Every deer we have shot I the last 1-=15 years we gut and take em to the processor, until this year-shot a little yearling doe 2 days ago and skinned/quartered it w/o gutting. What do you guys wrap the meat in for transport? Also, as I understand the law, you either have to have the head or proof of sex, correct? What if you have 2-3 deer? do you have to keep the meat and proof of sex from getting mixed up?

Also, one last question...we cut the backstrap off for breakfast that am, but is was a little chewy-is this because the meat wasn't "aged"?

Thanks

Dave

I quarter every deer and put meat in cooler for 4 or 5 days draining water keeping fresh ice on meat. I have put two deer in same cooler with proof of sex both skulls and capes in the cooler and checked with no issue

you dont have to separate your meat, just make sure all pcs are there. easy to determine how many animals parts to head count. the heads I carry separately tagged and bagged.
leaving the meat in a cooler for a couple days does help the meat age just keep it cool, i dont reccommend submersing in water unless you have it in a brine

What they said and I either use old pillow cases, or game bag, if I have to worry about cleanliness and flies ect tra. Skinned and going str8 into a cooler, I don't use anything (provided you kept the quarters nice and clean.

We have always processed our own deer. We field dress them, hang em, skin em and quarter em. As far as transporting we just put the meat in a trash bag and cover it with ice in an ice chest for the transport. If we have multiple deer they go in the same cooler but in separate bags. We just keep the heads in the bed of the truck.

We also let our deer bleed for about 4-6 days in a cooler before we process it. Usually make sure the meat is covered with water and ice and drain once a day and refresh the water and ice.

Several times we've eaten the meat right off the deer but have never really noticed it being chewy maybe it was the way it was cut, prepared or cooked, you never know on something like that, sometimes you just get a tuff deer.

The meat was tough because it didn't have time to relax.

in almost all circumstances, you must retain the tag and proof of sex. the deer can be quartered but must not be broken down into un-identifiable parts. for instance. you must have two front quarters, to hind quarters, two backstraps, and some mount of meat that resembles a deboned rib-cage. that is what the warden will look for as I understand.

if you are going to take a deer to a processor, then I would either skin and quarter it, or I would just gut it and leave it whole. I see no reason to skin a deer if you aren't going to quarter it and put it into an ice chest. the hide will protect the meat better than anything you can wrap around it.

unless you hunt like really close to your deer processor, I would surely gut the animal first. I wouldn't want to see a deer go an hour or more without being gutted. truthfully, any deer or hog that we kill I would want to see it gutted within 30min of when it died if at all possible. ESPECIALLY if its not very cold outside. if its 30-40deg out you may have some more lee-way.i'd think certainly though you want it gutted inside of an hour.

It is legal to consume part of the animal in camp. if you were checked by a warden and told him you ate one of the backstraps, that would be permissible.

now if you shot a deer and took only the straps and the hind quarters and left the rest.....he may not believe that you ate all of that in camp and would maybe suspect you for waste of game. front shoulders and ribcage meat are the parts folks like to leave behind if they can get away with it.

I take four qrters, back strap tender loin and neck meat. Ribs smoked in camp.

I welcome better info if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that 4 quarters, straps, and tenderloins are the only pieces REQUIRED to be kept. That is not to say that is the best practice (neck and ribs grind well for me), but legally, I think that is all that is required.

that was another question I had-what is the best way to get the neck meat out? and is the rib meat worth fooling with? If so, how do you get it out?

Neck meat just cuts off. I always take the neck meat lots of hamburger there on our bigger panhandle bucks,

The neck makes a great roast. Just cut along the bone and peel it off.

Here you go.
https://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/regulations...-killing-a-deer

At least a day if possible.

Well that's where we messed up we shot her and ate some that morning....

I've cooked meat the day of the kill and don't notice a difference as long as you get the blood out. As far being chewy, the only thing I can think of is that either, you cut with the grain instead of accross the grain, or you are just referring to the sinew. Back strap shouldn't be chewy. It could get tough if overcooked, but not really chewy.

