What Cuts do you choose when Processing Your Wild Game?

[2rocky]

My Cut order on a deer or elk is usually:

Tenderloins- Whole
Loin- 8 inch boneless roasts
Hams- Boneless Round Steaks
Shoulders- Ground or Stew meat
Rib or neck meat- Ground

Pigs
Smoked bone in hams
Boneless Loins
Boneless Tenderloin
Ribs
Picnic roast-2
Boston Butt Roast-2
Trim For Breakfast Sausage.

 

[Hilltop]

Cow elk/moose- I make steaks out of all possible cuts.- burger the remainder.

Bull elk/moose- Steaks out of back straps, tenderloins, and rounds- burger the remainder.

Deer- back straps and tenderloins go into steak all else is burger/sausage for spaghetti, tacos, and other combined dishes. I do use pure burger to make jerky throughout the year in small batches.

Antelope- backstraps and tenders go into steak and all else is made into Italian or breakfast sausage.

Goose- 100% jerky or brats.

Duck- depends on species. Teal are cooked as duck meals. Large ducks are made into jerky.

 

[OregonJim]

I work up my own when possible.
I even take supplies out of state and process if possible during down time.
The Holiday Inn didn't appreciate my strong desire for custom butchering so I have scaled that back a bit.

Much like Hilltop, when I pay for processing I ask for steaks and choice roasts for everything possible.

When I'm working up an elk I steak most everything in the first half and for some reason I end up with a lot more roasts and grind in the second

 

[Againstthewind]

I work up my own when possible.
I even take supplies out of state and process if possible during down time.
The Holiday Inn didn't appreciate my strong desire for custom butchering so I have scaled that back a bit.

That's pretty funny. I wonder what your room would look like if the police came in to your hotel room with luminol during hunting season. They probably get all kinds of weirdos, so a full assortment of butchering supplies would raise some eyebrows.

 

[Fink]

I work up my own when possible.
I even take supplies out of state and process if possible during down time.
The Holiday Inn didn't appreciate my strong desire for custom butchering so I have scaled that back a bit.

They don't approve?? I've been strongly considering breaking down an animal into cuts that fit into vacuum seal bags, and vacuum sealing if I kill out early. I guess I could do it on the truck tailgate, but it'd be way more fun to do it in the hotel room!

To answer the original question, I save the front shoulders for jerky, and make as much of the rest into steaks, all the scraps are turned into burger, or more jerky.

 

[ssliger]

Make all the back straps into steaks, most of the large muscles in the hind end into steaks. Tenderloins whole, grind up the rest. I will never pay to have it processed, had one too many bad experiences.

 

[dihardhunter]

Ya'll are killing me. SHANKS!!!! The BEST cut, properly prepared of course, on any deer species. Bear too for that matter.

Flank steak from an elk is a close second for overlooked cuts.

 

[CrimsonArrow]

Cow elk/moose- I make steaks out of all possible cuts.- burger the remainder.

Bull elk/moose- Steaks out of back straps, tenderloins, and rounds- burger the remainder.

Deer- back straps and tenderloins go into steak all else is burger/sausage for spaghetti, tacos, and other combined dishes. I do use pure burger to make jerky throughout the year in small batches.

Antelope- backstraps and tenders go into steak and all else is made into Italian or breakfast sausage.

Goose- 100% jerky or brats.

Duck- depends on species. Teal are cooked as duck meals. Large ducks are made into jerky.

Hilltop, don't be telling me you make mallards into jerky, like sticking a knife in my heart. Roasted mallard is one of my favorite meals.

 

[Hilltop]

Hilltop, don't be telling me you make mallards into jerky, like sticking a knife in my heart. Roasted mallard is one of my favorite meals.

LOL... sorry man. I roasted the first thousand I harvested and finally got tired of it. I occasionally will stick one in a crock pot with a can of cream of mushroom but they honestly make amazing jerky.

I save the roasting for all the pheasants, quail, and wild turkey I shoot. Guess I like white meat in the oven...