Venison Fat & Rendering Deer Tallow

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Video deer tallow uses

Contrary to popular belief, venison fat is useable and worth the effort to harvest. While deer tallow isn’t a common term for most folks, it does serve a purpose and has a place in your kitchen.

deer tallow Venison Fat & Rendering Deer Tallow

Until recent times, people had a pretty intimate connection with their food. They knew where it came from and were typically personally involved in every aspect of it from field to table. This connection also gave them first-hand knowledge of more traditional ingredients and how to use them.

In today’s world, that connection and those traditional ingredients and practices have been largely lost to the industrialization and commercialization of our foodstuffs.

In the past, butchering an animal would’ve been done in a person’s barn, depending on the size of the animal it may have been a local, community effort or simply a family event. When butchering, our ancestors generally took the time to harvest and find a use for nearly every part of an animal, including the fat.

What is deer tallow?

Animal fat that is rendered down from deer, elk, moose, caribou, bear, sheep, goats, bovine, and other ruminants is called tallow. While fat rendered pork fat is generally called lard , fat rendered from birds is called schmaltz, and rendered butter is referred to a ghee.

Simply put, deer tallow is created by the act of slowly heating pieces of fat up to melt it, also referred to as rendering. It is then cooled and stored.

While deer don’t have much fat on them and many, many people say it’s not worth the effort to harvest the fat for rendering, it actually is. Just like rendering lard, deer fat has its place in the world well above vegetable oils, which are actually rancid and has been industrially bleached and deodorized to mask its rancidity.

It can seem like it isn’t worth the effort because venison is such a lean meat, but I promise the effort you take to harvest and render deer fat will be worth it.

Where does deer fat to make tallow come from?

Believe it or not, there are different types of fat on a deer. First, and foremost, there is the caul fat which is the thin, lacy fat surrounding the deer’s entrails and is fantastic for covering venison meatloaves or meatballs or using as sausage casing. You can remove it, package it and freeze it for later use.

Caul fat wrapped burgers on a table
Caul fat is the web-like coating found on the deer’s entrails, it adds fantastic flavor to things like meatballs and the burgers pictured here.

The next type of fat you’re likely to encounter when butchering a deer is the suet. This is the fat inside the body cavity surrounding the kidneys and such. It is hard and waxy. This is generally the fat that is rendered from a cow, while a lot of people say they don’t care for it from a deer. Me? I use it to render, it does have a higher melting point, though. It’s fantastic for soap making, and can just simply be rendered for cooking, too.

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[Click Here to Shop .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire Ammo]What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a squirrel in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically. Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire within the ideal range of suitable calibers for squirrel hunting?” our answer is: Yes, the .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire is A GOOD CHOICE for squirrel hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. Assumption Value Caliber .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire Animal Species Squirrel Muzzle Energy 250 foot-pounds Animal Weight 1 lb Shot Distance 25 yardsWhat is the average muzzle energy for a .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire round is approximately 250 foot-pounds. What is the average weight of an adult male squirrel? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male squirrel is approximately 1 lb. [Click Here to Shop .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire Ammo]What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in squirrel hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for squirrel to be approximately 25 yards. What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the squirrel being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.Various calibersA common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest squirrel - and to this question, the response again is yes, the .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire is A GOOD CHOICE for squirrel hunting. [Click Here to Shop .17 HMR Hornady Magnum Rimfire Ammo]This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below. Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting squirrel to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. 2 Comments Carl - Jul 04, 2024I am going to try 20 gr fmj ’s to minimize meat damage on squirrel , with the 17 hmr. Ricochet should not be greater than a .22 lr . Carl - Jul 04, 2024I am going to try 20 gr fmj ’s to minimize meat damage on squirrel , with the 17 hmr. Ricochet should not be greater than a .22 lr . Leave a commentComments have to be approved before showing up Your Name * Your Email * Your Comment * Post Comment
Bird eating suet cake out of feeder
Suet is the hard fat found around the internal organs, while I personally use it for rendering, some folks don’t care for deer suet, it can be used as feed for wild birds and your chickens.

And lastly, is the fat on the outside of the carcass, all those bits that you usually cut away and put in the gut heap, it’s good fat. Unfortunately, if you aren’t hanging your deer in the hide, you need to work quickly so the fat doesn’t go rancid.

caul fat Venison Fat & Rendering Deer Tallow

Yes, deer fat goes rancid fairly quickly. The reason? Deer fat is high in omega-3s, when the temperature gets above freezing and air begins hitting the fat, oxidation begins. Oxidation causes rancidity.

The quicker you can get your deer broken down, cooled, and out of oxygen (in the refrigerator) the less likely the fat will go rancid, the longer it will store, and the better tasting it will be.

What does venison tallow taste like?

Fat is the flavor vehicle of all meat, not the muscle itself, so fat flavor largely depends on diet. While in the past people made pie crusts out of lard (which does have a pork-like flavor), most of society has become accustomed to vegetable shortening, which has no flavor because it’s deodorized and bleached so eating traditional fats can be a bit of a transition.

