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Deer butchering cost?

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Deer butchering cost?

Old 12-21-2014, 04:54 AM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by mounting man
Uncle Nicky, What you say is very true but i have not come across any one aggressive enough to want to put in the hours. It seems like everybody wants the easy money jobs?
Truth is...it's dirty work. Every processor I know has gotten Lyme disease at least once. I know this is a hunting site, and I probably shouldn't say this, but some of the customers I had, were the biggest morons I have ever met...showing up at my house drunk, all hours of the night, dropping deer off without calling first (I had a regular job during the day), showing up with untagged deer, leaving deer in my freezer for months before picking up, showing up during dinner (wife loved that), shooting deer 4 times with buckshot then asking "where's all my meat"? (left it in the woods, nimrod).

The final straw was a guy who had left deer multiple times and waited 4 months to pick up his deer, I called him at least 6 times, each time he promised to show, and never did. I finally had enough and donated the meat to the food bank. He calls in March for his deer, I told him I had donated it. He threatened to come over and give me a beating, yeah, thanks for the warning pal, I'll be waiting.
Again, this didn't go over real well with the Mrs. I sold a lot of my equipment and whittled down my customer list shortly thereafter.

I don't know where in NE PA you are located, but I know there are quite a few guys doing deer in the Souderton/Quakertown/Allentown area. Maybe go on the PA hunting forum and ask? I'd guess you'd get quite a few responses by asking there.

Last edited by Uncle Nicky; 12-21-2014 at 06:20 AM. Reason: spelling
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Old 12-21-2014, 05:01 AM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by Oldtimr
I am not saying the seasonal pop up deer deer processors can not do a good job, but I have not seen many good ones around here. These shops open up in garages and sheds during deer season and are no way prepared to do a decent job. They don't have commercial refridgeration or freezers, they don't have enough help to get the job done and even worse most are filthy. I have been in many of them and I would never allow any of them to work on my deer. Deer are stacked up on the ground like cordwood wating to be skinned, they can't get them skinned because they don't have a walkin and they can only work on one deer at a time then move on to another, on top of that, because they stack them up, the last deer are the first to be skinned and butchered. I really can't believe anyone could drive up to those operations and give them a deer to process. Fortunately, they seem to be few and far between today because people have learned having your venison ruined by poor handling is a high price to pay to save a few dollars.
I worked for the biggest processor in the area at the time just to learn the business, he had a large walk-in refrigerators and walk-in freezers. All this you mentioned above went on at his shop. Even worse, all sausage & ground meat was made in batches, everyone's deer mixed together and portioned out afterward. First week of deer season, he was leaving deer outside in piles, we couldn't get to them fast enough. Appearances can sometimes be deceiving.
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Old 12-21-2014, 05:38 AM
  #13  
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Yep, things aren't always what they appear. I was inside every deer processor in my area, it did not take long to know where not to take a deer. There are a lot of professional shops that mix the meat from many deer to make product. My guy makes small batches and you must order at least the amount of his batch because he only uses the meat from your deer. He has an army of help, deer do not lay around. Deer are skinned when they arrive, cleaned and put in the coolers. My deer is hung for 6 or 7 days before it is cut up. Try finding a butcher who will do that, although it is probably to his advantage that I am in no hurry to get it back. It took me a while to find this guy after my previous butcher retired because good ones are few and far between. I take my wild hogs to him as well, If I get back from SC after dark, and they do not come out to the shop when I get there, I put my cooler in the walkin with a tag with my name on it so I don't have to worry about holding it over night and the ice melting, then tell him what I want the next day. Not many places give that kind of service.
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Old 12-21-2014, 05:44 AM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by Oldtimr
Not many places give that kind of service.
No, not for $58. Sounds like a diamond in the rough. Just FINDING a processor around here is a task. Hope you tip the guy well.
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Old 12-21-2014, 06:41 AM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by flags
Why would you pay someone to do it? Butchering your own deer isn't difficult and it only takes about 2 1/2 hrs to do it once you have some experience. Plus by doing it yourself you know how it was cut, if it stayed clean and you know for a fact you're getting your meat. When you take it in you don't know any of these things.
Yes, but what is the cost in your area of PA?


Originally Posted by Uncle Nicky
I butcher my own deer. But all reports I've gotten are anywhere from $70-$100+. The closest processor I know of is at least 20 miles away, most processors have retired in the area (including myself).
Same here, though I worked through high school in a butchershop which helped!
I'm always amazed people don't/won't "process" their own deer. Last I knew, locally, a professional shop was charging $120, vacuum packed.
When I hunted w/ friends in the southern tier, and some of those guys would hunt in PA, I never saw a pro shop but the seasonal garage guys were @ $75 cut & wrapped.
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Old 12-21-2014, 01:51 PM
  #16  
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I have a cousin here in Indiana county that did mine for $50 this year. that price only included skinning and cutting up.
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Old 12-26-2014, 02:25 PM
  #17  
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I pay $65 to a butcher up the street. Close to home and they don't get slammed with deer to cut up. Worth every penny. Even if I had the space and tools to cut up my own deer, I would still drop them off.

Nothing against those that do process their own deer. More power to you. I just hope you take every precaution necessary for properly sanitizing your work space.

For me, it's worth it to have the butcher do it just how I like it and vacuum seal the packages as well.
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Old 12-27-2014, 05:43 AM
  #18  
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In Atlanta area, $95 for a deer including sausage upcharge.

Flags - DIY is good if you have the space but many people may not have the facilities to age venison for 2 weeks after its harvested.
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Old 12-27-2014, 07:54 AM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by aecpdude
In Atlanta area, $95 for a deer including sausage upcharge.

Flags - DIY is good if you have the space but many people may not have the facilities to age venison for 2 weeks after its harvested.
No need to age venison for 2 weeks and I doubt seriously that there are more than a few places that have them up for more than a few days unless they are just too busy to get at them sooner.
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Old 12-27-2014, 08:05 AM
  #20  
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yep. amazing how many people think deer (or any meat)tastes better if it hangs longer
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