U n i v e r s i t y o f Wyo m i n g Agricultural Experiment Station • August 2003 • B-884R

1
The authors are Professor Emeritus of Meat Science, University of Wyoming; Professor of Meat Science, Washington State
University; and Associate Professor of Meat Science, University of Wyoming, respectively.

This bulletin will show a hunter how to skin and make boneless cuts of game meat. A cow elk is shown in the
pictures, but the steps shown apply to elk, moose, deer, antelope, and other big-game animals.

Skinning After both hind legs are skinned, skin the carcass from
Before a field-dressed carcass is hung, skin around the the brisket to the pelvic region by cutting, pulling, and
hock and remove the hind shank at the flat joint on the fisting the skin from the sides. Fisting is pushing one’s
lower part of the hock. The hind shank can also be knuckles and fist between the hide and the meat. Pull
removed with a saw. Make an opening between the the skin from the back. Some cutting of the membrane
tendon and hock and hang the carcass by one or both which holds the skin to a carcass is necessary (Figure 2).
hind legs. Put the tip of the knife under the skin on the
When the skin is pulled down to the shoulders, put the
inside of the hind leg near the pelvic region and make a
tip of the knife under the skin and make a cut along the
cut from the inside out up to the hock. Pull the skin
rear of the front legs. Skin the legs (Figure 3) and then
away from the meat so that hair does not contaminate
pull the skin down the neck to the head and remove the
the skinned surface (Figure 1).
head at the atlas joint (first joint).

Fig. 1. Pull the skin back away Fig 2. Pull the skin from the Fig. 3. Make a cut down the
from the meat. back after skinning the sides. front legs and skin the legs.
Making boneless cuts Locate the front part of the hipbone which separates the
Carefully trim all hair and contamination from a thicker leg from the thinner loin. Cut next to the bone
hanging carcass before starting to make cuts. Some and down the back. Remove the loin muscle by cutting
people burn the hair from a skinned carcass with a as close to the bones as possible (Figures 7 and 8).
torch. Remove the shoulder by cutting between the
Trim excess fat and connective tissue from the muscle
shoulder blade and the rib cage along the natural seam
and make individual or butterfly steaks (Figures 9 and
(Figure 4). This region often has bloodshot areas which
10). Cut next to the ribs to remove the remainder of the
need to be trimmed.
meat from the forequarter (Figure 11) and use it for
A boneless shoulder roast is made by cutting next to the ground game, stew meat, or sausage. To reduce
bones along the line shown (Figure 5). Small blade microbial growth, freeze the trimmings along with the
roasts are also removed, and the remainder of the meat steaks and roasts the day they are removed from a
is boned and ground or cut into pieces for stew meat carcass. If necessary, frozen trimming can be thawed in
(Figure 6). a refrigerator or in plastic bags submerged in cold water
and processed at a later date.

Fig. 4. Remove the shoulder. Fig. 5. The line shows where the Fig. 6. Blade roasts are removed.
boneless shoulder roast is
removed.

Fig. 7. Cut next to the hipbone Fig. 8. Cut close to the bone. Fig. 9. Trim fat and connective
and down the back. tissue.
Trim the flank and neck meat. Contamination consisting steaks or roasts (Figure 15). After removing both sirloin
of viscera contents, dirt, and leaves on the inside of a butts, one leg can be dropped and the other left hanging
carcass can be avoided by cutting next to the rib bones to make it easier to remove the inside round muscles.
on the outside of the body cavity (Figure 12). If inside Cut next to the pelvic bone and follow the seam between
contamination is not excessive, the two tenderloins can the muscles when making this cut (Figure 16). Make the
be removed to make small butterfly steaks or medallions top-round muscle into roast or steaks. After the top
for game tips. Cuts from the hind leg should be made round is removed, remove the eye of the round and
last. For a large carcass a step ladder will be needed, or a bottom-round muscles from the femur (Figure 17).
suspended carcass will need to be lowered. The front of
The remaining muscle to which the tendon is attached
the femur should be exposed as the sirloin tip is removed
is a heel of round roast. This roast is generally quite
(Figures 13 and 14).
tough and can best be utilized in ground game or
The sirloin tip can be made into roasts or steaks. sausage. When it is removed, the skeleton will fall, so
Remember to cut across the grain when making steaks. make sure that all remaining edible meat is trimmed
When the sirloin butt is removed, it can be cut into first (Figure 18).

Fig. 10. Make individual steaks Fig. 11. Cut next to the ribs. Fig. 12. Contamination on the
(left) or butterfly steaks (right). inside can be avoided.

Fig. 13. The sirloin tip is Fig. 14. The front of the femur Fig. 15. The sirloin butt is
removed. is exposed. removed.
From a fat cow elk carcass with a field-dressed weight of Boneless cuts of big game are recommended because
349 pounds, this method of cutting produced 73 they are easier to trim, easier to wrap, and they require
pounds of lean trim and 75 pounds of roasts and steaks less freezer space. Boneless cutting also avoids sawing
for a total of 148 pounds of boneless meat (Figure 19). through the spinal cord where the agent associated with
chronic wasting disease (CWD) is located. Therefore,
Cuts from the round (from left to right) are (1) bottom-
deboning is recommended as a way to reduce potential
round steaks, (2) top-round roast, (3) bottom-round
exposure to the CWD agent (Journal of Wildlife
roast, (4) sirloin butt steaks, (5) heel or round roasts, and
Management 66: 551-563). Removal of major lymph
(6) sirloin-tip roasts with cap off (Figure 20).
nodes like the prescapular at the point of the shoulder,
When making game roasts, one may want to add pork the preformal at the flank and round junction, and the
backfat. This avoids drying during cooking and improves popliteus embedded in the seam fat between the major
juiciness and flavor. Pork backfat can be wrapped around round muscles also reduces exposure to the CWD agent.
the outside of roasts (Figure 20), or for some rolled The preceding precautions are recommended even
roasts pieces of pork can be placed inside. Strips of bacon though CWD has not been linked to any human illness.
can be used at the time of cooking if pork backfat is not
Consult the following publications for more information:
added. It is recommended that 15 percent beef or pork
You and Your Wild Game, B-613R; Nutritional Content
fat be added to ground game and that 35 percent pork
of Game Meat, B-920; The Pronghorn Antelope Carcass,
fat be added to fresh game sausage.
B-565R; The Mule Deer Carcass, B-589R; The Elk
Carcass, B-594R; Deer and Antelope Yield, AS-102; and
Aging Big Game, B-513R. To obtain these publications,
phone the UW CES Resource Center at 307-766-2115
or go online at www.uwyo.edu/ces/ansci.htm to view
the bulletins free of charge.

Fig. 16. Remove the top round

at the seam.

Fig. 17. Remove the rest of the Fig. 18. Trimmed skeleton with
muscles from the femur. one tendon left intact to hang
the carcass.

The University of Wyoming

is an equal opportunity/
affirmative action institution.
James J. Jacobs, Director,
Agricultural Experiment
Station, University of
Wyoming, Box 3354,
Laramie, WY 82071.

Fig. 19. Cuts and lean trim. Fig. 20. Cuts from the round.