Why don't you process your own game?

[Bean Counter]

I personally do like to process my animal.  It is more work, and its messy. But for me, its part of the experience. Perhaps that's more because I'm a meat hunter than a trophy hunter?   

[addicted]

i do when i can. always for the birds.  the thing is i take so much time out of work that i have to get back to work as soon as we get back from the hunt so i dont have much time with unpacking. cleaning the messes ive made, and catching up on chores and errands.

i eventually figured out the secret to successful hunting though.  Hunt close to home so you can spend as much time doing so as possible.  if you can go every day with taking very little time for travel and very little time for gas its way more efficient. 

[tlbradford]

I do everything myself as well.  If it is warm out I will take it somewhere to cool down prior to butchering.  I am not man enough to grind my own burger, or make sausage or pepper sticks.  I do my own jerky.

[MountainWalk]

I just dont have the money to give to someone to cut up my game and get it all mixed up for me. I have no clue about up here in WA, but when I first started in AR, the cost of a deer was 50 bucks.  You could kill 4 deer. Four deer at fifty a pop?  No way.


While I do it myself, I never have any burger or sticks. No grinder.  Most all of what folks turn into burger, I render it into chunks perfect for frying.

[huntnphool]

It has nothing to do with being a man or not, myself I would rather pay the money and use the time to spend with my kids or do more hunting or fishing. Perhaps you should add "it takes too much time" to the butcher answer.

[smdave]

You know how polls are never enough options. I have cut and wrapped my own, time and money is also factors to this. Depends on when it is shot last day, last evening have to work the next week ts going to the butcher.

I voted the butcher does a better job, I would really like to do it myself.

Dave

[Houndhunter]

i do, but that being said i've had people show me how. i can see where a guy wouldnt know where to start if he had no exp. and i enjoy doing things like that, i love smoking stuff, canning, gardening, and eventually want to start making my own brews and wines and some seasonal drinks

[Bean Counter]

I just dont have the money to give to someone to cut up my game and get it all mixed up for me. I have no clue about up here in WA, but when I first started in AR, the cost of a deer was 50 bucks.  You could kill 4 deer. Four deer at fifty a pop?  No way.


While I do it myself, I never have any burger or sticks. No grinder.  Most all of what folks turn into burger, I render it into chunks perfect for frying.

 

For my first deer, the pieces that woulda been ground got cubed up for stew.  I made another post in the Recipies forum about investing in a grinder.  I'm still relatively young and probably have 40+ years of hunting in front of me.  It wont break my bank so I think it makes sense to invest in a Cabelas Commercial Grade Grinder.  I'm a big proponent of the healthy benefits of wild game over commercially raised stuff and in explaining this to people I like to describe that I process it myself.  

Probably the biggest difficulty I'm running into is how to 'hang' the meat. I can make room for four deer quarters in the fridge, but I know its best if the quarters get hanged.  I'm thinking of getting a cheap, used refrigerator/freezer on Craigslist and trying to jury rig some sort of meat hooks into the fridge part.  Anybody done this?

I know some of you with butcher friends resent comments like this, but I also like controlling the process.  If I were to just drop off 40 lbs of meat for burger how do I know that I'm getting back just my deer?  I talked to a butcher who makes sausage and he simply weighs out what you bring in, then makes sure you get that weight back--but not before it gets comingled with everyone elses animals.  

[DeKuma]

I used to always take it in, but have had some bad experiences where my meay got mixed in with someone elses that was gut shot and it was obvious!  I started to take it to Linds in Covington, but now that I am up North, we have been doing it ourselves.
Last year, I shot my deer on the last day late evening in Colville.  Ended up leaving it with my Dad to process both his deer and mine.  Felt bad about that, so if the situation arises this year, I will probably take it in.
Need to get a grinder as well........

[huntnphool]

I know some of you with butcher friends resent comments like this

Not me, I have the same concern and know exactly how you feel, that is why I take it to a friend that I trust.

[SpokaneSlayer]

Sweet!  I'm the only one who has voted I don't know how.  I do wish to learn though.  I want that feeling of when I sit down with my family and have a nice venison dinner that I 100% provided this meal.

[Bean Counter]

i do, but that being said i've had people show me how. i can see where a guy wouldnt know where to start if he had no exp.

Yeah.  My first few hunting seasons I was 100% self taught.  My first year hunting with buddies, I learned more that year than I did by myself for years of being clueless.  FWIW, I wish I coulda bought this video from the Kentucky DFG in my first hunting season.  Its only $17, and it will show you in good detail, gutting, skinning, AND butchering.  https://secure.kentucky.gov/Mall/Store/7803440a42df458c815d9db55890b738/Product/2457ec1426cd42e2b5d4cbb53d6d2387/

It has nothing to do with being a man or not

Poll amended.  I stand corrected, and offer appologies to anyone I offended. 

[Bean Counter]

Sweet!  I'm the only one who has voted I don't know how.  I do wish to learn though.  I want that feeling of when I sit down with my family and have a nice venison dinner that I 100% provided this meal.

Check out this preview of the aforementioned DVD. 

If you like the job they do in showing you how to gut, you'd probably like how they show you how to butcher. I recommend the video.

[M_ray]

I have done it myself before and sometimes still do it depends on the situation ... that said I usally take it in for two reasons, first I have a friend that does it and I can help if I want and two I usally get some sausage made and I don't know how to do that ... Ok three things I guess??? also it takes too much time away from other things I want to do!

[Ridgerunner]

It has nothing to do with being a man or not, myself I would rather pay the money and use the time to spend with my kids or do more hunting or fishing. Perhaps you should add "it takes too much time" to the butcher answer.

as far as making sure you get your own meat just ask the butcher if he does batch processing or whether it is done by individual animal.  Stay away from the batch processing guys.