RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

You misunderstood what he meant by processing them all together. You would not get a mix of meat (I believe there are legal issue with that). What he was saying is that when doing sausage, he will wait until he can fill the smoker full (your order plus other order) before smoking sausage. He aint mixing everyones meat into a common mix and stuffing casings as needed.

RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

You could only vote for one option so i voted because it saves money, but i'm also leery of other people handling my venison. I'm sure 99% of places do a great job and are perfectly safe, but there is piece of mind in having control over it from the field to the table. I remember taking two deer to a local butcher shop a couple years ago after the first week of gun season and there was literally a mountain of deer in the loading dock, with guys climbing all over them...i dunno, kind of turned me off. With that many deer there is no way to possibly be thurough and get everything you can from a deer, there are just too many to do.

I also take pride in doing it myself, as much of a hassle it can be it is really a labor of love. Although i would be remiss if i did not add that my g/f started helping me cutting them up two years ago and now has gotten very good at it, which is a huge help.

RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

No, I did not misunderstand at all...I specifically asked if my meat would be mixed with others or just smoked with others. It was clear that it would be mixed.

RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

I do my own because I actually like doing it. I do feel better knowing how my deer is handled, but that really isn't that big of a difference maker for me. I personally know the butcher I would take them to (good friend of mine) and they run a good outfit. I wouldn't worry about it being mishandled or not getting my meat back etc... For me it completes the hunt so to speak. I also like the fact that I can portion it out however I want to.Make the cuts in whatever way tickles my fancy that particular day. And there just aint nothing like ripping a backstrap out of a deer while it's hanging and throwing it on the grill while you're butchering the rest at the same time [8D]

RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

I did my last one to save money, but I actually took more pride into that deer than I ever thought I would. It was a buck that I passed on several times in bow season and took in muzzleloader season ona whim that he was a different deer. Long story short, I kicked myself over and over and over for shooting it, but was glad I did after I processed it myself and felt greatful that I had taken him.

RE: Do you Butcher your own Meat
 

Used to be 40 dollars to cut and package here about 15 years ago. Now its 72 dollars. Outrageous. I started doign my own about 8 years ago.

I don't like any silverskin or fat in my hamburger meat. So I cut and grind my own.Nobody is going to take the 2hours to cut out all silverskin. I have also seen butchers steal the inner loins, and cut you short on back straps. I have seen butchers give people other peoples meat and be left out for extended period of time on a warm day.

RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

I have to bone it out to get it out of the field so why not package it up when I get home? I do pay someone to do my sausage for me though.

RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

I just don't like the way others do it. I've tried a couple commercial guys and they sucked. When I was stationed in Texas there was one great place and I used them. Now I'm just too particular about how it's cleaned up and trimmed and all that to leave it to anyone else. I had my deer in Ohio done there this year because they could do it, wrap and freeze it for my trip home. I gave them instructions which they absolutely failed at. i took out a package of their stew meat the other day. It was God awful They put every scrap of crap they could find in it. I thawed out a second package and managed to get enough from two packs to make one. They did no trimming or anything. Every tendon, piece of silver or whatever was thrown in the package. Just terrible. I'd rather have 5 good pounds than 50 pounds of crap.

RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

I do because I like to have complete control over how the deer is processed. From the hanging time, deboning, the cuts and packaging. I feel it makes a huge difference in the final product.

RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

I voted that I don't trust others due to the fact of recieving meat from a butcher that was full of hair. I take the time to clean the meat&have some of the best venison anywhere. It's much moregratifying to have control of the meat I'm eating from field to table.