Do you Butcher your own Meat
 

Do u butcher your own Meat

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I think that if I knew how to proccess my own deer then I would. But ever since I started hunting we have taken them to the proccessors.

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yes i do it is actually pretty easy
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Yes - because I like to.

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It's not that I "don't trust" anyone else as much as it is that I really enjoy the entire experience of "from field to table". The first deer I killed in MD I took to the butcher because I lived in a townhouse and did not have a big enough area to cut it up. I wanted some summer sausage made and he told me it would be awhile because he would send mine in with other folks and it would all be processed togeter...meaning I would get a mix of mine and other peoples meat back. NO THANK YOU! Plus, I am certain that the care I take in processing my own yields me more meat. I do steaks, roasts, burger, jerky, breakfast sausage, summer sausage and will begin to do snack sticks as well. I like the fact that I do it all myself.

RE: Butchering Meat ___Redo
 

With the possibilty of making a bunch of jerky real, now....I'm going to, again.

This will extend my hunting season. I haven't hunted this past week)....because I didn't know what I'd do with the meat. Now....I do.

Love to take a couple late-season does....and put some people on theirs.

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Jerky makes a wonderful Christmas gift Jeff...if you can bring yourself to give it up. For every 3 pounds of meat, I get a little less than a pound of jerky when done. Enjoy

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Yes I do. It's much cheaper and I also don't trust some of the butcher shops on who's deer I'm getting back. I do take my trimmings In to get made to whatever I want but I won't take them In till at least February after all the gun kills are done and processed.

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Some deer go to the butcher, some get cut up by me. Depends on how much time I have.

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I do all my own because I really don't trust a processor. Its not necessarily the procesor I don't trust per se, more the other people's deer. You have no idea how the other deer were handled prior to getting to the processing place. I don't want my deer next to some rancid thing someone else brought in. Also, there is absolutely no way of knowing the meat you have in the freezer is from your deer, especially in any sausage-type preparation. No thanks. I know how my deer was handled and that all my stuff is clean. If I get the blowsh!ts from it,its my own fault!

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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.

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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.

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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]

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Wheres the choice for... No, but I want to learn how to.;)

Guess I'm the first.

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YouTube my friend.You can teach yourself how to do anything with it.

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Double post. Network troubles.

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Sorry Hammy. It never crossed my mind. Find someone that does it and take your deer and theyll show u how to cut one up.

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:D:D:D

I just started processing my own deer last year, and I'm getting prettygood at it. I did four last year, and I've already done six this year. I started doing it to save money, and I've already paid for my processing equipment several times over.

I like the idea of de-boning the entire deer without cutting any bonesat all. You end up with smaller steaks that way, but it beats bitinginto a steak from a processor and having your teeth crunch into bone bits from a saw.[:@]

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I've been doing my own for yrs. A few yrs ago I started cutting for other guys too. I now have about 20 customers during the hunting season and I haven't even advertised. Next yr I am.
I make sure that everyone gets there deer...... I do them one at a time. Guys love it. Anoither reason guys like it is b/c I skin for them. They simply shoot, dress and drop off deer. I might even start to offer dressing for guys that bring them in........ at least this way they can see how it should be done. I've also told my customers if they want to mount a deer and don't know how to dress/skin without hurting their mount to bring it in as is. Then they know the job will be right.
Here's my price list. $45 boning out and wrapping. I single wrap w/plastic wrap and then wrap in butchers paper.
$10 skinning fee.
$5 for frozen deer.
If someone wants to come over and watch me do there deer then come on in. Bring a 6 pack.
I have some serious plans for next yr. I'm going to advertise at cabelas and other box stores, all the archery shops and I'm even going to see if Walmart and CDN Tire will let me advertise there.

Oh ya and Euro mounts are $60 a pc. No backing

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Everything I do is bone-free. Even with the hind quarters you can de-bone them without harming any meat. I agree with you on the bone dust too. Meat processors aren't known for being the most spendy people, so you know that blade is REALLY dull after seeing a few deer, and therby just kind of pulverizing the bone instead of actually cutting it. Nothing to worry about when doing your own. My kitchen-aid does a great job grinding it, and the sausage stuffer works very well too. Saturday I'm doing some sausage with my doe from MI, and also going to smoke two hind quarter roasts. I think I'm going to do one for sliced sandwiches and the other like a pulled beef type deal for tacos. Smoke it for a couple hours alone, then put in a foil pan with onions and some beef broth, let it go another couple hours until shred-able, makes some damn fine meats!

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I used to occasionally bring a deer to the butcher fo $50. The prices have risen considerably since early 2000. I have butchered all of my deer since 2002 or so.

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I absolutely do all my deer .... I picked the trust thing, as it's my #1 reason with the $ a close second.

I used to take all the silver skin of the meat I was gonna gring, but that took so long .... I tried not cutting it all out and guess what ...... the silver skin has zero flavor ...so its a non-issue.....

RE: Do you Butcher your own Meat
 

I don't kill many deer but this year I've been lucky enough to get a buck and YES I butchered it myself. I watched a butchering tape a hundred times over the last few years so I was ready. Everything went smoothly and I had great satisfaction knowing that I did it all myself. I boned outeverything. I made steaks, stew chunks, ground meat and even jerky.
I always wanted to do it all from field dressing to freezer. It's easy, free, you get your own deer meat back, and the butcher doesn't get to steal any. It was actually a fun and rewarding thing to do. I hope I'll have the opportunity to do it again next year!

RE: Do you Butcher your own Meat
 

Sure do, I started doing my own last season and butchered the 2 I killed this season so far! I'll have it no other way!!!!!!

RE: Do you Butcher your own Meat
 

Sure do. I like to do my cuts a little different than most butchers. I also like to clean my burger much better than a butcher will before I grind it. That way it will be good for what ever i want to cook with it. Ive actually got to butcher a buck tonight. I shot a buck last weekend and have had it quartered and ageing in a make shift fridge. So to night ive got to cut it up.

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PT! I just saw this. You have no idea how glad I am to hear someone else say that. I worked my keister off trying to get all that slimey stuff off on the first few deerI processed. Then I finally tried leaving it, and noticed absolutely no difference in taste what-so-ever.

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Right now I take mine to a processor, they are a real small town butcher, the kind of small town where everyone knows everyone else and they do a fantastic job, had my doe back a week to the day from when I shot her and they do good work...that being said, I want to learn to butcher myself just to save money...does anyone have any good tips or help on learning this, what gets me is the special cuts, I'm sure I'll learn with time. Just need help getting started.

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I agree, but I still try to take most of it off because it goops up my grinder. I do clean all the fat I can. Fat has lots of gamey taste to it.

RE: Do you Butcher your own Meat
 

I just finished one last night, Burnie.;)

RE: Do you Butcher your own Meat
 

Shoot, I should have sent mine to you. I was going to do it last night, except I had to drive two hours to get the wife a new washer and dryer. Id much rather butchered the deer.:D

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Well, you're right there. It does "goop" up the grinder, but I'll take the few minutes "un-gooping" the grinder over the extra hour ormore trimming.(Those are some cool sounding words:D) I take off as much fat as I can also. As far asthe "gamey" taste goes, though,I happen tolike it to an extent.;)

RE: Do you Butcher your own Meat
 

I butcher my own. It saves money and I know I do a better job cleaning my meat then some of the meat I've seen at butcher shops sitting in their vats waiting to be ground.[:'(]

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I spit soda all over my monitor you bastage!:D


I have done both, but processed all of mine so far this year.

GH