Back in June, Double Lung posted a great video on processing your own deer while hanging: http://fw.ky.gov/video/deerfield.wmv?lid=1038&NavPath=C151C158.

What was neat about the video was that the deer can be reduced from skinned carcass to meat ready to trim and package (or grind) in no time at all, while the skeleton is left hanging on the gambrel. And, it doesn't take expensive tools, although a quality grinder does make the job easier.

Cut any added beef suet or pork fat into smaller chunks and chill it (and the blades, if you care to) before mixing that fat with the burger meat to make a better burger product - otherwise, the fat tends to soften and smear.

In terms of packaging, wrapping the venison in saran wrap first before wrapping it with freezerpaper and tape really keeps the air out, practicallyeliminatingfreezer burn, even wayward packages that turn up in the chest freezer next season. Weaving a width of saran wrap between stacks of butterflied loin to make it easier to seperate out the steaks when thawing them out later (actually, we tend to wrap the thick cut loin medallions in bacon, season, and simply vacuum pack them; they make great thank-up gifts to landowners or neighbors!).

Good luck to all this Fall!

I usually pay around $60- $80.

ours was $75 to skin and cut up if u wanted anything else it was extra at the local shop last year but i have always butchered my own deer now the shop closed and there is currently no one to butcher deer in the area if i wasnt huntin i would make a killin butcherin deer for other people cause it is so easy if u have the equipment

I really try and make the time to do it myself. My buddy just took a doe in and was charged $70 total. And that's only to grind up the whole thing into burger. But also includes skinning and all of that.

If you don't do it yourself and you have the time I urge you to do it yourself. It is just another part of the hunt. You prep for the coming season, you wake up at 4:30 am to get out in a stand, after you harvest the deer the next step in the hunt is to butcher and process the deer yourself. Or that is the way that I have always looked at it. When you eat it you know that you did every bit of the work.

I taught myself how to do it and have gotten very proficient and good at it and have taught my hunting buddy how to do it. Before that he was paying over $100 forprocessing and meat that he thought was his.

Cameron

I do my own, but my brother owns a meat shop in Dixon Mo and Im sure he is charging $65 at his place.

Depends on what you have done, you get jerky, it's gonna be at least 150, just processed, 65 and steaks, roasts and ground I'm thinking it was about $115??? I'm not sure, it's a necessity so I don't fret over the cost, we go to a local Amishman, of course, he died over the summer, so his son is now running it, but I am sure nothing will change much.

My hubby processes some of it on his own, just depends on the size of the deer and the available time on his hands.

Sweet site! I was lucky enough to be able to process deer with a butcher for the last two seasons. He charges $50, all ground $65. The $65 is boned out also. Jerky extra $5 per pound. On my own I have done about six deer total.Just the same as gutting your first deer, take your time, and it gets easier the next. Best of luck to you bow hunters. Going to get one next summer so I can practice for next season. Buddy says its the way to go.Will nottake abadshot, so next year.

$65 for straight cuts + $15 skinning if you don't do it yourself. Start throwing in sausage, sticks, jerky, etc and the price goes up. I paid $150 for the doe I shot on opening day. Ended up with about 10 rolls of sausage, 5 lbs of sticks, 6 lbs of jerky, and the rest into steaks, chops, roasts, and ground.

My next one is going to be done myself. I would've done this one on my own but it was hot out and I didn't have the time. Such is life.

i pay up to 250 if i want alot of jerky but around a 100 or so if you just want steaks and boned out meat