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Post by featherduster on Jan 9, 2021 11:34:36 GMT -5
For the past 20 years I have been blessed to take my deer from my own property which is my backyard.
After I kill a deer and locate it I walk up to the house get my MULE, knives, gloves and whatever else I need.
I use the MULE to drag the deer to a spot where I dress out my deer and then I drag it to my house where I wash it out and load it into my truck
This year I made that task even easier and for the love of me I don't know why I didn't do the following earlier in my hunting career.
This year I used a battery operated SAWS-ALL to cut the ribs and that hard as a rock pelvic bone.
I didn't break a sweat and for what little it weights it would be an addition to my pack if I hunted on the run.
As far as the annual debate over using a deer processor I will say this.
For $85.00 plus a tip my deer was professionally butchered, packaged, labeled and frozen.
The remains were disposed of and the rack was removed and saved for me.
This processor had my animal done in less than 48 hours.
Yesterday we sampled both some of the ground as well as some steaks and the were as good or even better than I could do.
I butchered my own deer for several decades and I know how much work it is and I know how much meat an animal will yield.
Find a good processor and you will be satisfied.
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Post by Ahawkeye on Jan 9, 2021 13:49:06 GMT -5
85 is a great price. I've got two I use and they both charge 100.
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Post by steiny on Jan 9, 2021 16:04:38 GMT -5
If you are happy that is all that matters. I've had some bad experiences with processors and don't plan on going back to another.
We kind of like processing them too. Have all the equipment and facilities to take care of them quite easily. If I shoot one at home, I can have it gutted, skinned and hanging in the cooler in under an hour. A full butcher job takes me 2-3 hours without help, so about (4) hours per deer total.
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Jan 9, 2021 21:11:13 GMT -5
Sounds like you have it all down pat for the way you want things to be. I’ll continue to butcher our own as long as I can. Just part of the process for me and I enjoy it knowing it goes from field to freezer with only me doing the work. Like was said above, if killed on our ground it will be hung in the barn, gutted out, within an hour. Then depending on temp, it will be butchered at my convenience.
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Post by Sasquatch on Jan 9, 2021 21:55:55 GMT -5
I fully appreciate the value in "working one up" yourself, but I am #1 lazy, #2 usually pressed for time, #3 know a great processor. Worth every penny to me!
Sounds like you got a great system.
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Post by deadeer on Jan 9, 2021 22:49:16 GMT -5
Yep on the sawzall. I also use loppers regularly. Makes really quick work. I too had mine processed for years when I started hunting. But now with taking a good number of deer yearly, it would break my little piggybank in a hurry. Also, we too have the equipment and facility to do it at our leisure. When I slow down I will likely go back to a local guy again.
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Post by esshup on Jan 10, 2021 0:05:54 GMT -5
For the past 20 years I have been blessed to take my deer from my own property which is my backyard. After I kill a deer and locate it I walk up to the house get my MULE, knives, gloves and whatever else I need. I use the MULE to drag the deer to a spot where I dress out my deer and then I drag it to my house where I wash it out and load it into my truck This year I made that task even easier and for the love of me I don't know why I didn't do the following earlier in my hunting career. This year I used a battery operated SAWS-ALL to cut the ribs and that hard as a rock pelvic bone. I didn't break a sweat and for what little it weights it would be an addition to my pack if I hunted on the run. As far as the annual debate over using a deer processor I will say this. For $85.00 plus a tip my deer was professionally butchered, packaged, labeled and frozen. The remains were disposed of and the rack was removed and saved for me. This processor had my animal done in less than 48 hours. Yesterday we sampled both some of the ground as well as some steaks and the were as good or even better than I could do. I butchered my own deer for several decades and I know how much work it is and I know how much meat an animal will yield. Find a good processor and you will be satisfied. Now I know this isn't recommended but here goes. The processor that I use (this years price is $100) first wraps the meat in plastic, then butcher paper. I needed to get some hunter sticks made and found some stew meat in 2# packages that he did for me back in 2015 (stored in a non-frost free freezer). I brought it to him today and he unwrapped it to check for freezer burn. not a trace of it. That's why I use him, he does good work and is pretty quick about it too. |
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Post by budd on Jan 10, 2021 9:17:24 GMT -5
Thats how I wrap customer meat. Have had several people say they find a package from years past in their freezer's that are still eatable.
Mine is lucky to stay in the freezer 3 months before it is eaten...LOL
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Post by HuntMeister on Jan 10, 2021 9:57:30 GMT -5
Yep, plastic wrap then freezer paper is the way to go!
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Post by steiny on Jan 10, 2021 11:43:39 GMT -5
Yep, plastic wrap then freezer paper is the way to go! Use to do things that way, but we vac seal everything now. It keeps a real long time without freezer damage and you can look at the package and see what's in it. |
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Post by esshup on Jan 10, 2021 16:15:42 GMT -5
Burger stays the longest in my freezer, I will vac seal the packages while they are still frozen. Just got enough bags to do the ones from this year.
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Post by treetop on Jan 10, 2021 16:40:21 GMT -5
85 is a great price. I've got two I use and they both charge 100. I can’t believe it’s only a 100 let alone 85 last deer I had done was 125 that was just steaks roast and burgers Probably 8 years ago , A guy I know through work payed around 250 this year at least that’s what he told me but he got a lot of snack sticks and summer sausage I can believe it though it’s a lot of work to make snack sticks |
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Post by Ahawkeye on Jan 10, 2021 16:56:26 GMT -5
85 is a great price. I've got two I use and they both charge 100. I can’t believe it’s only a 100 let alone 85 last deer I had done was 125 that was just steaks roast and burgers Probably 8 years ago , A guy I know through work payed around 250 this year at least that’s what he told me but he got a lot of snack sticks and summer sausage I can believe it though it’s a lot of work to make snack sticks Yeah those snack sticks and sausage are EXPENSIVE! Like you all I get is steaks, roasts, and grind. |
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Post by esshup on Jan 10, 2021 19:34:34 GMT -5
All I get is tenderloin whole, loin butterflied, and ground or stew meat.
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Post by HuntMeister on Jan 10, 2021 19:37:06 GMT -5
Yep, plastic wrap then freezer paper is the way to go! Use to do things that way, but we vac seal everything now. It keeps a real long time without freezer damage and you can look at the package and see what's in it. Probably my vac sealer but I had problems with air getting in the vac sealed bags over time in the freezer. I have pulled out double wrapped packages that got lost in the freezer that were over 2 yrs old and no freezer burn. |
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Post by steiny on Jan 11, 2021 14:31:35 GMT -5
Probably my vac sealer but I had problems with air getting in the vac sealed bags over time in the freezer. Either vac sealer is not getting a good seal to start with -or- somebody is banging around the frozen packages in freezer and making holes in the plastic. |
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