Get them clean first, then see what you have left.Depending on the size of the deer they may not stand up to playing, let alone carving. I use a horse rib (found in a local pasture) for a drum beater and it works, but as someone else said the marrow is not far below the surface. (As I discovered when I sanded it down. It had been cleaned long before of flesh, but was a bit rough. So sanding gives it a bit of polish.

Best ways to clean the flesh are burying near or laying on top of an ant hill (cover with chicken wire so critters don't steal them); Hanging in a tree or other high place (this works ok in the winter if certain kinds of birds frequent your area, since they are hungry this time of year,and in the summer all kinds of insects, particularly the kinds with stingers, will go after the flesh.) You can also cook the flesh off, but better to simmer than boil. And if it's a bit old it will smell!

Bekki