Top Ten List of Deer Processing Tips
Keep a box of latex gloves in your truck. You are performing surgery, after all! Makes cleanup a heck of a lot easier and gives you a better grip on your knife.
Before starting to cut at the back end, prop the deer’s hindquarters up on a rock or board. This gets the guts out of the way and gives you a little space to cut.
Use disinfectant wipes or alcohol swabs to clean your knife as you work. This helps prevent contamination and enables you to cut more precisely.
Get the intestines out as soon as you can, and don’t knick them with your knife! If you can remove them whole, your harvest will be a lot cleaner.
Clean and dry the inside of the carcass as quickly as possible. Use a stick to spread the chest cavity so that air can circulate and aid the drying process. When possible, rinse chest cavity with water.
Carry some ground black pepper and cheesecloth with you in warm weather. If the flies get bad, keep surfaces clean, sprinkle some ground pepper on, and cover it up with cheesecloth. The flies will go bother somebody else!
Cool the carcass as soon as you can. Clean bags of ice, frozen jugs of water, or ice packs should be placed inside the carcass. Tie the carcass shut with rope or bungie cords. Don’t strap the deer to your roof or leave it exposed to sunlight in the truck bed. Keep it cool and covered!
Like the networks used to tell comedians going on TV, “Keep it clean!” The best way to get a great product back from Hudson’s is to keep your kill free of hair, dirt, leaves and other contaminants.
Keep that carcass cool while you’re driving in from the hunt. We, of course, are partial to Yeti Coolers – pick one up from us before your hunt!
Print out your Hudson Processing Order Form before you leave for the hunt, and get it filled out before you reach Hudson’s! There are a lot of choices to make, and if you have them made before you get here, you’ll make things easier for yourself and for the hunters behind you.
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We deliver fresh, flavor-packed sausage, exotic game, and artisanal smoked meats that are consistently outstanding.
A Downtown Fixture Since 1969
For more than 40 years, Hudson’s has served as the gateway to the flavors of the Hill Country.