Tips for removing fallow rear lower legs
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pete evans
Well-Known Member
Move your thumb tip up the inside of the rear leg from distal (hoof end) to proximal (knee end) you will get to a small bump and you will feel a very small depression at the apex. Do a circular cut with your knife (circumference of leg). If you apply some lateral force to this it should “snap” and you just need to cut the remaining bits attaching it. This should give a flat joint and allow you to hang the deer in the traditional manner
What he says ^^^
Just make sure you find both bumps, then choose the correct one.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
This ^^^( #2)
The lower leg bone is smooth all the way back towards the joint, but expands like a ridge all the way around the leg joint where it can be split.
Take your time, it won’t run away by the time you have the knife in your hand; feel for the bump, but if in doubt start again. Do it slowly for the first few times, and you’ll find the spot; by the time you’ve done it a dozen or more times it will become second nature, and done in a jiffy.
The lower leg bone is smooth all the way back towards the joint, but expands like a ridge all the way around the leg joint where it can be split.
Take your time, it won’t run away by the time you have the knife in your hand; feel for the bump, but if in doubt start again. Do it slowly for the first few times, and you’ll find the spot; by the time you’ve done it a dozen or more times it will become second nature, and done in a jiffy.
Siggy
Well-Known Member
Grip the rear leg below the joint (cleaves end) with your non knife hand. Slide your slide your thumb up the inside of the leg until you feel the rise of the joint. At the top of the slope of the joint you feel a notch. This is your marker for your cut.
With your non knife hand use your thumb nail to mark your cut point and apply a bit of torque on the lower limb so that the joint is opening towards the blade. Score the inside of the joint. The knife needs to be vertical and at right angles to the limb.
Sheath the knife.
A bit more torque and if the cut is in the right place it should open at the flat joints.
Folded the limb right over and cut up between them to free the skin and ligaments on the other side
Some deer have loose joints and are easy, some are just a pain.
With your non knife hand use your thumb nail to mark your cut point and apply a bit of torque on the lower limb so that the joint is opening towards the blade. Score the inside of the joint. The knife needs to be vertical and at right angles to the limb.
Sheath the knife.
A bit more torque and if the cut is in the right place it should open at the flat joints.
Folded the limb right over and cut up between them to free the skin and ligaments on the other side
Some deer have loose joints and are easy, some are just a pain.
Cut from the inside (the opposite side of what you are doing) with a bit of pressure you will be surprised!
I never take the lower legs off until home as they make good handles to move a lumpy deer around on your own.
pete evans
Well-Known Member
The front joint is broadly similar but the temptation is to flex it and cut the soft bit at the anterior, this works but leaves an ugly non flat end. I flex the front leg to 90 deg and follow a line from the underside of the above knee section. The point to cut is where this line bisects the below knee section. You can palpate the notch also but as you say not as easy as back leg.
I get that and like to get them neat but sometimes it just goes awry, the first thing the game dealers do when it goes on their hoist is look inside never at the joints or neck, I pulled a shot on a fallow (my fault) and had it pointed out it was classed as saddle shot it was border line but I did pull the shot.
pete evans
Well-Known Member
To be honest don’t take many to the dealer and it’s not a dealbreaker, but when helping on culls it’s nice to present the host with a clean neat carcass (more likely to get invited back)
I seem to find the head easier to remove on fallow and red than the smaller deer. I grab the ear and cut at the base, as you flex the head away it opens up the joint and I rarely hit bone. On roe and muntjac it doesn’t seem to work as well
With a big antled Red the main problem is the thick fur so I have taken to start under the throat as the "mane" is often full of grit/mud and will kill a knife in a short while also on your own it is hard to get in as the weight wants to close the gap with the antlers in the way.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
And make it only big enough for a gambrel thickness, nae a bus! Often first place a fly will lay an egg is in an over enthusiastically opened hock near the meat at the base of the shank; a simple poke with the knife with sharp side pointing toward the joint rather than the haunch is normally more than plenty
This ^^
With the animal suspended pull the leg downwards & cut from the back - get it right & the joint will just fall apart leaving a small cut through the skin to remove the leg completely.
I hope they are adopted by DMQ for the handbook
TundB
Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing those. Is this whole presentation open to public?
Interesting question. It was presented at 2 different best practice events I attended - issue is I have a pdf and those are screenshots. I’ll see if I can attach it…….
Sadly, it keeps on saying its too large even though I've shrunk it by a quarter to 1.6 Mb. I'll try again tomorrow using my work PC software.
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