There is a universal question among turkey hunters, usually asked in the predawn while the coffee is being made. What will this weather do to the turkeys? We’ve always been told and assumed that birds gobble best when it’s clear, calm, and warm. Nice days and dogwoods, after all, are part of the allure of spring hunting.

But hunting seasons are short and spring is turbulent, and so if you wait for the perfect weather to go hunting, you might not get to go at all. For turkey hunters, one saving grace is that the birds are diurnal — daytime critters — and so almost regardless of what the weather is doing, they are on the ground, somewhere, and can be hunted. One time a buddy and I ditch-slipped a Nebraska longbeard during a tornado warning. Smart? Not at all. But possible.

Turkeys have another saving grace, too. They have waited all year to breed, and a little bad weather doesn’t change their intentions. In fact, I’ve learned, a crummy forecast usually bothers me more than it does the birds.

Just last week in Texas, one of our hunting days was forecast to be 94 degrees (it actually reached 96) with a sustained 30-mph wind. A wildfire had ravaged the ranch we were hunting only a few weeks earlier, and so the dry air was laced with black soot. But before those Winds of Hell began to blow, the morning broke in a fog so thick it seemed I could’ve cut a slice of it from the sky and set it in my truck for later.

Will they even gobble in the fog like this? my buddy Miles wondered aloud.

Not much, and it seems like the fog keeps them in the tree forever, I said, matter-of-factly. Fifteen minutes later, a pair of vocal longbeards strutted right through the soup to our gun barrels. Miles killed one and I missed the other.

(Don’t Miss: 10 Reasons Why You Suck at Calling Turkeys)

A few hours later, the forecast was living up to the hype. Maybe I’ve seen it hit 90 degrees a time or two during the late season in Tennessee, but I wouldn’t swear to it. The Texas wind and heat felt like the rush of opening a broiling oven after something greasy has oozed onto the elements. Turkeys won’t do anything in this, I said, again matter-of-factly, as we cruised ranch roads and glassed under shade trees.

Then we topped a hill where two Rio Grande gobblers were strutting in the blazing sun. One of them gobbled at the truck. We cruised a half mile past them, made a wide loop to set up, and called them right in. Michelle, my wife, killed one at 12:04 p.m. At that point, having been 100% wrong on all of the day’s turkey behavior predictions, I made the safe bet that everyone else was probably at least as hungry as me. Let’s go get some barbecue and try again this afternoon, I suggested.

Listen to the Realtree Outpost Podcast from this hunt:

When in Doubt, Go Hunt

The other day, before Texas, a buddy of mine from Alabama called and said, I slept in this morning because it was cloudy and raining. I think I messed up, because it’s pretty outside now. He’d been having a good spring to that point, with several close calls but no trigger pulled. Since my season at home wasn’t open yet, I was living vicariously through him, and I also felt compelled to suggest what the turkeys would be doing at that very moment in another state, on a property I’d never seen. Channeling Dr. Phil, I told my buddy that many times in the past, I’ve forced myself to get up and go hunt and I’ve never regretted it, even when I didn’t get a bird. When I have slept in, though, I’ve almost universally woken up feeling sorry for myself.

Point being, go hunting and see what happens, I said.

The next morning, my buddy waited out a predawn deluge, and then he heard a turkey gobble at the departing thunder as he was gathering his gear. He sent me pictures of that bird later in the day, lying dead on his tailgate, with the words, How ’bout that, Ol’ Son?

Not that it offered much hope back in Texas. The winds were still raging as I watched the sun fade behind the live oaks that evening, but it seemed as though at least one of my predictions would hold true: Turkeys wouldn’t do squat that evening, hot as it was. Miles was tagging along with me — the first time he’d ever been unarmed in Texas, he said — and we decided to sit within earshot of a creek bottom, where turkeys often roost. With less than an hour of shooting light remaining, I hit my box call, thinking maybe I’d get a bird to shock gobble before fly-up. The answering gobble was so faint I thought I might’ve imagined it, but Miles heard it too.

No way we’re killing that bird, I whispered. He’s a mile away, and they’ll be flying up any minute. Shoot, he’s probably up in a tree right now, gobbling from the limb.

But when he gobbled again a few minutes later, I realized he’d cut half the distance. I popped in a mouth call and yelped, and he roared back from the dark timber, so close I could feel the rattle in his throat. Then I saw him, strutting across the pasture toward me, a mere silhouette in the fading light. But when he got to 25 yards, I could see his white head pretty good.

(Don’t Miss. Seriously. Never Miss a Gobbler Again)

In 28 seasons of hunting, I’ve never killed a gobbling turkey any later in the day than that one. Never worked one at high noon when it was 94 degrees, either. Nor have I ever seen a turkey pitch into a blinding fog and tear right through it, drumming and gobbling so furiously I never lost track of him, before ultimately revealing himself within gun range.

That day, I saw all the above, and in every instance predicted that the turkey would do the exact opposite of what he actually did.

Sometimes, it’s best to just shut your mouth and go hunting.

Thank you for returning to read my latest article. In this article I would like to talk about the lost art of the “deer drive”.

There are many people out there that discount this age old practice due to belief that it is unethical and unsportsmanlike to hunt deer or any big game in such a matter.

I think I have only seen it shown on TV hunting shows maybe once or twice ever, and I watch a lot of hunting shows.

Now to a person that did not grow up learning this style of hunting, I can see how this is true. Some people may not know how to accurately shoot at a running deer or lack the confidence to do so.

If a deer drive is not properly planned out with your hunting party, it can be very dangerous as well. But, if done safely, and properly, it is a very effective way to harvest deer.

I grew up and have lived my entire life in the state of Wisconsin. In the Midwest, the deer drive is a long standing deer camp tradition. It is however, in my opinion, being phased out by most people, preferring to emulate what they learn from watching TV and reading magazines, where such a thing is generally frowned upon. In the Midwest region of the country, until the past couple decades; deer hunting was a way to put food on the table. Hunters were not going out to specifically to harvest a trophy whitetail, although they all dreamed of doing so. Normally people would sit their stands the first day or so, but if no luck was to be had, well we made our own luck. We needed food in our freezer, and if that meant bumping that giant out of the area in hopes to put a tag on a doe for meat, well then so be it.

In my opinion, things have definitely changed.

Tip #1 Safety, Safety, Safety

Did I forget to mention safety? It is true that this can be a very dangerous tactic to use while trying to harvest deer. Always make sure everyone knows where they can and cannot safely shoot. Many hunters have paid with their lives shooting into areas where they are not supposed to during a deer drive. If there is no safe direction for walkers to shoot due to position of the standers, then the walkers should not carry their guns on the drive, to avoid temptation to shoot at a deer that may jump out of its hiding spot.

This was made clear to me on my first deer drive. I still remember like it was yesterday, my first ever deer drive. It was Thanksgiving Day in 1986. I had sat opening weekend seeing only a few deer. From what I can remember, no one had put a tag on a deer as of yet. After the Thanksgiving morning hunt we met at the trucks for lunch and started planning a drive. I was nervous, hoping I did would not screw up. Since I was using a 20 gauge shotgun, younger, and full of youthful energy, I was chosen to be one of the walkers. My father and older brothers, who had longer shooting rifles, were to be the standers. My other brother Tony was also chosen as a walker, because he also carried a shotgun. We chose to drive out a corn field that sat on the east end of the property. I was told sternly to follow the rules to ensure the utmost safety of everyone participating. My father and two other brothers would set up in the corners of the corn to catch deer that broke out of hiding. They were not allowed to shoot into the corn at all, for obvious reasons; my brother and I were in it! Tony and I were not allowed to shoot anywhere but straight down the rows of corn, this way we would not run the risk of shooting the standers stationed in the corners of the field.

We gave our predetermined signals to the standers that we were starting to walk into the field. Everyone was in place and ready for what was to come. As I took my first step into the rows, I grew ever more nervous. I was 12 years old and all of about 4 feet 8 inches tall. The corn we were walking into was over 7 feet tall! I could not see anything farther than 5 feet in front of me. All I knew was I had to walk straight through the corn and follow the rows so everyone knew where to expect me to be. I did not make it through the field 30 yards when I heard my brother Tony bellow “DEER!” and I heard shots start ringing out from his shotgun, or at least I thought it was him as I really could not see anything. I could hear corn stalks crashing all around me, and shots began to ring out from every perceivable direction. I pulled my gun up and knelt down in the middle of the corn, half expecting to get run over by a deer at any point in time. To say I was freaking out would be an understatement! For what seemed like 10 minutes, but was in reality probably only 30 seconds, the commotion subsided. My brother Tony started to yell my name to check to make sure I was safe. I did not immediately answer his calls because I was still in defense mode ready for a deer to plow through and run me over. After a few calls I finally answered him, “Ya!” They all started asking where I was. I could not answer them, as I was slightly disoriented, and my heart and brain was going at a million miles per hour. The only thing I could think of to do was put my blaze orange hat on the end of my barrel and raise it above the stalks of corn so they had a chance to see just where I was. They told me to make my way out. I gladly followed that piece of advice and walked until I reached the outskirts of the corn, leaving my hat on my gun barrel pointed above the corn the entire way, almost like a flag of surrender. As I reached the end of the corn I noticed my family standing around a doe that lay on the ground in front of them. They had taken, to the best of my childhood recollection, 3 does during that short drive. In a matter of a minute or so, my family had the much needed venison to sustain us through until the following deer season.

