![]() ![]() The early stages of processing includes skinning or plucking the animal and gutting the animal. First, what does “process wild game” even mean? Processing is a broad term that refers to the act of breaking down a whole animal into useable bits. So for the true beginners out there, I understand your trepidation. Animal anatomy, as it related to food consumption, was a complete mystery. I had never even cooked a whole chicken or turkey from the grocery store (and when one was cooked for me I ate only the breast meat). As such, I had relatively little experience handling meat - nevermind a whole animal - before I started hunting in my mid-20s. I embarked on a seven year journey through vegetarianism and veganism shortly after I started cooking for myself. You can teach yourself to process wild game! So, for the new hunters and the do-it-yourselfers, I’ve compiled a compendium of videos and instructionals to help you break down whole animals in the field without an in-person mentor. It is not only possible to do, but a lot easier than you might think. Everything I know about animal processing I have taught myself through the use of mostly free and widely accessible resources. Three years into my hunting journey, I am by no means an expert in wild game processing or butchery - I still consider myself a novice - but I do have expertise in the art of being a self-taught hunter. It certainly was for me for most of my life. But for anyone who didn’t grow up around hunting, farming, or butcher shops, knowledge of how to turn a whole animal into an individual meal is usually missing. Fresh meat, field to table: this is the dream of meat lovers, hunters, and locavores alike.
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