Dressing a Reindeer!

[Abbe Osram]

Hi Guy´s
I went to learn how to slaughter and dress a reindeer.
I took lots of pictures where you can see how to dress out and cut the meat in the right way. For the faint hearted the pictures are a bit to much.
For the bushcrafters who like to learn this kind of stuff I put up a special page on my webpage.

Abbes place! (http://web.telia.com/~u18313429/)

cheers
Abbe

[torjusg]

Interesting pictures. Though we have wild reindeer where I come from, I have never slaughtered one (or shot one for that matter, they have gotten scarse). A lot of mess, but that is slaughtering. :p

Looks like the people in the pictures knows what they are doing.

All that guts made me think of this: Have you tested cooked reindeer intestine? :D

Torjus Gaaren

[Viking]

Very interesting Abbe, does this mean that you will make reindeer dinner for me on my way back from Sarek this summer?

What did you do with all the meat, did you smoke anything of it?

Wise words in the text Abbe, or as the standard answer from samii driving the ferry up in the fjäll.
Are you in a hurry?

[Off Topic]
The stories that the old man told is probably true, there was a man called Bernard Nord who wrote stories about the people who moved up to the north. They were trapping a lot and animals like wolf, bear and lynx was no popular animals. The people who settled up there lived an extremely hard life where thet ate everything and baked barkbread during the hard years. There is site about the authour and how he lived with the settlers http://www.bernhardnordh.nu/
His books has been translated to seven diffrent languages so they are probably available in english, but is probably a collectors item and hard to find.
Abbe I have one of his books, it´s in swedish but it´s yours if you want it.
[/Off topic]

[Abbe Osram]

Interesting pictures. Though we have wild reindeer where I come from, I have never slaughtered one (or shot one for that matter, they have gotten scarse). A lot of mess, but that is slaughtering. :p

Looks like the people in the pictures knows what they are doing.

All that guts made me think of this: Have you tested cooked reindeer intestine? :D

Torjus Gaaren

LOL, no and we dumped a lot of stuff people up here dont eat and use.
The head, the hide, the bones etc AND all the intestines. We took only the heart and liver. We have a long way to go to learn to eat everything.

// Abbe

[Viking]

LOL, no and we dumped a lot of stuff people up here dont eat and use.
The head, the hide, the bones etc AND all the intestines. We took only the heart and liver. We have a long way to go to learn to eat everything.

// Abbe

I have heard that smoked reindeer heart are supposed to be really good

[Abbe Osram]

Yes, the leader of the group grabbed the heart! :D
Thanks for the offer, I love to get the book. I got only the pile of meat you see in the last picture. We splited the two reindeers between 10 people, there is not much for each person. Anyhow that has nothing to do with me making you a nice dinner if you come here, Viking. I will meet up now with the sveaskog guy and drive out to my land. I hope they sign the contract with me and you might sleep in a Tipi if you visit me.

cheers
Abbe

[torjusg]

LOL, no and we dumped a lot of stuff people up here dont eat and use.
The head, the hide, the bones etc AND all the intestines. We took only the heart and liver. We have a long way to go to learn to eat everything.

// Abbe

Regretfully, because of reasons stated above I haven't tried it either, but when (yes, not if :D ) I shoot one I have decided that I will try it.

Torjus Gaaren

[Abbe Osram]

Regretfully, because of reasons stated above I haven't tried it either, but when (yes, not if :D ) I shoot one I have decided that I will try it.

Torjus Gaaren

I think I will have to be quite hungry before I try the filled stomach thing.
We up here in the north will have trouble in wintertime feeding ourselves getting enough carbohydrates. But I read that one can freeze the filled stomach and cut it in thin slices, eating the fried content of the reindeer stomach. The stomach filling would supply some good carbohydrates. I wonder if it stinks as much as it does when its not frozen and fried? :eek: :D

Cheers
Abbe

[Viking]

Yes, the leader of the group grabbed the heart! :D
Thanks for the offer, I love to get the book. I got only the pile of meat you see in the last picture. We splited the two reindeers between 10 people, there is not much for each person. Anyhow that has nothing to do with me making you a nice dinner if you come here, Viking. I will meet up now with the sveaskog guy and drive out to my land. I hope they sign the contract with me and you might sleep in a Tipi if you visit me.

cheers
Abbe

The plans are set and vacation decided, so I was thinking of visit you after my trip into Sarek. If you bring the meet and some "Skogsstjärna" i will bring the beers and freshly picked hjortron and if I am lucky some röding =)

[Viking]

I think I will have to be quite hungry before I try the filled stomach thing.
We up here in the north will have trouble in wintertime feeding ourselves getting enough carbohydrates. But I read that one can freeze the filled stomach and cut it in thin slices, eating the fried content of the reindeer stomach. The stomach filling would supply some good carbohydrates. I wonder if it stinks as much as it does when its not frozen and fried? :eek: :D

Cheers
Abbe

The sami used to eat the stomach contents, I think I have read somewhere how they prepared it to make it edible. Since the reindeer more or less only eat lichen which is full of carbohydrates.

