MDC Field to Freezer workshop set for Feb. 8 in West Plains

WEST PLAINS, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will host a free-to-attend "Field to Freezer" workshop teaching the basics of deer processing from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 8 at MDC Ozark Regional Office.

Advance registration is required and can be completed online at https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/204454. Space is limited.

This workshop will cover the field dressing process and MDC staff will demonstrate how to skin and butcher a game animal in simple steps, with minimal equipment.

Participants will learn the steps necessary to process wild game, including skinning, quartering, and identifying cuts of meat, as well as tips on getting the best quality meat from your deer.

"Changes to transportation requirements in chronic wasting disease (CWD) management zones will likely increase the number of hunters that choose to process their own deer," said MDC Conservation Educator Samuel Stewart. "Our hope is that courses like this will help folks be more comfortable with processing their own wild game."

This workshop is designed for participants ages 6 and older and will take place in an unheated shop building. Participants are asked to please dress for the weather.

Questions can be directed to Samuel Stewart at [email protected].