Deer processing issues

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When packaging, the weight of your carcass determines how many packages of each cut you receive. Processor keeps half of all backstraps and tenderloins that are processed.
:eek:

If someone even SUGGESTED that I might get anything else than what I've killed, gutted, skinned, hung to tenderize and dry-age and it'll be cut to anything less than perfection, I'd laugh out loud. Not that I didn't have a high opinion of hunters in general and the care and respect of processing their game, but I refuse to eat tough meat and/or get an explosive diarrhea just because a processor came across an exception and dumped the result to me.

Not to mention keeping some of the better bits. No way. Unacceptable even as a concept.
 
Can't trust meat cutters anymore or afford them. We have always cut are own but some years we may each get a free or two in one day each and if dad had work we would bring them the the preacher who had a small processing business.

If I had the land and funds id buy a few years old reffer trailer.
 
We used to cut our own when I was young. Then when life got busy it was easier to just drop it off at the processor. Now I’m retired and living on an island in northern Michigan and there is nobody here that processes deer so I’m back to doing it myself. The butcher at our grocery did agree to grind for me though and that helps a lot. I’m rethinking bow hunting though. Warm weather could put me into overload trying to debone and cool meat all the same day. I don’t have the stamina I used to!
 
Processors in southwest Oklahoma are often overwhelmed during deer season. Yesterday was the first day of OK deer gun season. Early yesterday morning callers to the Lawton processor were informed no deer would be accepted until Monday.

i killed a doe last evening at about 17:00: She was taken to a processor in Cotton county.

In Oklahoma processors of livestock are licensed and closely regulated by the state, many also process game animals. Wild hogs taken to a licensed processor must be field dressed and skinned.

There are also unlicensed and unregulated processors of game and wild hogs. Savvy hunters avoid those guys.
 
We have a few local shops that are taking deer but like most here I haven't taken a deer to one in decades. I find it very rewarding to take the animal from field to table without a middle man. A few years ago I donated a big doe to our local food pantry. I took it to the approved butcher shop which was kinda sketchy. There were deer in there that hadn't been let's say all the way gutted. I was grateful for the know how to butcher my own.
 
That 10 pointer I shot on opening morning, ended up costing me $240.00 to have it processed at the local butcher, however $120.00 was to have a dozen sausages @ $10.00 each made other than that, the total would have been $120.00 just for steaks, chops, and roasts. I know that is terrible, as my best buddy and me used to process them ourselves, after having them hang in the local butcher shop at 40F for about 7 days, at a cost of $25.00 - $35.00 per deer. However, this past year my wife and I just moved to MO. so BTW the butcher my son and I took it to would not allow it to hang for a week as, when we got there there were about 25-30 deer ahead of us waiting to be processed, and we really didn't have a place to hang it waiting to age it . In fact we had to get two bags of ice to preserve it on the way back home. So a man had to do what a man had to do, if ya know what I mean. Incidentally this is the first venison we've had in about 5-6 years.
 
Here in Northeast Ohio something strange has happened, the local deer processors have started refusing deer, a few of the larger ones have put a two week hold on new carcasses.

bow hunting friends killed deer then had to scramble to find a processor as their go to place was full.

Nobody will admit to a reason except the generic nobody can find workers which I find strange in the Amish community.

Is this happening in other places?

One conspiracy theory was that ODNR tested the deer herd and found Covid.

The best I can tell by released county kill numbers we’re about average this year.
NE OH here and its the same way. Either not taking them or just taking quarters, no hide, etc. The ODNR did say they confirmed covid in a deer. Most places I was told have to cut deer in a different area than beef and pork and the cleanup takes a long time.
 
The last I remember CWD was identified in a couple commercial herds but not in the wild herd.

ODNR reported covid in wild deer but they’re asymptotic, don’t know if that’s scaring workers away?
CWD is in the wild herd around amish land. They require you to drop the head in a dump station for testing.
 
Here in Northeast Ohio something strange has happened, the local deer processors have started refusing deer, a few of the larger ones have put a two week hold on new carcasses.

bow hunting friends killed deer then had to scramble to find a processor as their go to place was full.

