The Trenches

[Irrelevant]

Trying to do all this with limited time this week and a baby is making it lean heavy on the loathe side tho.

You can sleep when you're dead.

 

[Elkmagnet]

I’m learning some important lessons on how to set expectations and how to be crystal clear with one’s spouse on how much extra time is involved with processing an animal after you get back from hunting when discussing time away for hunting when you have an 8 week old.

I mean, this is my 8th animal processed while married so shouldn’t be any surprises on the time required. Everything is different with a baby tho

Communications is key, as always.

Too bad the processor down the road is full up.

Make her help!
Or not be nice!

 

[TOGIE]

Make her help!
Or not be nice!

The fact that I get to sit out in the cold garage with a glass of whisky and some butcher knives for hours on end while she cleans bottles changes diapers and feeds means DON’T POKE THE DRAGON

If she didn’t just absolutely love mule deer meat I’d hate to think how all this would be going

 

[BackofBeyond]

Don’t over process. It’s either a roast or grind when pushed for time. Easy to turn a roast into steaks later if that’s what you want.

 

[TOGIE]

Don’t over process. It’s either a roast or grind when pushed for time. Easy to turn a roast into steaks later if that’s what you want.

Agreed. That’s typically my MO anyway. We love ground meat. So if it cant be turned into a steak later it gets ground.

Except shanks

Duh

 

[Nick87]

You can sleep when you're dead.

That's what grandpa always said.

 

[Hunter4Life78]

Maybe Put a pellet stove in the garage or some form of heat source take little one out with you. Or debone in garage and ask to grind and cut in kitchen. Make it a family affair. Memories made processing are just as great as hunting ones.

 

[Irrelevant]

^he's not lying
This was during nap time. 900 sq ft house

 

[Hunter4Life78]

^he's not lying
This was during nap time. 900 sq ft house
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Neffa that's awesome.

 

[Jbotto]

Literally the worst. I used Steve’s once… never again, ever ever again. I used Merrill’s in Carbon county wyoming once and they were alright.

Maybe it’s a fluke, but I’ve used a processor twice, maybe 3 times I can’t remember, and those are the only animals I’ve ever shot that tasted weird. Living on the front range will turn you into a competent diy processor real fast.

My wife is okay with it too. But there is some fresh post partum anxiety around baby health still so she’s much more sensitive to anything being done in the kitchen. Minus some quick rinsing in the sink here and there to clean pieces, it’s a full blown garage in the cold process. Also quite nice to have our current weather for some makeshift meat-hanging on the step ladder.

I thoroughly love and admittedly also loathe this part of hunting. Trying to do all this with limited time this week and a baby is making it lean heavy on the loathe side tho.

View attachment 250728

I feel you right now. 7 month old, I shot two does on Saturday and the temps have been awesome for hanging in a cold garage. Finally got the hide off Wednesday night and all still looks good. Don’t generally like to leave it on that long. Hoping to cut them up Saturday/Sunday. My family comes next week for Thanksgiving…. So I really am not supposed to be cutting these up….. She knows how much it means to me and had been pushing me to go hunting the last few weekends. God bless her.

 

[BackofBeyond]

^he's not lying
This was during nap time. 900 sq ft house
View attachment 250777

When nap time doesn’t last as long as it should… sausage still needs to get made.

 

[Hunter4Life78]

View attachment 250805
When nap time doesn’t last as long as it should… sausage still needs to get made.

So cool!!! Little one looks old enough for a knife. Glove 'em up and put 'em to work. We won't tell mom, we promise..

 

[BackofBeyond]

So cool!!! Little one looks old enough for a knife. Glove 'em up and put 'em to work. We won't tell mom, we promise..

Hard to believe but he’s about to turn 4 next month…

 

[Hunter4Life78]

Hard to believe but he’s about to turn 4 next month…

It just flies by doesn't it? My youngest is 14.

