Cleaning out the freezer

[klutzyspuds]

With the 2019 Wisconsin deer bow season starting a week ago, I decided to clean out my freezer of any left over venison roasts in hopes I get out and shoot myself some fresh stuff to fill it’s place.

I was not successful last year, so the freezer was kinda bare. No steaks, no snack sticks, and only a couple sticks of summer sausage left, but I had near 20 pounds of roasts. I chose two nice round ham roasts to cure, along with a ham from my nephew gave me to cure as well. The rest, almost exactly 15 pounds, I added 10 pounds of ground pork to, and mixed up a 25# batch of teriyaki snack sticks.

As well as the four venison roasts I have currently curing, I decided to add a pork loin to the mix and cure that for some Canadian bacon. The dried venison always turns out excellent, and I’ve always wanted to try the pork loin, so I finally decided to go.

Here’s a shot of a bunch of the snack sticks. I’ve decided that casingless is the way to go for me anymore. I use my stuffer with the 20 mm tube to make sticks that fit directly on my MES racks. They turned out excellent.

 

[Sowsage]

Looks tasty! Im curious to see the roasts that are curing when they are finished!

 

[tallbm]

With the 2019 Wisconsin deer bow season starting a week ago, I decided to clean out my freezer of any left over venison roasts in hopes I get out and shoot myself some fresh stuff to fill it’s place.

I was not successful last year, so the freezer was kinda bare. No steaks, no snack sticks, and only a couple sticks of summer sausage left, but I had near 20 pounds of roasts. I chose two nice round ham roasts to cure, along with a ham from my nephew gave me to cure as well. The rest, almost exactly 15 pounds, I added 10 pounds of ground pork to, and mixed up a 25# batch of teriyaki snack sticks.

As well as the four venison roasts I have currently curing, I decided to add a pork loin to the mix and cure that for some Canadian bacon. The dried venison always turns out excellent, and I’ve always wanted to try the pork loin, so I finally decided to go.

Here’s a shot of a bunch of the snack sticks. I’ve decided that casingless is the way to go for me anymore. I use my stuffer with the 20 mm tube to make sticks that fit directly on my MES racks. They turned out excellent.
View attachment 406470

Mmmmm those look good!

I'm cleaning out my freezer as well to get ready for hunting season.
Just went to the range working on a 30-30 and 30-06 load I want to try this year. At 50yds I found one of my 30-06 load ladders put 5 shots in a giant 1/2 inch hole at 50yds. Gonna take that load out to the 100yd range and see if it holds true.
The 30-30 is not having so much luck. Just discovered I have to use a different seating die with a special stem to be able to load this new bullet to a deeper length

I got my hands on some Hornady 150gr GMX and the 140gr 30-30 Monoflex and am trying to get them to be a go for my meat hunt coming up next month!!!

I'm pretty excited but would like to have these loads out of the way so I can concentrate on what I'm going to make with all of the meat we plan to bring back. We are on the books for 9 meat deer and all the pigs we want so it should be another full freezer year

 

[Fueling Around]

klutzyspuds
Yum on the sticks. Let us know your dried recipe.
My son and I usually go opposite years on bagging freezer fodder.

tallbm
I'm impressed with the Hornady factory loads of the Monoflex in my Win 94 lever. More consistent than all the other factory loads.

 

[bill ace 350]

Nice looking sticks!

I have a blackpowder stamp good for deer of either sex, regular season Buck tag, and 2 regular season doe tags.

Hunt primarily with my trusty Marlin 336C in .35 Remington.

Just picked up a Savage 110 in .308 Winchester I might try this year.

if I'm successful u plan on getting some use out of my brand new LEM 15 pound stuffer!

Good luck this deer season

 

[chopsaw]

Nice lookin sticks ! Like the no casing trick .

Just picked up a Savage 110 in .308 Winchester I might try this year.

I shoot a Remington 798 in .308 win . I love it .

 

[klutzyspuds]

klutzyspuds
Yum on the sticks. Let us know your dried recipe.
My son and I usually go opposite years on bagging freezer fodder.

tallbm
I'm impressed with the Hornady factory loads of the Monoflex in my Win 94 lever. More consistent than all the other factory loads.

Fueling,

My dried recipe is no secret. I use Bearcarver’s cure recipe with tender quick and brown sugar. I use his step-by-step catalog regularly. Never disappointed.

I’ll be smoking these this week, and brining and smoking a few turkey breast roasts to be sliced for sammies during harvest season. I’ll be sure to get pics along the way.

For whatever reason, the site would not let me post any more pictures in the original post, so this is mostly for trial purposes, but here’s a shot of the sticks all packaged up and headed to the freezer.

