How Many Process Their Own Game?

[DJH]

Back in the day, we had a processing plant near the house that would process deer during the hunting season. I was never quite pleased with the quality. The final straw was that I killed a deer on a hunting trip in which we ate the tenderloins. When dropping the deer off I informed the folks at the plant that the deer I was dropping off had no tenderloins. Yet, when I picked up the deer later, I had tenderloins in my box. It made me wonder if I was actually getting back meat from the deer that I had dropped off.

Anyway, my dad and I built a skinning shed in which I mounted an old boat trailer winch to the wall which connected to a pulley system routed over the rafters. Now, all I have to do is crank the deer up to the holding bracket. We also installed lighting and have water access from a hydrant/hose near by. When the wind blows cold, I have an enclosed area in which to skin and process my deer. I have found that with some practice, I can have a deer skinned and deboned in about 45 minutes. I like knowing that the deer is processed just the way I like it and I know that the deer I'm eating is the deer I killed.

Anybody else do their own processing?

Jeff H

 

[Osage]

Indeed, I always have, but then I'm more than a little picky about processing. Of course, there are those endless saga stories, including one from a past neighbor who was a commercial butcher who claimed butchers never buy meat

 

[George]

Anybody else do their own processing?

I hunt solo, and I used to field dress my deer, load it in my SUV, take it home and process it in my garage. I eventually got old enough that I couldn't get the deer in the Jeep by myself, so I opted to clean them where they fell, or close by. I bought a small game tackle, and now I drag the deer to a nearby tree, attach the tackle to the back legs and hoist it off the ground. I skin and debone it there, take the meat home and finish the cutting, packaging and freezing. I've been doing it that way for about 12-15 years now, but am now getting to the point that is a problem, and am having to do some creative thinking once the deer is on the ground.

Spence

 

[Phil Coffins]

We have always cut our meat. Some times with help (Buffalo) most times I field dress and skin then bone them out. Wife and I cut, clean and wrap with her some times doing the bulk of it. I had game game that was cut by a processor and it was never up to our expectations. The devil is in the details so getting the loose hair or blood shot meat removed won’t happen in the high speed shop of a processor.

 

[Crewdawg445]

I do the same, much can be said for a man who knows the skill and is completely self reliant. I remember as a kid sitting in the garage helping my dad and grandfather process dear. Glad it's something I learned and will be able to pass along to my boy when he grows up.

 

[nhmoose]

I process all our families deer, moose or beef and pigs. All pitch in.

 

[S.Kenton]

I've been butchering my own deer ever since I can remember. Im pretty picky, it takes wife and I about 3 hours to COMPLETLEY butcher a full grown deer. That includes washing the meat off and vacuum packing.

 

[nchawkeye]

I've never taken mine to a processor...We butchered 20 pigs a year and 2 cows when growing up so I learned early...

 

[Stumpkiller]

I used to (well, we - my wife and I) but I've gotten lazy. We've also found a couple places that do a nice job. I also LOVE venison kielbasa and it's easier to pay someone to mix in fat and grind/stuff that.

Spence's method is the one we preferred when we were doing it at home. Though I brought it to the garage, later barn, to do it. Bone it out as it hangs once it has hung and stiffened up a bit. That way there is no bone meal from the handsaw. But I would take us six hours or better from start to finish, but it was done nicely and wrapped for two - I used a 24" wide roll of waxed-paper to wrap it for the freezer was we cut. I suppose when I retire I will go back to that system.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have always butchered my deer myself. But, I was never happy with the results. Takes hours and is no fun in confined spaces like the home kitchen. But, yes, horror stories of unscrupulous commercial processors abound.

 

[BrownBear]

When dropping the deer off I informed the folks at the plant that the deer I was dropping off had no tenderloins. Yet, when I picked up the deer later, I had tenderloins in my box. It made me wonder if I was actually getting back meat from the deer that I had dropped off.

