Anyone ever had issues with a butcher screwing up?

[bobcat]

I will gurantee if are having burger done, you are not getting back your deer

What about if you take it in at a time of the year when they don't have any other deer? Like, say January? (that's what I do)

[bearpaw]

Last fall one of my guides took in his deer to get processded, the place lost it, 

I couldn't beleive it, they just said they lost it.....

[SHANE(WA)]

u might then bobcat, but alot places around here wont take it after a certain date, cause they do a bunch at a time

[bobcat]

It doesn't seem to be a problem. I just take in boned out meat and they are always willing to grind it any time of the year. I've done that at 2 or 3 different places.

[Curly]

I used to take in the boned-out meat at the end of the day before they cleaned up their grinder and they would grind all the meat while I watched......usually double grind it.  They would grind it and put it right back into the plastic bag that I brought the meat in.  They would only charge something like $10 for around 40 pounds of meat.  It only took them about 5 minutes. 

That was a place in Yelm.  But I guess all good things come to an end because they stopped allowing that after a couple years.

[Pathfinder101]

I used to use a butcher, just to save time.  two years ago I went to drop off my deer, and the owner told me that he had to fire his regular butcher and hire a "new" one.  When I got back my deer it looked like they had butchered it with a grenade.  Started doing my own meat after that, and guess what?  I get waaaaaaayyyy more meat than I used to....

[bearpaw]

I just had a bowhunter here hunting who is a meat cutter for Safeway and does wild game at home on his spare time. He is a very articulate person and I would imagine would be as good of meat processor as you could find. His name is Doug and he lives in the Puyallup/Graham area. If any of you want to check him out, send me a PM and I will give you his contact info......

[Pathfinder101]

I think one of the issues with a regular butcher (one that doesn't do a lot of game processing) is that they are used to working with huge animals (cattle, hogs, etc...) so they are used to only getting the best cuts of meat, and there is a lot of waste.  I don't know about you guys, but I actually prefer steaks from wild game to domestic meat, so I want every steak I can get off my animal.  Also, if I do my own butchering, I can decide how thick to cut them (thick for me, because I prefer rare meat, thin for my wife 'cause she likes hers cooked to "shoe leather").

[actionshooter]

A couple of years ago i took two elk to a shop in tumwater one was mine and one my brothers, the instructions were for steaks and the rest ground. When my brother went in to pick it up i think there was a total of 8 packages of steaks and they ground the rest. 8 PACKAGES OF STEAKS FOR 2 WHOLE ELK . needless to say we agreed to never go back there.

Seems like I remember that 

[Dmanmastertracker]

 Stewart's has fouled up like my last 3-4 deer I have taken there, I won't go back there. I'm hoping the Butcher Boys in Puyallup can do better, that's my plan.

[jollyskwala]

last year...in spokane....larger meat butcher that ryhmes with frown located on NW Blvd turned my entire deer into sausage and jerky. I was livid. They could care less..no discount. I had asked for as many steaks as possible and they returned no steaks. The jerky sucked. I has to re-marinate it and it was marginal at best. I did learn that almsot every butcher mixes everything unless you have the minimum and even then I would not trust them. This year butchered my own and brought some  meat to get a bit of sausage made.

[cabin308]

jollyskwala-
That butcher (Crown Foods) has very high prices, too. 
I will only trust Eggers Meats on Spokane's South Hill.  Steve has always done an excellent job at a fair price and he does not mix meat.   

[mossback91]

Sounds like a bunch of reasons to start doing your own

I kind of hate doing it, BUT I aint gonna spend the money on a butcher!!! too much money!! and sounds like you guys have too many bad stories

[Pathfinder101]

I kind of like doing it now.  I can make the steaks as thick as I want...

[Gobble]

I used to have this butcher who worked with my brother cut up my animals a few years back. He was very reasonable ($15 hr) and was very good. I went over to pick up my deer and I noticed a few steaks set aside and I asked him if those were mine? He acted kind of embarassed that he didn't hide them and said he kept a couple for himself. I wouldn't have minded if he asked me but thought that was kind of sneaky. Makes you wonder how often that really happens.

BTW - I cut and process all my own animals now including sausage and jerky, kind a tradition now.