Start-to-Finish Deer Harvest Processing
Wiggins and BigBear demonstrate how to use the natural lines of silverskin to separate muscle groups for roasts, jerky, burger, and other various goods from a venison front and hind quarter.
By MASHKODE-BIZHIKGAHBAW, BENJI SAM
CARING FOR YOUR HARVEST
On October 14, the Mille Lacs Band Department of Natural Resources put on a deer processing event open to all tribal members as well as a group from Nay Ah Shing school to learn how to cape, quarter, debone, trim, grind, package, and enjoy a freshly harvested white-tailed deer. There is an art to being able to care for your harvest from start to finish and many people are unaware of how simple and rewarding the process can be.
This deer processing class started as a vision by Band member Carla BigBear, who grew up enjoying deer meat, but never knew how to process on her own. After learning how to butcher, she realized the importance of being able to share this with her friends, loved ones, and her community so that others may also ask questions and learn simple processing to enjoy their own fall harvest.
“When we first started hunting more, I didn’t know how to process my own deer,” said BigBear. “I was so used to bringing my deer to the meat market to get processed, and although it was always enjoyable, it also cost quite a bit of money every fall,” she said. Now, BigBear, after learning from Keith Wiggins, helps butcher and process all their meat, and they have found enjoyment from being able to share their food with others around them.
The class brought a total of nearly 40 people, including many students, to watch and learn as a beautiful young buck was harvested for the demonstration. As Wiggins and other DNR staff began removing the hide, Jordan Williams, who is a biologist for the Band, explained how to age a whitetail, how to tell if a deer is showing signs of CWD/other sickness, and the importance of safe handling when caring for your harvest. Students began jumping in to aid in the skinning, quartering, and removal of the meat in preparation for the next step. Wiggins and Williams explained how to trace boney landmarks to reduce loss of meat and how to keep the hide intact, and even showed the spinal ligaments that were once used by Native people across the world for making bowstrings and twine.
Once quartered and deboned, Wiggins and BigBear began to demonstrate how to break down each quarter to keep muscle groups intact by using the natural lines between muscles to direct their precise cuts. Both stressed the importance of a sharp knife and safe cutting techniques to reduce risk of injury while butchering.
Once separated into roasts, shanks, steaks, backstraps, and others, they explained how to help draw the excess blood from the meat with a simple water/salt brine overnight to reduce gamey flavors. Once fat, fascia, and bones were removed, they walked the class through basic meat grinder use, stuffing tubes, vacuum sealing, and proper mixing of all ingredients to make the best table fare possible. Wiggins and BigBear also brought fresh venison jerky as well as a crockpot of shredded venison that blew the crowd away.
There are many ways to enjoy deer meat, and learning how to properly care for your own animal ranks among one of the most rewarding tasks a hunter or huntress can do. BigBear said, “I hope this is just the first of many classes we can help with, and maybe more people will get in the woods if they are able to learn how to take care of processing on their own.”
The DNR would also like to remind hunters that they are willing to take a limited number of whole deer heads for testing purposes, and if anyone is interested, you may be eligible for a $25 Reeds gift card for your assistance in watching the health of our herds. Please contact the MLB DNR office at 320- 532-7439 with any questions or to arrange drop-off.
