[BsChoy]

Anyone in the Albany/Saratoga area know of a good butcher that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?? Last year I brought it to a place in Cobleskill and it cost 60.00. This is for just cutting and packing stew, burger, and steaks....nothing fancy and no sausage.

[lonewolf5347]

I here the prices on deer cutting are going threw the roof:I been doing my own for some past 40 years.I have done friends also for free as long as they lend a hand in my younger days but at 61 now lucky I get my body in the woods.I myself remove the meat from the bone and do cutlets steaks and roast: I also remove the sticky gel that wraps the meat I here the butchers are getting $90.00 for deboning;
I use the front shoulder for jerky or stew meat:top back straps are mine and don't give that part away to anyone:the rear legs are prime roast cutlets and steaks.

[Prof. A. Wickwire]

BsChoy,

You might want to call Route 66 Meats & Smokehouse, 518-283-0482.
They are at 195 Main Ave in Wynantskill.

I'm not sure how their prices compare, but good people to deal with.

Sincerely,

Prof. A. Wickwire

[BsChoy]

thank you prof I will definitely give them a call.

[stevereno1]

for a deer, i'd expect to pay $50 for skinning, gutting, and making some ground venison, cubed steak, some chops, stew, and roasts. Much more for an elk, or even a hog. hogs are a mess to skin. anyways, my 2 cents.

[Mantis]

Would you consider doing it yourself? It's not that difficult and you know exactly what you're getting. Driving by deer processors with the parking lots stacked with dead deer in the blazing sun influenced me to do my own butchering.

[BsChoy]

I would but where would I do it? I don't have the facilities/tools really and once I start I would want it done as fast as possible so I didn't lose any meat. I could do it in the garage but the wife would have an objection of 2 for that decision i assure you.

[Mantis]

I understand your predicament. I have a family member who gets very upset at the sight of dead animals. I skin and quarter the deer outside and drop the quarters and other meat in a large cooler as I’m working. I have a few two-liter bottles with frozen water inside the cooler to keep things cool. I then process the quarters on the kitchen table, but all you would need in the garage would be a piece of plywood across a couple of saw horses for a working table to cut up the quarters. I de-bone everything, so I don't need a band saw.