How much meat do you waste?

[Alabama358]

I have started processing my own meat this year. (3 so far)
The wife and I have worked out a system... I shoot, gut and skin them and she butchers them up, then I grind and package what she relocates.
When I walked into the kitchen and seen this skeleton laying on her butcher table I thought my goodness I have been wasting to much meat over the years taking them to the chop shops for processing.

As I thought about it I found an interesting parallel...
Buy ammunition or reload?
Buy bullets or cast boolits?
Pay for meat-processing or butcher?

Anyway, I just wondered how many folks butcher themselves?

[35 shooter]

Your wife certainly didn't leave much for the ants.
I've always butchered my own and prefer doing so. I've always considered it just another part of the hunt.

[BK7saum]

I cut up and package my own deer. Growing up, my dad, brother, and I cleaned a carcass like that. Anymore, I don't remove the intercostal muscles or take quite that much from the neck.
Of course, my dog and cats eat well for a couple of weeks.
I know a couple of guys that only take hindquarters and backstraps, especially if the deer were shot in the shoulders.

[Omega]

I have only taken one in, and that was because I offered to harvest deer for friends that don't/can't hunt so wanted to make sure the service was good. Not bad, but I prefer doing my own. My carcasses look like that too, and they're gone the next day. The only PITA to me is the neck and ribs, so much gristle.

[BK7saum]

Yes, neck and ribs are hard to clean of gristle and connective tissue. I prefer my ground deer to be free of as much gristle and silverskin as possible. Dogs, coyotes, buzzards and ants need to eat too. Except for fire ants. They just need to disappear.

[BK7saum]

I don't take deer in to the processor any more. Some don't do a good job and you don't get your own meat back. Others process individual deer and you get what you brought. I just prefer to do it myself. 1.5-2 hrs and it's in the freezer.

[Alabama358]

I don't take deer in to the processor any more. Some don't do a good job and you don't get your own meat back. Others process individual deer and you get what you brought. I just prefer to do it myself. 1.5-2 hrs and it's in the freezer.

That's a good point, I have always wondered whos deer I was getting back. Also I bet the guys working there have a good supply of prime backstraps in their home freezers.

[Alabama358]

Your wife certainly didn't leave much for the ants.
I've always butchered my own and prefer doing so. I've always considered it just another part of the hunt.

Yes she doesn't waste much...
She really only has two comments about hunting. "Make sure you kill them quick so they don't suffer" and "Don't waste anything if your going to shoot them"

[ascast]

I do my own, but only the "easy" meat. I cut up all the ribs, leg bones neck etc. and make a couple gallons of soup stock. Just let it simmer for a couple days. Less work, that's the part I like most.

[trapper9260]

I do up my own no matter what it is. As for a to use for a saw to cut up the bone.use to only use a hand meat saw . Then someone told me about use a saw zall with a course blade on it that is long and make life easyer that way.The person had gave some hogs that could not make it to market. and gave me one once in awhile.Now use the sawzall .There is not much left after I am done also.Like Alabama stated that there is some lockers you do not know if you get your meat back.I was told about some around the area.

[MarkP]

I don't take deer in to the processor any more. Some don't do a good job and you don't get your own meat back. Others process individual deer and you get what you brought. I just prefer to do it myself. 1.5-2 hrs and it's in the freezer.

WOW! You are fast it took me 3 hrs just to get the meat off and most of the next day cutting, grinding, and wrapping. I told my wife good thing I do not do this for a living as our family would starve.

[ole_270]

Been doing my own for over 30 years. Last one I took to town was the final straw, dogs wouldn't even eat it. I try to get most of it but will admit that mine don't look like that when I'm finished.

[RU shooter]

That's a good point, I have always wondered whos deer I was getting back. Also I bet the guys working there have a good supply of prime backstraps in their home freezers.

For about the last 10 years I've worked for a small sized processor he also runs an old style butcher shop as his business when it's not deer season . I for one and no one else that has ever worked there has ever taken so much as a scrap of someone elses deer home . On good years we would do 200 deer a season last few years down to about 120 . We always cut one at a time and never mix even if it's smoked products . Can't speak for other bigger places though .
And tell your wife she did a great job on that deer ! That was truely getting the most from your harvest .

Tim

[Alabama358]

I do up my own no matter what it is. As for a to use for a saw to cut up the bone.use to only use a hand meat saw . Then someone told me about use a saw zall with a course blade on it that is long and make life easyer that way.The person had gave some hogs that could not make it to market. and gave me one once in awhile.Now use the sawzall .There is not much left after I am done also.Like Alabama stated that there is some lockers you do not know if you get your meat back.I was told about some around the area.

Great point trapper... I use an 18V cordless Hitachi Sawzall. It is an awesome go anywhere do anything tool. Makes quick work of any bone chores

[xdmalder]

I'd be broke if I had a locker do my deer every year. Takes me 5 minutes to gut, 15 minutes to skin, 15 to 30 minutes to prep before deboning (getting rid of hair on meat), 1 hour to debone and 45 minutes to process and package. And I waste very little. My neck deboning is even cleaner than that. It's my favorite part! Any scraps go to the cats and dogs.

[Alabama358]

For about the last 10 years I've worked for a small sized processor he also runs an old style butcher shop as his business when it's not deer season . I for one and no one else that has ever worked there has ever taken so much as a scrap of someone elses deer home . On good years we would do 200 deer a season last few years down to about 120 . We always cut one at a time and never mix even if it's smoked products . Can't speak for other bigger places though .
And tell your wife she did a great job on that deer ! That was truely getting the most from your harvest .

Tim

Tim, I in no way meant to disparage anyone as I am sure that there are many butchers that process game with integrity.

[skeettx]

I take my deer to Clint & Sons in Whitedeer Texas,
Fantastic folks
I get the "Standard Cut" no fancy sausage or jerky.

On a side note, if you shoot a deer and do not want the meat.
Take the deer to Clints and give them $50 and they will process the meat
and take it to a local homeless shelter.

http://www.clintandsonsprocessing.co...rocessing.html

Mike

[M-Tecs]

Since 1970 I have processed 3 to 9 deer a year. I did have one processed since I killed it about 8 hours before I was deploying to the sandbox. The shop did a good job but I much prefer to process myself.

[jonas302]

She did a great job I dont quite get them that clean But if I use cast bullets there is a lot less waste

[Silvercreek Farmer]

We do our own. The kids help which slows me down a bit, but its good for them. Our carcasses are clean, but maybe not as clean as yours! I found that a thin layer of meat left on the bone looks like a lot, but after 20 min of additional trimming only yields enough for another patty so I call it good. Our southern deer are pretty lean, but I've heard northers say the rib meat is too tallowy to be much good.