You should have asked the "people in green" that was up there a few weeks ago, they probably had to try the stomach contents.

[Abbe Osram]

The sami used to eat the stomach contents, I think I have read somewhere how they prepared it to make it edible. Since the reindeer more or less only eat lichen which is full of carbohydrates.

You should have asked the "people in green" that was up there a few weeks ago, they probably had to try the stomach contents.

"People in green" :confused: :confused: no I am lost.
Please help me! Rays people would not learn to eat it or??

// Abbe

[torjusg]

The sami used to eat the stomach contents, I think I have read somewhere how they prepared it to make it edible. Since the reindeer more or less only eat lichen which is full of carbohydrates.


Not only that. The stomach contents are half-digested and therefore the nutrients readily accessible for humans.

Some inuits opened the stommach, filled in the animal's blood as and cooked it. It was considered a delicacy. :eek:

Torjus Gaaren

[Abbe Osram]

Well boys,
I guess we are lucky to live in the north!
Reindeers are a walking foodstore, we only have to learn to eat ALL of it. :eek:
LOL
Abbe

[Cyclingrelf]

Hi Abbe,

I'm kind of glad you cut your hand, because it meant we got all those instructional pictures!
I liked your quote about the wise man who says "maybe" all the time. But I think it goes further than that- I think there is always a light in dark places, even if we cannot see it. :-)

I learned a bit about butchering a deer on one of the courses I went on, but didn't take many pictures:

http://www.susannahrelf.co.uk/jman/034%20butchering%20a%20deer.jp g

I just have lots of hand written notes!! So your pictures will be useful to me one day, I hope.

My notes say that you should lay the deer on it's right hand side (as shown in my picture) - did they say if it makes a difference in reindeer which side you lie it on?

Thanks for sharing.

[Abbe Osram]

Hi Abbe,

I'm kind of glad you cut your hand, because it meant we got all those instructional pictures!
I liked your quote about the wise man who says "maybe" all the time. But I think it goes further than that- I think there is always a light in dark places, even if we cannot see it. :-)

I learned a bit about butchering a deer on one of the courses I went on, but didn't take many pictures:

http://www.susannahrelf.co.uk/jman/034%20butchering%20a%20deer.jp g

I just have lots of hand written notes!! So your pictures will be useful to me one day, I hope.

My notes say that you should lay the deer on it's right hand side (as shown in my picture) - did they say if it makes a difference in reindeer which side you lie it on?

Thanks for sharing.


Same here, with reindeer and moose you have it on the right side.
...we just had some of the fileé, it was amazingly soft and tender. We had it hanging only 1.5 days. Very good meat.

Cheers
Abbe

[amott69]

Just read THE REAL HEROES OF TELEMARK there is a piece in the book and i qoute " But the part of the animal that did more than anything to keep them alive was the half-digested moss they found in the reindeers stomachs.This was rich in vitamin C and carbohydrates,which was essential to their survival because it stopped their blood sugar levels falling to dangerously low levels etc.The moss,which was mixed with blood and then heated up, came to be considered a 'delicacy' by the saboteurs.
Interesting stuff.

[Abbe Osram]

Just read THE REAL HEROES OF TELEMARK there is a piece in the book and i qoute " But the part of the animal that did more than anything to keep them alive was the half-digested moss they found in the reindeers stomachs.This was rich in vitamin C and carbohydrates,which was essential to their survival because it stopped their blood sugar levels falling to dangerously low levels etc.The moss,which was mixed with blood and then heated up, came to be considered a 'delicacy' by the saboteurs.
Interesting stuff.

yes but it stinks! :(

:D Abbe

[eraaij]

What a great post. Thanks for the story and the pictures, Abbe!

-Emile

[British Red]

Interesting how "techniques" vary!

Given the fact the deer seems to have been "despatched" rather than shot, is there a reason why it was gralloched (gutted) on the ground rather than hung first?

Looks like great lean meat!

Red

[Viking]

"People in green" :confused: :confused: no I am lost.
Please help me! Rays people would not learn to eat it or??

// Abbe

The army survival school new instructors has done their winter training near your land ;)

Here is a picture picture of their reindeer slaughter http://www.k3.mil.se/photo.php?id=111156&nid=31407

[Abbe Osram]

The army survival school new instructors has done their winter training near your land ;)

Here is a picture picture of their reindeer slaughter http://www.k3.mil.se/photo.php?id=111156&nid=31407

ok, these boys. No, I didnt see them!
// Abbe

[Abbe Osram]

Interesting how "techniques" vary!

Given the fact the deer seems to have been "despatched" rather than shot, is there a reason why it was gralloched (gutted) on the ground rather than hung first?

Looks like great lean meat!