Tip #2 The Set-up

The position of the standers is paramount to the success of your drive. Standers should be set up to block all escape routes of the deer you are trying to move. I will use my hunting property to give you an example of this. The lay out of this land is simple. On the East side of the property is a large ridge with open mature hardwoods. The ridge only rises up about 10-15 feet in elevation. The West side of the land is a cow pasture that covers about 10 acres or so and runs adjacent to the road. The North end is a corn field, and the south end is a swampy area that the deer use as bedding and butts up to public land. The swampy area extends through the middle of the property essentially cutting it in half. This finger of swamp running between the hardwoods to the east and the pasture to the west makes for a perfect travel and escape route for the deer. Our walkers start by coming in on the public land to the south and push through the swamp towards the corn in the north. The deer normally follow the swamp on their way to the corn, essentially making it a pinch point. They do not like escaping through open territory, preferring to stay in cover as long as possible. We put one stander on the ridge to the east to catch any deer that shoot out the side, one in the pasture for the same reason, and then 1 or 2 along the corn to block off any way of escape. If there are any deer bedded down in the swamp, they are sure to bust out in the direction of one of the standers. The walkers in this scenario do not have much opportunity for shots due to the thickness of the cover, which is also why the deer love to hide here. If your standers have all escape routes blocked, success is assured. If there are any gaps or escape routes not covered, it is guaranteed the deer will find the weakness and exploit it.

Tip #3 Play the Wind

The wind is always a primary concern when it comes to hunting whitetails. The whitetail’s best defense is its sense of smell. While playing the wind during a deer drive, there are different factors to consider than just sitting in your stand. You should line up your walkers to walk with the wind, and your standers should be upwind of the drive. This allows the deer to smell the walkers. Letting the deer smell you may be something that goes against all you have been taught about hunting deer. The main purpose of letting the deer smell the walkers is to make them move before being jumped. If the deer sense your presence before you jump it they will move off towards the standers much sooner. If the deer do not know the walkers are coming towards them, you run the risk of jumping them at close range. If you startle the deer they are more likely to run full speed away. A deer at full speed is far harder to hit for the standers than one that is try to creep away. When they are moving away slower they are more likely to stop to look back at the danger, giving the shooter a chance to get a clean shot. A startled deer will not stop running until it knows it is safe. There are so many variables in taking a shot on a whitetail that is running for its life. You have to be able to hit something the size of a paper plate that is running at 30+ mph, and is bounding up and down, and zigzagging left and right. It almost seems impossible when you think about it. I have taken several deer while running, but have missed more. It is difficult to make an accurate shot at that target, and there is no way to practice for such a scenario. I have yet to see a rifle range that has moving targets that move as randomly as a running deer. There are some ranges that have a running deer moving target, but it is mainly a target that moves at a slower more predictable speed, and they move in straight lines. To make this shot requires either great skill or great luck, most of the time luck. With this in mind, I agree with most that say it is unethical for the majority of people to attempt this shot. The practice I have with this shot is the fact that I have made many of them. With deer drives firmly infused into my blood, I know what to expect when attempting a running shot. Opening day 6 years ago, I was sitting in my traditional rifle stand overlooking a corn field. Late in the morning a 7 point buck came out of the woods at full run across the cow pasture I was hunting over, headed for the corn. I knew if it hit the corn field it was going to be impossible to take it. I settled my rifle on a tree branch in front of me and started to track the deer through the iron sights of my Marlin 336 .35 Remington. This model gun is usually only good for shots under 200 yards; and that is in ideal shot conditions, but I knew my gun well. I knew the closest that deer was going to get was about 175 yards away and with it at a full run, most people would not even think of attempting it. As it got closer and closer to the corn I knew it was now or never. I concentrated on my aim, let out a deep breath, and touched off a round. The deer folded up where it was at. I would be foolish to think that a shot like that was all skill. I know for a fact that there was a lot of luck involved. If the deer would have varied any on its path to the corn, I would have missed badly, or worse, wounded the deer so it would suffer. I am confident in taking a running shot, but it is not for everyone. 99% of all shot opportunities on deer during a drive will be moving deer, anything you can do to make the deer take a slower retreat; will greatly improve your odds of success.

Tip #4 Make Noise

Make noise you say? Well that is another tip that goes against the grain of traditional thinking when it comes to whitetail hunting. There are multiple reasons for walkers to make noise while on a drive. First is for safety reasons. If the walkers are making noise, then the standers can more easily pinpoint the location of the walkers, insuring that the standers know not to fire at your location. It also gives them an educated guess as to how much farther the walkers have to go before the drive is complete. It also aids in letting the deer know the walkers are coming, giving them ample opportunity to move before being startled and jumped from their bed. Once again, a deer creeping away slowly in an attempt to be undetected is easier to shoot than a running deer. This tactic is especially effective when driving through corn fields. Deer tend to hang tight in corn and will not jump until the last second and can hide rather well between the rows. I have developed a fun and entertaining cadence when making noise through the corn. I like to talk a lot and loudly and I also try to smack corn stalks on my way through. I want them to move before I get to them.

Tip #5 Be Prepared

As a stander, never in any circumstances, relax while you are waiting for the walkers. Always have your weapon in hand and pay close attention to your surroundings. The action can happen at any time and from any direction. It can be all over in a matter of seconds. I have seen deer pushed from drives while the walkers are still hundreds of yards away, and I also have had deer come out after the drivers have passed by. As discussed before, the deer will more than likely be on the run when you see it. If you get nice and comfy and lean your weapon up against a tree next to you, it will take longer for you to set up a shot. If you have your gun already in your hand when the deer comes through, you can quickly pull up and take your shot. If you have to pick your gun up first, your opportunity might pass you by before you have a chance. Never get caught unprepared on a drive.

Even walkers on the drive need to pay close attention. If you are a walker that is allowed to shoot on the drive, your window of opportunity will be even shorter. Instead of moving towards you like the standers, the deer is moving away from you, and quickly! You may only have a second or two to try and pull off an ethical shot. If you do not have a shot, or are not carrying a weapon, you can try to signal the standers that you have a deer on its feet if you see a deer jump and start moving away.

A few years ago, I was a walker on a short drive at our hunting property. I was equipped with a two-way radio to communicate with the standers, and I was the only walker. I made it about a quarter of the way through my drive when I jumped 2 does and a mature 9 point buck out of a thicket. Because I paid attention to my surroundings and never relaxed during my walk I was able to see the deer and tell the standers what was coming at them. My dad was ready with his gun up and into position already by the time that buck crested the ridge line in front of him. It was the biggest buck of his life, and undoubtedly noticing what was going on in front of me greatly helped in the success of that drive.

Tip #6 Lower Your Standards

While everyone would like to sit back and wait on that mature buck, it is very hard to age a deer while it is moving quickly through the woods. You may only have a couple of brief seconds to react and shoot at any given deer. You will never have the opportunity to study the deer and determine age. If you only want to shoot a buck that is 4 ½ years old or older, then deer drives may not be for you. While a small buck is fairly easy to judge while running quickly through the woods, you probably will not be able to tell the difference between 2 ½ year old and a 4 ½ year old. A running deer will appear more stretched out than a deer just standing there in a relaxed state, so you will not see if that deer has a large chest and pot belly as compared to a younger sleeker deer. And forget about trying to count points or judging score. If you try to judge the age and score of a deer before shooting, the deer will more than likely pass you by before you can figure it out.

Button bucks are another reason you may want to lower your expectations. If you are on a drive that permits you to take a doe, you run the risk of shooting buck fawns. While it is fairly easy to tell a fawn doe from a mature deer, it is not that easy with button bucks, especially in the north. By the time deer season rolls around in November, button bucks are normally the size of the adult does. Their body frame is larger than doe fawns, and can really fool you when on a full run. Even if the button buck is running next to a couple mature does, it does not look much smaller and can easily be thought to be a doe. If you do happen to shoot a buck fawn, do not get down on yourself about it. Take it from me, a professional chef, those fawns taste delicious! As I have always said, “Nothing tastes better than a baby vegetarian”.

Tip #7 Choose Your Weapons

The choice of weapons for your individual position in a deer drive is a critical factor. If you are a walker that is permitted to shoot, never carry a weapon with a scope. There are a couple reasons for this. As I mentioned before in this article, your window of opportunity will normally be shorter than that of a stander. To get a proper sight picture through your scope, it will take longer, running the possibility of missing your window. If you have a bead sight or iron sights on your gun you can more quickly acquire your target, improving your odds. I like to choose a shotgun for my weapon when I am a walker. My shots are usually close range and in dense cover. A high powered rifle bullet does not move through brush as easily as a shotgun slug. If I use a rifle, I use one without a scope and usually choose a slower moving bullet that will bust through brush without being deflected as much as a fast moving bullet. My rifle of choice is usually a lever action such as a 30-30 or my favorite, a .35 rem. Round nose bullets bust brush more easily than a pointed bullet, without as much deflection.

