Sounds like you were robbed. So was I recently. Took a 130 lb. field dressed doe to my processor who usually doe a good job. I got back one grocery sack of meat along with my 3 venison sausage rolls. I figured on 60 lbs. of meat but got 40. I figured he made a mistake.....first one with me as he does well over a 1,000 deer per season including firearm and bow.

Here's a little guide that's pretty good. It will vary depending on how anal you are about getting every scrap.... but it's good guide.

Word of mouth advertising is the best advertising you can get. Utilize it and let him know you will be giving him free advertising.

Just remember a butcher is not gonna make every effort to cut all your meat off the deer. He is gonna do the easiest cuts and move on to the next $75 dollar beast. The faster they go the more cash they pocket over a short season.

My favorite is the time I took a doe to a "butcher" who pretty much skinned it and thru it though a bandsaw. Ruined a deer with bone sawdust.Did a deer in about seven minutes.!!! At least if you do it yourself you can make sure it's properly done piece by piece. Just right for the pan.

that is why i do my own i know i get it all and cut the way i want

Hey Robert

Have you asked Yancy what he got from his elk?? I think that he stole a ton of meat from you. I took in a 82 lb dressed doe and got 22 pounds ground. 6-2 pound bags of jerky meat, tenderloins, and6 packs of1.5 lb backstrap steaks. so that is at least 45 lbs meat. If it were me I would stop down and have a chat with the cops and I would also give the department of wildlife a call. I would call everyone and thier brother to try and get something done. hey also my uncle has a sign shop and I could make you up some stickers that says "Larry's on SH52 Sucks!!! Ask me Why!!!" You could display them proudly. I may give Newts a call down in Sterling and ask him what the edible weight should have been.

Also I bought me a gorilla climber at walmart for $50 bucks. I need to bring your summit down to you, I have been meaning to call you. I feel so bad that I still have it. Ill give you a call this week so we can set something up for this week.

If you want some stickers let me know, there is no doubt in my mind that you got screwed. If I were in your shoes I would have come off the handle and probably went to jail. I hate it when scum take advantage of folks. I bet we can get really creative on the stickers!!

If you take a Deer or Elk into be processed after taking the skin off, You will only get aprox. 1/3 of weight in meat back.
You have to figure the bones take up a good share of your weight approx 2/3.
I do my own butchering,But I know a few Butchers.
I have grown up around butchering all my life.
So do the math,Then figure out if you feel like you got cheated or not.
That's the cold hard fact's fella's and Lady's
If the animal is weighed before the hide is removed then you have to deduct the weight of the hide also.

Best advice is to cut it yourself Its not hard to do with good knives and a good meat saw only take the meat scraps and chuncks in to be made into burger and weigh them befor and after it should weigh more if beef fat is added I lost almost half a deer once becaues of a greedy bucher then learned to cut it from my dad

Thats pretty darn close! Good post Dave!

Yep, he got you. BUT....you should have said something right then....I'm sure its too late now. I'd at least let him know you'll be giving him free publicity. I have done my own for 20yrs for just that reason, as well as I can make sure I do it the way I want. Dave's chart is pretty close...but heck even if it was off a good bit, you still came up really short. Sorry to hear it...Elk is incredibly good meat. Good luck.