Game Processing
 

How many of you deer hunters out there know how to process your deer meat? For that matter, everything you hunt?

I just did my first one this year. I still have to grind the burger, but I will do that later. Its not as bad as I thought. Saved me over $200.:happy0001:

I killed my first deer at 12 years old and at that point my dad told me that the "fun begins"!! I would watch him cut up his deer from the time I was 3-4 years old until it was my turn.. I truly believe that it is part of the hunt if you kill something you should be able to take of it your self.. It cracks me up that people pay a few $100 in order to get their deer processed.. Honestly at 12 years old I could do (I wasn't the greatest at that age by any means but the job got done) so I believe that a grown man that has been hunting for years should be able to do it.. My boy is 9 years old and has seen me cut dozens of deer up and as I do it I explain to him the process..

It's part of the hunt, the whole family helps, it's a social event.
Besides, I have to wonder about any man that lets another man handle his meat !


Slack

I can but sometimes I like to take it to the processor and let her make all the little special items I like.

I do my own and only send out to a processor if I am going out of town on a hunt and can't get to it or I am out west and need it frozen for the 3 day drive home. I actually enjoy doing it and grinding/ sausage making out of the non steak is fun too.

The first deer I shot in 1978 I had it processed, pitful job. Since then I have done my own. Several years ago I bought a 1hp grinder from cabelas so I could do my own grinding. Best purchase I have ever made. I make my own summer sausage and jerky. I had much rather do it myself.

One thing I don't like about these posts is how others preach how it's almost downright unbearable to see others take their deer to the processors. So what if they don't know how? Maybe they never learned? Maybe no one taught them? Maybe they don't care to learn?

There could be many reasons why people take deer to the processors, but there isn't any good reason to talk down to people who take their deer to the processor.

I'm an expert when it comes to processing a deer. It took some time to learn, but I enjoy it now and I can do it fairly fast because I've learned to be efficient in my process. Doesn't mean I'm better than anyone else for doing so either and wouldn't belittle others who don't do it themselves. It just means I process my own deer. LOL!

iSnipe

Just curious...

Do you slaughter and process your own chickens, pigs and cows?

...Or do you let someone else handle your "meat"?

iSnipe

You beat me to it iSnipe! So, let's hear it!

I do everything from the scouting and setup to the processing and eating :biggrin: It has always been a family thing for me, I group up watching my dad do it. Then when I was old enough I would go with him on hunts and if he got something then he let me "help" as much as I could along with him teaching me the proper way to do things. Eventualy I was old enough to go out on my own and when I bgought my first one home, he watched me do the work and helped me as needed it. Since then I've completed and thoroughly enjoy the entire process that goes along with it all. To me it's just part of it and it wouldn't be the same without it,although I understand and respect the many reasons for others who do not such as never being taught as I was or maybe being unable to for whatever reason, even just not wanting to. It's a free country thank the Lord and they can make their own choices about and I'll make and enjoy mine:rock:

good answer,i agree

I've learned to process my own deer from my father and uncles. When I'm hunting in NY with my dad and uncles we do all the butchering and grinding ourselves. I don't have a grinder down here in PA at home, so I'll hang and butcher my deer in the garage then once I have my grind meat set aside, I'll take it to one of my co-workers, who does deer processing on the side in the winter and I'll have him do the grinding and smoking. He makes the best smoked boloney and beef sticks in the whole Stroudsburg Area, so I'll let him take care of it.

Butchering deer is not as difficult as some people might think. sure you wont dont a perfect job the 1st time ,but that goes for just about any task. You dont need alot of special tools or a garage either, all you need is a kitchen table,a hack saw, a fillet knife and typical hunting knife, some freezer bags and some ambition. an inexpensive electric meat grinder is a good idea too. I get almost as much satisfaction from butchering as the actual kill. I would encourage people who want to learn, to try it.

Being able to do it and doing it are two different things.

I think for most hunters living in the city or suburbs who hunt in the country it's more of a convenience type of thing.

Not sure how easy it would be to process a deer out of the back of your truck in the middle of a field? You could get it in the cooler and eventually process it once you get home, personally I think alot of guys would rather get the meat cooled off sooner and processed sooner than keeping it cool for a few days or a week then doing it themselves once they get home.

Also depending on what suburb you live in, a neighbor sees a full deer carcus hanging in your garage might end up with the police on your doorstep.

If/when I have my own farm and walk in cooler, I'll definitely be processing my own game.

We have been cutting up our deer for well over 25 years. As previously mentioned, it's all part of the hunt. Plus, we always make it fun. A few beers, a football game and a lot of laughs.

Of course there has been times sending it out to be butchered makes more sense. This is especially true if we encounter warm weather. This happened twice this year, both during bow season and M/L. The temps hit almost 70 degrees. Both deer were packed in ice and taken to the butcher asap.

One last point. My buddy's old man (now in his mid 80's) always made sure we did a good job in butchering our deer. He was a great teacher. When he was no longer available to help that first time, we rented a video by Leorard lee Rue II and followed step by step. With our previous experience and that one time video, we felt very competent and still do to this day.