Walking through heavy brush where deer like to hide when pressured, can easily knock your scope off of zero, causing other headaches while deer hunting. If you knock off your zero, you will never know it, and this may cause you to miss your target or worse, wound the deer and cause it suffering.

Standers should be positioned in such a way that their gun matches the shot opportunities. If a stander has a short range rifle, then that shooter should be set up for short range shots. You do not want to set up a person with a short range rifle in a spot where his shot opportunities may be further than his guns effective range. If you have a spot in the drive where the stander has the chance to shoot out a couple hundred yards or so, you will want a long, flat shooting gun. On that same note, if the shot scenario will be something within 50 yards, you may want a shooter with a short range gun such as a shotgun or 30-30, rather than a 30-06 or 7mm-08. The cartridge you fire should always be considered when planning out your drive.

Tip #8 Driving Public Land

This is perhaps the most dangerous of situations. Public land is just that; public! Anyone, at any point in time, may wander onto the property. If you pull up to an empty parcel of land and decide you want to do a drive on it, make sure all safety rules are in place. You could all split up to your respective positions, and then another hunter could pull up, unaware of what is taking place. This puts both drivers and the other hunter in serious danger. If you believe the land is empty, but it suddenly is not, you may be shooting at a person you do not know is there. Alternatively, he might not know that there is a person walking towards him and take a shot at a deer you pushed, and put you or your standers in danger. If you choose to drive public lands, set up either a stander or walker where they can see if anyone else has entered the property, such as close to a road. This way if someone does enter the property, he can communicate to others and adjust your plan accordingly. A two-way radio helps in this so you can easily and instantly tell others, and everyone in your party is aware of what is going on.

I hope you find this article helpful when planning your next outing. While some may think this is an unethical or unsporting way of hunting, it is without doubt, an effective way to harvest deer. My party does several drives per year and has it down to a science, but the only thing we can predict, is the unpredictability of the whitetail deer.

If you follow some of these basic tactics; it will greatly increase your chances to put backstraps on the dinner table.

I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read this article. Good luck to all those venturing into the woods this fall and happy hunting!

Many hunters each season harvest a deer and pay a processing facility to butcher the animal. One of the comments we saw a lot when we made our video on butchering a deer at home was the amount of meat that many processors waste. That’s exactly why we wanted to put this guide together.

There is a special relationship you will find knowing that you harvested your venison, dressed, skinned, and butchered the meat, and made a meal that your friends and family will talk about for years. You can butcher a deer at home and know that you wasted nothing, plus you’ll save money. Once you know the best way to butcher a deer, you can do it quickly, often finishing the major steps in less than half an hour.

Skinning Your Deer the Right Way

A properly harvested deer begins with good shot placement and field dressing the animal quickly. We have put together guides for you to properly field dress a deer in print and on our Youtube channel.

For this process, we are going to use the Outdoor Edge RazorMax. This knife has interchangeable blades, so you can quickly switch from a 5” boning knife to a 3.5” drop point. You can purchase our favorite knives right from our website.

Begin skinning your deer by making a cut down the back of the hind legs. Be careful not to cut the Achilles tendon, as you will hang the deer from that at a later stage. After you have made the incision, you can start to pull the skin down the leg, like removing a sock. Keep the meat as clean as possible. Disposable gloves are a good idea, and you should change them when they are contaminated.

As you pull the skin down, you will find a joint. You can make an incision with your knife around and into the joint and snap the lower leg off. Continue pulling the hide down and rolling it so that the hair does not touch the meat and expose the tendon. Do this for both back legs.

You can go to the front and do the same thing as with the back legs. Simply find the joint, make an incision, and snap the lower leg off. Now you are ready to finish skinning your deer.

Hanging Your Deer

The easiest way to skin a deer is by hanging it. We are lucky to have an overhead hoist in our butcher shop. If you don’t have access to a hoist, there are a number of ways to hang a deer. You can use a chain fall and gambrel from the rafters in your garage. You can even use a sturdy tree. Placing a waterproof tarp underneath will help with cleanup.

If hanging a deer to skin is not possible, it can be done on the ground, but it is much more difficult and you should plan on making sure your carcass stays clean. Use tarps.

You will fit the gambrel through the tendons of the back legs and lift the carcass up to about chest level. This will give you good leverage to push the hide down. You’ll hardly use your knife as you skin the haunches. You can finish your cut through the groin and pull the skin back to the haunches.

When you start to work along the front of the legs, be careful not to cut the flap meat. You will find a membrane that holds the flap, and you want to make sure not to cut into it. You want the flap meat to stay on the carcass, because it will make pulling the hide off much easier.

At this point, you can pull the hide down and cut through the tail. Continue to grasp the hide and push down with your hand or fist. Be careful to avoid contaminating your deer. Change your gloves regularly. When you have gotten down to the chest area, you should raise your deer up again if possible.

Finishing the Skinning Process

The hide will be more difficult to remove in the neck, particularly with a buck. If you’re not cutting the cape for a shoulder mount, you can cut the hide down the throat to the jaw. This will make it easier to pull the hide off. Use your knife to cut through the spine at the base of the skull. Cut through the esophagus and pull the hide off the rest of the way.

Pull the esophagus through. Now you will have an opening through the neck. Your carcass should be pretty clean without any hair on it. You can rinse the cavity out to get rid of any blood. If your deer was gut shot, you should not rinse it. All you are doing is spreading contamination around. You will need to cut the contaminated parts out and discard them.

Skinning an animal is a skill that takes practice to get good at doing. When you first start out skinning, it will take you a long time to do the job, and that’s fine. You should be patient and be careful to make sure you remove the hide cleanly without damaging your meat.

A few tips that can help a lot:

Start with a Sharp Knife

This may seem obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many times we have seen mangled, hacked up deer because someone tried to use a dull knife. You should become skilled at sharpening a knife and you should have a basic knife sharpener with you on your hunt. Regularly ensuring the blade of your hunting knife is kept sharp will speed up your skinning process. Even the best knife in the world will not hold an edge forever. One of the reasons we recommend the Outdoor Edge RazorMax is the quick-change blades. This way, you don’t have to stop halfway through the process to sharpen a blade.

Use Correct Knife Technique

A sharp knife makes it easy to cut, but you still must be cautious about the way you use your knife. Always be aware of where your hands, or a helper’s hands are when working with a knife. It’s unbelievably easy to accidentally cut someone or yourself when skinning. Make short, precise cuts away from yourself. Keep your knife handle clean. A non-slip handle is very beneficial.

Wear Gloves

Gloves will significantly help your cleanup process, but most importantly, they help prevent spreading contaminants around while you are skinning and butchering. It is particularly important to prevent spreading hair around on the meat. Changing your gloves periodically while skinning will help to keep the hair on the hide and off your dinner.

Use the Buddy System

Skinning any large animal is a chore to do by yourself. Once you have plenty of experience, it won’t be as difficult, but an extra set of hands and eyeballs can really come in handy for balancing the carcass while skinning and butchering.

With these tips and our guide, you should be able to start skinning like the professionals. Practice makes perfect, so keep at it. Offer to help others who are skinning, just so you have the opportunity to see and experience the process. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. For a visual breakdown of the process, make sure you check out or video below.

Next, we will show you how we butcher a deer so that you can learn to do it at home, save money on processing charges, and get the cuts of venison you really want. Later, we’ll show you some of our favorite ways to prepare venison and share some family favorite recipes and techniques.

So you field dressed and skinned your deer, but what’s next? In this article, we’re going to explain the process and techniques we use at home to butcher a deer and prepare the meat for final cuts. A lot of the information here can also be found on our Youtube channel if you would like to see the process we use.

It’s key to make sure your deer is completely clean and free of hair and dirt before butchering. Cleanliness is essential. You do not want to accidentally ruin your venison because of carelessness.

Butcher a Deer

We are going to go through and show you how to break the carcass down into the different muscle groups, then we will come back and show you how to further process those parts. We are using the Outdoor Edge Butcher’s Knife Kit. It comes with all of the essential tools you need. We’re going to use the bone saw, the boning knife, and a larger butcher blade that is similar to a Bowie knife. This is a great set of tools to pick up, we highly recommend them for your at home butchering. Let’s get started!

Tenderloins or Fish Tenders

The first thing you will do is reach inside the carcass and find the tenderloins. We call them fish tenders because, well, they are about the size of a fish fillet. Once you get them started, they pull out easily. A lot of people miss these or cut into them when field dressing their deer, which is really a waste of one of the best parts.

Rear Quartering

We are going to use the Outdoor Edge bone saw to quickly remove the hind quarters. This just makes the next steps easier. First, trim the flap meat, then cut through above the hip joints.

Switching back to the boning knife, you will use some downward pressure to separate the hip joints and slice the haunch off. You can use the edge of the table as you cut to get leverage. This will help separate the joint. Set the rear haunches aside for now. Later, we will break those down into the sirloin, top, bottom, and eye of round roasts and tell you how to make some jerky.

Front Quartering

Most of the time as you are butchering an animal, you will see visual cues where to cut. As you work along the front legs, you will find a membrane between the muscles. Just follow that with your knife, and the shoulder will come apart easily. Use short strokes with your knife and apply pressure with your other hand. The muscle groups will usually come apart. Set the shoulders aside. Later, we will clean these up and describe how to cut a venison flat iron steak.

