MDC’s Busch Shooting Range to teach Venison Burger and Sausage Making Dec. 2

DEFIANCE, Mo.—Part of the satisfaction of hunting is knowing exactly where your meat has come from.  If you’re a successful deer hunter, you’ve already taken that first step in procuring healthy, naturally sourced protein.  The next step is to also learn how to get that meat ready for the table.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a free class to help get you from field to fork by demonstrating how to make two of the most popular meats.  MDC’s August A. Busch Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center will host a Venison Burger and Sausage Making class Monday, Dec. 2 from 5 - 7 p.m.  It will take deer hunters through the step-by-step process needed to process fresh venison into ready-to-eat delicacies.

This event will provide instruction on how to grind and season harvested deer meat to create tasty burgers and sausage of the best quality possible.  The class will look at every aspect of the process, from safety considerations to the right equipment to use, to the ideal parts of the meat for processing.  

“After processing your harvest, making your own sausage and burger is a great way to season to your own taste and save money,” said MDC Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center Manager, Bryant Hertel.

Besides traditional hamburgers, hunters will find low fat ground venison to be an excellent and healthy base for other dishes too, such as spaghetti sauce, chili, tacos, sloppy Joes, pizza topping, meat loaf, and casseroles.

Venison Burger and Sausage Making is a free program open to all ages, but advanced online registration is required at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Kq for each person attending. 

The August A. Busch Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center is located at 3550 Route D, approximately five miles west of Highway 94, in Defiance.