Looking to start butchering my own game meat?

[johnr060]

Just trying to get a good list of some decent butchering tools I will need and what it's gonna cost. I would like to spend less than 800 dollars. Thanks.

[NW-GSP]

You should be able to spend allot less then that, a good meat grinder is a must

[Kola16]

You should be able to spend allot less then that, a good meat grinder is a must

  A lot less money. All that I need is a knife (with a gut hook), and a meat grinder, but a few more tools that may help depending on what you would like to do will not cost that much more.

[huntingfool7]

Get a grinder.  Pick one that you think will work, then buy the next size up from there.
Cutting table that is tall enough that you are not bending over it. 

[mfswallace]

Get a grinder.  Pick one that you think will work, then buy the next size up from there.
Cutting table that is tall enough that you are not bending over it.

 
Your back will hate you if you have a low table 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Been usin the cabelas best selling grinder 3/4 or1hp for years! We use a Rappala fillet knife for all boning and a bigger knife for steaking! Good luck. PM us for more details in the process. Or check out you tube!

[ing]

Don't forget to get a Foodsaver.

[sirmissalot]

Seems like the grinder is the most expensive part of the process, maybe some of you can help us newbies on what you really need for a grinder? The cabelas ones can get pretty spendy but all the fancy attachments seem handy, if they work.

[bosshogg112]

Get a grinder.  Pick one that you think will work, then buy the next size up from there.
Cutting table that is tall enough that you are not bending over it.

 
Your back will hate you if you have a low table 

   x2

[Echomules]

A Good Grinder and good cutting board (not wood).

The attachments with the Cabelas grinder work great. We found that stuffing sausages was easier with the grinder than a top of the line Cabelas upright stuffer (really finicky w blowby). And the way the grinder's stuffer is set up with the Auger in the plastic stuffing tube, way less leftover product in the unit and one less thing to clean. Cleaning well is important for good product and your unit being usable next time after sitting for 9 months to a year.

Soon this will be you.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=88608.msg1116432#msg1116432

[Huntbear]

I have an old commercial grinder...  weighs about 75-80 lbs.   It is only 1/2 HP but it will grind up anything and everything you put down the tube...  Look around, unless you just have to have a new one from Cabelas...

Get some good knives.. you will need a couple of good boning/fillet knives.  You will also need a good scimitar slicing knife to cut steaks.  Ours is older than I am, and very high carbon steel.  The patina makes it look rusted, but that knife will sharpen up quickly and stay sharp as long as you do not bang it on the table to much.

Oh, and the comments about the height of the table???  Listen to them good...  I am 6'3"  my brother is 5'7"  my back is killing me by the time we are done cutting up meat at his house on his table..   

[jaymark6655]

I am 6'4" so I do my butchering on the kitchen counter, just throw down a huge cutting board.  I just got a huge 24"x48" one, sorry cant remember where or the price.  I just use a boning knife and an 8 inch chefs knife (for steaks), both are Classic Wusthofs and can be purchased for about $60 each, a hacksaw, and a grinder.  My grinder is a LEM #8 which cost about $300.  I got it instead of the Cabelas after hearing a rumor that the Cableas one had a plastic gear somewhere in the motor.  Only time I had any problem, I tried to grind meat that was frozen solid, built in circuit breaker tripped and that was all.

Probably spent $500 at most.

[NRA4LIFE]

A good meat saw is a must also.  Another (cheap) thing that I just bought that is a real time saver is a butcher paper dispenser.  I think it cost about $10.  I buy the huge rolls of paper at Costco and the dispenser works really well with those rolls.  And yes, a good grinder is a must.

[Curly]

Did all our butchering for many years without having to buy a grinder.  We would just take our chunks of hamburger meat into the butcher at the end of their day, right before they were to clean their grinder, and they would run the meat thru the grinder (sometimes twice) and put it right back into the bag we brought the meat into the shop in.  Then we'd pay them $10 and head home to wrap the meat.  All the butchers in the area stopped allowing that deal now.................

[johnr060]

Thanks for all the replys guys. I'm glad to hear it's not gonna cost as much as I thought. I will look in to getting one of the cabelas grinders. Any attachments that you would really recommend?

[Wea300mag]

Lots of great advice, once you get set-up there is a lot of satisfaction in doing your own processing.

[dscubame]

A good meat saw is a must also.  Another (cheap) thing that I just bought that is a real time saver is a butcher paper dispenser.  I think it cost about $10.  I buy the huge rolls of paper at Costco and the dispenser works really well with those rolls.  And yes, a good grinder is a must.

Check out URM you may find they are better than Costalot.

[Bean Counter]

Don't buy a cheap $100 grinder. You will get what you pay for and wind up buying a more expensive one!

