I'm Done With Deer Processing

[Txbownut]

Not knocking the processors, although there are a few shady ones. Its their business, they are there to make a profit, and as mentioned above, there is a lot of overhead that we dont have when we process them in our kitchen. I have used them off and on over the years when I was too busy, but do it all myself now. I have complete control of the quality and the cleanliness of the animal as well as the facilty where it is processed. Plus, its very rewarding to provide food for my family from the woods to the table. That being said, wagyu beef is cheaper than vennison! We have put 3 deer up this year already and I figure I have somewhere around $50 a lb in it. (Lease,gas,corn only). Didnt even count the camp trailer or the work weekend trips. But if you're hunting to save money, you're probably not getting the full experience.

[Txbownut]

Same here. I've gotten 4 deer processed and I'm up to $600. I just shot an axis this past weekend and even though it will all be hamburger, enough is enough. Got some advice from the GS, bought a cabelas grinder, gonna start saving some cash!

Go ahead and get a good vaccuum sealer too. The cheap Academy model will not keep up. Congrats on the axis!

[Heron]

I made the same decision several years back, then few years later I stopped shooting them so I wouldn't have to process them. Now I just go to stand and watch deer, and hope for a pig or coyote to come by so I can shoot something.

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Same here but no hogs on the place. My kids are grown and out of the house so no need for a bunch of deer meat.

Would recommend buying an electric grinder for those considering this route. And a jerky gun and dehydrator.

[Brute Killer]

DIY is all that I know, that’s what Dad showed me when I was 10, so yes it’s the only way. I’m 56 and just made some hamburger for the month. Love it and can not amagin paying someone to not clean my meat and return someone else’s meat to me. Because you know you don’t get YOUR meat back, just saying.

That's what made me buy a grinder.
We were taking our stuff to this one place for a couple years with no problem, then they hired a new manager and my well cared for buck came back tasting like an old billy goat.
The meat I kept back for steaks & jerky was delish.
The stuff we had ground was nasty.

[Brute Killer]

We also look at it as a time to get together with your buddies (and their families if they are into it) and drink a little cold beer, or a little whiskey/vodka, eat a steak or good BBQ and talk about the past season or season coming up while we work. The work isn't hard when you have several folks. It can be a long process when you cold smoke sausage but we make it a weekend ordeal and everybody goes home with full coolers and a full wallet[emoji13][emoji23]

I understand folks "don't have time" or "don't make time" because they'd rather do something else, but to me it's an extension of deer season.... and a good time. We try to do it in January or early Feb for the perfect cold smoking temps, a dry cold front, and no conflicts with kids spring sports.

That's what my wife's family did before she lost her parents.
They would put up meat for outside customers and it was usually a big family project.
My 2 daughters spent a few winters in "the meat house" as babies and small kids.
Unfortunately my son never got to experience it.
Ill health made it eventually come to an end.

[Patriot-2000]

I do the steak cut and roast .. but grinding + mixing is a pain in the .. Got a Meat Grinder for sale in the classifieds.
The ground-up meat - I de-bone & take it to the local meat market 40 cents a pound (Grind, package, freeze + I buy some fat they mix).

[AgHntr10]

you know, what most of you are saying is true, until you work in the processing business. I have, for over 10 years. You have to take in account what a processor spends for equipment, electricity for the coolers, containers, mixes, labor. A commercial grinder 8 to 10,000 thousand, stuffer, the same, tender riser, 4000, vac machines 6000 and most have two. How about the sealing bags. So when you figure all these expenses in, who gets the best deal?

You make it sound like the processors aren't making money....if they weren't they wouldn't be in business. I am not saying the price isn't fair. They can charge whatever they want, its up to the customer to determine if it is worth it to them.

[HoustonR6ryda]

Home proccessing Since 2002

Grinder 39.99 free s/h Ebay. Seventeen years of deer several hogs and still strong.I bought the Northern tool sausage stuffer on sale back then too. One of my best investments to date.I quarter my deer at camp,at home I remove the fascia and sinew and debone. Usually I get about 4 of the blue bowls of lean venison.I save the backstrap for special occasions.I can do one deer in about 2-3 hours.

[tgil]

Grinder 39.99 free s/h Ebay. Seventeen years of deer several hogs and still strong.I bought the Northern tool sausage stuffer on sale back then too. One of my best investments to date.I quarter my deer at camp,at home I remove the fascia and sinew and debone. Usually I get about 4 of the blue bowls of lean venison.I save the backstrap for special occasions.I can do one deer in about 2-3 hours.

Looks identical to my first set up. I upgraded a few years back to a bigger LEM grinder in hopes of saving time. Haven't processed much since, but definitely worth the investment!

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[gvick]

I am 52 and have only taken 1 animal to the processor that was a calf. I didn't like the way it was done so no more. we have processed 6 deer this year that my kids have shot, one 400 domestic sow, and last weekend a 1420 pound cow. Plus I have done 3 deer and one hog for a friend. my advice is to buy the equipment and do it yourself, but save your money and buy good equipment. If you mess something up oh well make hamburger out of it.

[coldgas]

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[macguyverberry]

I've been thinking about doing this too. What's the mix ratio when making burger out of deer?

I use pork when making burger. 50/50. I buy cryo-packed carnita meat from HEB and it's got a good amount of fat in there to balance the lean venison the way I like.

[S-3 Ranch]

I am going back to DIY ! Just picked up a deer from processer and $218 later
My grandfather owned a processing plant and I really enjoy top,quality products
And only way to get the best products is DIY
I can walk into a processer and one look tell if they are taking short cuts and 90% do

[SwampRabbit]

but the rest was hamburger and steaks which only takes seconds to cut and package.

slow down in your enthusiasm a little bit...

I agree on the prices. I personally have a hard time shelling out cash for things I feel I could do myself. But then again, I have a lawn guy. So a lot has to do with how you value your time and what specifically you are doing with your time.

It does not take seconds to cut out steaks, cube meat for grinding, and package. For a DIY, it takes a good solid hour. It takes time to wipe down counters, debone, trim, cut steaks, wrap or seal them, clean run the grinder, clean the grinder, etc. If making "fresh" sausage, then you have casings to flush, spices and meat/fat to mix, and stuff, tie off, and dry and package.

You also don't include the "aging" process of making sure you have ice on the meat for a week in a cooler and draining everyday (some folks keep the plugs off though.)

I used to tackle the deer as they came in... would spend a good 3 or so hours per deer it seemed. It meant I had to make time to do it. Now, I tend to spend 1 hour deboning/trimming and freezing meat in large bags so I can deal with all of it on one day after the season is over. Then I just set aside a day to grind into burger, sausage, smoke the sausage, package, etc. Takes a good solid 5 hours+ to do it that way... but we make a day out of it.

Yes, we save a lot of $$$. For the most part, we enjoy doing it ourselves and the pride that comes with really taking the whole hunting experience from field to plate. But it does come at a cost. You have to be interested, and invest the time into it.

[AntlerCollector]

I've been making my own since I was a kid helping my grandfather. I have my own walk in cooler, grinder, slicer, sausage and boudin stuffer, ban saw, and a "meat house" to do all the work in. I can make it as good as most places you would take it. I will admit it took me several years to get it to taste as good as anything you can buy, but it's well worth it. The cost to start is very expensive for the equipment but it pays for itself in a few years of processing your own deer and hogs.