Do you process your own deer?
 

I think I'm going to have to start,the cost of processing is getting way to high.

My deer field dressed @ 162lbs and I had 52lbs of meat from that. It cost me $250 to process it this year. I get all of it made into Jerky and Sausage and I know that adds to the cost, but this is getting out of hand.

I think next year I'll have to bone it out before I take it to the processer or process myself to save a buck.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Getting all that good stuff adds up. That is MUCH more of the cost than the actual processing of the deer itself. I bet if you took them 50-60# of meat to be made into all that you'd still pay almost $200. You are probably better off getting the deer cut up by them, them making the sausage & jerky yourself. Or do it all, I've been doing it for years. It can be time consuming though.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

i process my own

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Process every deer myself, 3 this year. It takes about 2-3 hours to do it right, clean it and remove the hair but it's worth every penny. I've got the cleanest deer meat available. When I first started hunting and had my deer processed commercially, I ended up with too much hair. That was the end of that! I don't worry about a bone saw, just de-bone it and slice the hams and backstraps into steaks and the rest into burger.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

yep,sure do. i have a boat winch mounted to the wall in my shop for hanging.i keep a extra frig in the shop ,i usually quarter them and proccess later. i also have a meat grinder and a hobart cuber. i have made my own jerky,summer sausage,breakfast sausage and pepperoni. i like deer best canned or cubed.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

There you have that Big old John Deere tractor and you are complaining about how much it costs to get your deer processed.

Where I live, the Amish does it as a second income and they charge $25 for a simple cut - if you get the meat processed.

$1.50 per a pound for Jerky, weiners, kelbassa, pepper sticks / even with cheese.

$3.00 for bologna - which weighs about 3 lbs.

I get my whole deer cut up for about $90!

That's 10 lbs - dried - jerky
10 lbs. - kelbassa
10 lbs weiners
10 lbs - pepper sticks with cheese
and the rest ground into hamburger.

I wonder how much that would cost where you live?

Then again, most of the jobs in my area only pay's $8 - $8.50 an hour!

A $10 an hour job - even for a skilled machinist is considered a good job!

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do all of it....costs lots less!!

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

all the time....I just love them does...and those tasty younguns

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I always process my own, and would not have it any other way. It's all part of the process of hunting!

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

As I am new I take it to a guy I know. He is a retired firefighter and butcher on the side. I took two to him this year, had one ham cut into steaks the other made into burger, Cost....$35. Sounds good to me.