Ribs and Backstrap

Use your knife and make an incision down the spine. Cut along the carcass to the rib, and work the knife back toward your first cut. Like filleting a fish, if you make these cuts right, your backstrap will come right off. The backstrap is one of the most prized parts of a deer. You will make these cuts on both sides to remove the backstraps. Later, we will tell you how to finish processing these and make them into chops.

This is where the heavier bladed butcher knife comes in handy. You will need to cut through the sternum to separate the ribs. There is a piece of cartilage that makes cutting easier. You can also use the bone saw to quickly hack through the sternum.

Use the heavier knife and a sawing motion to cut the ribs from the spine and remove them. These are great on the smoker as is, but if they are too big, you can cut the bottom portion off. Find the cartilage and cut through it to remove. You can process that part later to add to ground venison. Now, you have St. Louis style ribs.

Use the bone saw to remove the remainder of the ribs. An extra set of hands comes in very handy on this step. A pro tip is to use your knife to cut through the muscle to the bone before starting to cut with the saw. This way, you are not wasting energy cutting muscle with the saw.

Waste Not, Want Not

Carefully go over the remaining spine and neck portion to remove any usable bits of muscle. These can be ground up with other trimmings and make amazing sausage. Most of the bones can be boiled down and used to make stock. Venison bone stock makes out-of-this-world gravy, and is an excellent natural immune system booster. The only bones you should not use are the skull, brain, and spinal cord. Some animals can carry diseases that may be transferable to humans and can withstand industrial heat sanitation temperatures. It’s just not safe to use these parts.

Many people have very strong opinions on using deer fat, and there are some serious things you should consider before embarking on rendering your fat.

Probably the most important thing to consider is the diet of the animal you harvested. Deer feeding on grasses, grains, or acorns are likely to have fat similar to that of grass-fed beef and will be pleasant. Deer eating scrub brush and such should be avoided. These deer are likely to have little fat, and what they do have will not taste good.

Fat you find inside the carcass and surrounding the liver is called suet. This is used to make tallow for candles and can be saved, but is usually discarded when field dressing a deer. If you want to embark on a candle-making adventure, or if you know someone who is interested in buying suet to make tallow, you can save these parts.

If you do render deer fat for cooking, remember a little goes a long way. Too much, and it will coat your mouth in an unpleasant way. Deer fat does not keep and will go rancid within three to four months even in the freezer.

Getting Ready for the Next Step

Your deer has been broken down into the major groups now, so it is time to move on to the types of cuts you can get from your deer. We have videos on our Youtube channel that show the best way how to skin and butcher the deer you have harvested.

In Part Three, we will discuss how to get the best cuts and share with you some of our favorite ways to make venison at home using The Bearded Butcher Blend spices and seasonings.

Once you have finished the basic butchering steps outlined in part two of this guide to butchering at home, it is time to process your quarters into proper cuts of meat.

As we go along here, we will explain the different cuts and give you some tips about the way we like to prepare and season venison using our Bearded Butcher Blend Spices. We are going to continue using the Outdoor Edge Butchering Kit. The knives in this set are excellent for making great cuts of venison at home.

Back to the Venison Backstrap

The first thing you want to do when trimming your backstrap is to find the seam in the muscle. You can open this up by hand, and then give it just a little help with the knife to expose the edge. Trim the long edge off and save it for trimmings.

Next, find the thick spinal sinew that runs all the way down the backstrap and cut that out. This is often used to make traditional bowstrings. Now, we need to remove the silver skin.

Use the fish fillet method by starting at the thick end of the backstrap and cutting down to, but not through the silver skin. Then carefully press the knife away from you while gently pulling the edge of the silver skin and the silver skin will come off. If some parts are missed, you can flip the backstrap over and angle your knife blade against the skin and gently cut away from yourself. This way, you can catch the skin and lift it off without destroying the backstrap.

With the silver skin and sinews removed, you can cut the backstrap into 1 ¼” slices for chops. These are some of the most desirable cuts of venison.

Dressing up a Deer Backstrap

A way to cut and prepare a backstrap that is sure to impress is to butterfly the backstrap. To do this, you will cut the backstrap into thirds. Using the thickest portions, place your hand on top of the backstrap and use your knife to cut as close to the table as possible without cutting through the backstrap. Using your other hand, gently unroll the backstrap as you cut. You can continue to cut and unroll the backstrap until you have one uniform, thin layer.

You can season this with Bearded Butchers Spices. The Original is a personal favorite on a backstrap like this. Next, you will layer whatever filling you would like. Feta cheese, spinach, and onions is a good choice. So is cream cheese and jalapenos for a creamy spicy kick. All you have to do is roll the butterflied backstrap up and tie it off. Smoker, grill, or the oven, this is a great way to make a backstrap.

Breaking Down the Deer Hind Quarter

Next, we are going to separate the hind quarters. These parts can be used for many great dishes. The major portions are the round steaks. These are the ideal cuts for jerky. We are also going to detail how to get a great sirloin roast from a hind quarter.

Get started by applying a little downward force with your knife at the knee joint. When you are in the right spot, you will cut the shank off cleanly. Alternatively, you can use the bone saw to cut through the joint, but be sure to start with your knife. Bone saws don’t work well on muscle.

Using your boning knife, follow the femur bone down until it is separated from the meat. Cut around the bone and lift it out of the muscle. Now you will have a 100 percent boneless piece of venison.

There are four muscle groups we are going to deal with in the haunch. The first is the round point. The round point, also called a sirloin when it is properly dressed, has a membrane that holds it in place. You can start working it free by hand and use your knife sparingly to trim it out. This is the best piece to make roast venison, but you can also cut it up into cubes for stew meat. If you remove the connective tissue, you can also slice this into jerky.

From here, you are going to separate the other three muscle groups. These muscles will pull apart pretty easy when you find the seam in the membrane. This will take experience to learn to do quickly. A trick is

This Article Covers:

Choosing A Skinning Knife

Skinning Knife Set

For me, the worst thing that could happen after a successful hunt, is that gut sinking feeling you get, when you can’t find your knife? it’s only happened a couple of times in 40 years, but even once is one time too many…

The solution for me is to always carry a spare knife in my day pack or better still you could build in real redundancy, and carry a compact skinning knife set.A skinning set is what I would use if I wasn’t so happy with my current knives.

Best Skinning Knife Sets – Check Today’s Prices!

Whether I’m skinning deer in the field or butchering meat at home, my go-to knife at the moment is a 6″ Boning Knife or a Swingblade from Outdoor Edge, the Swingblade has a 3.6″ drop point skinning blade as well as a separate 3.2″ gutting blade, rather than the usual gut hook you would find on a Buck or Gerber Skinning Knives – I find the Swingblade fast and comfortable to use, excellent for field dressing deer!

Skinning Knives For Deer…

Deer Skinning Knife – My Pick…

Apart from the Skinning Knife Set from Jero USA, which I feel is a bargain for 3 quality knives – (Made in Portugal) ideal if you refuse to buy knives made in China? The best deer skinning knife I’ve seen on Amazon, so far, is this Victorinox Beef Skinning Blade, A popular, 5″ Swiss-made knife, it is a tough, well-balanced, from a top-quality brand, at a competitive price.The Victorinox Beef Skinner is the Knife I would buy if I was in the market for a single skinning knife?

Top Skinning Knife Set

I recently discovered this well priced, some might say very cheap, professional skinning set from Jero Knives. Jero Pro 3 Piece Butcher Sets, made in Portugal, sold in the US, by JERO USA, the knife set has tough non-slip polymer handles [textured plastic] that is injection moulded over high-carbon knife steel! – these knives are made to work hard, all day every day. They sell with a Lifetime Warranty!

Jero Pro 3 Piece Butcher Set

Knife sets, such as the Jero Butcher Knife Kit, include no-nonsense skinning knives, designed for commercial meat processing – even with hard use, they will last for years! top quality knives at an amazingly low price!

For most hunters or farmers, butchering their own animals, a knife set or single skinning knife from the Jero Pro Series, is all you would need for processing large game animals like deer, moose, or elk – even skinning and butchering a hog or beef animal.

6 Skinning Knife Sets – Compare

Deer Skinning Kit – My Pick…

The 3 Piece Knife Set from Jero Pro Series In my opinion, is the best skinning knife set, You will find on AmazonBuy Now – (3 Piece Skinning Set) Pro-quality butcher knives, made in Portugal Suitable for field dressing deer, moose, or elk… Jero USA, Supply A Full Range Of Quality Knives To ProfessionalsCHECK TODAY’S PRICES!___________

Best Budget Skinning Set

The 6 piece Deer Skinning Kit from Outdoor Edge would be my backup choice. I love the solid carry case, but in my opinion, the two main knives are a bit small for skinning the larger Red Deer that I hunt, Though this knife kit is still worth buying just for the convenient carry case, caping knife, and ceramic sharpener… The main skinning knives in the set could be your backup knives.