Depending on where your deer is from will largely dictate what the fat will taste like. If you hunt in the grain belt, it likely ate a good deal of grain and grass and will taste similar to the beef most of us are used to eating. If your deer ate a lot of acorns, the flavor will be equally delicious. Hunting in areas where deer are small and typically very, very lean, the little bit of fat on it may not taste very good (though, it can still be used to make candles and soap, more on that later).

bird eating suet Venison Fat & Rendering Deer Tallow

If you aren’t sure if you want to go to the trouble to render fat you won’t enjoy the flavor of, melt a small sliver in a pan with some water and smell it. If you enjoy the smell, it’ll taste good. If you don’t? I still recommend you render it and make it into good soap or deer tallow candles.

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Deer fat is very high in stearic acid, which gives the fat a sort of waxy feel that will coat your mouth. But, if you like beef fat, you’ll enjoy deer fat and rendering it into tallow helps calm down that coating feeling that can be too much for a lot of people.

Even rendered, deer tallow will coat your mouth. A little bit goes a long way. Add small amounts to your cooked summer sausages or deer burger and the flavor is amazing and it’s not too waxy. Add too much, it’s waxy and can be unpleasant.

What are the benefits of tallow?

Tallow of all kinds supplies you with all sorts of essential, fatty acids.

  • High in Omega-3s, which can improve cardiovascular health (source).
  • High in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to help in fat loss (source).
  • Deer tallow has the highest levels of stearic acid of any food, which can reduce LDL, or bad, cholesterol (source).
  • Tallow has a high smoke point and is more stable than industrial cooking oils.
  • It’s also fantastic for your skin making it perfect for soap making, lotions, and balms.
  • It’s a great, sustainable, local option for fat for cooking or skincare options.
  • It enables you to utilize the entire animal, nose to tail, not putting anything to waste.
  • Learning to render your own tallow is a self sufficient skill that is worthwhile so that those skills aren’t lost.

What is deer tallow used for?

bird eating suet Venison Fat & Rendering Deer Tallow
Deer tallow can add excellent flavor to steaks and sausages.

Like beef tallow, deer tallow has many uses.

  • It can be used to add to your deer sausages or ground meat in place of unrendered fat to add a little fat and make the venison flavor really pop. Note: don’t use it in uncooked, dry cured applications as the waxiness of it isn’t very palatable.
  • You can use it for frying things like french fries. or sauteeing vegetables.
  • Add it to the top of your venison steak or roast for a burst of flavor.
  • Use it to waterproof leather products.
  • Save the suet to feed your chickens in the winter.
  • Make tallow soap, it’s great for making a facial bar since tallow naturally helps remove impurities from the skin.
  • Make an emergency jar candle.
  • Use it as a fire starter.
  • Make tallow balm for healthy, glowing skin.

How to render deer tallow

venison fat Venison Fat & Rendering Deer Tallow

You will need:

  • Deer fat trimmed from around the organs and/or the outside of the animal, if it has hit air for very long, you may want to remove trim off the outermost part of the fat.
  • A grinder or a sharp knife and cutting board.
  • A large stock pot
  • Jars or tubs for storage
  • A cup of water
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To begin, trim deer fat from the carcass, removing as much meat as you can; immediately refrigerate and cover it until the next day.

Next, you’ll want to either grind the fat with a hand grinder, an electric grinder, or cut it up into small pieces. If you’re cutting it by hand, you’ll want to start with really cold fat, in fact, you may want to pop it in your freezer for a bit to get it really cold, just not frozen.

venison fat Venison Fat & Rendering Deer Tallow

Alternatively, if you do not have a grinder, you could also pop your trimmed fat into a food processor to get it chopped into little bits.

Place your ground-up fat into a large stockpot, add a cup of water, cover, and cook on the lowest heat setting you possibly can.

deer tallow 1 Venison Fat & Rendering Deer Tallow

Now, you wait. The rendering process will take a long time. It took about 5 hours to render and my 5-quart stockpot was full. You’ll have bits of meat and other impurities that separate from the fat as it’s rendering, this is normal. Check it once in a while to make sure it’s not burning and give it a little stir.

You’ll know the fat is rendered once the impurities are floating (the little pieces of meat generally sink to the bottom of the pot) and the fat is clear and no longer cloudy.

Once rendered, place some cheesecloth in a colander and carefully pour your liquid fat into a bowl.

Next, transfer your strained fat into a pan, or glass jars. I prefer cooling mine in a pan and chopping it up because tallow is very hard when solid and that can make it difficult to get out of the jars.

Deer tallow, like all rendered fats, is shelf stable, once rendered it can be kept at room temperature for a year or longer assuming it is kept cool and out of direct sunlight.

If you’re looking for ideas on how to reconnect with your food, nature, and the heritage way of life, you’ve come to the right place.

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Ethan Smith is a seasoned marine veteran, professional blogger, witty and edgy writer, and an avid hunter. He spent a great deal of his childhood years around the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona. Watching active hunters practise their craft initiated him into the world of hunting and rubrics of outdoor life. He also honed his writing skills by sharing his outdoor experiences with fellow schoolmates through their high school’s magazine. Further along the way, the US Marine Corps got wind of his excellent combination of skills and sought to put them into good use by employing him as a combat correspondent. He now shares his income from this prestigious job with his wife and one kid. Read more >>