nchawkeye

I've never paid to have one butchered...

lonewolf5348

I been doing mine for 40 plus years
I have gotten away from Ribs just too long and not much meat:
I run the front shoulders for stew
the rear legs for cutlets :All meat is De-boned, that take time and the back straps are mine

Uncle Nicky

I used to cut meat in a supermarket, and had my own processing business for about 15 years. Naturally, I still process all the animals I shoot, and do a few for friends. I charge them $60 to skin, cut, & freeze wrap, if they take me with them to any of their special hunting spots, I'll do it for them free.

My wife & kids don't care much for deer meat, so I have to disguise it. I make a lot into ground meat, the rest becomes jerky, sausage, or keilbasi. I used to make hot dogs, dried venison, hams, scrapple, etc when I ran my business, but not worth the effort for home.

oldsmellhound

I always skin and de-bone the deer myself (usually my dad or uncle will help out). I will process/package some of it myself (hamburger, steaks, canned stew meat). But I generally do take some of the meat to a guy that makes summer sausage & slim jim type snacks. It's pretty affordable- charges $1.00 per pound for summer sausage, which is what I usually get the most of.

HuntAway

When I use to hunt out of a camp it was their thing to take it to a butcher in town. Since I left that camp I took one deer to my local butcher and he charged me $60.00. I asked him how much for a roll of paper and he told me $15.00. Best $15.00 dollars I've ever spent.

Now not only do I cut my own, I've picked up a grinder and a sausage stuffer. So I make my own burger as well as sausage. Even tried my own sausage from scratch this year. They turned out ok but the recipie's need to be tweeked for my tastes. I've tried sausage kits. They were easy and turned out great. But they cost more. Added a dehydrator and now I do jerky as well.

HA

7.62NATO

I process my own and wouldn’t have it any other way. I am trying to get to the point where the only cost involved in getting a deer is the cost of projectiles and components. Also, it’s in my hands from the field to the freezer, so I know exactly how it’s been handled and that it is 100% my deer.

It really does not take long to skin and quarter a deer (and to remove the backstraps and tenderloins). At that point, it can go into coolers if need be until you have time to butcher it. Front shoulders can be left whole (they are best this way as they can be made to be just as tender as any other part when left whole), as can the neck, and the rear quarters can be deboned into 3 or 4 parts. Wrap it up, label it, freeze it and you are done. If you want ground venison or jerky, you can pull that out of the freezer at any time for a sausage or jerky session.

rdpettit

I think they are eating too much meet... that's crazy...

I have a friend that processes mine. Usually get burger and maybe chops... well worth the $65 in time and freezer paper.

WV Hunter

I do my own also. We typically shoot 4 or more a year....I grind everything but the straps and loins usually, and some stew meat. Gonna start making dogs and sausage, etc.

I agree that it takes no time at all to get skun and quartered up. I can do one by myself in 15 minutes. The longest part (for me) is the cleaning up after cutting, grinding, and packing a few deer. One of my kids favorite things every year is grinding the meat....since they were really little. They just love dropping it in and watching it squish out.

flounder33

We butcher our own. It's fun and we make some jerky in the oven and with a dehydrator. To me its kind of like cleaning fish, it's all part of the experience.
Art
ps And I am kind of tight.

DROX

I process my own. I like to gut, skin and quarter right where it dies. I would probably take it to a processor, but then I would have to drive it somewhere and that would add to my costs in time and money. I de-bone the quarters into roasts and small steaks, and the tough pieces like the forearms and the odd pieces I grind into burger. I use my wife's Kitchen Aide with the grinder attachment; best gift I gave my wife. Further, I place all cuts and burger into FoodSaver bags to preserve freshness. Also, there are times I will can those tough pieces in my pressure cooker. The leg bones I give to my dogs. Its just another part of hunting that I enjoy doing.....like cleaning my equipment.