butchering your own

[Don Taylor]

I have never hired out the processing of any animal Ive ever killed icludining elk,caribou,bear,havalina, and more deer than I care to count. Its the way things have always been done in my family and I can remember my dad and grandfather doing it in a cold azz garage, november in Michigan is sometimes frigid. I think in the old days it was a monetary thing but now is a part of the whole experience and we have good times getting together in my shop and it is usually a whole family ordeal.

 

[Livnthegoodlife]

We process all our own meat. My mother in law bought me a cabelas meat grinder than is also a sausage stuffer and I have used that alot. I made a smoker out of an old refrigerator. Works very well for smoking.

 

[TheTone]

I do my own deer, unless I want something kind of special, but elk go to the butcher. I just can't say I've got the time or know how to do an elk and get any sort of proper steaks, etc.

 

[JohnSWA]

I processed my first Cow (elk) at the house with my wife. It was a lot of work and actually took the hind quarters to the local butcher to do the roasts and whatnot. My next two elk I took to the processer and the lil Mrs. hasn't been happy ever since! Needless to say, we process all of our own meat that we shoot locally.

When we hunt in the lil lady's hometown (Northern Idaho), we have the hometown butcher (saint) do the cutting and grinding for an unbelievable price! Naturally, I tip him extremely well for his talent. But the bottom line is you can't substitute your own processing if you want ALL of your own animal.

 

[ashersdad]

Usually do my own. This year, just didn't have the time for a moose and deer so I took it to a guy that my cousins have used for years. He just does it on the side and only has a small shop so I am assured of getting my own animals. $200 for a moose and deer. I thought that was a great deal. Haven't got the meat back as it's in Idaho. I will pick it up in a couple weeks when I go for my elk hunt. Hopefully it turned out great.

 

[mdcrossbow]

That Is A Great Deal, Large Deer Here Is 80 Buck Alone.

 

[sreekers]

There is a possibility I could come home with 4 animals tommorow. If that is the case then I am going to get a couple of them processed!

 

[mdcrossbow]

We did some dove hunting over the weekend and I processed about 25 of them myself LOL

 

[Bambistew]

I do most of mine, but drop off a couple to be 'rendered' into meat products. Iif its warm, I drop it off, as I don't have a cooler. I have a local guy that will cut it how I want and I get back what I drop off. Cost me about $60-65 for a deer.

I had one elk processed and it cost me more than the NR tag. I hope to not have to do that again, but thats the problem with flying and hunting.

I've cut more elk and deer than I care to think about, did it for a living for a couple years... Really can't complain to much about the few that I've had commercially processed, most turned out great. Have had a couple that were not so good, but don't use them anymore.

To be honest for $60 I really can't afford to not let someone cut my deer. My time is worth money too.

 

[mdcrossbow]

When you consider putting a large doe in the freezer with in 2 hrs. If I'm planning on hunting I also plan of the time to process. If I take nothing then I have free time LOL

 

[drahthaar]

I like to butcher my own because I like lean burger, and I like to try different things with the smoker. I am pretty sure I make the best summer sausage around. Give lots of SS, Thuringer, pepper sticks, brats away as Christmas gifts. Its a good diversion on a weekend when hunting season is over and I don't feel like freezing my butt off going after ducks or geese, turn on some football and put the grinder to work.