I just moved to Peoria and will be hunting around Pearl. I always did my own deer processing, but moving from home to a one bedroom apartment means I'll have to figure something else out. Who do you guys recommend for processors around Jacksonville or Springfield? What should I expect to pay to have everything ground into burger? What should I expect to pay to have everything made into a variety of sausage and sticks?
Springfield has two good ones; YT Packing, which is by the State Fair grounds and part of Turasky's. The other one is Magro's and they have like 4 or 5 locations; Auburn, Pittsfield, and at least 2 in Springfield. Prices starte around $150 depending on how specialized you want your meat.
Bowling Green, MO is a bit of a haul but not too terrible. Woods is there, and are great. Try some beebobs...you'll thank me later. Some great deer around Pearl, good luck.
Magro's is who I use when I don't do it myself, and they're not quite that expensive unless they jacked their prices this year again. I love the work they do, everything comes back vaccuum packed, labeled and dated. They do it one deer per person when processed so you get your own meat back including burger. The only thing I know that is not your deer is the sausages, they ship all that off to Decatur and it is done in large batches. Turn around time is usually a week and a half before shotgun season(quicker near shotgun as they like to get all archery done first), and can take 3 weeks after shotgun. The downside to them, the price. Why they tier them I don't know but last year the prices were: Fawn- $80 Doe $120 Buck- $130 I'm not a big roast guy so have my roasts cut into steaks. Basic cut there is 2 tip roasts, round steaks, straps butterflied, inner tenderloins separate and the rest ground for burger. They have a drop off in Springfield with a large cooler, their processing plant is in Auburn so they pick up drop off in large batches, part of the reason for a longer turn around. Turasky makes some good jalapeno cheese sausage and snack sticks. Have never heard about their processing so no comment there. I personally stay away from Y&T, a buddy had one done a few years ago. Think it was $75 and he gotnit back in 3 days. They basically took the hind quarter and put it on a bandsaw, sliced off a 3/4" thick hunk, folded it up and wrapped it in freezer paper. Bone in and all. Not sure but think he got a neck roast back. There is also a place in Virginia, Cass county meats, they are reasonably priced on sausages and such but think they charge processing fees by the weight of the deer. Not sure if that is hide on or not, I have never used them, a friend at work has his sausage done there.
Don't know how far your wanting to travel bit it sounds like your kinda all around anyway but I use a place in Barry. Took three deer there last year and think the longest I waited was 3 days maybe and most I spent was $70 for two good sized doe and a decent buck. Dropped two off during first shotgun season in Friday and Saturday and had the one back on Sunday and the other on maybe Tuesday so they're pretty quick. Only thing is they only butcher them so it's not a one stop shop if ya want sausage, jerky, or deer sticks.
It's a bit of a haul but an hour North of Dixon you can drop your deer in Lena and use Smokehouse Processing. That's where I have all my deer done and they do a great job. Depending on if the deer needs to be skinned, whether or not you want to keep the cape for a mount, and how much specialty meat you want my bill usually runs in the $120-$150 range.