Popular Skinning Knife Types

Skinning Blade Types

Drop Point Skinning Blade

What is a drop point blade? Drop point blades are my favourite blade shape for skinning deer, a well-balanced drop point knife is fast to use when skinning, due to the curve of the blade, rather than a sharp tip or point as you get with a clip point knife – in most situations, I find there is less chance of rupturing the gut or cutting through the skin/pelt when you skin a large animal using drop point blades…

Drop Point is a common blade for skinning knives due to its looks, ease of use, and strength of the blade, the strength comes from the deep curve of the blade tip and the thickness or heft of most skinning blades is designed into the knife for processing larger animals like deer or elk.

These positive attributes transfer across to smaller knives either folding knives or small fixed blades they often sell with drop point blades for skinning small game or EDC work…

But for me, I tend to buy a clip point blade for skinning small game like rabbits.

Clip Point Skinning Blade

The next best blade to the drop point is the traditional clip point blade, in most cases, it is a more versatile blade shape, but not as strong as a large drop point knife.

The clip point is popular with people who only carry one skinning knife as it is suitable for many tasks…

Skinning or Beef Skinner

When I first started hunting, these large curved blades were a common sight on every hunter’s hip in my neck of the woods, Known by some, as the beef skinner, we just referred to them as butcher knives…they came standard from farm suppliers with a deep leather sheath, with sharpening steel attached.

Jero Knives or a Beef Skinner from Victorinox Knives, are two good knife brands that still produce quality versions of the beef skinning knife – without the sheath, its long sweeping blade will be familiar to many older hunters, In the past, I would expect to see a beef skinner above every chopping block in any good skinning shed…

Knife Handle Material

Wood Knife Handle

Wooden Knife handles are considered “Old School” by many, but in my opinion, wood is a great material for knife handles, it wears well stands a range of conditions, it is lightweight and feels nice in hand.

Plastic Knife Handle

Derided by some? but used by many top knife brands including Victorinox, who market their plastic handles as Fibrox, or as it states on their website [Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE)] I have owned several hunting knives with plastic handles, they all survived hard use and on occasion a little bit of abuse. I still own one after 10 years, they are tough – Just don’t put them in the dishwasher! Hand Wash Only!

Skinning Knife 7 Key Features

7 Key Features You should look for when buying a skinning knife.

1. Look for a well-balanced knife with a comfortable handle, a skinning knife needs to feel nice in the hand with a good solid feel, but not blade heavy.
2. You, want a non-slip handle, either textured rubber or a polymer/plastic, such as Fibrox, found on some Victorinox Knives, these handle materials are light, cheap, and durable, – a popular choice for working knives.
3. A 3.5″ to 6″ drop point blade, or a stiff 6″ boning knife, works great for processing deer in the field.
4. For me, a skinning knife must be reliable, easy-care, a stainless steel blade makes maintenance simple – a quick wash and sharpen when the job is done – no fuss, no oiling the blade, stainless blades are always ready for work!
5. Skinning Knives with softer steel like 420HC or AUS-8 are tough in use, as well as quick and easy to maintain its edge with a high grit sharpening stone or touch up with a sharpening steel. – Hard steel like 01 Tool Steel or S30V is nice but softer steel is less brittle and easier to sharpen quickly…
6. Hunting knives must hold their edge, a blunt knife is frustrating to use and much more likely to cut the person who is using it!
7. Cheap to buy? Buying Cheap Skinning Knives… doesn’t have to mean crap, once you know what to look for! – Victorinox Knives are cheap, but of excellent quality, for example, all the knives in our comparison table especially the Outdoor Edge Knives and Victorinox, will give you good service for many years, but most are priced to suit a tight budget… (I use both Brands when deer hunting)

Well designed Skinning Knives, from well-known brands, will have all of these 7 features, they hold an edge, sharpen easily, have textured, non-slip rubber or plastic handles, You can expect them to be durable and reliable…!

F.A.Q

Summary

Choosing a single skinning knife to use on a variety of game is a difficult task. If you only hunt deer? or only hunt small game like rabbits or fowl…? the task is simpler, a single knife of the appropriate size is all you need.I like to cover all the bases with a knife set like this 6 Piece Skinning Set from Outdoor Edge – the gut hook for processing large game, the caping knife for small game animals or caping your trophy bull, the boning knife is versatile, useful for all game animals.If you Butcher Hogs or Beef Animals, as well as Hunt Deer, Elk, or Moose, the 3 Piece Butcher Set from Jero USA is a great choice for processing large animals.

For well over 100 years the most popular configuration in a lever action is a .30-30 caliber carbine with a handy, maneuverable 20-inch barrel. But a few years ago, it looked like the era of readily available lever actions was over as Winchester closed its doors and Marlin experienced production delays after it manufacturing facilities were relocated.

For a while Mossberg was about the only source for a hunting-ready lever action .30-30 with its Model 464, although Winchester and Marlin are now back in the fold as well. So for those of you pining for a new all-American hunting tool, here’s a head-to-head performance review featuring a classic .30-30 carbine from each.

When requesting test samples, I specified 20-inch barrels in .30-30 Win. caliber, in a standard configuration without bells and whistles. Marlin sent its Model 336C, which the company considers its flagship lever action. Although it has several nice but subtle features such as checkering and a grip cap, it’s not fancy. In fact, it’s the second least expensive model the company offers. A thin rubber buttpad does little to dampen recoil but prevents the rifle from slipping and clattering to the tile floor when it’s propped in the kitchen corner. Capable sights, decent straight-grain walnut and a satin metal finish complete the package.

Mossberg provided a sample of its pistol-gripped Model 464. Like the Marlin, it features checkered walnut stocks and a thin rubber buttpad. Sights feature fiber-optic inserts, which are helpful in low light but less robust than simple steel sights. One Model 464 costs less – the straight-gripped version without checkering or fiber optics – but only by $37. The nicer version is worth the dollars.

After the first Winchester I received wouldn’t accept a scope, I swapped it for the 94 Short Rifle, which has the same 20-inch barrel as the carbine but sports a steel fore-end cap and optic compatibility for a measly $30 more. A traditional (and slippery) plastic buttplate graces the carbine, and the clean, straight-grain walnut stocks are free of checkering.

To give each .30-30 carbine a fair and equal shake, I mounted matching Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x32mm riflescopes for accuracy testing. The slim little optic is one of my favorites for any quick-handling, lightweight hunting rifle, and it’s particularly suitable for a lever gun.

I also used Leupold hardware to mount the scopes. Putting an optic on the Marlin was painless. I simply screwed down the mount, installed the rings and leveled up the scope before torqueing the screws to spec.

The Mossberg was equally easy; once I’d obtained the correct bases. Oddly, the carbine takes two of the front bases intended for a Winchester. Once that dilemma was solved and the duplicate hardware obtained, the Leupold mounted up beautifully.

The Winchester base protrudes forward and partially blocks the ejection port, and I was initially concerned it would interfere with ejection, but both empty cases and unfired cartridges ejected without argument. However, all things considered, a pair of No. 403 Weaver cross-slot bases is an easier solution.

With Winchester 94 Short Rifle, the bases and rings screwed into place perfectly. With only low rings on hand, I had to finesse the optic to just the right spot to prevent interference with the rear sight. Medium-height rings would work better unless a scope without a belled objective housing was used.

What with barrel bands, weighty magazine tubes hanging from slender barrels and fore-ends that are anything but free-floated, I suppose it would be kinder to allow one’s .30-30 carbine to cool between groups, but lever actions are often shot fast and frequently, and I wanted to see how well they held their point of impact and accuracy. So I fired three consecutive three-shot groups with each type of ammunition without pause except to reload. I did allow the carbines to cool thoroughly between ammo types.

To my surprise, accuracy didn’t deteriorate materially as the barrels heated, and in the case of the Winchester – which started out good – accuracy got even better. Nor did point of impact wander appreciably.

Also surprising is that the Winchester averaged the best overall accuracy. Many Marlin aficionados will boast that rifles from their favored company will outshoot the average Winchester, but in these new-made lever guns the Winchester ruled. Although each of the other two produced sub-two-m.o.a. averages with one type of ammunition, the Winchester scored sub-two-m.o.a. with two of the three types of test ammo.

As you’ll see by perusing the accuracy charts, the Marlin preferred Barnes VOR-TX 150-grain TSX ammo, the Mossberg shot the Hornady LeverEvolution 160-grain Flex-Tip best, and the Winchester – perhaps appropriately – shot Winchester 170-grain Power-Point into tidy groups indeed. It fact, it shaded just outside of one m.o.a., eyebrow-raising accuracy from a lever gun.

It’s interesting to note that the faster-twist rifles, the Marlin and the Mossberg, shot bullets in the lighter-weight range better, while the Winchester’s slower 1:12 twist provided best accuracy with the heavier 170-grain bullets. That’s counterintuitive to conventional bullet-stabilizing expectations – until you factor in the extra length of the all-copper Barnes 150-grain TSX and the boattailed, polymer-tipped Hornady 160-grain Flex-Tip. Although the 170-grain Winchester is heavier, its flat-nosed, flat-base, lead-core design makes it easy to stabilize.

I also tested for reliability. Why? As one buddy would put it, “There’s a picture of a lever action beside the definition of ‘reliability’ in the dictionary.” Perhaps I have an extraordinary ability to make things malfunction and break, but I’ve used lots of gun designs that should never jam yet they do. So as I shot the three lever guns, I kept track.

