How to Clean Up a Deer

Tick, tick, tick the sound of the deafening silence had been broken by the fallen leaves crushing under the hooves of the elk. As the sound grew closer, I slowly, quietly, ever so quietly raised my Winchester to take aim at the magnificent animal. My pulse quickened thinking of the scrumptious meals I would feast upon during the long winter months in the Rocky Mountains. When the silhouette appeared, I slowly squeezed the trigger, and with a loud crack from the rifle, the enormous cow fell in her tracks. I immediately began the process necessary to obtain the meat from the animal.

I first cut both of her jugular veins so that she would "bleed out" which produces a better tasting meat. The best method I have found for maximizing the return on the amount of time I spend cleaning the animal is to "quarter it out" since it is too heavy to carry as a whole. This means dividing the animal into four parts to carry out on your back. In order to skin an animal as large as an elk, high quality knives and a sharpener are crucial. It is also necessary to have a backpack frame and some parachute cord. I usually start by skinning the side of the animal that isn't against the ground being careful not to rupture the lining of the organ cavity. By doing this, one of the front shoulders (one quarter) and one of the rear hams (one quarter) is then easily accessible to remove. The rear hams weigh more, so it would be more intelligent to take it first because the thin air makes traveling afoot time-consuming. To remove the ham I began cutting along the muscle line that defines the ridge of the backbone across the hip bone. It is easier to begin at the rear of the animal and work towards the front.

By separating the muscle from the back bone, the rest of the hip and leg muscles will separate easily because my cleaning method corresponds with the anatomy of the Elk. The hip joint was then the only attachment point of the appendage. With a strong knife, the joint was separated, and the leg freed. The hock-joint is the "rear knee" where all of the hip muscles attach. Below this joint is little useful meat which is why I always remove the lower portion of the leg. Using a strong, sharp knife the hock joint can be pried apart, and the lower portion of the leg discarded. In order to get the meat to camp, the quarter must be lashed to a backpack frame. I have an old wooden one that was made during the nineteenth century, but light-weight metal frames have now become popular. To do this, I usually use parachute cord since it is strong, light, and relatively small in diameter. After securing the meat to the frame, I always pack the rest of the carcass with snow, and then cover it with the hide that was removed earlier. This will allow the meat to last longer since I must traverse to camp and back before I can obtain any more of the meat. This process is time consuming and physically demanding, but the benefits are well worth it.

Cleaning animals is a process that feeds the world. I am glad to know that I could get a job in a packing plant just about anywhere, or feed myself when times get hard. It is a useful skill that can also expand your knowledge of anatomy.