Got my elk back from butcher...somethings fishy

[jnutzalot]

jnutzalot,

Well I can call on B.S. on the Butcher if they told you 7 weeks later after dropping it off that they hadn't cut it yet.  If they had let your Elk hang 7 weeks before cutting it, it would have been rotten, you wouldn't just notice a little funk.  They either didn't want to look up the information or they didn't want to go through the cooler and look for it.

Game Meat isn't like Beef.  They do not age the same, and it shouldn't be hung as long as a Beef.  Beef is typically hung for 7-14 days.  Depending on the animal and the cuts the animal is going to be cut for.

I asked him about that and he claims they would have froze it until they got to it. I dont believe any of their *censored* at this point. I just want them to replace my meat with some farm Elk and be done with it.

[elk247]

It sounds like you have a good reason to be upset. You learn something new everyday as they say. #1. Never take the loins to a butcher shop! #2 if you have a local shop that you do business with a 2 hr drive each way isn't that far. (This is what we do for elk) I am interested to hear how this turns out for you.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Pretty hard for someone that didn't handle his elk to answer his questions.  For that he would need to locate the customers paperwork after 2-3 months and talk to the person who cut his Elk.  Otherwise the conversation is pretty much going to be a short one. 

Owner: Why wasn't I notified?

Owner: I don't know.  You should have been.

Customer:  Why did I get so little meat back when I brought in 190lbs quartered out Elk.

Owner:  I don't know I didn't cut your Elk.  I don't have the cut paperwork in front of me and the Employee that did cut your elk isn't working today.

Customer:  Why didn't they cut my elk the way I asked?

Owner:  I don't know I didn't cut your Elk.  I don't have the cut paperwork in front of me and the Employee that did cut your elk isn't working today.

Customer:  Why didn't you call me when it was ready?

Owner:  I don't know but you should have been.  We try to contact all customers with in 24 hours after there animal has been finished.  I don't have your paperwork in front of me at the moment to see if they did or didn't.

"owner" needs to learn how to run a business.
"Owner" should know why the heck it took 3 months for one of his employees to butcher an elk.
If I gave a customer the "I don't know" answers you've suggested, I'd be looking for a new job.

Owners with employees don't always know everything.

So when a Customer calls you and asks you a question that you don't know the answer to are you just going to make up something so that you can give him an answer?  Or are you going to say "Sorry Sir I do not have the answer to your question but I will look into it and have an answer for you"

You can't tell me you know absolutely everything that goes on in the shop at every moment and that you have never had to ask one of your mechanics or parts department for an update.

[Bob33]

One thing is for sure though, no matter what the outcome this will be the last time I take my animal to a butcher. I'm going to take the advice of people on here and invest in my own processing equipment.

That sentiment is understandable, but i can assure you that not all butchers are bad. In fact the vast majority I've dealt with were exceptional and exceeded my expectations. More power to you if you wish to butcher your own, but I think you got snake bit with this one.

I'm sorry you had such a poor experience.

[jrebel]

Yeah, hanging an elk for more than three weeks is a bad mojo.   That might explain the rank steak that you had to throw out. 

Have you tried any other since?  What does it taste like?

I tried a piece of tip Sirloin and the back strap. Both were rancid and smelt like a garbage can.

It was never frozen and it probably is your elk.  My guess is the reason you got so little is because he had to cut off a bunch of moldy meat. 

Just so we are clear.....I was agreeing with you on the above post (for the most part).  I do believe you have some fault for leaving it that long.  Unfortunately this will be a hard lesson learned but it sounds like you won't make the same mistake.  If you ever have to use a butcher again.....two (maybe three) weeks is the longest I would ever leave meat for standard processing.  Jerky, pepperoni, etc. etc. may take longer....but that meat is usually frozen prior to processing if it is going to take longer. 

Hopefully the butcher makes it right by you.  Well as right as it can be made.  My suggestion now would be to have a couple solutions that will make you happy and suggest them to the butcher next time you talk to him.  Let him know "these are the options."  example:  Full Refund, Keep the money and give me x lbs of beef, etc. etc. etc.  If you wait for him to suggest a resolution, you will be waiting for a long time. 

[7mmstalker]

jnutzalot,  you have my sympathy, and sincere hope for some satisfaction to "make things right" on your terms.

It is not productive , nor does it right a wrong to publicly tear down a business, that  possibly already has some serious problems.

That being said,  I have been in a very similar position and it really burns to have your patience and understanding taken for granted, it seems that you have been very patient and persistent with reasonable expectations from the beginning. 
Most of my life, I've been in some kind of "customer service" business, retail, wholesale, courier, shipping, and more.
 When the customer is habitually ignored and the responsible party -management or owner- avoids accepting the responsibility for his business and employees, the natural and correct conclusion is trouble.
I hope you can, and do pursue satisfaction, your story is heart breaking, and I am sure going forward you will at least be wiser for the experience.

[Michelle_Nelson]

jnutzalot,

Well I can call on B.S. on the Butcher if they told you 7 weeks later after dropping it off that they hadn't cut it yet.  If they had let your Elk hang 7 weeks before cutting it, it would have been rotten, you wouldn't just notice a little funk.  They either didn't want to look up the information or they didn't want to go through the cooler and look for it.

Game Meat isn't like Beef.  They do not age the same, and it shouldn't be hung as long as a Beef.  Beef is typically hung for 7-14 days.  Depending on the animal and the cuts the animal is going to be cut for.

I asked him about that and he claims they would have froze it until they got to it. I dont believe any of their *censored* at this point. I just want them to replace my meat with some farm Elk and be done with it.