 

[klutzyspuds]

I shoot a browning A-bolt left hand .280 as my weapon of choice most often for rifle season. I have a Matthews halon 6 as my bow, and a Thompson center muzzle loader for that season.

I shoot a 150 grain bullet with factory loads as I haven’t run any reloads for some time. Mostly a time factor issue for me , but plan to start back reloading soon. Maybe this is the motivation I need.

 

[bill ace 350]

I shoot a browning A-bolt left hand .280 as my weapon of choice most often for rifle season. I have a Matthews halon 6 as my bow, and a Thompson center muzzle loader for that season.

I shoot a 150 grain bullet with factory loads as I haven’t run any reloads for some time. Mostly a time factor issue for me , but plan to start back reloading soon. Maybe this is the motivation I need.

I haven't hand loaded in years. the factory loads do the job and do it very well

 

[tallbm]

klutzyspuds
Yum on the sticks. Let us know your dried recipe.
My son and I usually go opposite years on bagging freezer fodder.

tallbm
I'm impressed with the Hornady factory loads of the Monoflex in my Win 94 lever. More consistent than all the other factory loads.

I haven't shot the factory monoflex in my Marlin 336 30-30 (rifle I'm loading for) but I did load according to the Hornady manual for that bullet.... so far no luck BUT I did some reading and discovered that it is a secant ogive bullet design which means a completely different load latter approach than what I am used too, Berger describes everything very well here since that sems to be their primary design: https://bergerbullets.com/getting-the-best-precision-and-accuracy-from-vld-bullets-in-your-rifle/

In short I had to get a Hornady seating die AND the special seating stem for the Flextips/Monoflex/GMX bullets so I can seat the stupid monoflex deeper. My LEE 30-30 seating die won't go any further with the seating on that 140gr Monoflex bullet design

Nice looking sticks!

I have a blackpowder stamp good for deer of either sex, regular season Buck tag, and 2 regular season doe tags.

Hunt primarily with my trusty Marlin 336C in .35 Remington.

Just picked up a Savage 110 in .308 Winchester I might try this year.

if I'm successful u plan on getting some use out of my brand new LEM 15 pound stuffer!

Good luck this deer season

Ooooh nice you have a chance at 4 deer, that would be a good meat haul.

I have waffled back and forth on getting a .308 but I can't seem to bring myself to do it since I have a trusty Remington 700 BDL 30-06. It wouldn't hurt to have a .308 but it or the 30-06 would mainly be unused and just taking up space.

Yeah let's hope you get to use that stuffer. I even use my stuffer to stuff my plain 100% venison burger grind into 1 pound grind bags.

I shoot a Remington 798 in .308 win . I love it .

Man u guys really want to talk me into a .308 lol. Without any very serious searching the 1st one that comes to mind for me would be the Mossberg MVP Varminter .308 so I could potentially wear pigs out with a few extra rounds. Believe it or not I have shot out an entire mag of my 30-06 in a single sitting a few times before with a number of animals coming out and running around and stopping within distance. They stop I continue to fill the coolers hahaha.

I use the 300 Blackout for higher volume stuff BUT it is not nearly as powerful as a 30-06 or a .308 which usually knocks em down in their tracks or within 30yds of impact.

I'm excited for hunting season to start. Just went and got my hunting license for this season!

 

[tallbm]

I shoot a browning A-bolt left hand .280 as my weapon of choice most often for rifle season. I have a Matthews halon 6 as my bow, and a Thompson center muzzle loader for that season.

I shoot a 150 grain bullet with factory loads as I haven’t run any reloads for some time. Mostly a time factor issue for me , but plan to start back reloading soon. Maybe this is the motivation I need.

Nice! I was given a bow 2nd hand and geared up to use it one year. I really like shooting it but now that I do meat hunts in a 4-5 day period I have focused on rifle only shooting to fill the freezer. I would love to do both but it's just too much gear to carry with limited space in the vehicles so I keep it simple. I've never muzzle loaded but would if I was hunting on a lease where I could do all the seasons (bow, muzzle, rifle).

I haven't hand loaded in years. the factory loads do the job and do it very well

I got into handloading with the 300 Blackout since it didn't have much commercially available ammo back in 2011 and I just continued reloading from there. I would never claim that it actually saves money but it does allow for way more accuracy AND the ability to be able to shoot plenty whenever off the shelf supplies run low or are unavailable.

 

[bill ace 350]

Nice! I was given a bow 2nd hand and geared up to use it one year. I really like shooting it but now that I do meat hunts in a 4-5 day period I have focused on rifle only shooting to fill the freezer. I would love to do both but it's just too much gear to carry with limited space in the vehicles so I keep it simple. I've never muzzle loaded but would if I was hunting on a lease where I could do all the seasons (bow, muzzle, rifle).