If you have never done this but want to try, I say "Do it"! Sure, it may be rough at first but like most things, the more you do it the better you'll get. Browsing the internet, reading book or watching a video will be very helpful as well.

I got into hunting last year mostly for economic reasons. Shot and processed my first deer last year. I just watched some youtube vids, asked a lot of questions, and gave it a shot (no pun intended). I really enjoy doing it. My wife and I have a nice little "assembly line" worked out. Maybe next year, I 'll pick up a grinder and learn how to make sausage.

Nothing against processors - I just can't justify the extra expense.

I have read at least 2 posts in this thread where it was claimed that butchering a single deer saved the hunter a couple hundred dollars. I am just curious as to who is ripping you off?? I had 2 deer processed (110lbs doe and 170lb buck into normal cuts roasts burger summer sauasage and ground sausage). Bill was $55 for the doe and $65 for the buck. Hard to pass up the easy economics. Plus without a cooler, processing deer yourself in October and November usually means doing it pronto. Kill a deer at dusk, get him checked in and back to the house for 4-5 hours of butchering makes for a long night (usually alone) when a guy has to be at work at 5am the next morning.

I bring mine to a prcocessor. I could do it myself, but they have a huge advantage and I think it is a pretty sweet deal. I always get the $58 package. That rate is flat, no matter how big or small the deer. They dry age it for me (I do not have the facilities to do this) then butcher it down and put everything into labeled packages. The ground meat, and steaks are put into approx. 1 pound packages so I dont have to thaw out more than I need at any given time, and the roasts are all kept whole, loins are put into one pound packages as well because I ask them to.

If I had the place to dry age my deer for 10 days, and the space to do a proper job of it, and could justify spending about 4-6 hours doing it, then I would. But I dont have the space, I dont have a refridgeration unit to dry age, and I am paid at work....well, 4-6hours of work nets me more than the $58 I pay to the processor.

I used to just drop mine off at the processors every time I killed one but a good friend of mine has always done everything himself so these last two seasons thats what ive done. We take it straight from the woods and hang it up to remove the meat. Then put meat in a cooler with ice and salt and drain cooler everyday while adding salt and ice as needed. After 3-4 days we cut and grind the meat as we like. Done my first of the season last night took about 2 hours. We got 12 pounds of ground, full rear ham, then with the other rear ham made steaks n what not out of it. And of course we cut the back straps n tenderloins up for good breakfast steaks. Either way gets the job done..but, atleast at my local processors, the turnaround is never that quick and I have found the "game" taste is hardly present when we do it as compared to sittin in a deer cooler for a week before any work is done on it.

My family and I have been processing our own deer ever since I can remember. We bought an electric meat grinder and a bunch of bags for deer burger. When someone harvests an animal we cut the backstraps out and make butterfly steaks, and we bone out the hams and front shoulders for grinding into burger. Every now and then we will use the hams for a roast but very rarely.

Been doing my own forever. I understand on a "travel hunt" but I like doing it my way. I'm pretty particular...actually downright anal on how its all handled and what does and does not go into the ginder.

I've seen "processors" grind stuff I would never think about, and not be nearly as concerned about hair on the meat, etc.

Personally if you know the facility adn have faith in them and can afford it, I say good for you! God Bless America. Let another man make some money doing what they do best and you do what you do best.

I like to do my own though. My Son (12) got his first and second deer this year. He did the main cutting on both, with help of course. He's a little slow but that's normal. He gets it and now he understands that as soon as you pull that trigger...funs over. Time to go to work.

It's normal for me to spend about 10 hours skinning butchering processing and packing. More if I'm fiddling with hides and heads.

I don't think you are any less of a man than me if have yours done by someone else. If had $ to burn and good person local to do it, I might also....nah. :-)

4-5 hours of butchering??? WOW... I would honestly say 45 minutes-1 hour tops... For a beginner maybe 1.5 hours but 4-5 hours is overkill!! I believe you are getting a great deal at $55 and $65 for that work to be done, but any professional can accomplish this in roughly an hour so your paying them top dollar to do a simple deer.. Just my opinion but it should be part of the hunters responsibility to take care of their own animal.

That axe on the right aint for looks :)

Have a 1 acre garden, a small flock of chickens, and fish all summer, put enough rock fish away for the year.
I dont eat pork, but we do butcher our own lambs that we get from the man up the road.

Sorry, but I do not buy fast food, nor meat at the super market.

Bravo slackdaddy! I like your style. I hear yah, I hear yah!

Nice coop by the way. If I vacationed in that area, what would you charge me weekly to bunk in there? LOL!

Thanks for the reply.

iSnipe

Must be a Virginia thing, I'm the same way. I not critical of those who don't, although I believe its rewarding one should learn. For me its knowing I did it all. Plus, I know how I like packaged and ground. Just picky

Thanks,
I did'nt meen to come on as "arrogant", it was suppose to be funny :)
My next step is "getting off the grid" as much as possible.

Slack

Time to get out the solar panels and windmills.

iSnipe :biggrin:

Who wants to work at their normal job they are at for 40+ hours a week if you can have a beer w/ friends or family and butcher deer in your garage...not me :0)