Read the fine print (or press for answers if nothing printed) and most processors don't claim you'll get your own meat back. Just a proportional amount based on the weight you delivered. Bud finally gave up on our local processor when he delivered a meticulously clean carcass and got back meat completely fouled with hair. A whole lot of guys out there don't take good care of their deer, and you're going to get some or all if a processor "bulk" processes game.

I've butchered my whole life, so it would seem foreign to hire anyone to do something I can darn well do myself and keep my wallet in my pocket. And get better results while I'm at it. My wife and I have been at this game a long, long time dating back to the time we had a 7 deer limit and growing kids. By the clock she and I (me cutting and her wrapping) can completely process a deer an hour. You get that way when you have a stack of half a dozen or so needing your attention.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I do my own too.

B.

 

[azmntman]

I still need to learn it. Amos gave me an excellent book on it for postage. Now I just need a deer! With the book n you tube I'm confident.

Sons first large doe we got 7 packages of meat back. They said "he must of shot it up good". I replied that yes he did, real good, a single .50 cal round ball in the neck. Never went there again. Then I took a newbie BP hunter out for elk and sat him on my second favorite trail and he killed one opening evening. Dropped it off. weighed 287 lb.

I got one 2 days later, weighed 247. They called me in a few days. I picked up 5 crates of meat. He was not called so we started calling. 4 WEEKS LATER his was ready. Crate n a half, and weighed more than mine? Was bits n pieces of others elk!

I now have a great butcher. I'd let em operate on me in there his shop is so clean and the clean after each carcass is processed. Cost .20 lb more than others but ya get yer own meat. And he will clean it up a bit if he has to. He always glad to get mine, not a blade of grass anywhere!

 

[Ames]

After you do one ,Azmntman, you wont need the book I sold you anymore.
I butcher all my own game, and barnyard critters to boot.

 

[renegadehunter]

My family and I butcher our own, we grew up cutting up our own beef, deer, elk, and hogs. I did have a few animals cut up in my early twenties when I had other values for my free time...but several times wasn't satisfied with the way it was cut. It's amazing how some places will have you fill out a sheet saying how you want it cut and then just do their own thing anyway.
My father in law cut meat for about 25 years before going into a different profession, boy does he make short work of a deer when he helps out.
I've always heard that the places around here will always give you back the steaks from your own animal, but the grind stuff all goes into a community bin that is all ground at once. It is then doled out according to how much grind weight they got off each animal when they cut them up. They do keep same species together, they don't mix deer and elk, etc.

 

[Black Hand]

Process, trim and wrap all my own meat. I also bought a hand-crank meat grinder to make burger, though I now keep chunks and grind IF needed (I don't eat much ground meat in a year - maybe a pound or two) since I can use them for stir-fry and soups/stews (which I do eat much more often). Made Venison and Broccoli in spicy Oyster sauce just the other night from this year's deer...

 

[Boomer]

I have always processed my own deer. Working alone it takes me 5-6hrs until everything is packaged & in the freezer.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I haven't killed a deer for a number of years, but when we did in years past we processed our own. I couldn't see giving a processor the price of 25 pounds of steak to cut up a deer and make poor jerky. My kids mostly liked the jerky so we bought an Excaliber dehydrator for the price of one deer being processed and did our own and made our own jerky. We still have and use the dehydrator 40 years later.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Anybody else do their own processing?

Jeff H

The last deer I used a processor on was back in 72 or 73. My story is much like yours. I got meat back that I KNOW was not mine. Now I field dress, quarter in the field and bring it home on ice. I have an 8' plastic top folder and a set of good butchers knives. It goes from quarters to vacuum packed cuts to the deep freeze in a matter of an hour (or two). Would not do it any other way.

 

[azmntman]

I once had a buddy hep me do a cow elk in the field the "gutless" method (wilderness hunt steep 2 mile walk to truck). Was not pleased at the amount of meat left for the bears. I saw about 20 lbs of burger left as a turned to glance once more. The photo above by Spence? showing the skeleton hanging is what I like. NO WASTE