BuckAlley

I always butcher my own. My reasons why.
1- I can cut the steaks out how I want them. Size, portion, and style.
2- package it how I wantfor serving.
3- know I'm getting my own meat.
4-I can take the time to remove all talo & grizzle
5- I had a deer butchered 1x, and I was shocked how little I got back. I know I should'vegotten more.
6-Cost saving. Butchers charge around $75just to debone, on top anything else you want made.1 deer I had done cost me $120, sausage, slim jims, burger!!
7-I can get to it faster than takes most butchers with other deer hanging to getmine done. Thats scary if butcher doesn't have a hanging walk in cooler & its warm outside!
8- I can see the damage my shot made once skinned down. I find this interesting on archery shots. I've seen some odd arrow movement a few times.
9- It teaches you alot about deer anatomy when you see the insides for yourself.
10-Overall I just feel alot better when done it myself.

IowaBoy01

You butchered in your NYC apartment? I find that funny in a good way. I can just see it. You walking up your stairs with a human sized deer wrapped up in a tarp on your shoulders saying to your neighbors "don't mind me" while they gave you funny looks. lol

DeerandbearhoG

Ya know, now that ya mention it, people did seem to be more polite to me after that

moss50012

how long should you let the deer hang before you start to process it?

buckclub

DYI here, about 4 a year for the last9 years. SHAARRPPP knife is the key. You don't have to let them hang at all, or if its cold you can let them hang a few days, but I recomend skinning ASAP while the skin is still warm. If its cold, one of my neighbors lets it hang for about 3-4 weeks until there is a quarter inch black layer that gets cut off, gross i think

Kid

Unless my processor ups his price this year, i can drop off an unskinned Deer anda couple of weeks laterpick up a couple of boxes of wrapped, frozen Venison for $55. At that price, i see no reason to mess with it myself!

fastetti

Im with you, I live in Downtown Chicago in an area where the only wild animals these people see are the Cougars that are parked in there garage. I live in a 3 flat with million dollar houses around me and pull up to my place with me deer and drag them in a tarp to my patio and hang them (Blocked from view with a big tarp) Butchered them out there 5 or 6 times. I honestly can say that I am one of the few people to butcher a deer on there patio in Chicago!

The majority of the time I butcher my deer myself. I skin and quarter, My dad cuts them up. Works out pretty well. If I do get them butchered, its about $65 for a basic butchering

That a great how to post that JohnnyBravoputup. Perfect for a first timer.

superstrutter

Ditto on these. I might add that my vacum sealer extends the freezer life of my deer. I have to admit though, after 3 or 4 deer, I'm ready to just take it to be processed. Even then though, it's just the hind quarters to be made into ground meat and sausage. It usually costs me $28 to $35 to do that. I tenderize my own steaks and cut the back straps and tenderloins to be fried. As I am typing this, I'm eating deer jerky that I made myself. Dang it's good.

DeerandbearhoG

If its cool enough ,I like to let mine hangs about 3-4 days, the muscle tissue seems to relax a bit, making the meat more tender IMO. The temp has to be perfect though, above 25+ and below 40+ consistantly. One time I let a doe hang for almost a week in 10 deg. weather, took 3 hrs to skin her.

Buck Hunter 1

Central Ohio I have seen $100 to $55 dollars. I am a lon ehiunter here so processing is kind of rough