I got into handloading with the 300 Blackout since it didn't have much commercially available ammo back in 2011 and I just continued reloading from there. I would never claim that it actually saves money but it does allow for way more accuracy AND the ability to be able to shoot plenty whenever off the shelf supplies run low or are unavailable.

I'm not knocking hand loads. just that Remington Core-Lokt 200 grain in .35 do the trick right from the box.

When I had my Springfield Armory M1a, I hand loaded. Did lots of shooting at Fort Hood.

 

[tallbm]

I'm not knocking hand loads. just that Remington Core-Lokt 200 grain in .35 do the trick right from the box.

When I had my Springfield Armory M1a, I hand loaded. Did lots of shooting at Fort Hood.

If it works I say stick with it, no point in making life more complicated than it already is

I'll have continue my .308 rifle fence riding though and live vicariously through you guys. I just can't bring myself to get one at the moment lol.

 

[Fueling Around]

...
I have waffled back and forth on getting a .308 but I can't seem to bring myself to do it since I have a trusty Remington 700 BDL 30-06. It wouldn't hurt to have a .308 but it or the 30-06 would mainly be unused and just taking up space.
...
Man u guys really want to talk me into a .308 lol. Without any very serious searching the 1st one that comes to mind for me would be the Mossberg MVP Varminter .308 so I could potentially wear pigs out with a few extra rounds. Believe it or not I have shot out an entire mag of my 30-06 in a single sitting a few times before with a number of animals coming out and running around and stopping within distance. They stop I continue to fill the coolers hahaha.

I use the 300 Blackout for higher volume stuff BUT it is not nearly as powerful as a 30-06 or a .308 which usually knocks em down in their tracks or within 30yds of impact.

I'm excited for hunting season to start. Just went and got my hunting license for this season!

Nice info on reloading. I don't personally. If I want custom loads, I have a friend ...

I may ruffle feathers with this.

If you have a 30-06 you trust, skip getting a 308 unless you really want another rifle.

I have a Remington 742 in 308 and it is a very good rifle. If I had a 742 in 30-06 I would state the same. I don't need or want both.

Your 300 Blackout is a good platform. If I wanted the higher magazine capacity, I may consider it over my 30-30 platform.
I'll keep the 30-30 both as a better cartridge and the first rifle my father bought for me.

Now, the DPMS AR platform in 308 is sweet.

 

[tallbm]

Nice info on reloading. I don't personally. If I want custom loads, I have a friend ...

I may ruffle feathers with this.

If you have a 30-06 you trust, skip getting a 308 unless you really want another rifle.

I have a Remington 742 in 308 and it is a very good rifle. If I had a 742 in 30-06 I would state the same. I don't need or want both.

Your 300 Blackout is a good platform. If I wanted the higher magazine capacity, I may consider it over my 30-30 platform.
I'll keep the 30-30 both as a better cartridge and the first rifle my father bought for me.

Now, the DPMS AR platform in 308 is sweet.

No feathers ruffled with me lol.
The 30-06 can take anything in North America when it comes to hunting. Yeah I would likely want to step up in caliber for the super big animals (moose, bison/buffalo, etc.) but I don't really have those opportunities and in that case the .308 wouldn't help either.

For me to buy a .308 it would be that I need 2nd/backup rifle in that class and/or for the amount of availability of components and the rounds. It is a standardized NATO cartridge so that means it is widely used and widely available which is appealing should I have a use for a 2nd/backup rifle in the 30-06/.308 realm and that is likely when I would buy it :)
I have eyeballed Palmetto State Armory's AR10's for a .308 but they are just so much bigger and heavier and a bit more unwieldy than a bolt action so I haven't seriously considered it for my .308 waffling, though the prices to get pretty nice at times for assembling one lol.

It's funny I have my 30-30 with almost the same regard as a sentimental rifle I bought from my father. I like that it is smaller and less complex for less experienced hunters that join me in hunting and it has a bit more "umph" to it within 125yds with the 150gr bullet vs the 300BLK.
I LOVE the 300BLK cartridge and rifle but I have switched away from it on my evening deer hunts because I rarely get any blood trail AND I dread tracking deer in the dark with no blood trail. I've been using the 30-06 for evening deer hunts and that pretty much blasts them right into the cooler for me :P

Man I love all this hunting talk and I'm excited for my big yearly meat hunt here in October!

klutzyspuds let me know if I have hijacked this thread enough or if you are fine with all the hunting talk hahahaha

 

[klutzyspuds]

It's funny you should ask tallbm . I was thinking about this thread being as much a hijack as anything just this morning. Its all good man. I enjoy the discussion as much as anyone. I'm just not as versed as obviously others are, so very little credible and knowledgeable input to add myself.

