How to properly butcher roe deer - after the hunt is before the hunt

Especially for new hunters, it is certainly a very formative and enjoyable experience when all the hard work is finally rewarded and you stand in front of your first deer. You have imagined this exact moment countless times and now it has finally arrived. You look down proudly and can record your first positive result.

In most cases, this train of thought ends right at this point, leaving the novice hunter somewhat baffled and only then realising little by little that his freshly acquired trophy cannot simply be left there. You could almost say " after the hunt is before the hunt ", because when the "red work" begins, everything is demanded of both beginners and professionals. Properly butchering a roe deer means, especially for inexperienced hunters, that you are faced with a real hurdle. Regardless of whether you are on a hunting trip in Canada or in your local hunting grounds - the hurdle must be overcome quickly in order to stay on the safe side in terms of hygiene. With the right moves and approaches, roe deer can be butchered quickly and effectively.

Properly butchering roe deer - a hygienic necessity

After the animal has died, the red work , i.e. the opening of the game and the subsequent removal of the entrails, should be started as quickly as possible. The numerous intestinal bacteria in particular represent a great risk and if this procedure is delayed for too long, the valuable game meat could well be infected. The intestinal barrier can already begin to break down just 45 minutes after the animal has been killed.

Bile and faeces can also be a serious source of danger that must be removed quickly. Since the removal of the entrails simultaneously lowers the temperature of the killed game, this step is essential for later hygienic processing.

The best place to leave

Home is always the best place to be – even when it comes to properly butchering deer. It can definitely be said that butchering game in your own four walls is easier because the necessary infrastructure is there. In order to avoid being constantly confronted with dangling hind legs during butchering, it is a good idea to hang the deer by their hind legs. This approach would usually not be feasible away from your own home and would also take up enormous amounts of time. If there is the option of transporting the killed game home quickly , then you should definitely take this opportunity. Otherwise you risk strenuous and stressful situations that would make the already demanding task even more difficult. In addition, this approach ensures that the butchering is gentle on your back.

Opening the chest and abdominal wall

Now the actual work begins. To ensure a professional and uncomplicated procedure, you should start with an incision in the sternum. To do this, it is best to start in the middle of the sternum and cut your way to the angle of the lower jaw.

Before you can open the abdominal wall, you first have to trim the spider and/or short game meat. At this point, it is a good idea to pull a little on the surrounding skin to create tension. You can then begin trimming the surrounding area without any problem.

The easiest way to start opening the abdominal wall is directly at the point where you previously cut off the short game meat. A tripe knife is particularly suitable for this step, as it means that you can almost completely rule out any damage to the rumen. With the knife placed in the middle of the abdominal wall, you then cut precisely and carefully towards the breastbone. You should always try to maintain constant knife pressure and only move the knife directly under the abdominal wall. This way you can be sure that the game's innards are not injured. To finally open the ribcage, cut the last piece of the breastbone with a slightly stronger cut. The ribcage should now be completely open.

How to properly butcher a roe deer - removing the innards

In principle, you can tell straight away whether you have opened the chest properly or not. If the opening is done properly, the innards should almost come out on their own, as the pressure can now escape to the outside.

With a female animal, you should first continue working on the pelvic canal to remove the uterus and bladder. You should be particularly careful with the bladder, as it could still be full. Once you have carefully pulled both out and removed, you can then loosen the rectum. It is a good idea to move the intestine's loosening pills downwards and then sharpen them. A long piece of intestine should now be hanging out of the pelvic canal. You must tie this in a knot in the next step.

The next step is to remove the remaining piece of intestine. To do this, simply cut the connective tissue in the middle of the kidneys. If you then sharpen the diaphragm pillars of the connective tissue, all the remaining innards should come off in one go.

In the last step, all the connective tissue inside the abdominal cavity has to be removed. All the innards should now fall out completely. With the subsequent removal of the esophagus, trachea and pharynx, the process is almost complete. Only the removal of the woad hole is still pending.

In the so-called "ringing" technique, the entire area around the woad hole is cut in the direction of the pelvic canal. With this approach, the rectum can now be easily removed by simply pulling on it.

Already done! The game, which has been completely and professionally butchered, can now be cleaned of any remaining impurities with cold water and then placed in a cooling chamber.