Making the Most of Your Deer [Paperback]

Dennis Walrod (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

You've braved the elements, spent hours lying in wait, and had your share of near misses, but you've finally bagged that prize whitetail or mule deer. Now what? In this wide-ranging guide, Dennis Walrod tells you everything you need to know to maximize the use of your deer. In addition to essential instruction on field dressing and transport, the author goes on to cover salting and tanning hides, aging venison, leathercrafting, soapmaking, trophy mounting, and creating home furnishings and decorations. Also included is a selection of mouthwatering venison recipes, making this an indispensable resource for any hunter looking to extend the hunting experience beyond the moment of the kill.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Experienced deer hunter Walrod delivers a thoughtful, well-written and clearly illustrated look at the full range of do-it-yourself ways that a hunter can utilize a deer after it has been killed. The scope of Walrod's topics, from field dressing and venison preparation to handicrafts and taxidermy, makes this a must-have for hunters. It helps that Walrod's attention to detail is motivated by the philosophic view that if hunters "are able to realize that within us is a responsibility to use a deer to the fullest advantage and value, we will have enhanced not only the worth of a deer, but our own worth as well." This means that along with such helpful tips as proving that "a five-inch blade knife of good cutting steel" is the minimum required for venison butchering and showing the best technique for removing a deer's "guts" as a single package, he also offers tips on how to donate deer to one of several charitable programs, such as Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. A chapter on "Venison and How to Butcher It" breaks down this intricate process into simple steps, using clear and often entertaining descriptions to show how, with a little practice, "you should be able to completely butcher, cut, and wrap a skinned deer within two or three hours." He also offers a number of helpful photos and excellent tips and recipes for cooking venison.
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About the Author

Dennis Walrod has written for a number of outdoor magazines, including Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and Gray's Sporting Journal, and is also the author of Grouse Hunter's Guide, Second Edition (0811728897). He lives in western New York State, where he and his wife Peg have raised five children and various animals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; Rev Upd edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811731626
• ISBN-13: 978-0811731621
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #477,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Meat, Poultry & Seafood > Game

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book pays for itself, July 28, 2004

By 

Bill Thayer "deer hunter" (Buffalo NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making the Most of Your Deer (Paperback)

I'm a reasonably successful deer hunter and we eat a lot of venison at our house, but I have always paid to have the deer butchered. From now on, I'll be doing it myself the easy way Walrod describes...and that will save me about $50. I've also learned things about aging meat for tenderness, making sausage, and there is some really interesting information about how to improve the flavor of venison. Also how to tan the hide myself, taxidermy, mounting antlers, and antler-craft. Even how to make soap (yes, soap, not soup) from the fat on a deer. This is a good book for any deer hunter.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for beginners, November 23, 2006

By 

John Morris (Northeast PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Making the Most of Your Deer (Paperback)

This book looked thorough, and there are lots of 5-star reviews so I bought it, hoping to learn at least how to field dress a deer, and about how the animal can be used.

It is informative and interesting. Walrod writes well. But, after reading it (and the field dressing chapter several times), I still don't feel that I know how to gut a deer. It lacks the necessary descriptiveness or detail that I was looking for. For example, "...insert the knife at least four inches..." WHERE? In the anus? Four inches from the anus? Two inches? How doesn't that butcher the colon? I was left with as many questions as I had to begin with. The pictures didn't help. They're black & white and not very clear. Not enough either.

It's not without redemption though. I learned about the different cuts of meat, uses for them, etc. That was informative. (There are lots of recipies - but you can just search the internet for recipies.)

Can't help feeling a little let down by this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book with lots of ideas, January 19, 2010

By 

Mom "mom" (Forney, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Making the Most of Your Deer (Paperback)

My family hunts. We rarely purchase red meat at the store. We hunt and that is how we feed our family throughout the year. I always felt bad when the hide was thrown away after cleaning and skinning because it was so beautiful. But it cost so much to have it tanned. This book has great ideas and instructions to get it done. Unfortunately I didn't get the book until after hunting season. But I am looking forward to using what I learned from the book next hunting season. Especially the soap and tanning the hide. There is information in the book that if you have any hunting experience, will be old information but there is a lot of good useful information in the book and worth the cost.