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Butchering Guides

Step-by-step, by species.

This guide is for general educational use. Follow local regulations, food-safety practices, and your own training. When in doubt, get instruction from an experienced hunter, processor, or hunter-safety resource.

Field dressing through packaging. Same workflow scales from a doe to a bull moose — just more meat to move.

Whitetail Deer
Mule Deer
Elk
Moose
Pronghorn
Caribou
  1. 1

    Step 1 of 8

    Field Dressing

    ToolsSharp 4-inch knifeDisposable glovesGame bagsRope or drag harness

    Safety

    • Work clean — away from soil and hair
    • Avoid puncturing stomach and bladder
    • Blade points away from your other hand

    How to do it

    1. 1

      Position the animal on its back, head slightly uphill.

    2. 2

      Make a shallow opening from sternum to pelvis without cutting into the gut.

    3. 3

      Use two fingers as a guard to slide the knife along the abdominal wall.

    4. 4

      Free the diaphragm and cut around the windpipe high in the chest cavity.

    5. 5

      Roll the organs out and downhill.

    6. 6

      Drain blood, prop the cavity open with a stick, cool the carcass fast.

    Avoid these

    • Cutting too deep and puncturing the gut
    • Letting the carcass sit warm
    • Skipping gloves
  2. 2

    Step 2 of 8

    Skinning and Quartering

    ToolsBoning knifeGambrel and hoist (or strong tree limb)Game bagsCooler with ice

    Safety

    • Always cut away from your body
    • Mind your footing under a hung carcass

    How to do it

    1. 1

      Hang from the hind legs at a comfortable working height.

    2. 2

      Ring-cut each hock and slit down the inside of each hind leg.

    3. 3

      Peel the hide downward — use your fist and short knife strokes only where it sticks.

    4. 4

      Remove the front legs at the shoulder joint by lifting and slicing through connective tissue.

    5. 5

      Separate the hindquarters from the spine at the ball joint.

    6. 6

      Bag each quarter immediately and get it on ice.

    Avoid these

    • Hair on the meat
    • Cutting into meat while skinning
    • Quarters sitting at room temperature

    Cuts you get

    • Front ShoulderProcessing section

      Braise · Slow roast

      Front Shoulder is a processing section. It is usually broken down into final freezer cuts.

      Logged: 0 of 2

      • Left Front Shoulder: not logged yet
      • Right Front Shoulder: not logged yet

      Suggested final cuts

      Add Whole Front Shoulder Section

    • HindquarterProcessing section

      Roast · Steaks · Stew

      Hindquarter is a processing section. It is usually broken down into final freezer cuts.

      Logged: 0 of 2

      • Left Hindquarter: not logged yet
      • Right Hindquarter: not logged yet

      Suggested final cuts

      Add Whole Hindquarter Section
  3. 3

    Step 3 of 8

    Backstraps and Tenderloins

    Tools6-inch boning knifeButcher paper or vacuum bags

    Safety

    • Keep your guide hand clear
    • Trim silverskin away from yourself

    How to do it

    1. 1

      Locate the backstraps along both sides of the spine, shoulder to hindquarter.

    2. 2

      Cut down one side of the spine, keeping the blade against bone.

    3. 3

      Work the meat off the ribs in one continuous strip.

    4. 4

      Lift the tenderloins from inside the cavity along the underside of the spine before aging.

    5. 5

      Trim silverskin in long, shallow strokes.

    6. 6

      Portion into steaks or roasts and package.

    Avoid these

    • Leaving silverskin on
    • Sawing instead of slicing
    • Forgetting the tenderloins

    Cuts you get

  4. 4

    Step 4 of 8

    Front Shoulder

    ToolsBoning knifeCutting board

    Safety

    • Stable cutting surface
    • Sharp blade only

    How to do it

    1. 1

      Lay the shoulder flat, inside up.

    2. 2

      Follow the seams between muscle groups with the tip of the knife.

    3. 3

      Trim heavy connective tissue and silverskin.

    4. 4

      Decide what becomes roasts and what goes to grind.

    Avoid these

    • Trying to steak the shoulder
    • Leaving thick connective tissue in roasts

    Cuts you get

  5. 5

    Step 5 of 8

    Hindquarter Breakdown

    ToolsBoning knifeSlicerVacuum bags

    Safety

    • Stable non-slip board
    • Keep bone away from fingers

    How to do it

    1. 1

      Identify the major muscle groups: top round, bottom round, sirloin, eye of round.

    2. 2

      Separate each muscle along its natural seams.

    3. 3

      Trim silverskin and heavy fat.

    4. 4

      Slice steaks across the grain or roll into roasts and tie.

    Avoid these

    • Cutting with the grain
    • Skipping the seam method and making tough steaks

    Cuts you get

  6. 6

    Step 6 of 8

    Shanks

    ToolsBone sawBoning knife

    Safety

    • Brace the leg before sawing
    • Mind the kerf as you finish

    How to do it

    1. 1

      Identify the shank between knee and hock.

    2. 2

      Saw across the bone for osso-buco rounds, or leave whole.

    3. 3

      Trim outer silverskin.

    4. 4

      Bag one shank or round per package.

    Avoid these

    • Throwing shanks in the grind pile
    • Skipping silverskin trim

    Cuts you get

  7. 7

    Step 7 of 8

    Trim and Grind

    ToolsMeat grinderTrayCold work surface

    Safety

    • Keep meat cold
    • Never push meat into the grinder with your fingers

    How to do it

    1. 1

      Collect clean trim from every primal — keep it cold.

    2. 2

      Cut into one-inch cubes.

    3. 3

      Run through the coarse plate.

    4. 4

      Add pork or beef fat for a juicier burger if desired.

    5. 5

      Run through the fine plate.

    6. 6

      Portion into one-pound packages.

    Avoid these

    • Grinding warm meat
    • Skipping fat and ending up with dry burgers

    Cuts you get

  8. 8

    Step 8 of 8

    Packaging and Labeling

    ToolsVacuum sealer or freezer paperPermanent markerScale

    Safety

    • Clean hands and surfaces
    • Avoid double-handling thawed meat

    How to do it

    1. 1

      Weigh each package to a consistent size.

    2. 2

      Press out air and seal tightly.

    3. 3

      Label every package: species, cut, weight, date frozen.

    4. 4

      Freeze flat for fast freezing and easy stacking.

    Avoid these

    • Forgetting the date
    • Loose wrapping that causes freezer burn