Processing a (road kill) Deer

 Apparently people are having difficulty finding someone to process their kill.

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pennsylvania-hunters-struggling-find-deer-processors/

That seems wrong.

In PA... Those animals should stay cold in the winter... Although... Doesn't look like freezing cold up there right now...

Maybe a pictorial post on how to process would be of some help?

 

I found this doe along the road side last week... Poor thing had a busted pelvis...

 

I salvage as much as I can... The cats help:

 

Observe the buckets and cooler... They contain rainwater.... The animal gets parted out into these... and what water remains is used to clean off the tailgate.

 

Here the animal lies on top of hide before I start removing parts...
 

2 legs removed...

 

2 Legs in cooler with rainwater.

Removed the other 2 legs...

Cut through ribs with a cross-cut saw... No special tools are required...

And the two pieces of the spine (where the tenderloin lives) plus the neck.

I prefer to freeze the largest pieces I can... Further processing can be done as necessary, later.

And hang the hide to dry.

 

4 legs...

And rib cages in one bag, neck and 2 pieces of spine in their own bags.

I used to put the entire carcass in the freezer unwrapped... I like eating deer meat, it won't get freezer burned even when left completely unwrapped... Unfortunately, it will freeze together...

 If you want to pry the frozen pieces apart with a pry bar.... wrapping is unnecessary... Personally, I got tired of doing that.... the pieces will freeze to the freezer shelf as well.

Now... A lot of hunters remove the tenderloin first... and sadly... they may even discard the entire deer afterwards...

I think that cutting the spine crosswise (tenderloin intact) for chops is a superiour cut of meat... And those people discarding the deer? Should be arrested. Lot of hungry people out there...

I hope this helps.