Only two hiccups stood out. One was minor: The Marlin was stubborn to load. Not that the cartridges stuck, but the loading gate was really tigh,t and the path into the tubular magazine felt rough as the rounds were thumbed in.

The other issue occurred with the Mossberg. After each empty was ejected and the lever was closing, the new cartridge heading into the chamber tended to hang up halfway in. A quick joggle on the lever usually resulted in its letting go and chambering easily, but at least twice it stuck hard, requiring me to finger it out and start over.

By very design a lever action should run fast and smooth, so I couldn’t really ignore the problem. However, it’s worth noting I’ve had considerable experience with Mossberg’s Marinecote 464 – an early weather-resistant iteration now discontinued – and it ran like greased lightning.

As for the Model 94, it loaded, fed and fired in stellar fashion – just as one would expect from the highest-selling lever-action model (more than 7 million units) in history.

With accuracy testing complete, I spent some time shooting each of the lever-action carbines casually, thumping distant large targets, shooting at smaller ones up close, and levering fast shots into a half-bushel box at about 25 yards as quickly as I could. Which leads us to the way they feel.

All three carbines balance beautifully in the hands, are responsive in the extreme, and shoulder and point nicely. Decades ago — after mankind’s primary mode of transportation shifted away from horseback — Marlin beefed-up the fore-ends of its carbines. As a result, trying to push one into a saddle

scabbard sucks, but they feel good in the support hand and point more naturally than their more slender cousins. I’ve always thought the fat fore-ends look ugly and don’t feel right to me, but in fairness I must admit they do rest comfortably in the hand.

While bead front sights were once popular for deep-woods, fast-and-close shooting, I grew up shooting match-type post front sights and struggle to achieve consistency with a bead. However, they are traditional, and many shooters do well with them.

The only real ergonomic issue I encountered with any of the three carbines was with the Mossberg’s lever, and it was a result of the wood-to-metal fit along the lower tang behind the trigger, where the wood stands considerably proud. Like the Winchester, the Mossberg features a trigger block activated by opening the lever. To fire, the lever must be squeezed

completely closed, and occasionally when I squeezed it the lever it pinched a fold of skin from the fleshy lower part of my birdy finger. It got my attention, I can tell you.

I despise any sort of safety other than a half-cock notch on a lever action, but they appear to be here to stay. There’s nothing worse than squeezing a trigger on a good buck and hearing the horrible loud “click” that signifies your failure to disengage the safety. You’ve then got to ear the hammer back again (another click), thumb the safety off (and yet another click) and hope against hope you can get another crack at the buck.

Complaints registered, I prefer the tang-located safeties of the Winchester and Mossberg to the crossbolt safety of the Marlin. They are much easier to access without shifting your firing-hand grip. However, the actual safety slide on the Mossberg is made of plastic, and I don’t think plastic belongs on a lever action.

When it comes to fit and finish, I’ll just come right out and say the Winchester Model 94 has the best

wood-to-metal fit, and the high gloss blue on the metal parts is both superbly beautiful and appropriate. It will shrug off corrosion more easily than a coarser finish, too. As for the walnut stocks, the finish is simple and non-shiny. A bit better filling in the wood pores and a few coats of hand-rubbed oil would bring out the depth and beauty of the wood better, but there’s nothing ugly about it as is.

Next best on the fit and finish scale is the Marlin. Wood-to-metal seams aren’t perfect by any means, but they’re respectable, and the metal has a nice brushed satin finish. The wood is finished in a spray-on varnish, a durable option.

Finally, the Mossberg features a brushed satin finish similar to that of the Marlin. It offers respectably tight wood-to-metal joints, but in most areas the wood stands a bit too proud for my taste. In the lower tang area mentioned earlier, it creates a bit of discomfort. On a favorable note, I prefer the Mossberg’s slender fore-end to the bulky fore-end of the Marlin, and the reddish stain on the well-filled walnut is very attractive.

This isn’t really an apples-to-apples comparison because you can literally purchase two of the Marlin or Mossberg rifles for the cost of one Winchester. As you’ve seen throughout the evaluation, the Winchester consistently outperforms the other two, which makes good sense: If you’re going to pay that much more you should get more performance.

Candidly, I didn’t expect it to turn out that way. You pay a good deal for the Winchester Model 94 name, and, conversely, Marlin rifles have an outstanding reputation for offering tremendous performance for the dollar. Frankly, I expected the two to run neck and neck through most of the tests.

The takeaway? If you like fine rifles and want one superb, classic, historical tool that will offer the utmost performance of its genre, pony up the money for a Winchester Model 94.

If, on the other hand, you want the allure of a lever action coupled with a more practical price tag, opt for either of the other two. The Marlin is an established name in lever actions, and features an action legendary for strength and smooth operation, but the Mossberg runs about $100 less. You won’t go wrong with either.

Learning how to skin a raccoon is not a difficult task.

With a few simple tools and a little patience anyone can learn how to skin, flesh, stretch and dry a raccoon pelt.

One of the biggest mistakes made during the fur harvesting process occurs during the skinning or fleshing of the furbearer.

Why is this stage so important?

Improperly skinning the animal can decrease its value or even worse, make it worth nothing at all.

Proper fur handling is an important step that everyone should understand.

Not only will you feel a sense of pride or satisfaction from a job well done, you’ll also get a better price from the fur buyer for all your hard work.

There are two basic ways to skin a furbearer……open and cased.

“Open” describes a method used to skin beaver or badger where a cut is made down the belly and the pelt is tacked out flat.

“Cased” is the most common method of skinning a furbearer.

Muskrats, mink, coyotes, fox, raccoons and many other animals are skinned this way.

Cased furs are processed by cutting a slit in the animals hide from one hind foot pad to the other.

A small slit is made in the tail and the tailbone is removed leaving the tail fur attached to the pelt.

Then, the pelt is removed from the animal in a process that’s similar to taking off your shirt or socks.

Once the hide is removed it’s then fleshed, stretched and allowed to dry.

How To Skin A Raccoon

Although it’s pretty easy to remove the skin from a raccoon, they contain a lot of fat which sometimes makes the fleshing process a little time consuming and messy.

Before you begin, I recommend wearing a pair of latex surgical gloves during the entire process.

The rubber or latex gloves not only keep your hands clean, but they also protect you from various diseases that raccoons have been known to carry.

I’ve also found using a thin bladed skinning knife or pocket knife, like a Buck or Old Timer knife, with a sharp blade works the best.

How To Skin A Raccoon Step-By-Step Process

To begin cut around the front and rear ankles where the fur meets the top of the foot.

Next, starting at the hind foot pad, on the inside of the foot just above the heal, cut straight across the body just above the vent or anus.

Cut all the way across in a straight line to the opposite foot pad.

In a “V” shape cut around the vent on both sides and then cut about a 3-4 inch slit along the underside of the tail.

Using your knife and hand pressure, remove the skin from around the legs far enough so you can attach a skinning gambrel or other similar device around its rear legs so the raccoon can be hung upside down.

Using your knife to remove any connective tissue, work the hide off the legs, around the cuts near the vent and around the cut on the tailbone.

Expose a couple inches of the tailbone and remove the tailbone using a tail stripper.

For best results use a push/pull motion with your hands and the tail stripper.

At this point you can pretty much grab the hide and pull it down like a sock, using your knife to cut away any connective tissue that gets in the way.

When you reach the front arms, work the hide around the elbow and stick your fingers between elbow/armpit area until you can pull the hide down off the front wrists.

Do this on both front legs.

While pulling down on the fur, remove the fur from around the head until you reach the ears.

Cut off the ears leaving them attached to your “cased” skin.

Using the ear holes for leverage, continue to pull the pelt down and cut around the eyes, lips and finally cut the pelt off at the nose.

That’s it!

The skinning process is now done and you’re ready to flesh.

How To Skin A Raccoon – Flesh Removal

Place the cased raccoon skin over your fleshing beam, flesh side out.

Using a small clamp to clamp the nose area will keep the pelt from slipping over the end of the fleshing beam.

Position the pelt evenly on the beam and begin to slowly remove the flesh and fat with the sharp part of your fleshing knife.

Start at the base of the ears and slowly work your way down the pelt using a slight slicing motion with your knife.

Necker Fleshing Knife

Once the fat starts coming off you can turn your knife over to the dull edge and push away from your body, removing the fat from the hide.

Flesh about half way down the pelt and then rotate the pelt on the fleshing beam.

Continue fleshing the pelt until all flesh and muscle has been removed.

Once the hide has been fleshed the final step is to stretch and dry the fur over either a board or wire stretcher.

Overall – How To Skin A Raccoon

Learning how to skin a raccoon the proper way will ensure the you get the maximum amount of money when you take your furs to a buyer.

Take your time, do a good clean job, and your hard work will be rewarded.

Ask any gun enthusiast which is their favorite rifle cartridge, and they will most likely tell you the .308. First introduced in 1952, it has become the cartridge of choice for hunting, sporting, military, and law enforcement.

Deep penetration and long-range capability are some of the reasons why it is so beloved. Also, the .308 Winchester is compatible with a wide variety of rifles. So much so that it is tough to pin down the best 308 rifles.

From bolt action rifles to AR-10s, the .308 Winchester is one of the most versatile cartridges out there. So which is the best .308 rifle on the market? This is undoubtedly a difficult question to answer.

