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    Janis Putelis
    Janis Putelis
    Janis Putelis is the Director and Executive Producer of the Netflix Original series MeatEater and co-host of The MeatEater Podcast. Before joining MeatEater in 2012, Putelis spent over a decade guiding hunting and fishing trips in Colorado, Arizona, and Mexico and three years in a professional kitchen.

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    Butchering & Processing

    Video: How to Remove a Venison Hindquarter

    Video: How to Remove a Venison Hindquarter

    6m6s

    The hindquarters of a deer, also known as hams, contain a large proportion of the total meat and some of the choicest cuts. It’s here where you’ll find the sirloin, round roasts, eye of round, and others. The more attention you can pay to your technique as you’re removing the back legs, the more meat will wind up in pretty little white packages in your freezer.
    In this video, I’m showing how you’d remove the hindquarter from a deer that was...

    Butchering & Processing

    Video: How to Remove Silverskin

    Video: How to Remove Silverskin

    7m52s

    Getting rid of tendons, ligaments, and sinew—known collectively as silverskin—is a fact of life for those of us who like to process and cook our own wild game. It’s usually pretty obvious where and how to cut off these white and/or silver portions, but good technique and attention to detail will leave you with more meat and in better shape than if you just hack away at it.
    Silverskin is fine to eat, but it will cause the meat to contract when...

    Butchering & Processing

    Video: How to Remove Backstraps from a Deer

    Video: How to Remove Backstraps from a Deer

    11m0s

    Every week for the next month or so, we’ll be bringing you in-depth butchering videos and articles to help you make the most of your kills and catches. Janis Putelis, Ryan Callaghan, and other accomplished butchers and cooks will share knife tips and techniques they’ve learned over decades of handling wild game. This week, the Latvian Eagle demonstrates how to remove a whitetail deer backstrap.
    The backstraps, or loins, are many people’s...

    Big Game

    Ask the Eagle: What Power Binoculars Are Best?

    Ask the Eagle: What Power Binoculars Are Best?

    3m8s

    This is Ask the Eagle, where I’ll be answering your questions about everything from hunting to butchering to marriage. This week, I cover my favorite binocular range and how an eager individual can land an apprenticeship in the outdoors.
    Have a question of your own? You can write to me asktheeagle@themeateater.com.

    Wild Turkey

    Mid-Day Toms and Common Mistakes: An Interview with Turkey Legend Guy Zuck
    Guy Zuck talks turkey, literally—and he doesn’t need a call to sound better than your most practiced reed. Guy competed in voice calling competitions in his youth, placing second in the World Voice Calling Championship in 1991. When he puts a reed in his mouth, he somehow sounds even more like a turkey—a super sexy hen turkey to be exact.
    Guy has killed (including with clients) more turkeys in a season than I hope to in my entire life. And he did...

    Cooking Techniques

    Ask the Eagle: How Long Will You Leave Raw Meat in the Fridge?

    Ask the Eagle: How Long Will You Leave Raw Meat in the Fridge?

    3m15s

    Introducing Ask the Eagle, where I’ll be answering your questions about everything from hunting to butchering to marriage. This week, Steve wants to know how long I’ll leave raw meat in the fridge before tossing it out.
    Have a question of your own? You can write to me asktheeagle@themeateater.com.

    Big Game

    Ask the Eagle: How Do I Stop Flinching While Shooting?
    In our Ask the Eagle series, I’ll be answering your questions about everything from hunting to butchering to marriage. This week, someone wants to know if I have any tips for preventing flinching while shooting.
    Have a question of your own? You can write to me asktheeagle@themeateater.com.

    Policy & Legislation

    Ask the Eagle: What Are Your Thoughts on Trapping Bans?

    Ask the Eagle: What Are Your Thoughts on Trapping Bans?

    1m59s

    Introducing Ask the Eagle, where I’ll be answering your questions about everything from hunting to butchering to marriage. This week, someone wants to know my thoughts on 2019’s trapping ban in California.
    Have a question of your own? You can write to me asktheeagle@themeateater.com.

    Public Lands & Waters

    Ask the Eagle: What Would You Do With Forrest Fenn’s Treasure?
     
    This is Ask the Eagle, where I’ll be answering your questions about everything from hunting to butchering to marriage. This week, an Instagram follower wants to know what I’d do with the riches of Fenn’s treasure.
    Have a question of your own? You can write to me asktheeagle@themeateater.com.

    Whitetail Deer

    Ask the Eagle: What Age Should Kids Start Hunting?
    Introducing Ask the Eagle, where I’ll be answering your questions about everything from hunting to butchering to marriage. This week, an Instagram follower wants to know if 4 years old is too young to go on a hunt.
    Have a question of your own? You can write to me asktheeagle@themeateater.com.