[Doublelunger]

I think the necessities are a couple of good knives.  a fillet knife for cleaning up the scraps and bigger knife for cutting up steaks.  A few good plastic buckets with lids are handy (always used the 4 quart ice cream buckets from the schwanns man).  A large plastic cutting board.  a good meat grinder (1 hp).  We always used a vacuum packer too, but not sure that its a necessity, keep stuff from getting freezer burned though. 

The benefits of butchering your own game huge.  Your meat will taste way better.  You'll know for sure what your getting. You'll save a lot of money in the long run too.  I hope this doesnt sound too obvious but if you want your game to taste good then be very very meticulous about how you process it...starting when you fist gut the animal.  Keep as much hair off as possible! Once you got it all skinned then pick every remaining hair off of the meat.  Cut as much fat off as possible too.  Its a lot of work and takes a lot of time but in the end its worth it. 

[jrebel]

Just bought a 1 hp #22 meat grinder off craigslist for $250 dollars.  Keep your eyes open and you can find great deals on used equipment.  The grinder I found was only used once and the guy stored it until now.  It is almost brand new.   

[Humptulips]

Seriously to get started you don't need most of what has been mentioned. Oh, they're nice but you can get the hamburger meat ground at a processor. You don't need an electric meat saw because you can bone everything out. The few cuts you need to make can be done with a hand saw.
So that leaves what? A knife and a hand saw. You can add goodies as time goes by.
I like a fillet knife and a heavier butcher knife. A good sharpening steel is a must IMHO.
Get the other stuff like a grinder when you get an oppurtunity for a deal but you don't need much to get started.

[Eli346]

 I do all my butchering in my kitchen on an island countertop covered with a 4'x8' piece of sanded plywood. do all the boning on that and use cutting boards to cut steaks on. Perfect heighth for lessening the strain on the back. We do several deer and elk a year here with no problems.

[Bean Counter]

You don't NEED a vacuum sealer to start out. Squeeze the air out of ziplock bags and over wrap with butcher paper if money is tight.

[bobcat]

Plastic wrap first, then butcher paper over that, is all I have ever used.

[jaymark6655]

Plastic wrap first, then butcher paper over that, is all I have ever used.

  Have heard of meat lasting for years using that method, vac sealers are a waste of time and money trying to fix something that aint broke and not even as good.

[KopperBuck]

Plastic wrap first, then butcher paper over that, is all I have ever used.

  Have heard of meat lasting for years using that method, vac sealers are a waste of time and money trying to fix something that aint broke and not even as good.

Unless you're the world's worst folder. Xmas time is a nightmare for me. I vote for vac sealers because you can use them in MANY other applications where butcher paper and plastic won't work. I did the paper for years, but I love my vac sealer.

They both work. If you're on a budget, paper, plastic, and some masking tape and you're good to go.

[Humptulips]

I never use the plastic, just butcher paper. Lasts until it's gone with no burn so I see no need to change.
Wrap it tight. I have a vacum sealer and to tell the truth the papers easier.

[6x6in6]

2 knives, sharpening stone, 2 sets of home made saw horses that break down for ease of storage, 4x4 1/2 plywood, 4x8 1-1/8" plywood, some butcher paper to cover the plywood, a couple cutting boards, a sharpie and a vacuum packer.
One set of horses and the 4x4 paper covered plywood directly under the hanging critter.  Bone it hanging, let fall onto the plywood.
Transfer the piles to the 4x8 covered plywood based on the cut type.  Steak or roast as you desire and pile/separate by cut. 
Scraps either go into the jerky pile or the stew meat pile.  Jerky pile is done.  Stew meat pile gets divided up into true stew meat and kabob meat piles.
Vacuum pack and sharpie the date and contents on the bag.  If it was a good year, I put the state of origin on it too.
Nothing left on the bone - the dog barely shows any interest.   

I own a grinder and have not used it in probably 20 years.  I just have a better uses for the scraps than burger.  Patience and experience cutting and your burger pile will get smaller over time.

[6x6in6]

Forgot the radio for the music of your liking and a 6 pack of your favorite beverage.
Having a barbecue nearby for a mid-butchering snack is always a good thing too. 

[Blacklab]

Forgot the radio for the music of your liking and a 6 pack of your favorite beverage.
Having a barbecue nearby for a mid-butchering snack is always a good thing too. 

 

[Moose-head]

It helps to have a plan for what you know that you will use the meat for.  We usually make some steaks and then ground burger. with no suet added that we use for taco meat, spaghetti, hamurger helper etc. since that is what I know we will use most f the meat for.  We will grind some with cheap bacon in a few packages for hamburgers.  I save some steaks instead of roasts since I seem to dry out my roasts and I like steak better so that is what I use. 

[oldcamper]

I butcher my own also, the shops just won't take the time to really get the scraps off the bones. I use them as stew meat, and only use a hacksaw and a couple knives.  I will have to look into the butcher paper roll thing, I have always used gallon sized ziploc bags. Kinda pricey. Deffenatly worth the time and you only buy the hard items once if you get good stuff.

And so true about the grill being at the ready while cutting up the meat.