Nonetheless, after researching extensively on the subject, we have narrowed it down to 10 rifles. These ten are in different categories. We have selected the ten based on their performance, user feedback, and our own personal experiences.

A Quick Check Of The Best 308 Hunting Rifle For The Money

The Best Bolt Action .308 Rifles

In an age where everything is automated, firearms included, bolt action rifles are a rare exception. To operate a bolt rifle you need to manually pull back the bolt and push it forward to chamber around. While these rifles rely on a rather ancient technology, their reliability cannot be disputed. They are popular with hunters. However, they are also used as sniper rifles in the military. From our research the best bolt action .308 rifles are;

Savage Arms 10 FCP HS Precision Rifle

• 24-inch barrel
• Matte black finish
• Removable 4-round magazine
• 10-pound weight

The title of the best 308 bolt action rifle for the money goes to the Savage Arms 10 FCP precision rifle. At its core, it is a versatile rifle capable of fulfilling several roles. It has all the features of a reliable tactical gun and is also a dependable hunting rifle for deer.

Carbon steel is the primary material used to make this weapon. It is the material that is used to build the rifle’s 24-inch barrel as well as its receiver. Speaking of the receiver, we found it to be super rigid.

As for the barrel, it is built with a heavy profile aimed at minimizing barrel whip. At the back is the adjustable Savage AccuTrigger. The rifle is fitted with a removable magazine that holds four rounds.

Our main issue with the rifle is that it is not the most lightweight. Weighing 9.6 pounds, mainly this is quite a heavy firearm. However, this is primarily due to the heavy barrel.

Remington® Model 783™ Bolt-Action Rifle and Scope Combo

• Adjustable crossfire trigger system
• Factory pre-installed 3-9×40 scope for 308 cal
• Removable steel box magazine
• 22-inch Magnum Contour Barrel

Costing over $1000, the Savage Arms 10 FCP is not for everyone. The same cannot be said about Remington’s 783 bolt action rifle. Priced at below $500, it is one of the more affordable options available on the market.

The rifle comes with a free-floated carbon steel barrel. But what makes this rifle stand out is the adjustable crossfire trigger system. We found the trigger system to be quite impressive, considering the rifle’s price.

We found the push-feed action and 90 degrees bolt throw smooth and positive. However, the gun’s two-position safety was a bit clunky. Nevertheless, it worked well enough. You get a four-round steel magazine with a steel magazine latch. This is a welcome addition given the price tag.

If you are on a budget, this is the best .308-action rifle. Its features are rare to find in guns at its price point.

Top Semi Auto Rifle 308

Unlike bolt action rifles, semi-automatic rifles use a gas blowback system to chamber rounds. Thus there is no manual operation. As such, they are considered ideal for tactical purposes.

The most popular semi-automatic rifles are AR-10-style firearms. For tactical purposes below is our pick of the best 308 tactical rifle.

Savage MSR 10 Hunter Semiautomatic Tactical Rifle

• 5R rifled 18-inch barrel
• Six-position AXIOM stock
• AR blaze trigger
• The lower and upper receiver

Savage Arms’ MSR 10 Hunter may look like an AR-10-style weapon, but it’s very different from conventional AR-10s. As its name suggests, it is built for hunting purposes. However, it can be used as a tactical rifle as well.

With a 16-inch barrel, its design is reminiscent of that or a carbine. Meaning it will be easy to use in either a tree stand or a ground blind. It uses the same direct impingement of other gas-operated AR-10s.

Compared to other AR-10-style firearms, this one has a shortened aluminum-alloy receiver. Similarly, the bolt carrier is also shortened. The result is a shorter rifle that weighs less than most similar firearms.

Another unique feature is the 12-inch free-floating handguard with MagPul’s M-lock system. This comes in handy when you need to install accessories. Instead of hanging on the barrel nut, the handguard is bolted directly onto the upper receiver. This translates to the gun being more accurate.

Though it’s been around since 2017, it is the best semi-auto 308 chambered rifle around for hunting.

Top 308 Hunting Rifle

Hunting is an art that requires specialized tools. Thus, not every rifle is suited for hunting. The 308 hunting rifle needs to be lightweight and compact. A heavy rifle will be difficult to handle as you traverse different vegetation and environments.

Accuracy is another important factor to consider. Ideally, bolt-action rifles are best suited for hunting. And here are our top picks.

The Ruger No 1 Centerfires Rifles

• Sliding tang safety
• Ruger scope mounting system
• Sculpted receiver
• 18 inch barrel

The title of the best 308 rifles for hunting has to go to the Ruger No 1 Centerfires Rifle. A gun that has stood the test of time has proven itself time and time again. And remains a darling of many the world over.

Available in several variations, the single-shot hunting rifle is steeped in the simplicity of the past. What makes it so popular is its ambidextrous nature. There is no line disturbing comb on the buttstock, and neither is there a cheekpiece.

More importantly, it comes with a tang-mounted safety and no bolt to interfere with the operation. The buttstock has a rubber recoil pad with a black spacer. The pistol grip is something many love about this gun. This is a classic gun with all the features of a top-quality 308 hunting rifle.

So what makes it the best choice for hunters? For starters it has a thin action which makes it easy to hold in one hand. It’s also just the right height for carrying over your shoulder. The absence of a protruding bolt handle makes it easy to carry on while on horseback.

Winchester Model 70™ Featherweight Rifle

• 3-position safety
• Grade-I walnut stock
• Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad
• 22 inch barrel

Like wine, the Model 70 has gotten better with age. This hard-hitting bolt-action rifle of the 1950s is still widely used. The walnut stock of the original Model 70 was a thing of beauty. And although modern Model 70’s come with a wooden stock, it is still a feast for the eyes.

While it has undergone design changes over its 66 years of existence, the modern Model 70 still retains some of the flair of the original. The current Model 70 still uses the original’s controlled round feeding system.

The MOA trigger system is by far the most exceptional trigger system to be fitted on a bolt-action rifle. It has zero take-ups, zero creeps, and zero overtravel. The stock still has the Pachmayr recoil pad that soaks up much of the recoil.

Top 308 Battle Rifle

The chaos of battle necessitates a semi-automatic rifle that is both hard-hitting and easy to handle. Throughout history, there have been a plethora of battle rifles designed for the 308 cartridges.

One of the most famous battle rifles is the M14 Garand. Thus it should come as no surprise that the best battle rifle is one that is a close relative of the Garand. The Springfield Armory M1A-A1 rifle.

Springfield Armory M1A-A1 semiautomatic rifle

• 18 inch carbon steel barrel
• Composite stock
• Two-stage trigger
• Muzzle break

The M1 Garand was the darling of the US military during world war two. It even saw action in Vietnam. Needless to say, it’s a legendary rifle, and its successor is no different. The Springfield Armory M1A-1A.

The walnut stock paired with a parkerized steel is reminiscent of its more legendary counterpart the M14 Garand. Left-handed shooters will love the positioning of the rifle’s charging handle. It is located on the right side of the action. Making it easy to reach.

One of the things we loved about this battle rifle is how easy it is to change the magazine. The positioning of the magazine release at the rear of the magazine well makes it easy to release the magazine.

The trigger is also a delight. It is a classic military two-stage trigger that requires little effort. While it is good enough to earn the title of the best 308 battle rifle, there are some things we did not like.

The main one is the positioning of the bolt release. Positioned on the left side of the receiver, we found it to be challenging to locate. All the same, it is a fantastic piece of military hardware that has continued the legacy of its predecessor.

308 Sniper Rifle Review

Sniper rifles are designed for precision shooting from a distance. As such, they require advanced technologies for accurate shooting. Due to their sophistication sniper rifles are quite costly. Most cost upwards of $5000. When you are splashing such kind of money on a rifle you need one that can deliver. The Accuracy International AX black rifle is undoubtedly the best you can buy.

Accuracy International AX Black .308 Win. 20” Rifle SFP PSR-BL308-BL20-SP

• 40.5-inch overall length
• Two-stage adjustable trigger
• 20-inch stainless barrel
• 20 MOA Picatinny rail

If you are feeling adventurous and want to splash money on the best 308 sniper rifle, you cannot go wrong with AX Black .308. The latter is a flagship sniper rifle from Accuracy International. Costing upwards of $7000 is quite the prize. Unlike most other guns on this list, this one is made from aircraft-grade aluminum. The aluminum is then coated in a corrosion-resistant protective coating. It comes installed with a rail for mounting accessories such as optics.

The QuickLoc barrel release system allows for easy and fast removal of the barrel. You can swap out the barrel using a 4 mm hex wrench. The whole process takes a few minutes. It is also fitted with a chassis folding stock that reduces the length of the gun by up to 260mm.

The magazine holds ten rounds and is a low-friction magazine. Accuracy International’s tested and proven 3-position safety improves the design of this weapon.

308 Tactical Rifle Reviews

When it comes to close-quarter combat or shooting tactical rifles are best. And the best tactical rifles are AR-10 and AR-15 style rifles. These rifles are also easy to handle and most importantly need to be ambidextrous.

