Do you process your own deer?
 

Do you?

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do. It saves me a little coin. Often I ponder my decision as I'm cutting up my 4th or 5th doe.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do mine its to expensive to have it done. All it takes is a little time.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do mine also...along with everything else...gotta save some money somewhere.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Yep.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Yup, keeps the snatching of the good stuff down plus oyu know how it was handled and when

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Yes, but I'm lucky. My family has a monster 220v grinder that we use to grind hogs. If I had to use those $300 P.O.S. grinders that basspro sells, I would have to let someone else do it. A friend of mine bought one(3/4 hpI think)and it took him two hours to grind2 deer(hams/shoulders)! Might as well do it by hand, I told him to throw his deer in the freezer and we will grindthem all togetherthe season is over. We can grind 600 lbs/hr easily. Takes longer toset up/clean than it does grinding. I eat the loins plain, they dont need much help.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

You batcha I do.. I only had 1 deer cut up by a butcher and never again. As it was a lousy job IMO and diidn't like the cuts he made out of it. Sure it takes time but you get it exactly the way you want it..

However if I am a way on a hunt that wouldn't allow me the timeI would need or my cutting toolsI would spend the extra to cut it up. It is better to have it taken care of than to have it waste..

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do my own.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

i never but i think im gonna start unless i get a biggun because i dont wanna screw up his cape

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

It was getting expensive, tried it myself this year for the first time and it wasn't bad at all.

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RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

i just started doing it this year. it saves you alot of money and it gives you something to do on a crappy day or when you are bored

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

yes because i know how it was handled and would not want to get somebodys meat who may or may not have been taken care of like i do. i have heard some horror stories of guys bringing deer in to be process that sat in the bush all night un dressed and they are hoping some other sucker gets his meat. most of the process guys here if not all just give your meat in pounds and not all your meat. i don't like that fact plus i'm a good butcher and like to do it myself.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do, I know how long I want to hang it and how I like it cut.
The price is hard to beat.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Yes.... Im lucky though, my cousin has a nice big walk in that he built, and all the equipment (grinders, packaging/vaccuum seal, etc..)

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do too. I have all the stuff to saw, slice, grind, mix, stuff, and wrap. I also make all types of sausage. It's a blast but hard work, but the reward comes in the form of compliments.


Spudrow from MO

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Always. I don't want some hack making a mess of my meat.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I enjoy knowing that the most meat has been processed off of MY deer and it is cut how I like it. Meat is never "gamey". Price is right too.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

yep,always have always will. i have a hanger setup with a 550lb scale for weighing deer and bear. then i also have my own grinder and hobart cuber. it either gets ground,cubed or canned . except for the loins. they get bacon wraped later for the grill.......

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I have in the past on a little deer I took when first hunting. I had no idea what I was doing and do ok at best.

But I have learned alot since and probably will try one if I get another this year. My bigest problem is the space to do it. My butcher does one at a time and vacume packs everything. I like the steaks and roast mostly. I don't care much for alot of ground. I eat it I just prefer the other stuff. So I'm thinking I'll get a vacumn sealer and a table and go for it on my next one. Got to make some room in the garage I guess.

Pluss its been several weeks since I shot my doe and I've heard nothing from the butcher. Which is strange they have been great in the past.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Man when I was a kid my dad would put at least two deer a year in the freezer and all we had was a old hand crank grinder. We had a bench that we would clamp it to and I would sit on it an crank it till on arm got tired and then I would switch arms! I would never pay someone else to procees my deer. If I had the land and the means to do it I would raise and butcher my own pork and beef as well.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

X2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I was taught to when I was younger as a part of learning to hunt. It is part of the overall experience!

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do my own and I will tell you why. I control how long it hangs, where it hangs, how I want the meat and how it is wrapped. Last time I needed a butcher I was going on a trip a day afterI killed a deer. I needed to have someone do it so I could leave on the hunting trip. The deer lay on a concrete floor in a cooler for about 5 days and then was cut up with thin steaks and all kinds of crap in the burger. The meat tasted bad and the steaks were too thin to be tender and rare. I do it my way and actually enjoy the process. It takes me about 4 hours from the skinning to clean up so it isn't that bad.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I have done my own all of my life. That way, I know that all of the grisile is gone, and the deer that I shot and the meat I field dressedis the same that ends up in my freezer.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do my own- I've had them processed before, it turned out okay but it was expensive. Started doing it myself about 6 years ago- takes a little extra time, but its worth it.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I totally agree. My dad, brother, and I take great care with our deer and the flavor reflects it. Often times with a processor, they will give you back the poundage equivalent of what you brought in, and not necessarily the specific deer that you brought to them (this is especially true with grindings). So you don't know how well other hunters took care of their deer that gets tossed in with yours, and the processor might do a very sloppy job with trimming. A lot of them will give you the option of ensuring you get your deer back for a premium, but why pay for something that I can do myself??

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

ditto

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Ive heard some of the horror stories on how people bring in there deer. I really don't want the chance of mine being mixed in with those type of deer. There are a couple butchers that I know of that really take pride in giving people back there game, so in a crunch I would get them processed by someone I trust.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

If I had the stuff and did not live in an apartment complex I would love to though.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I found the majority of the butchers don't do a very good job

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I just started. Never realized how easy it was! Also I get the cuts I want not what the processor thinksI should get.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I do my own too...had a small store do one when I first started hunting. Never pay to have it done again. It's so much better and satisfying when I do it all myself. I have had some burger ground up with bacon. But I watched them do it right there on the spot. It was pretty good.


chris

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

all the time i do my own

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

looks like most guys do their own

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

i always do my own partly cause iput incanning jarsmost of it anyway and i made a power grinder out of a old hand one

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I dont. I used to hunt with a bunch of guys years ago, and we used to cut them up, and take the scraps in to have sausage made, and I never did like the venison then. Now I hunt alone, and I take the whole dee in to someone here, and I have never tasted anything better.

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

Have been doing our own deer for about 10 yrs now.
Couple things I've found: you (obviously) can butcher your deer to your preference---i.e. trim em up better, as well as doing it more timely.
The big thing is----if you take it to a butcher then your clean, well processed meat gets mixed up with Joe Douche-Bag's who rode around to fivetavern's withit before the butcher shop &NO field dressing. (YES I've seen ithappen)
Some butchers will process your meat by itself---your own batch for sausage --IF you bring in say 100 or 50#'s or whatever--ask em.
This is clearly the way to go.

My 2 Cents.

Mark

RE: Do you process your own deer?
 

I enjoy doing my own deer.In my familyit's very much a part of the whole hunting tradition. Even if I could have it done for free I'd still do my own. It's just what we do.