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How long does a deer processor take?

Discussion in 'Bowhunting Talk' started by kv486612, Sep 28, 2016.

  1. kv486612

    kv486612 Newb

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    How long does it normally take for a deer processor to process your deer?
     
  2. Dogfish

    Dogfish Grizzled Veteran

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    I would hope they let the deer hang for around 5 - 7 days, mine does. Butchering and packaging doesnt take long.

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  3. copperhead

    copperhead Grizzled Veteran

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    Depends on what you have done. Jerky and summer sausage takes a little longer but most should be done in a week or so. Then also depends on who take it too. I just do everything myself. Then I know how it was handled. I would call the processor and ask if you are truely interested in going that route.
     
  4. JasonOhio2018

    JasonOhio2018 Die Hard Bowhunter

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    Depends on what you have done. Obviously takes longer to have smoked meats and jerky ect. I have mine ground into burger and only keep my tenderloins and backstraps out. Takes them 2 days.
     
  5. Pro V1

    Pro V1 Die Hard Bowhunter

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    All depends on time of the year for me. If I'm lucky enough to harvest my deer before fun season it's usually 2 weeks or less. If it's during fun season I've waited as long as 2 months.


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  6. BlackHammer

    BlackHammer Newb

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    I could get one back in a week when I used processors I do it myself now
     
  7. jrk_indle84

    jrk_indle84 Grizzled Veteran

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    Guy I use is pretty quick, longest I've waiting is 3 days. And that was during our shotgun season that's really busy. I dropped off doe I shot with bow last year before lunch and he called about 6 pm that night said it was ready. They just butcher tho, don't make any kind of jerky or summer sausage type stuff.

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  8. remmett70

    remmett70 Die Hard Bowhunter

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    It takes me longer depending on how much I am drinking.
     
  9. ksWThntr

    ksWThntr Weekend Warrior

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    I bone out/cut my deer myself. Takes 3-5 hrs depending on the size and type of cuts I make. Then I vacuum seal and freeze it all. Then throughout the year I grind and make venison burger, Jerky, and Summer sausage. I also make butterfly steaks and grill the backstraps and tenderloins. Very rewarding if you can find the time.
     
  10. Sburns08

    Sburns08 Weekend Warrior

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    Its one of those things I enjoy doing myself. My wife and I hit the garage, she runs the grinder, I do the cutting. Quality family time haha!
     
  11. NebMo Hunter

    NebMo Hunter Die Hard Bowhunter

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    I do it all myself, I could do it all in 1 day if I had an open day

    normally I'll skin and bone it, then I'll get the meat that I am going to grind in big cubes and I'll put it in vacuum freezer bags seal it up and throw it in the deep freeze until I had time to grind and portion and package it out.

    I grind everything except the backstraps and tenderloins
    I then will do the same with the straps and loins, I'll cut into portions and put in vacuum bags, normally 4 steaks per bag

    anything too small to be a steak or any sloppy trimmings, I'll make into small cubes and package together for "stew meat"
    really really good stew meat

    My wife will eat ground deer in whatever you'd use groundbeef for but she doesn't like the steaks so they get saved, I have even just cubed up an entire backstrap which made really good chili!
     
  12. Bow Duke

    Bow Duke Weekend Warrior

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    Around here, during the height of the gun season, it takes about 2 weeks. However, during archery season, it usually take about 4-6 days. During youth season (2 weeks ago), it took only 3 days--(it was gutted, hanging, skinned, and in their cooler within 90 minutes of the shot!).
     
  13. bradn4201

    bradn4201 Die Hard Bowhunter

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    I had my doe at the processor within 2 hours and he called me 2 days later. My freezer went out so I it was 3 days because i had to buy a new one.
     
  14. Woods

    Woods Weekend Warrior

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    I've been learning to butcher and how to take care of meat the last couple of years. Along the way I was told not to freeze, thaw, than refreeze raw meat. Do you refreeze your burger after thawing than grinding it? I would like to do as you do also but am concerned about harming the quality of the meat. Thanks.
     
  15. early in

    early in Grizzled Veteran

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    I get only basic cuts and ground meat, but I get mine back in no more than a week. Depending on how busy they are at the time, I've gotten deer back as quickly as two days.
     
  16. Coop

    Coop Grizzled Veteran

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    It depends on time of year. My good friend is friends with a processor that always does our deer for free. So if I am hunting with him and get a deer I take it there. We usually all pitch in on a Christmas card for the processor for his kindness. He usually takes 4-5 days except if he is swamped, like first day of gun season. I use a processor in Ohio when it's warm and I don't trust getting the deer home before it spoils, they took about a week last time I used them.
     
  17. NebMo Hunter

    NebMo Hunter Die Hard Bowhunter

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    yep, never had an issue
    my meat is in 100% controlled environment so I'm not worried about it in the least.
    I've never had poor tasting meat, or gotten any type of sickness due to bacteria from meat
    the biggest concern with refreezing is loss of moisture, well deer meat is never going to be juicy, its always pretty dry based on low fat content.

    we ONLY eat ground deer until we run out, so we eat a lot of it too.
    that and meat grinds better about 1/4 frozen, its also easier to cube partially frozen compared to a full room temp deer ham sitting there on a cutting board.
     
  18. NebMo Hunter

    NebMo Hunter Die Hard Bowhunter

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    i also struggle with taking my deer to a processor in that, I want to know I'm eating my deer.
    Maybe this is unfair and doesn't happen most places, but I know for a fact people have gotten deer that wasn't their deer

    you can taste a difference in western deer vs deer raised up in ag areas, you can taste a difference between a doe and a rutting buck

    I want to know 100% without question I am eating my deer and I go to great lengths to makes sure I handle my deer how I wanted it handled, I don't want to end up with 10 pounds of ground deer that some other hunter left in the back of his truck for 4 days while he finished his hunt.
     
  19. Dogfish

    Dogfish Grizzled Veteran

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    IMO.... you need to let a deer hang for about 5 days at around 45-50 degrees. Makes the meat so much better

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