Smith & Wesson M&P 10 sport

• 20 round magazine
• Picatinny rail system
• 6-position telescopic stock
• 16-inch barrel

AR-10-style rifles are considered fantastic for tactical purposes. And the Smith & Wesson M&P 10 sport is among the best. It is by far the best 308 tactical rifle due to its combination of excellent performance and a relatively affordable price tag.

Priced at around $1000, it is quite affordable for an AR-10 rifle. However, the most important thing is how it is compared to other AR-10 rifles. The first thing you notice about this rifle is the availability of all the main controls on both sides.

The safety selector, bolt catch, and magazine catch controls are available on both sides. This means it can be used comfortably by both left and right-handed shooters. Additionally, the magazine is textured to give a secure grip.

The upper receiver isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. You get the same forward assist and solid rail that comes with other AR-10 platforms. What was a bit disappointing about the rifle was the standard charging handle. It is stiff and small than average.

In spite of its few shortcomings, it is still the best 308 semi-auto tactical rifle in our view — especially given its price and features. If you are a serious hunter and want to get a perfect bull’s eye hit try to use one of today’s best bipods For AR 15 rifle.

Budget 308 Rifles Review

Spending $1000 on a rifle is not possible for everyone. For some of us, $500 is the most we are able and willing to spend on a firearm. Fortunately, there are some fantastic rifle options available in the budget market. These are rifles that cost less than $500. Ideally, a budget gun should offer quality without breaking the bank. Our choice for this category is the Ruger American Rifle Bolt action rifle.

Ruger American Rifle Bolt Action Rifles

• 3-5 pound adjustable trigger
• Rotary magazine
• Three-lug bolt
• 22 inch barrel

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a bolt-action rifle. With $500 or less, you can get your hands on the Ruger American Rifle. While it is an affordable rifle, it does not feel or even look cheap thanks to its parts.

The stock is made of a rigid polymer plastic of some kind. It looks sleek and does not have the same grip as some other similar products. However, this isn’t a big problem. Its barrel, on the other hand, is a free-floating barrel. Generally, free-floating barrels offer more accuracy. Thus the use of a free-floating barrel is very much welcomed. Some people may not be pleased with the trigger on this rifle, though. Like many other budget rifles, it utilizes an adjustable trigger that feels cheap.

Nonetheless, this is not a deal-breaker, especially since this is designed to be a budget rifle for target shooting.

The Best 308 Rifles For The Money

Value for money is important when choosing a firearm. When choosing a firearm, it is important to consider the price and the features they offer. There should be a balance between the price and features offered by a firearm. The one firearm that offers the best balance of features and price is the Bergara B-14 HMR.

Bergara B-14 HMR

• 5 round magazine
• 20-inch barrel
• The adjustable extended bolt handle
• 9-pound weight

Precision shooters and big game hunters will love the Bergara B-4 HMR hunting bolt action rifle. Weighing about 9 pounds and fitted with a 22-inch contoured barrel, it is not too heavy for carrying through forests and foothills.

The stock of the gun helps in transitioning from a big game hunting rifle to a precision shooting one. An aluminum mini chassis is molded into the polymer stock to form a pistol grip. It also allows the barrel to float freely.

The stock also has an adjustable comb height and length of pull, which also aid inaccuracy. By loosening a thumbscrew on the side of the buttstock, you can increase height by 1.25 inches. The increased comb height allows for better shooting.

On the other hand, the 22-inch barrel is long enough to provide the velocity needed for a match. But it’s also not too long as to be difficult to maneuver while on a hunt.

What To Consider and Avoid Before Buying 308 Rifles

These ten are just a few of the many rifles that accept the .308 cartridge. The market is flooded with all kinds of .308 rifles. So how do you choose the best for you? It all depends on what you are going to use your gun for.

For Hunting

If you are a hunter, chances are you will be carrying your rifle for long distances. As such, the 308 hunting rifle needs to be lightweight and functional. Less emphasis is placed on accuracy when it comes to a hunting rifle. As more emphasis is placed on ease of handling and weight. A hunting rifle should be lightweight and easy to handle. Also, hunting rifles accommodate only a small number of rounds. In most states, there is a limit on the number of hunting rifles can hold. Most hunting rifles are built with internal magazines. Though these types of magazines are slower to load, they make the gun look sleek. Also, an internal magazine means fewer moving parts.

Weight

While hunting rifles are lightweight, target shooting rifles are not. In fact, for target shooting, you are encouraged to get a heavier gun. A gun with a heavy barrel rifle offers more stability, which is what you need when target shooting. Also, more weight means reduced felt recoil. It also means more stability in the sight picture. All of which are essential for target practice.

Cost

Three hundred eight rifle prices range from as low as $400 to as much as $7,000. For hunting purposes, a $500 rifle is more than sufficient. However, if you want a tactical rifle, be ready to spend a bit more cash. Tactical rifles are designed to offer the best of both worlds. They offer the maneuverability of a hunting rifle and the precision of a target-shooting rifle. As such, they come equipped with advanced features and technologies. These types of rifles are used mainly in military and law enforcement. Additionally, they are also commonly used in “run and gun” style shooting competitions. The bottom line there is no need to spend thousands of dollars for a rifle that you will use for hunting.

Brand

This isn’t the most critical factor to consider, but it is something to have in mind. Some of the best rifle brands include Winchester, Ruger, Remington, and Smith & Wesson. While there are many other gun makers out there, some people may feel comfortable buying from these mentioned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Due to the sheer number of rifles that use the .308 cartridge, you will be spoilt for choice when searching for a .308 rifle. Thus, it is essential to consider what type of rifle suits you best. While bolt action rifles are ideal for hunting, they are not recommended for close quarter shooting.

Deer hunting is a well-liked sport for many New Yorkers.

Whether it’s to get close to nature, connect with a place, take control of what you eat, or understand our connection with other animals, it’s hard not to see why.

Deers are significantly larger than other game types and produce more meat. Furthermore, when compared to other red meats, this meat is healthier. Hunting for deer is excellent because it’s fun to track and find the animals.

You should know a few things before hunting in New York if you want to have a more enjoyable hunt.

Deer Hunting Season In New York

Deer hunting season in New York runs from mid-September through late December. The seasons differ in the state’s northern and southern zones. The “early” and “late” bow- and muzzleloader seasons are each followed by the regular and “late” seasons in the northern zone.

Deer hunting seasons in New York are divided into bowhunting, muzzleloader hunting, and regular hunting and crossbow hunting seasons.

Dear hunting season in the northern zone

The early bow season opens on September 27 and lasts through the Friday before the regular season. Throughout the final ten days of this season, crossbows are permitted.

On the first Saturday following Columbus Day, the early muzzleloader season opens and lasts for seven days. After that, the regular season begins on the second Saturday following Columbus Day and lasts for 44 straight days. After the regular season ends, there is a seven-day late bow and muzzleloader season.

Dear hunting season in the southern zone

Seasons in the southern zone are very similar to those in the northern zone. The main difference, however, is that instead of an early muzzleloader season, there is an early firearms season.

The early firearms season begins on the 2nd Saturday in September and lasts for nine days. The early bowhunting period runs from October 1 through Friday, well before the regular season.

Crossbows are allowed during the season’s final 14 days. The regular season begins on November 3rd and lasts for 23 days. After the regular season, a nine-day late bow and muzzleloader season follows.

New York Deer Hunting Season Regulations

Deer hunting season regulations in New York differ from zone to zone.

Deer Hunting Hours

Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset is the prime time for hunting big game. In all of New York, hunting is permitted on Sundays. Before hunting on state-owned property, check the local hunting laws.

Deer Hunting Permit

A resident or non-resident hunting license is required for all New Yorkers aged 12 or older. However, no child under 12 may purchase a hunting license or game hunt. Seniors that are older than 70 are eligible for discounted hunting license fees.

Annual hunting licenses for residents aged 16 to 69 are available at $22, $5 for seniors older than 70, and children aged 12 to 25. For non-residents, the fee goes up to $100. A lifetime hunting license is available for residents at $535.

A person is considered a resident if they have lived in New York for at least 30 days. Active-duty service members stationed in New York and non-resident full-time students residing there. For further information, we recommend visiting the New York government website.

Clothing Requirement

Anyone hunting whitetail deer or accompanying the hunter in New York must wear fluorescent clothing. Pink or hunter orange are available as color options.

In the past, New York’s big game seasons did not require wearing brightly colored clothing. The change was made to lower the number of hunting-related accidents.

Bag Limits

Depending on the type of licenses and privileges acquired, a hunter may take a certain number of deer. A licensed hunter can kill more than one deer daily with the appropriate tags.

Tagging and Reporting

Any deer, bear, or turkey taken by a hunter must be reported within seven days of the animal’s capture.

Using this data, DEC biologists can estimate future hunting seasons and harvest limits and calculate the amount of game that has been harvested. Tagging is easy to do in New York’s online game harvest reporting system.

Best place to go beer hunting in New York

Sportsmen flock to Steuben County, a top hunting location in New York’s Southern Tier. With more deer per square mile in Steuben County than any other county in New York State, the Finger Lakes Region offers some of the best hunting for big and small game alike.

Other than Steuben County, the best counties for record-book whitetails are Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben, Tompkins, Wayne, and Wyoming. Even the crowded area of the state’s Orange, Suffolk, and Westchester counties are pretty good.