Reddit mentions: The best hunting game hoists & gambrels

ill weigh in here too. i strongly recommend doing it yourself, if for no other reason, the sense of accomplishment. it got me into hunting even more when i was able to see the meat from field to plate, the whole way.

there are many levels you can butcher on... you can sub out as much as you want. you can get a grinder, or you can send it out to someone to do the burger. you can do your own sausage too if you have a grinder...

for me, if it is warm, ill do it that same day. if it isnt, i do it when convenient. honestly, ive tried aging it, and i cant taste one iota of difference... so i do it the easiest way i can. if i let it hang for more than a day, i make sure i pull out the tenderloins immediately.

tools you will need....
a good knife... preferably 2 so you can have someone help you. i like one with a gut hook, but its not the end of the world if you dont have one. youll want a small pocket sharpener, which you should probably have anyways... if you use a gut hook get one that can sharpen a gut hook. im a fan of this one

a gambrel. you can get by with ratchet straps, but a gambrel is way easier. i like one with a 4:1 lift ratio, but 2:1 is fine too. this is the one i have


a sawzall to cut off the head and legs are nice, but at our cabin we regularly forget to bring ours, and a regular hand saw actually works better in a lot of ways.

trash bags to store your meat in... at least 4. one for backstraps, one for front quarters, one for burger meat, one(or 2) for rear quarters.

so that will get you quartered. deer skinned, backstraps out, 4 legs(quarters) removed, and burger meat cleaned off of the rest of it.

at that point i generally get the meat into a cooler and get some ice onto it so i can quit for the day... in a day or 2 ill bring it all inside and debone it. for that, youll need a good fillet knife(i actually use a fishing fillet knife), and a big cutting board. again, i prefer 2 of both so i can have help. id rather do 2 deer with someone else, than 1 deer by myself. then all youll need is a vacuum sealer and bags.

there are a ton of different techniques out there. there is a learning curve. if you can have someone teach you that would help massively. but even if you do, watch tons of videos. especially for deboning. youll find your own technique that you like best.

youll also realize how much of the deer goes to waste. in the beginning you are going to want to try to save every tiny morsel of meat... after a couple deer youll realize what you have to let go. and that is different for everyone. some people cut the meat/fat from between the ribs... some people let that go... some people cut off the ribs and make them like beef ribs. some people turn the neck into a roast... some people cut what meat they can off of it, and put it in a roast.

some people are ok with tons of deer fat and connective tissue in their burger... some people want clean meat in it. some people cut all their hind quarter meat into steaks, some people keep everything as roasts.


edit:
this video shows the way i quarter the deer. except it takes me 10x as long, haha. follow up to the 10 minute mark. im not a fan of his deboning technique. i am, but i prefer to do it on the table, not hanging, and i prefer to clean all the outer silver skin off of it before i separate the muscle groups. and he also leaves a biiig chunk of burger meat on the lower leg bone.

A clean place is fine; like a large table. It's pretty simple to not cut the intestines and bladder. Even easier and cleaner if you hang the car as from a tree. They even sell these devices that enable you to processes a carcass from the receiver hitch on your vehicle.

Link: (just to show, I don't make any money on referrals.)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006VWVFHI%3Fpc_redir%3D1411900140%26robot_redir%3D1&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNGhCPMbe8L2cWEwlu2hKOjzZxbf8Q&sig2=4mKlL1mHwT3HIPgx33V6KQ

I bought this last year: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNKN972/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_b3y7FxggNUD6K

You could set it up on a tree if you needed to. It is easy to lift an animal and the locking pulley makes it even better.

This. argentcorvid is spot on. Really common way to easily clean game.

https://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Specialties-00643-Gambrel/dp/B001T7D2MQ

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Call your wma to confirm their carcass disposal rules (that you can leave the bones, etc) and you should be good. Likely won’t find a cleaning facility though.

I definitely prefer quartering a hog into the cooler before leaving rather than loading the whole carcass into the truck.

If you are hunting solo then I would suggest a cheap pulley gambrel or trying out a gutless approach where you split the skin down the spine. Fair warning though, the gutless method works well for a quick cleaning but can be a little awkward on the rear quarters.

amazon sells them. may not be the same exact one OP has but they have a couple models to choose from.


https://www.amazon.com/HME-Products-Truck-Hitch-Hoist/dp/B06ZZS6M9L/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_200_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TM0WM1FQTHN1JRQ7SKNR

My bag has hook loops on it so I use a deer hanger pulley system with just the hook, not the big part you jam in the deer.

http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Specialties-Lift-System-Gambrel/dp/B003RY9YIU

Then I let my bag just drain into my boil pot for about 30 minutes or so. It also lets me sparge a little if I want to rinse out the grains.

http://imgur.com/2kY0DLU

Then maybe just a simple pulley and a rope, or a bicycle lift or Deer hoist

https://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Specialties-Super-Mag-Gambrel/dp/B001EV6WZG/ref=zg_bs_3413591_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=R4N40GF17ZCRF450B2AK

[amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/Fixed-Hitch-Mount-Irrigating-Gambrel/dp/B006VWVFHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478548010&sr=8-1&keywords=Hitch+mounted+game+hoist) really does have everything.

gambrel pulley system

The only real problem was lowering the grain after mash and directing it wide of the pot, took some arm strength.