# Deer Ham Gland?



## backyardkcq

I'm picking up a couple of whole deer legs this afternoon from a buddy of mine and I plan on wet curing them into hams before smoking them. I've read on some other sites that the deer ham has a glad in it that can have an unpleasant taste requiring its removal and/or the de-boning of the ham. Has anyone heard of this before? I am also shopping around for a savory/peppery style rub for the deer hams. Any help would be appreciated.


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## daveomak

KCQ, morning....  Do you have your recipe and ingredients together, cure# 1, salt, etc... and injection syringe for pumping the aitch joint and leg bone with cure etc....   The musk gland, on bucks only, should have been removed during field dressing of the animal.... If there is another gland, I am not familiar with it....

If you are familiar with the curing/pumping process, I apologize... Until we know you better, safety and proper food handling is our primary concern...  Dave


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## backyardkcq

DO,Thanks for the quick response. I've used Pops' process for curing several hams in the last year and all have gone well. I've also utilized the University of Missouri's extension page as research along with several other websites. I have all the required ingredients (I use DQ curing salt) and equipment for the injection and wet cure. I have not done venison before. The hams that I'll be using are from a button buck. The butchering process was done by the friend who harvested the animal. I think it might be the first time he has gone all the way through the butchering process; I'll have to ask. Maybe a button buck is not old enough to have the glands? Again thanks for responding. All input is good input! Let me know what you think.


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## backyardkcq

The only glands I can find in the vicinity are the tarsal glands located at the hind leg but not the ham. Some sites say that it is not necessary to remove the gland during field dressing.Ohio Dept of Natural Resources recommendations for field dressingwww.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/9/pdf/pub111.pdf


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## diggingdogfarm

If you're talking about a lymph nodes, yeah, they're in the hind quarter and some folks claim they contribute to gamy flavor.
You can find the nodes by seam butchery, separate the muscles and node is in fatty tissue.....you may find videos on youtube that demonstrate.
Having said that, some don't bother with them when curing a whole leg.
Now, the tarsal glands are something entirely different and are, as Dave said, usually removed when field dressing.


~Martin


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## roller

I always cut those out,,,There nasty looking...


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## woodcutter

I have a VHS video on butchering deer that was put out when CWD (chronic wasting disease) was first found in Wisconsin. The DNR said those nodes are a spot where they felt the disease resided and could be passed on. The video is 8-10 years old now so it may be outdated. I always think of the video and remove those nodes. You will probably trim it out on your plate anyway.


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## backyardkcq

Good info guys. I will check the tube to figure out how to remove and see how in depth the process is.


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## oldschoolbbq

Not bad, again...diligent attention and patience.


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## backyardkcq

It looks like I am not in a CWD affected area so it is unlikely that leaving the lymph nodes in will cause a problem. If I can find a video showing their removal and it is not too invasive I might remove them just to be safe and to get a better flavor. If it requires destroying the ham to get to them I will probably leave them in.On a side note; does anyone age their wild game before butchering? What have been the results if you have?


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## nybbq

There is a gland in the hind quarters of a deer but don’t think you can get it out easy though. I have not cut up a deer  this year but If I remember correct the hind quarters will come apart and be in 4 separate sections. I would do 1 without taking the glands out and the other with them in. See if the taste is different. If you take the thin muscle off the top you can see where the sections come apart. I will try to get a pic when I get a deer this year.


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## diggingdogfarm

Here's a video I just found...

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]



~Martin


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## thoseguys26

When you are field dressing and pulling out the innards, don't puncture the bile sack. That's a quick way to spoil meat.


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## bob1961

here is a video and what they are called and where they are........bob



....


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## woodcutter

Both good videos. Prions is the term I couldn't remember...........Thanks


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## backyardkcq

bob1961 said:


> here is a video and what they are called and where they are........bob
> 
> 
> 
> ....



Great videos guys!


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## backyardkcq

Well. I wanted to thank everyone for the help. I've finished my deer ham smoke and the result will be updated on the thread I'm working on:http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/129141/cured-and-smoked-deer-ham#

I found with the button buck I was using that the easiest way was to leave in the glads. Once the ham was finished smoking and resting I cut it up to bag and thanks to the videos posted here the glands were readily identifiable and easily removed. I could not detect any gamey flavor at the end of the process from glands or otherwise.Check out my other thread and let me know what you think.


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## hawkce541

I do it everytime.  It costs a little if it's too warm, so you can hang it in a shed or garage, and you have to pay to hang it in a meat locker. I let mine hang for a week to let the enzymes start breaking down the tissue.  It definitely makes it more tender.  I've had some gnarly ole 8 points that were just as tender as a button buck.  I've had one that started to smell sour, so I skinned it immediately and found that the smell was come from some blood under the skin.  I rinsed it all off and all of the meat was just fine.


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