This past season, I decided to handle the whole process myself, from field dressing to the final meal. Breaking down a deer was a learning curve, but once I got the hang of trimming, grinding, and packaging, it became second nature. I tried old-school recipes passed down from family...I pan-fried backstrap with onions, smoked jerky, and slow-cooked stew with root veggies. The best part is knowing exactly where the meat came from and that nothing went to waste...I tell ya, processing your own venison makes every meal feel earned.