Home Butchering Kit (Contents?)

[Rembrandt]

Nice buck.

 

[entropy]

My processing kit if I get a deer in at least the near future is calling my son and having him do it at work. He works at a slaughterhouse.

 

[WestKentucky]

Only thing I see missing that I would include is a hatchet or hand axe for splitting pelvis or taking off the feet. I keep a come-along handy too because generally after a drag I’m not itching for a fight to get a deer off the ground. Same would go for elk, hog, or anything else as big as I am or bigger.

 

[Chuck R.]

Only thing I see missing that I would include is a hatchet or hand axe for splitting pelvis or taking off the feet. I keep a come-along handy too because generally after a drag I’m not itching for a fight to get a deer off the ground. Same would go for elk, hog, or anything else as big as I am or bigger.

For the pelvis/feet I've gone to a combination of; a small bone saw in my pack, Wyoming Saw in my kit, and a battery operated Saws-All in my shop. The last time I used a hatchet I took a decent chip out of the blade. It's a Gransfor Bruk Wildlife Hatchet, that took countless hrs to work the chip out. That, combined with my chopping ineptitude, has me shying away from hatchets...

I am thinking about getting either a tripod or a lift that goes into a 2" receiver hitch for travelling hunts. Something like this that swivels:



https://www.vikingsl.com/rack-jack-4x4/

Which would also work well for a UTV.

I just quartered the prong horn on the ground with it on a tarp. Definitely doable, but something like the above would have been even easier. At home it's not an issue as I have gambrels and a tractor with loader:

 

[MauriceSam]

Guess I'm more primitive. Use a Buck straight blade that my dad gave me at age 13. A couple Old Hickory knives and and a short wood hand saw. Clean outside and butcher in kitchen. Luckily my wife grew up doing this so not only no grief for dirtying kitchen, but she's great help. We usually butcher a hog or two each year as well (done at the farmers butcher house, he lets us use the facilities, walk-in cooler, commercial grinder, band saw, in exchange for butchering a hog for him). We make our own burgers, sausage, etc. And sometimes do paper wrap, or vacuum seal. Use the cheap $2 blue tarps from harbor freight to do gut work over. Keeps everything clean and just throw it out when done.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I was feeling pretty good about my setup, right up until Rembrandt posted.....

Don't sweat it. He will be working to pay for that pile of... while you can afford to spend a weekend scouting a spot.