I love to hunt with any weapon, and I love sharing stories. I say hijack away. Or maybe we just need to start a thread just for this topic. Either way, all is good.

KS

 

[tallbm]

It's funny you should ask tallbm . I was thinking about this thread being as much a hijack as anything just this morning. Its all good man. I enjoy the discussion as much as anyone. I'm just not as versed as obviously others are, so very little credible and knowledgeable input to add myself.

I love to hunt with any weapon, and I love sharing stories. I say hijack away. Or maybe we just need to start a thread just for this topic. Either way, all is good.

KS

Hahaha no problem.
In an effort to get back to the original topic, what kinds of cuts do you normally fill the freezer with? (roasts, grind, sausage, etc.)

Also do you process the meat yourself?

 

[klutzyspuds]

We do process all of our own. Between family we have about 6-8 guys that hunt together, so often we have several deer to deal with. With my cousin travelling from some distance, he always heads home around thanksgiving, and we like to get everything well frozen before stuffing his coolers full for the 18 hour trek, so Wednesday prior to thanksgiving is usually our process day. It's kinda amazing how much money people will spend to just drop it off and have someone else do the work. Its not hard, just takes a little time. We can usually completely process from start of skinning to end of packaging be done with one deer in about an hour.

We usually steak out all the good bits-loins, backstraps-then kinda decide what each guy wants done with their deer individually. Some guys like the dried venison made out of the hams. I follow Bearcarver's dried recipe, and everyone loves it. Several of us like the snack sticks in various flavors, so we do a lot of them. I like the ground and formed bacon too, so I make a bit of that. Some summer sausage and jerky often also get thrown into the mix too.

My biggest issue is sharing...too much. I started making small batches, but because this guy liked it "hey, can I give ya a little to make me some?" is a common phrase around my friends circle. The last couple years its pretty much been 25 pound batches and 2-300 pounds a year total. It usually means a case of beer and a couple friends hanging around helping out.

 

[tallbm]

We do process all of our own. Between family we have about 6-8 guys that hunt together, so often we have several deer to deal with. With my cousin travelling from some distance, he always heads home around thanksgiving, and we like to get everything well frozen before stuffing his coolers full for the 18 hour trek, so Wednesday prior to thanksgiving is usually our process day. It's kinda amazing how much money people will spend to just drop it off and have someone else do the work. Its not hard, just takes a little time. We can usually completely process from start of skinning to end of packaging be done with one deer in about an hour.

We usually steak out all the good bits-loins, backstraps-then kinda decide what each guy wants done with their deer individually. Some guys like the dried venison made out of the hams. I follow Bearcarver's dried recipe, and everyone loves it. Several of us like the snack sticks in various flavors, so we do a lot of them. I like the ground and formed bacon too, so I make a bit of that. Some summer sausage and jerky often also get thrown into the mix too.

My biggest issue is sharing...too much. I started making small batches, but because this guy liked it "hey, can I give ya a little to make me some?" is a common phrase around my friends circle. The last couple years its pretty much been 25 pound batches and 2-300 pounds a year total. It usually means a case of beer and a couple friends hanging around helping out.

Wow that is awesome to here!
It must be nice to have so many bodies helping.
I do most of myself except for stuffing day. Using big stuffer that does holds 20 pounds of meat (22 pound stuffer) means one person cranks with all their might while the other works the sausage casing lol.

Keep very few roasts and usually turn them into Fajita cuts for grilling.
I do a lot of straight venison grind and this year will likely do more because it should make processing move more quickly. I think I'm going to scratch doing any ground venison pastrami and go straight grind that I will turn into ground meat jerky at a later date.

So this year is likely to be 100% Pork Franks. Venison Brats (using pork fat) and then a ton of 100% venison grind (no fat).
I will remove the shank meat off the bone and keep that.
I will likely keep about 10 pounds of venison Top Round roast for turning into grillable steak cuts which usually means fajitas for me.

I usually trade my backstrap and tenderloin away to my brother with the agreement that it will be untrimmed/uncleaned. This saves me a TON of time and I usually just grind that stuff anyhow since I don't eat much breaded and oil fried food which is IMO the best way way (by a mile) to cook the backstrap. In past years I was grinding it for the most amazing pure venison grind ... don't knock it until you try it lol :)

With all the pure venison grind I can easily add ground pork fat or beef fat and make sausages or burgers with fat at any point, make ground meat jerky which is my preference for being easy on the teeth, and finally just use the straight grind for pure burgers, taco meat, spaghetti sauce meat, etc. basically I don't have to buy ground beef all year.

I did 12 animals last year and i was just too much so I'm streamlining much much more this year :)