# Need help on how to cut the ribcage down on a deer



## lab mom (May 6, 2012)

Well the deer harvest has been successfull!
Now I am trying to figure out how to cut the ribcage down to individual ribs to make it last longer for the hounds. 
I have a hacksaw with a fine blade. I am not sure if a different blade would make it any easier. I think it would take forever to use this.
I saw on tv on how they just they processed a cow on the homestead in Alaska and they fired up the chainsaw and cut a cow in half.
I asked by husband about this and well, he does not want to wreck his chainsaw. Nor do we have a band saw.
Any suggestions?

:hungry::hungry::hungry:


----------



## Fundog (Oct 25, 2012)

I saw on "Dr. G, Medical Examiner" that she just uses a set of garden pruners (the big ones, for pruning young trees and small branches and rose bushes) to cut the rib cages on adult humans. It ought to work on a deer...

As for cutting the ribs to individuals, a good sharp hunting knife will cut through the meat between the ribs easily enough. But to cut the actual rib cage open, use some garden pruners.

To do a lamb or goat, however, a meat saw (regular hack saw with a fine blade) will cut through the ribs easily. I've done it.


----------



## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

We sawzall the ribs off the spine and then I cut them down farther using any sharp knife, just go in between the ribs.


----------



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I must be hardcore lol. I use a kitchen knife. I get rib cages already cut in half. I just cut down inbetween the ribs and then break the spine part with my hands. They bend and break easily enough. I leave 3-5 ribs on each portion. If you are cutting them individually, I can see where using a more efficient tool would be better though.


----------



## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

Lol I stabbed myself on deer spine on the first one we chopped up, then my b/f brought out the saw. His dad sent over a nice butchering kit, we thought we'd use the shears on the ribs first, yeah those turned out to be crap, broke on the first try.


----------



## lab mom (May 6, 2012)

GoingPostal -How plentiful was the deer harvest by you?
Wish we had a sawzall, I wonder if we can rent one?


----------



## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

Might be worth investing in one. We only filled one of 2 tags, out of our group of 5 hunters we got 3. Saw a ton of does but none of us had antlerless tags. Got 8 carcasses as well, organs out of a few of them. More tomorrow but hopefully not many because I'm getting my goats today, not sure if there will be any freezer room left.


----------



## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Wayne uses his sawzall on deer we get. Works like a dream.


----------



## lab mom (May 6, 2012)

GoingPostal said:


> Might be worth investing in one. We only filled one of 2 tags, out of our group of 5 hunters we got 3. Saw a ton of does but none of us had antlerless tags. Got 8 carcasses as well, organs out of a few of them. More tomorrow but hopefully not many because I'm getting my goats today, not sure if there will be any freezer room left.


If I had an extra $90 to $100, I would get one in a heartbeat! I think I will probably just rent one. I did find some where to rent one for $8.00 for 4 hours and $1. for every hour after four hours. 

We were in a herd control area and did not see many deer. The four of us all had doe tags as well as our buck tags. We got 2 bucks and one Doe that was huge- I called it a Dorse. Part deer part horse. I saw one tail in the distance. My Husband saw a deer cross the road. My son and daughter shot the deer. 

I to am out of freezer room for the hounds. Their freezer is full, as well as freezer in a refrigerator/freezer. The huge freezer for our food is 1/3full of dog meat, which has to come out so we can get the Venison for us in it. The dogs get the deer scraps and bones. I was hoping to get one more deer, so the dogs would get some deer meat, too. I am going to store the surplus frozen dog meat in the garage, either in a cooler, old refrigerator or in boxes! It has been below freezing here, since Sat. Frozen meat stays frozen with temps below/near freezing, as long as it is not in sunlight. Going Postal- in upper MN this would work for you, too!

I also have 2 pending Craigs list meat pick ups, coming up. Murphy's law is that when your freezer is full, the opportunity for free meat will arise.


----------



## Fundog (Oct 25, 2012)

lab mom said:


> I also have 2 pending Craigs list meat pick ups, coming up. Murphy's law is that when your freezer is full, the opportunity for free meat will arise.



LMBO. That's funny right there!


----------



## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

Harbor Freight has a sawzall for only $30, that is what I use.


----------



## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

lab mom said:


> Frozen meat stays frozen with temps below/near freezing, as long as it is not in sunlight. Going Postal- in upper MN this would work for you, too!.


Yeah I'm glad it's cooled down, my stepdad dropped off a couple carcasses this morning and I just left them in the garage, I feel like I've been chopping up meat nonstop over the last couple weeks, I just don't want to deal with it yet lol.


----------



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Always better to have too much meat than not enough 

We used a hack saw to cut the deer down the middle, then a sharp knife to cut the rib cage down. 

My freezers are both full. I took the packages of chicken I had out of the chest freezer and am storing it at my husbands aunt house. She still has room so hopefully we get more deer to store there. Red meat beats poultry any day around here. Lol


----------



## lab mom (May 6, 2012)

shellbell said:


> Harbor Freight has a sawzall for only $30, that is what I use.


Is it a harbor freight brand?
How much and how long have you used it?
Could you use it on frozen chicken, too?


----------



## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

lab mom said:


> Is it a harbor freight brand?
> How much and how long have you used it?
> Could you use it on frozen chicken, too?


Here it is: Reciprocating Saw w/ Rotating Handle

It is $29.99, I have used it for about a year now, cut up lots of deer with it. I use a Dewault 14tpi blade, but the blades it comes with work fine too. 

I think it would probably be a bit overkill to use on frozen chicken, but might work...


----------



## bully4life (Aug 9, 2010)

The ribs are really soft, so what works for me is a machete. I grab the spine and hold to deer vertical and just hack down the side of the spine I'm not holding. Then i lay the carcass on its side and hack down the other side of the spine. Spine goes into the woods and i separate the ribs into 4-5 meals. I know thats extremely dangerous, but the whole process takes about 30- 40 seconds and i WOULDN"T recommend to anyone unless they are comfortable swinging axes/machetes.


----------

