Editor's note: This is the first in a three-part series of articles on venison, starting with on-site seasoning, slaughtering deer carcasses, and wrapping meat.

Tomorrow is the opening day of the Kentucky deer hunting season, which is the main event on the autumn hunting calendar.

In the 16 days of the statewide season, tens of thousands of hunters will harvest a deer. November is the month when most Kentucky deer hunters "supply" winter venison. Last season, a total of 101,754 deer were captured in November, most of which were shotgunners.

Hunting is the fun part, and when you restore your deer, the work begins-field trimming, butchering the carcasses, and wrapping the cut meat in the refrigerator.

Proper care of deer in the wild will ensure delicious venison.

Dress the deer you harvest immediately. Remove all internal organs, being careful not to cut into the intestines or bladder.

Flush the body cavity as soon as possible.

Gambrel and Gourd (Photo from Athlete’s Guide)

Deer hunters who drive home with harvested deer after camping or hunting should carry several gallons of clean water for this purpose. Hunters who can bring the deer back to the house within a short period of time after a field battle should use a spreader to hang up their deer. Cut a groove at the hock of the hind leg, insert the hook into the end of the deer, and then hang the deer.

Some hunters prefer to hang a deer head first and tie a rope to the bottom of the antlers. If a taxidermy is planned, this will help drain blood and other fluids from the deer’s head.

Use the high-pressure nozzle on the garden hose to rinse the body cavity thoroughly.

If the temperature is lower than 50 degrees, you can hang the deer belt all night. If the temperature rises above 50 degrees overnight, the deer must be peeled and refrigerated or chopped and placed in a large cooler. Put the cut meat in a plastic garbage bag and cover it with ice cubes.

Slaughtering and packaging venison for the freezer

If you bring deer to a commercial processor, be prepared to pay at least $75 to chop and wrap the deer. Peeling is extra, usually $20 or more.

Butchering a deer carcass is not difficult, there are many books and videos to show you how to do this.

The best advice is to remove all the venison bones and remove all fat and connective tissue (silver skin). The bone has never been seen through, because it spreads the bone marrow on the surface of the meat and makes the venison taste of game.

Minced venison (Photo: Art Lander Jr.)

The best piece of meat in a deer is the tenderloin, which is a soft muscle strip in the rib cage attached to the base of the spine.

The second best cut is arguably the strap, which is an oblong strip of meat along the sides of the spine, just above the ribs.

Deer's ham, its hind legs, are fleshy, but harder. Ham is usually cut into grilled meats and steaks, ground into burgers or cut into pieces for soups or stews.

This is a tip for better burgers.

The pieces of venison that will be grated should be slightly salted, covered with water, and then refrigerated overnight. A slight salting will draw any remaining blood from the meat. Wrap minced venison in a one-pound package.

The shoulder, if it is not too severely damaged, will usually remain intact for the grill.

When freezing venison, first use transparent plastic packaging, and then use freezer paper to secure the packaging with paper tape.

This double-layer packaging prevents the meat from being exposed to the air, so it can be stored in the refrigerator for a longer time. Write the date of meat cutting and felt-tip pen processing on the packaging.

As food on the table, venison is unparalleled.

It is the original local free-range red meat, with less calories than beef or pork, and less cholesterol than chicken.

The Nutrition Data Laboratory of the United States Department of Agriculture reports that a 3-ounce serving of venison contains 133 calories and approximately 7 grams of fat. According to the American Heart Association, this includes more than 4 grams of monounsaturated fat, which, if consumed in moderation, can help lower bad cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Venison is also a good source of protein, vitamins B12, B6, B3 and B2, and trace minerals (phosphorus, selenium, zinc and iron).

Wild deer also do not have growth hormones and antibiotics, and some commercial beef cattle usually receive these hormones and antibiotics when they "finish" feeding corn and other grains on the feedlot.

Attention to detail, you will have delicious venison, suitable for holiday meals and summer picnics. Everyone will line up for a few seconds.

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