Cost of butcher bill for my elk!!!!!

[jackelope]

Well in defense of the non processing hunters. It’s probably a time issue. Most guys still working have limited time off work to hunt.
You shoot your animal, do you bail on your buddies with you to take it home, or stay finish out with them.
For me I supply 90% of the camp equipment. If I got an animal early, I would hand off to my wife on the pass, and stick with my buddies hunting other things.

By the time I got home from elk and deer, there just wasn’t time to process meat. With all the gear to put away and get back to work.

Now I am retired and a little more willing to take on the job depending on timing.

What freezers are for. I hunt solo and put 3-6 animals a year in freezer. I’ve never processed right after a hunt. Like mentioned have a job. Do it when I can.  Problem I see with most is they don’t value the meat and don’t make it a priority.

LOL. So because a guy uses a processor, that means he doesn’t value the meat?

[Mtnwalker]

Well in defense of the non processing hunters. It’s probably a time issue. Most guys still working have limited time off work to hunt.
You shoot your animal, do you bail on your buddies with you to take it home, or stay finish out with them.
For me I supply 90% of the camp equipment. If I got an animal early, I would hand off to my wife on the pass, and stick with my buddies hunting other things.

By the time I got home from elk and deer, there just wasn’t time to process meat. With all the gear to put away and get back to work.

Now I am retired and a little more willing to take on the job depending on timing.

What freezers are for. I hunt solo and put 3-6 animals a year in freezer. I’ve never processed right after a hunt. Like mentioned have a job. Do it when I can.  Problem I see with most is they don’t value the meat and don’t make it a priority.

Nothing wrong with using a trustworthy processor.
Nothing wrong with doing it yourself.

There is no wrong way.  Do what works for you and let others do the same.

  The ego around this place is laughable sometimes

[TriggerMike]

Do people not discuss pricing with businesses before agreeing to pay them for a service? Makes no sense.

[Ridgeratt]

I like the people who when they are getting their deer processed. Lines the butcher out on all the fun cuts. Never bothering to ask the cost. Then they suffer sticker shock when they get the bill.

[Ridgeratt]

Grandson was taught that lesson on a bear. He took it to the butcher in port orchard and made his requests.
Not sure his dad was so keen on it. When they went to pick it up.

[MADMAX]

Usually only happens once

[Naches Sportsman]

Well in defense of the non processing hunters. It’s probably a time issue. Most guys still working have limited time off work to hunt.
You shoot your animal, do you bail on your buddies with you to take it home, or stay finish out with them.
For me I supply 90% of the camp equipment. If I got an animal early, I would hand off to my wife on the pass, and stick with my buddies hunting other things.

By the time I got home from elk and deer, there just wasn’t time to process meat. With all the gear to put away and get back to work.

Now I am retired and a little more willing to take on the job depending on timing.

What freezers are for. I hunt solo and put 3-6 animals a year in freezer. I’ve never processed right after a hunt. Like mentioned have a job. Do it when I can.  Problem I see with most is they don’t value the meat and don’t make it a priority.

Nothing wrong with using a trustworthy processor.
Nothing wrong with doing it yourself.

There is no wrong way.  Do what works for you and let others do the same.

Yep just don’t complain to buddies or the internet about the price if you bring it in. I have yet to see a non profit game animal butchering business.

[follow maggie]

Grandson was taught that lesson on a bear. He took it to the butcher in port orchard and made his requests.
Not sure his dad was so keen on it. When they went to pick it up.

Farmer George?

[idaho guy]

Well I went to Idaho to set up a camp for my friend who lives there he drew an any bull moose tag.
Shot a moose and had a devil of a time finding anyone  to cut and wrap it. Only guy who would do it, wanted it boned and clean . Which we did in my friend’s garage.

 

There is actually what I would call a shortage of wild game butchers in at least cda and surrounding areas now. Its weird. I think I have used most in the area over the last 30 plus years for everything from pigs and cows to any wild game. Some became really picky on how the game was taken in. Others have quit taking wild game altogether. I just picked up 2 elk and 3 deer and the bill was like a mortgage payment 😂. I grew up processing our own meat and do a little sometimes, but I have limited free time so I prefer using as much of that time as possible to be hunting not processing. It is getting harder to make that decision with how our processors have changed. My current butcher is fantastic and we do a lot of sausage etc. so the cost is even higher. Not sure this post adds anything to the conversation other than I am not surprised you had some difficulty getting the moose processed.

[GWP]

I would guess butchers got tired of people bringing in dirty, haired up, improperly cared for critters then complaining when they get charged for, well, dirty, haired up, improperly cared for critters.
I know I had to bite my tongue when my processing partner (wife) wrote her name on EVERY tenderloin and backstrap package and said “These are mine. You get the rest.”
Ouch!
Still was worth it. She did share in the end though.

[Ridgeratt]

Grandson was taught that lesson on a bear. He took it to the butcher in port orchard and made his requests.
Not sure his dad was so keen on it. When they went to pick it up.

Farmer George?

I never asked.

[BNAElkhntr]

I think generally you will pay more on the west side than eastside.
We always take our elk to Naches Meats.

On westside I took a cow to TNT Meats. It cost alot more but I knew that up front. And had no complaint.

I think there is a requirement to clean their whole process area after doing wild game, before like  beef can be done. Alot of butchers just dont mess with it.

 




 I Haven't Heard of Naches Meats,  If by chance Your Referring to Nile Valley meats they  closed last Year

[TeacherMan]

Well its been a decade since this thread has been alive and I'd love to see the prices of the game that was mentioned on it I normally always butcher my own critters but with helping my mom move and my daughters sports schedule I went ahead and dropped off her elk at a butcher. We didn't get anything fancy done, steaks, burger, etc... Well dam I should've asked how much, $450 for a cow elk cut and wrapped. Not blaming the butcher, he's doing his job, not even going to say the shops name, just a stiff reminder of why I always butcher my own game and not to get lazy.

How did that pencil out per pound?

He does it by the animal not by the pound. According to my wife I should've just hit the burger sale at our local IGA 

How much meat did you get back weight wise? He doesn’t weight it?

I got back quite a bit, but not weighed. Filled 4 big mess potato bags to the top.

[TeacherMan]

Learn to do it yourself, why would you go through 90% of the harvesting process and leave the last and maybe most important step to someone else? 

I have always done it myself, been doing it for over 30 years. Just got busy helping my mom move and life. Definitely won’t get too busy again 😂 I will say he did an amazing job!

[TeacherMan]

Well in defense of the non processing hunters. It’s probably a time issue. Most guys still working have limited time off work to hunt.
You shoot your animal, do you bail on your buddies with you to take it home, or stay finish out with them.
For me I supply 90% of the camp equipment. If I got an animal early, I would hand off to my wife on the pass, and stick with my buddies hunting other things.

By the time I got home from elk and deer, there just wasn’t time to process meat. With all the gear to put away and get back to work.

Now I am retired and a little more willing to take on the job depending on timing.

What freezers are for. I hunt solo and put 3-6 animals a year in freezer. I’ve never processed right after a hunt. Like mentioned have a job. Do it when I can.  Problem I see with most is they don’t value the meat and don’t make it a priority.

Nothing wrong with using a trustworthy processor.
Nothing wrong with doing it yourself.

There is no wrong way.  Do what works for you and let others do the same.

Yep just don’t complain to buddies or the internet about the price if you bring it in. I have yet to see a non profit game animal butchering business.

Never said the shops name on purpose 🤙🏼 I did say they did a great job. My point was just it shocked me how much it had increased. Always ask 😂