I believe that backstraps and quarters are all that is required. Tenderloins are just too good to throw out and neck meat is fine meat for grinding or cooking in a skillet Asian style. Ribs taste as good or better than beef ribs if you cut the bacon off and smoke em. The bacon is not too good, and I love beef fat, but deer fat is not that tasty, so feel free to trim it.

It needs to age some first but also if over cooked on the grill it'll be chewy or tough. Venison needs to be cooked medium and it'll be more tender.

Did you filet off the silver skin from the backstrap? I've never had a chewy backstrap.

Butterfly the backstrap (silverskin off) pack with creamcheese and chives, wrap in bacon and pan sear. Finish over nice coals on the grill. Nice and tender!

Yep! IMHO meat needs to age before cooking. Cooking too fast will dry venison out and cause it to be chewy or tough.

As far as processing, I field dress immediatly and wash out the body cavity if a shot was off a bit or stomach/intestines were nicked by bullet or bone fragments. Depending on temp we leave 'em hanging for a day out of the sun. I also use a heavy dose of black pepper in the body cavity. For some reason I notice fewer flies when I do this. If it's warmer I will use a piece of cheesecloth or a cheesecloth deer bag to protect the meat. ... and I have used a bag of ice in the cavity if it really gets warm.

When I get through processing there's nothing left but the head, the hide, and a pile of bones. The meat goes into our spare fridge for a couple of more days before cutting & wrapping. At one time I used a meat grinder for the scraps, but it's cheaper and less time consuming to carry the stuff to be ground to the processor. I pay .20 a pound to grind. There is an extra charge for breakfast or summer sausage.

Good Luck! It's all a learning process....

you're required to keep anything that's edible condition. excluding the guts and the bones. edible condition is a judgement call.....if you shoot deer in the shoulders with a really hot bullet, then the front shoulders and rib-cage may not be in "edible" condition. but those main combponents like you said is what the warden will look for if he's looking at a quartered carcass.

on the other hand if the warden catches you throwing away an otherwise good condition rib-cage, I think that may still be considered waste of game.

The regulations below also apply to pronghorn antelope, except for the Hunting License Harvest Log for White-tailed Deer

Tags or Permits

After a deer is killed and before the deer is field dressed or moved, the appropriate hunting license tag or permit (MLDP, LAMPS, etc.) must be immediately filled out and dates cut out (See Tagging Deer or Turkey).

Additionally, if a hunting license tag is used, then the Hunting License Harvest Log must be legibly completed (see Hunting License Harvest Log for White-tailed Deer).

A hunter may transport a deer to a final destination (see Definitions), provided the deer is tagged and proof of sex accompanies the deer (see Proof of Sex).

Processing

A hunter may skin and quarter a deer (two forequarters, two hindquarters, and two backstraps) and possess for transport, provided the quartered deer is tagged and proof of sex accompanies the deer. (See Cold Storage or Processing Facility for exceptions).

A deer may not be processed any further than four quarters and two backstraps (example, steaks, hamburger, chili meat, etc.) until the deer reaches a final destination, except for immediate consumption in camp.

The four quarters and two backstraps are the only parts of a deer required by law to be kept in edible condition. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department encourages all hunters to continue to keep other portions of the deer (trimmings from the neck and rib cage) in edible condition. Edible condition does not include any portion of a game animal, game bird, or fish that is: bruised by bullet, shot, or arrow, or otherwise destroyed as a result of harvest; decayed or rotting at the time of harvest; or obviously infected or diseased at the time of harvest.

The tag must remain with the portion of a deer the hunter possesses. If any portion is transferred to another person before it reaches a final destination, then the transferred portion must be accompanied by a Wildlife Resource Document. See also Transfer of Wildlife Resources.

I see no where that it states you are required to keep neck, rib cage, or rib meat. It just says they encourage you to keep it.