Red

Hmm, didnt know that one would hang them for the gutting. I have to ask my neighbour how he is doing it when they work like a factory, killing hundereds a day when they collect the reindeers in autum.

The course I went to was for hunters. A moose will be cleaned out in the forest, transported into a slaughterhouse and skinned and butchered.

cheers
Abbe

[pierre girard]

Hmm, didnt know that one would hang them for the gutting. I have to ask my neighbour how he is doing it when they work like a factory, killing hundereds a day when they collect the reindeers in autum.

The course I went to was for hunters. A moose will be cleaned out in the forest, transported into a slaughterhouse and skinned and butchered.

cheers
Abbe

Yes, I was wondering about that too.

When I dress deer, unless I am back in the woods, I hang them, usually head up.

The first thing I do however, if it is a small deer, is stand with one foot on each of the deer's thighs while the deer is on the ground, laying on its back. This pops the pelvis and allows for much easier removal of the colon. This does not work with larger deer.

After the deer is hung, I pinch the fur, just below the sternum and make my first cut. I cut the fur down to the crotch, and cut, in a circle, around the bung hole. I peel the fur back for about six inches on either side of the cut to keep from gettting hair too much in the meat.

Returning to the sternum, I cut the fur up to the neck.

Next I cut into the gut flesh, being careful not to cut into the intestines or stomaches, down to the crotch.

I then cut the diaphram, making sure to cut it out all the way around the cavity. Much of the gut will drop out at this point.

I cut along side the sternum, through the ribs to one side or the other of the sternum, up to the esophagas, which I cut out of the neck.

All the innards drop out at this point, unless it is a large deer, in which case, the colon will still be attached, running through the pelvis. If I have made a good cut around the bung hole, this comes out easily, simply by pulling on the end of the intestine.

If I am doing this in the woods, it is not too much different, you simply have to scoop out the innards, rather than have the work done by gravity.

I've dressed 14 deer this year, hunted and roadkills. The largest one weighed 270 pounds and took three people to lift into the back of my truck. The most I've dressed in one year is 22.

There is an old poacher's trick for removing the fur in a hurry before you've gutted the deer. Cut off the fore legs. Cut the hide around the neck. Using your skinning knife, cut between the hide and the meat in front of the chest cavity. Chain the head to a tree, and place a large rock in the flap of fur you've seperated from the chest. Tie a rope, tightly, around the rock from the outside of the fur. Attach the rope to your pickup and drive until the hide is ripped off.

I've never done this, but I've seen it done, and it works well if the deer is newly killed, and you have a tarp for the deer to land on.

Moose are much harder to dress - especially in the woods.

PG

[Abbe Osram]

I had now little time to think it over.
There might be two reasons for it.

1. It was a course for hunters preparing them to stepp forward in the process of dressing a moose after hunting. The problem here is that we hunt in bigger groups moose here not like in canada where you are allowed to hunt them alone. Here its like a swat group entering the forest. Each one gets his position, everyone has walky talkees etc. Dressing usually is one old mean and bitter locking fellow doing. ;) He would never let the new hunters, dress and butcher the meat. So we got together bought two reindeers and got a teacher showing us. Maybe it was because of that that he simulated the taking out of a moose in the forest.


2. Than it could be that our wooden frame was not sequre enough. As it nearly tumbled down on us having the clean out reindeers hanging there.

I guess it was reason number one.

How is it with you guys are you allowing greenhorns to get their hand bloody so they can learn and get better? Here it is a real problem that hunters getting older and older an not a lot young people are filling the ranks because the old guys, know it better but dont want to let the newbees do the learning.

cheers
Abbe

[pierre girard]

I had now little time to think it over.
There might be two reasons for it.


How is it with you guys are you allowing greenhorns to get their hand bloody so they can learn and get better? Here it is a real problem that hunters getting older and older an not a lot young people are filling the ranks because the old guys, know it better but dont want to let the newbees do the learning.

cheers
Abbe

I started to think about that this year. I've always dressed any deer we shoot - just because I can do it much faster. This year, I made my sons do their own deer. Though they've watched me for years - it isn't the same as doing it yourself.

Dressing out a moose, out in the woods, is not near as easy. I can dress out a deer without getting any blood on my uniform, if I roll up my sleeves beforehand.

The way my grandfather showed me to dress out moose (large moose anyway), is to get the moose propped up with the two rear legs like an A-frame (this takes some work, and several people). You cut the hide in a manner similar to a deer, then make your cut into the belly, starting at the sternum and working back to the crotch. You must take care you do not get buried by the gut. The reason for propping up the rear legs like an A-frame? It is very hard to scoop out 250 pounds of gut. Much better to let gravity do the work.

With moose, I most often dismember the moose on site. As full grown Minnesota moose weighs about 1200 pounds, even with the gut removed, you are still talking about a lot of meat to move. In Alaska, they get up to 1500 pounds. I have not shot that many moose. Unlike taking a deer, taking a moose is a huge undertaking, but the meat is soooo good.

PG