Not sure my roommates would appreciate it very much lol. But I don't have anywhere to hang my deer to take of it. Sent from my XT901
Gotcha. If I need to take care of one quick I always bone in the field then butcher it the next day. I can get a deer cut and wrapped by myself in 2-3 hours depending on size and types of cuts.
What I need to do is make a friend close by and already has a spot set up to take care of everything. like Cole but he is in Kansas lol
We do our own, my father-in-law has all the equipment. I've never paid to have one done, and since he has the equipment it's pretty cheap for me Just costs me for the bags, and my time helping with other deer. He makes jerky and sausage, but honestly I'm not a fan of his. I found a place that will take boned out deer and make jerky and snack sticks for $3.75 lb and summer sausage for $2.89 lb. I'm thinking about trying them out this year.
I butcher it myself in my garage. I make my own jerky. I take scraps to the butcher for venison sausage. I use a vacuum sealer (the only way to go). I cut mostly make primal cuts to freeze and cut when I will use it. In other words I don't cut steaks. Just large pieces of muscle so that it doesn't get freezer burned. The quality is much better that way.
well I found the best of both worlds. I found a friend who has all the equipment. He did it for free as long as I helped him. I had a buck and they had a Pike county buck, so we did them together. About 5 hours and I ended up with 40 pounds of burger, 24 steaks and 8 roasts. Cost? $27 for tag, $7 for wild game freezer bags and $20 for beef kidney suet Great deal, now I am learning and helping and ready to fill the freezer!
I boned my buck out this year, but we have plenty of meat so I ended up having it all done up at a processor. I had 57lbs of meat. Had 10lbs of snack sticks made at $4.50 lb, 11 lbs of whole muscle jerkey at $4.50lb. 18lbs of regular summer sausage at $2.29lb and 18lbs of summer sausage with cheese at $3.29lbs. Didn't have to pay the $100 processing fee since I boned him out myself. Took me about 6 and a half hours to hang, cape, quarter and de-bone him by myself. Maybe I should have just payed the $100
I've only done my own, but after having a buddies spicy venison sausage this year, I might just have to give his guy a shot at least one.
$100 grinder $50? Knives $50 Other material Borrow a packer from a friend. I'm not worried about the cost, I just enjoy doing it myself. Looking to upgrade to better grinder, knives, scale and sealer.
The only time we have a deer done is if we are in a time pinch to get it done or if we want any kinds of sausage made. Other than that I butcher my own. $70-80 just for regular boneless cut were the last prices I was given and for what I have invested we paid for the equipment a long time ago. We have a grinder and a good vacuum sealer. Don't skimp on either as a grinder has to last and a crappy vacuum sealer will cost you venison with freezer burn. The other thing we have that is valuable is an old refrigerator. We use it primarily just for venison and usually sits unplugged most of the year. When cutting up deer I quarter them and put them in the old fridge. That way I can take up to a week or longer getting things trimmed up. I take my time trimming and will guarantee you one thing, the steaks are ready to go when you pull them out of the freezer. All fat, tallow, etc. is gone when I pack them.
I really dont enjoy doing it on my own. We pay $80 for the basic service roasts, steaks and ground. That being said, the steaks were all full of connective tissue and silver skin (we call it). The roasts had a good share also. Could prob be easlily talked into doing it right on my own now but dont have the equip or experience doing it.
I don't ever think you'll break even. Every year you'll buy something different. Stuff will pay for itself over time, but you will save money after the main investments. I did my first two deer myself this year and sent the 3rd to the processor($129 vacuum sealed). Only processed the third because temps were o be in the. 60's and 70's this past weekend and I was plain whooped from hunting. Where you'll really save the money is doing your own sausages and jerky. Think it's like 12.95 a pound(wet weight) for jerky at the processor. I made 8 pounds for $4.60. This year I did steaks, burger, roasts(mainly for the smoker) an some jerky.
Few years back I did a bunch of snack sticks in the smoker. Think it's like $8 a finished weight pound at the processor. I did 20 pounds for about $7.50 and about 4-5 hours labor. I can guarantee with sausage and jerky at any processor you will not get your own meat back. It is done in large batches.
I don't enjoy doing it on my own. Every deer I shot up until last year my dad and I did ourselves. Now I just skin, clean and quarter, then take the rest to the processor. Get cheese dogs, bologna, sausage, etc., Then the rest is ground. My dad still likes butchering his own.
I also vacuum seal everything, adds a but to the cost but gives me peace of mind. It looks like a mess now, but when I get my processes meat bak it will all stack up neatly. Had to spread it out for even freezing.
DUDE.... My mouth is watering... lol Couple questions.. What hp is your grinder? Do you have jerky slicer? and how much was the smoker if you don't mind me asking? Do you smoke the jerky or put it in the oven?
