Free: Contests & Raffles.
I've taken a few deer to Olson Meats in Enumclaw and I've always been happy with their game processing. I usually get the best cuts in steaks and the rest ground into burger and if I remember right its less than $100. Its not that hard to butcher a deer yourself, my wife just doesn't want me making a mess in the garage so I pay somebody else to do it.
I would learn how to process the meat yourself. It's not difficult and it will save you a bunch of money. I've done it every year for as long as I can remember except in 2010 when holidays and weather caused me problems and I took it to a butcher shop in Bellevue. I decided to get lots of sausages, jerky, etc made and I spent close to $300 all together. That was excessive and I probably won't do that again. Not with a whole deer anyway. You could do all that yourself too if you've got the equipment like a smoker, grinder, dehydrator, oven, etc. That too is not that difficult.
I've never paid a butcher. It will definitely save you money, but you have to consider the opportunity cost. It takes me a few days to get through an elk. If I were low on vacation hours at work, it would be more cost effective to pay someone rather than take time off work without pay. Start keeping your eye out on Craigslist NOW for a used freezer. I found a great upright a few years ago for $100 and it works great If you just want to kill an animal and don't care about antlers, put in for doe/cow tags. When you kill it, you can always save the cape and have it tanned into a sheet of leather. That will be at least some form of keepsake. Check out WB Place in Wisconsin. You can also DIY euro the skull. All depends on how much time you have on your hands.
Quote from: Bean Counter on March 28, 2013, 12:35:07 PM I've never paid a butcher. It will definitely save you money, but you have to consider the opportunity cost. It takes me a few days to get through an elk. If I were low on vacation hours at work, it would be more cost effective to pay someone rather than take time off work without pay. Start keeping your eye out on Craigslist NOW for a used freezer. I found a great upright a few years ago for $100 and it works great If you just want to kill an animal and don't care about antlers, put in for doe/cow tags. When you kill it, you can always save the cape and have it tanned into a sheet of leather. That will be at least some form of keepsake. Check out WB Place in Wisconsin. You can also DIY euro the skull. All depends on how much time you have on your hands.Well thats just it, I might not be working this year "Lets hope thats not the case".. With my history Im having a rough time finding work. Im not necessarily gung ho about it either. So this may be my way of contributing to the family untill I can find said job/work..So saving on expenses would always be best.
Hunting is a fun activity and putting fresh, organic free ranging meat in the freezer is a gratifying bonus. However, if funds are short, don't think that you're getting into this to be cost effective. Even AFTER you have spent thousands on optics, guns, bows, ammo/arrows, boots, etc... If you average out your costs in gasoline and out of state tags you could do far better going to a local cattleman and buying 1/2 cow, driving it home in the truck, DIY cut and wrap, and throw it in that upright freezer. Exactly the research I have been doing since 2012 was a tag soup year for me