130 hand-drawn illustrations covering every cut — the most complete step-by-step system in print
Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game — Process Your Own Meat With Confidence, Cut by Cut
Seven animals, one method: beef, veal, pork, lamb, venison, poultry, and rabbit
Field dress game the moment it's down, before a single ounce goes to waste
Salting, smoking, and curing techniques so every cut is preserved, not just processed
Built on a lifetime of hands-on work by a large-animal veterinarian, refined for the working farm and the field
Butcher any animal, waste nothing, and put meat on the table without depending on anyone else.
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Actually Beginner-Friendly
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130 Step-by-Step Illustrations
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Covers Every Animal You Raise or Hunt
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Beyond the Butchering
+
Actually Beginner-Friendly
+
130 Step-by-Step Illustrations
+
Covers Every Animal You Raise or Hunt
+
Beyond the Butchering
+
Actually Beginner-Friendly
+
130 Step-by-Step Illustrations
+
Covers Every Animal You Raise or Hunt
+
Beyond the Butchering
+
Actually Beginner-Friendly
+
130 Step-by-Step Illustrations
+
Covers Every Animal You Raise or Hunt
+
Beyond the Butchering
+
Actually Beginner-Friendly
+
130 Step-by-Step Illustrations
+
Covers Every Animal You Raise or Hunt
+
Beyond the Butchering
+
Actually Beginner-Friendly
+
130 Step-by-Step Illustrations
+
Covers Every Animal You Raise or Hunt
+
Beyond the Butchering
+
Never Guess Where to Cut
Most beginners ruin their first attempt because verbal instructions or single photos can't show what a real cut looks like from every angle. This book solves that with 130 hand-drawn illustrations that walk you through each incision step-by-step, so you always know exactly where the knife goes next. Unlike a video you can't pause mid-task with bloody hands, the book stays open on the counter as a reference through the whole job.
One Book, Every Animal You Process
Homesteaders and hunters don't process just one species — but most guides only cover one. This book walks through beef, veal, pork, lamb, venison, poultry, and rabbit in a single volume, so you're not buying and cross-referencing seven different manuals. That means one system, one set of techniques, and one reference you actually keep coming back to.
Veterinarian-Level Accuracy, Not Guesswork
Written by Dr. John J. Mettler, Jr., a large-animal veterinarian, the anatomy and technique are grounded in real clinical knowledge — not just tradition passed down imperfectly. That's the difference between cutting where the muscle groups actually separate versus hacking through bone by trial and error, which wastes meat and dulls your knife.
Nothing Goes to Waste
Butchering the animal is only half the job — preserving it is the other half. The book includes salting, smoking, and curing instructions plus 30+ recipes, so every cut has a purpose instead of freezer-burning in a bag you forgot about. It's the difference between "I butchered an animal" and "I fed my family for months."
A Glimpse Of What You'll Find
Step-by-Step Slaughtering & Dressing
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From the first incision to a fully dressed carcass, laid out in the exact order you'd actually do it, not textbook theory.
130 Hand-Drawn Cut Illustrations
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See precisely where muscle groups separate on beef, veal, pork, lamb, venison, poultry, and rabbit, so you're never cutting blind.
Field Dressing Game On the Spot
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Clear instructions for dressing deer and other game in the field, before the meat has a chance to spoil.
Tools & Equipment Setup
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What you actually need (and don't) to butcher at home, so you're not improvising with the wrong knife halfway through.
Salting, Smoking & Curing
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Preservation techniques that turn a fresh kill into meat that lasts through the winter, not just the week.
30+ Recipes to Finish the Job
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Practical ways to use every cut you bring home, so nothing ends up forgotten in the freezer.
The Only Butchering Book Built for the Whole Animal, Not Just the Counter
Most butchering books pick a lane — retail cuts, wild game, or sausage making. This is the one guide that takes you from a live animal to a finished plate, across every species you're likely to raise or hunt.
The Only Butchering Book Built for the Whole Animal, Not Just the Counter
Most butchering books pick a lane — retail cuts, wild game, or sausage making. This is the one guide that takes you from a live animal to a finished plate, across every species you're likely to raise or hunt.
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Shadow Work
Original
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Others
Knock-off
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7 species in one book
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Starts at the live animal
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Veterinarian-authored anatomy
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130 hand-drawn cut illustrations
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Dedicated meat inspection section
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One manual instead of three
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Hear What Others Have To Say
Got Questions?
I have zero experience — can I really learn from a book alone?
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It won't turn you into a professional overnight, and one reviewer notes it's a stronger fit if you already have some exposure to the process. But the 130 step-by-step illustrations exist specifically to close that gap — treat it as your reference open on the counter for your first few animals, not a one-read-and-you're-done manual.
This book was first published in 1986 — is the information outdated?
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Anatomy hasn't changed, and neither has the core technique of breaking down a beef, hog, or deer. The 2003 revised edition updated the content, and readers still rate it 4.1★ decades later because the fundamentals it teaches don't go stale.
I only process deer — why would I need a book covering 7 different animals?
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Most hunters end up raising a few chickens, buying a hog share, or helping a neighbor with a lamb at some point. One book that already covers venison, poultry, pork, lamb, veal, beef, and rabbit means you're not buying a separate guide every time your situation changes..
I can just watch free YouTube videos instead.
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Videos are great until your hands are covered in blood and you need to pause, flip back three steps, and check an angle — you can't do that mid-scroll on a phone propped against a wall. A physical, illustrated reference stays open and searchable exactly when you need it most.
Does it teach sausage making or advanced charcuterie?
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No — this book focuses on slaughtering, butchering, and basic preservation (salting, smoking, curing), not sausage-making techniques. If sausage is your main goal, pair it with a dedicated charcuterie title; for actually breaking down the animal, this is the stronger foundation.
