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This is a practical question.I may move the thread later to the cuisine and cooking forum.

In Europe it is common to shoot the fawn before the hind or doe (or cow) during the hunt. Then shoot the mother. Part of wildlife management of the herds.

For an alg/elg or moose calf, they are big and lots of venison. Bigger than a lot of deer.

I was wondering about how a European hunter (and butcher) goes about it for say a fallow fawn. Specifically the butchering. How do you go about it? And what do you use the meat for?

Might be obvious? But often not as much meat. It is however likely to be extremely tender and "melt in the mouth" venison. Do you make the usual cuts? Or bone it out? Mince it? Use it for stews and casseroles? Or small very tender steaks and chops?

I am asking this for a practical reason. I need to reduce a herd's size quickly. Normally I only shoot does at about eighteen months old and males at twelve months old, or older. But I need to cull off at least half all the fallow fawns.

A roe deer fawn must be even smaller. Is it like a big hare when it comes to butchering? Interested. Thanks.

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John,

a mature roe buck may weigh between 17 and 20 kg, gutted ("aufgebrochen").
I've never hunted fallow deer, but I expect a fallow fawn in late autumn / early winter will be more than this.
I do not know your "usual cuts" but you will get very decent and family-sized roast pieces from the saddle and the haunches.
You can also bone these out and get nice (but not too big) steaks, lets say steaklets.
The lesser pieces will go into stew, Gulasch, Wildpfeffer...., and all the remnants can be minced.
Cutting the prime pieces into stew or even mincing would be a crime...

A roe deer fawn in early winter with 10 to 12 kg is quite more than a hare, and you can still get some decent portions. Of course, it's always the same work but less meat in the freezer.
That fawn might also weigh 14 kgs but then you may hear that it is a strong one and should not have been shot.

I hope this helps.
fuhrmann

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