Butchering a red deer

The red deer below is divided the way it is on the butcher's bench in Norway. Tap a cut on the animal, or choose one from the list below, to see where it sits, what it is used for and how much of the carcass it is.

The tenderloin and the topside lie on the inside and are dotted. The lines follow the seams between the muscles, where the cuts are parted on the bench.

Choose a cut

Tap the deer or choose from the list. The haunches and shoulders are the heaviest parts of the carcass; the saddle, neck and sides make up the rest.

How the carcass divides: each shoulder about 10 percent, each haunch about 20 percent, saddle, neck and sides about 40 percent.

Shares from the Governor of Svalbard's guide «Håndtering av felt hjortevilt» (in Norwegian). Approximate figures for a typical deer. Uses after MSU Extension's «Michigan Venison» (E-657).

Cuts