 

[TOGIE]

even doing euros is a lot harder with a baby. whoda thunk right?

gonna have to stop after the initial cook and clean. saran wrap as i'm assuming i don't want it to dry out before the next cook tomorrow night. i've never had to pause a euro before halfway through, maybe it doesn't matter

 

[Wild Bill]

Trying to do all this with limited time this week and a baby is making it lean heavy on the loathe side tho.

I feel ya. I had this scenario this weekend, except my boy is a little over 2 now and has never ran out of energy and I was trying to process my buck while my pregnant wife was trying to paint in the basement. It's going to be a PITA for a few more years, I suspect. It's worth it though. He helps me package and likes to pull tape and scribble on the packages. Enjoy it all.

 

[TOGIE]

I feel ya. I had this scenario this weekend, except my boy is a little over 2 now and has never ran out of energy and I was trying to process my buck while my pregnant wife was trying to paint in the basement. It's going to be a PITA for a few more years, I suspect. It's worth it though. He helps me package and likes to pull tape and scribble on the packages. Enjoy it all.

i do feel bad. I think it was just kinda forgotten by both parties (my wife and I) that actually shooting an animal while hunting practically doubles the time commitment. we were okay with me going hunting for 4 total days and it was understood that my wife was the only one taking care of baby, but shooting an animal kinda turns it into 8 days when accounting for everything else when you get home.

 

[BlakeA]

i do feel bad. I think it was just kinda forgotten by both parties (my wife and I) that actually shooting an animal while hunting practically doubles the time commitment. we were okay with me going hunting for 4 total days and it was understood that my wife was the only one taking care of baby, but shooting an animal kinda turns it into 8 days when accounting for everything else when you get home.

Why not clean it up and then freeze it for processing at a later date? Same with the euro. Throw it in the freezer and then do it over a weekend this winter. You'll figure out a system that works with the family, hang in there!

 

[TOGIE]

Why not clean it up and then freeze it for processing at a later date? Same with the euro. Throw it in the freezer and then do it over a weekend this winter. You'll figure out a system that works with the family, hang in there!

i'd need to buy another freezer. tho i maybe could have gotten one quarter in our current freezer. same with the head, wouldn't fit. figured i might as well just try and get everything done.

we almost went to buy another. but with great weather for meat hanging i guess there's no time like the present. like most things in life it seems, there's never a good time.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

but shooting an animal kinda turns it into 8 days when accounting for everything else when you get home.

Totally.

This + living in small apartments has shaped a lot of my meat and skull cleaning habits.

Typically I bone out everything completely in the field, I don't have the space/time to deal with bones and hide once I get home. I just want clean coolers of meat.
Once I get home, I typically get all my steaks and roasts separated from what I know will be grind. This is a fairly quick process as I'm not removing silver skin and/or wrapping anything. Sometimes this happens at the car.

Either on the way home or the next morning on the way to work, etc. all the grind goes to the processor.
I then cut and wrap steaks and roasts during the week. Usually steaks just get cling wrap and butcher paper. It's waaaaay faster then the vacuum seal IMHO and actually survives in the freezer better.
Roasts get vacuum sealed as those I often sous vide.

In the field I skin out the skull completely and remove the lower jaw, eyes, etc. saves and tone of weight and then is ready to go when you get home.

This all takes waaaay more time in the field but saves you time on the back end when you have other responsibilities. I think @GrantK said he get an elk ready to pack out in 1hr -90min... usually takes me like 2-3 hours.

Not sure how you're cleaning your skull but my sous vide method is great if your busy. You don't need to monitor it, and it's not going to screw it up if you cook it for an additional 24 hours as long as your turn down the temp.

When I get home from a typical elk/hunt, I usually drop all my gear in the garage, trim the meat and get the head going that night. Toss all the meat to cut in the fridge, depending on the the processor I cram all the grind in a bag and put it in the freezer. Over the course of the week I cut steaks in short goes when I have time, and then deal with the head when I have a moment to go to the car wash.

I'm pretty regimented about it and it drives my bachelor friends nuts because they don't see the point.