on the second Saturday afternoon of rifle season for deer, and I was more than happy to take home a handsome 8-point a few days later.
Adrenaline-fueled phone calls, texts to friends and loved ones and wonderful photos will become cherished, lifelong memories. But when the dust cloud of excitement settled, reality set in.
We had two nice deer hanging, but also demanding careers, young children and busy lives with very little free time. Regardless, it was our responsibility to turn our hard-earned trophies into much-appreciated meals.
At least we were set up with the right equipment to process quickly and efficiently in the unseasonably warm temperatures. Or were we?
I will never begrudge anyone for taking their game animals to a wild game processor. Ensuring game animals are properly cared for and processed appropriately is applaudable. Varying skill levels, time restraints and other factors play heavily into a hunter’s decision of whether to butcher their own game. Often the most responsible thing to do is drop it off with a professional.
That said, I believe every hunter should possess at least the basic required skills and knowledge to process their kills on their own if necessary. If the choice is made to process game at home, having the proper equipment is paramount.
I chose years ago to start butchering all my big game at home, except for moose. I invested in budget-friendly equipment, including a household-grade vacuum sealer, a low-end but reliable meat grinder, a decent set of knives and a few simple kitchen cutting boards.
My little kit, coupled with an abundance of free time, allowed me to process the occasional deer, bear or turkey at my leisure without issue or urgency. But with Emily’s increased interest in hunting, and my insatiable appetite for wild game, we often find ourselves tackling multiple animals at once, or in rapid succession, while also juggling a long list of real-life responsibilities.
Emily’s buck chilled nicely during the first night, when temperatures dipped into the 20s. It would be the last of cool weather, and the following two weeks saw temperatures in the low 40s at night, with daytime highs reaching the upper 40s, and low 50s. That is far too warm to safely hang a deer for any amount of time.
Fortunately, we own a freezer large enough to stuff a deer or bear into if we find ourselves in a pinch. It’s not perfect, but it works.
We were managing one deer just fine, but when we pulled a second out of the woods, things started to get a bit stressful. We needed to get Emily’s buck processed quickly to make room for mine so it could cool down, hang for a bit and be ready to process as soon as possible.
It’s hard enough for us to find a few hours of free time, let alone an afternoon or full day to get much of anything done. I did my best to make use of an hour here and there to work on Emily’s deer. I needed our equipment to work quickly, and efficiently, but I was struggling.
The vacuum sealer was slow, and not sealing as well as I’d like. And then, while rushing to grind 12 pounds of burger, I finally pushed the little grinder too hard. The failure was catastrophic, and there was no fixing it. Luckily, I had reached the bottom of the grind pile, but there was soon to be more.
Frustrated, I realized there was no other option. It was time for an equipment upgrade. A few clicks on the Cabela’s website, and nearly $700 later, our commercial-grade vacuum sealer, grinder and other odds and ends were on a rush order. They arrived just in time for us to tackle my buck, and lower my blood pressure out of the red zone.
Despite our confidence and experience with processing wild game at home, our unexpected success this season proved to be a reality check. With success comes responsibility, and having the right equipment ready to go is crucial.
We were lucky to get by with our budget butchering setup for a long time, but this year it nearly cost us more than a Cabela’s bill. And though I’ve cringed a few times looking at our bank account, being prepared is no longer a concern.