They are not going to replace your Elk with Farm Raised Elk, I am willing to bet on that.

When I was working as seasonal help for the Game Processor we never froze meat until we could get to it.  I've never heard of that.  Maybe that is something this particular shop does. 

I will tell you what I will do I ask the Owner of the Shop I use to butcher my Beef/Elk and see if that is a common practice by Butchers up here and see what he says. 

[Hunterman]

Who was this so called butcher, and what town? You got hosed on your elk. No way in hell would I let some twit keep my elk longer than 3 weeks. A lot of things went way too wrong with this elk. There is not a thing you can do about it. Your elk rotted. Unfortunately this is one bad ending to an otherwise great hunt, and a great elk. I hope you took care looking for a taxi for your mount. Make sure you check out their business practice. Just like the butcher you used, they make more excuses than honor.

Hunterman(Tony)

[Michelle_Nelson]

This is what my Butcher had to say on the subject.

ME: Hey, question for you.

My Butcher:  Hi Michelle

ME:  Is it a common thing for Butchers to freeze animals if they are behind and need more time to work on them?  Specifically Game meat?

My Butcher:  Nooooo

My Butcher:  Should never happen

ME:  The reason I ask is because a fellow hunter took an Elk to a Butcher over in Packwood area and it took him 2 months to get it back, he said he didn't get anything special just the common cuts.

My Butcher:  Omg, that's horrible and should never happen

Me:  The butcher apparently told him they freeze meat when behind and are able to get to it.
He said his steaks are rancid smelling

My Butcher:  I have a 8 day turnaround. No more ever

ME:  His Elk burger looks like Beef it has a ton of fat.

My Butcher:  Probably not his elk. They let his spoil

My Butcher:  Nobody ever does that

My Butcher:  Wild game can't hang long cause there's no fat cover to protect it from rotting

[dreamingbig]

This is why I process my own meat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jnutzalot]

jnutzalot,  you have my sympathy, and sincere hope for some satisfaction to "make things right" on your terms.

It is not productive , nor does it right a wrong to publicly tear down a business, that  possibly already has some serious problems.

That being said,  I have been in a very similar position and it really burns to have your patience and understanding taken for granted, it seems that you have been very patient and persistent with reasonable expectations from the beginning. 
Most of my life, I've been in some kind of "customer service" business, retail, wholesale, courier, shipping, and more.
 When the customer is habitually ignored and the responsible party -management or owner- avoids accepting the responsibility for his business and employees, the natural and correct conclusion is trouble.
I hope you can, and do pursue satisfaction, your story is heart braking, and I am sure going forward you will at least be wiser for the experience.

I have not disclosed the name of the business nor will I if they make a reasonable attempt to remedy the situation. However, if they do not make it right, I'm not going to keep quiet - I'll make every effort to share my experience and the name of the business. 

[jnutzalot]

Who was this so called butcher, and what town? You got hosed on your elk. No way in hell would I let some twit keep my elk longer than 3 weeks. A lot of things went way too wrong with this elk. There is not a thing you can do about it. Your elk rotted. Unfortunately this is one bad ending to an otherwise great hunt, and a great elk. I hope you took care looking for a taxi for your mount. Make sure you check out their business practice. Just like the butcher you used, they make more excuses than honor.

Hunterman(Tony)

I took it to Cedar River Taxidermy in Enumclaw. I saw that several people had recommended him in the taxi thread, I was also able to physically see several of his pieces and they were all extremely well done.

[Bob33]

I took it to Cedar River Taxidermy in Enumclaw. I saw that several people had recommended him in the taxi thread, I was also able to physically see several of his pieces and they were all extremely well done.

A taxi? Maybe he thought you wanted your meat shoulder mounted. That can take up to a year.

[MtnMuley]

I took it to Cedar River Taxidermy in Enumclaw. I saw that several people had recommended him in the taxi thread, I was also able to physically see several of his pieces and they were all extremely well done.

A taxi? Maybe he thought you wanted your meat shoulder mounted. That can take up to a year.

LMAO

[jackelope]

Pretty hard for someone that didn't handle his elk to answer his questions.  For that he would need to locate the customers paperwork after 2-3 months and talk to the person who cut his Elk.  Otherwise the conversation is pretty much going to be a short one. 

Owner: Why wasn't I notified?

Owner: I don't know.  You should have been.

Customer:  Why did I get so little meat back when I brought in 190lbs quartered out Elk.

Owner:  I don't know I didn't cut your Elk.  I don't have the cut paperwork in front of me and the Employee that did cut your elk isn't working today.

Customer:  Why didn't they cut my elk the way I asked?

Owner:  I don't know I didn't cut your Elk.  I don't have the cut paperwork in front of me and the Employee that did cut your elk isn't working today.

Customer:  Why didn't you call me when it was ready?

Owner:  I don't know but you should have been.  We try to contact all customers with in 24 hours after there animal has been finished.  I don't have your paperwork in front of me at the moment to see if they did or didn't.

"owner" needs to learn how to run a business.
"Owner" should know why the heck it took 3 months for one of his employees to butcher an elk.
If I gave a customer the "I don't know" answers you've suggested, I'd be looking for a new job.

Owners with employees don't always know everything.

So when a Customer calls you and asks you a question that you don't know the answer to are you just going to make up something so that you can give him an answer?  Or are you going to say "Sorry Sir I do not have the answer to your question but I will look into it and have an answer for you"

You can't tell me you know absolutely everything that goes on in the shop at every moment and that you have never had to ask one of your mechanics or parts department for an update.

Owners better know why it takes 3 months to butcher an elk. Guaranteed I will know why it is taking 3 months to replace an engine.