Montana Bob, I can tell you that it's much easier to process your own deer when you live in a climate where the temperature stays low enough that you don't risk ruining the meat. In much of Maryland's hunting season, the temperature usually ranges anywhere from 50 to 75 degrees, so unless you have a walk-in freezer, you'd better process that thing as soon as it's field dressed.
I think it would be fun to process my own deer, but I don't see how it would work with our warm temperatures.

Jimbo,

Actually you don't need a walk in freezer. What I'm going to do is buy one of those little air conditioners that fit in a house window and put it in the shed window where I'm going to hang them. One of those turned all the way down can pump out some cold air!

JimboHunter1
I used to live in the same neck of the woods as you do Daisytown, PA WA county. I had an old refridgerator in the garage for my beer and when hunting season came around beer came out Deer went in. Just quartered it up and was able to stuff several in.
I am not knocking anyone but I look forward to prossesing my game just as I do hunting. You would be surprised on how easy it is as well as inexpensive.

My brother-in-law and sisters paid 300 something for each deer..they got jerky and stuff made, I think that is outrageous myself..the party I hunt with, we cut our own up into loins, steaks, chops and burger

Around here its 50 to get a deer cut and wrapped

Those are creative ideas guys.

I'm not sure what it would cost for a whole deer to be processed,
I usually De-bone my own deer and cut the stakes,stew and roast's
myself.
The burger i have ground at the local shop,Ground and wrapped with some Beef fat added they charge me around .45 cent's a pound,Which I find fairly reasonable.
I then make my own jerky with the ground venison.

$30 for a small deer and 40 for a bigger one. Thats what we call 1/3, 1/3, and a 1/3. A third steak, a third sausage and a third hamburger. Includes Boston Butt mixed in and what ever spices you want whether hot, med. or mild. Wrapped up and flash frozen and ready for the freezer.

$45 here for just a regular cut. Any jerkey or hamburgers is extra.



Tim

We've used the same processor for a number of years in NW Oklahoma. He's gone up to $70 to process a carcess any way you like, plus $5 to skin. This includes the wrap, freezing and adding any fat (pork or beef) in the sausage. I would prefer to butcher at home, but after a not so successful unpleasant Thanksgiving experience, my wife has banned me from the kitchen for this chore. :-) The butcher we use is honest and does good work. We have had bad experience with other processors who seem to have been hungry or just outright dishonest. Jim