I just learned the local processor I've used for yrs moved. Here in Mid Florida, there are few options since volume isn't that high. I found one place that charges $75 for basic svcs if you bring the deer quartered in a cooler. However, he is not conveniently located to me. This has caused me to re-think the processing and wonder whether I should learn to do it myself.

Generally, I get cubed, burger and sometimes sausage to go along with backstrap steaks. What are your thoughts on doing it myself? Wondered what many of you do.

i have mine processed for $55.00 a deer. i don't have the equipment or space to process my own.

I have seen prices jump here in Indiana, my dad has a great video about how to do it all yourself. He has bought all but one item he wants for doing this himself, he feels he will save money in the long run, cant blame him. I will get the name of the video this weekend when I go to the property to hunt.

I was lucky enough to have a friend of mine show me how and ive been doing it ever since...i dont do burger or anything else though..i cut out the straps and section out all the muscle groups and cut everything into steaks.. it works great for me and i didnt need to buy anything extra to do it

We always do it ourself. The only thing we pay of is to have sausage made. and we just take cut pieces in that they grind and mix.

Go to YouTube and put in "butchering a deer" and you will see tons of very useful videos. It really isn't really that hard, although it seems daunting at first. You can do it yourself with a good sharp knife or two and a handful of freezer bags. Although you might not be real neat the first couple times, you will get better at it the more you do it. depending on how many deer you do a year you might want to invest in your own meat grinder to make hamburger out of your scraps, I got one two years ago and its great. Just got a vacuum sealer for this year that i can't wait to try out. Anyways, I would check out those videos and give it a shot, good luck.

There was a poll a few months ago on the subject. Basically 75% of the folks process their own deer.

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2993057&mpage=1

It is interesting to hear how much the cost varies in different parts of the country to process a deer. Around here it runs close to $150 for a basic butcher and package job with no special cuts (like jerky) or anything. I just bought my own grinder so now I do it 100% by myself. So far I have 29lbs of pork sausage ground up and 25lbs of elk meat that I made my own hamburger out of (I mixed it 50/50 with the cheap hamburger from the store). I also bought a vacuum sealer last year and it has made things much easier and the meat doesn't get freezer burn at all. It is more expensive for the materials than freezer paper but since I don't get any help from the wife when it comes to cutting and packaging the time saved is well worth it.

Whoops. I hit the wrong button and quoted my own post! []

Look at it this way! I have taken well over 50 deer. At $100 + a pop for processing you can buy a hell of allot of processing equipment for $5000.00. Very easy to do and you keep the deer you shot. Some processors weigh the deer and you get back a certain amount of pounds of burger. Everyones deer mixed together!

Do it yourself, you'll be suprised how easy and fast it can be done! This is a link that may be helpfull: http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=245289