Nobody will admit to a reason except the generic nobody can find workers which I find strange in the Amish community.

Is this happening in other places?

One conspiracy theory was that ODNR tested the deer herd and found Covid.

The best I can tell by released county kill numbers we’re about average this year.
I wouldn't know. I process my own.
A couple sharp knives and a ice chest.
A gambrel makes it easier. A grinder allows you to make everything a processer will.
 
My northern neighbor called me yesterday after work and asked if I wanted a cooler full of beef...he just had a cow butchered at one of our local lockers and had more that he and his mom wanted (or could store). Approx 30lbs of beef in exchange for a case of Bud-Light later, we discussed my buying another quarter in the future.
He said we'd have to plan for it now because the local locker plants have gone to a reservation system and the earliest he can get another steer in is 10 months from now! They're that far backed up between orders and ranchers bringing animals in. He also reiterated that they're not taking in deer, due to the backlog of beef and pork. The guys at the locker said they are now filling a lot of orders from folks that used to buy meat from the supermarkets.

Best news is, while we were shooting the chit about beef prices etc. he confirmed the areas that are set aside for me to hunt next week when our season opens...free meat with a potential for more, win/win.
 
^^^
Good trade. :thumbup:
With the processors not taking deer I wonder if that's going to effect how many folks will be out hunting ?

I guessing it will have some impact.

I know a lot of guys at work that will shoot a deer, spend $$$ to have a large chunk of it turned into sausage and then give it away at the office. Once that deer can't be dropped off and picked up in a few days looking like packaged meat, all bets are off.
 
^^^
I've been thinking the same thing. Most of the hunters that I know can process their own deer so it's not an issue.
It's the folks who live in town and can't/won't process it who might just pass on deer hunting all together.
 
It's the folks who live in town and can't/won't process it who might just pass on deer hunting all together.
Well now, "can't" is a matter of perspective. Back when I lived in a row house I hung a deer on my balcony, 4.2 miles from downtown Helsinki, and proceeded to butcher it right there. It took a while before my neighbors started talking to me again after that.

Not that I'd do it again but it was a metric crapload of fun. I lived in upper class woke / environmentalist neighborhood and when the reality of nature came to visit, a bunch of people had slight difficulties to come to terms with it. Maybe because there wasn't an "ORGANIC" tag hanging on the carcass anywhere? :)
 
Well now, "can't" is a matter of perspective. Back when I lived in a row house I hung a deer on my balcony, 4.2 miles from downtown Helsinki, and proceeded to butcher it right there. It took a while before my neighbors started talking to me again after that.

Not that I'd do it again but it was a metric crapload of fun. I lived in upper class woke / environmentalist neighborhood and when the reality of nature came to visit, a bunch of people had slight difficulties to come to terms with it. Maybe because there wasn't an "ORGANIC" tag hanging on the carcass anywhere? :)

Good story and I would think that the "ORGANIC" part would have been implicit...? o_O
;)
 
I had a guy wanting to buy a steer, call in May.
Asked if he had sets up with processor?
He says no problem and pays me. That he will let me know in a couple days, on delivery.
He calls 3 days later, the soonest he can get a process date is Feb 2022.

A co-worker wanted a steer in July. Asked him about processing? He says a friend hooks him up. Next day he says, with is going on? He can't get processing before July 2022.

Too many not working. Processors are short handed. Price of cows is down. Beef in stores is approaching or surpassing ridiculous.
 
If you are needing to get your deer processed maybe you can do it your self.
Here are 4 videos showing how to process your own with out spending an arm & leg.








These videos were made by the Purdue Extension Educators Jonathan Ferris and Dave Osborne in a joint presentation with IN DNR that I attended.
 
Well now, "can't" is a matter of perspective. Back when I lived in a row house I hung a deer on my balcony, 4.2 miles from downtown Helsinki, and proceeded to butcher it right there. It took a while before my neighbors started talking to me again after that.

Not that I'd do it again but it was a metric crapload of fun. I lived in upper class woke / environmentalist neighborhood and when the reality of nature came to visit, a bunch of people had slight difficulties to come to terms with it. Maybe because there wasn't an "ORGANIC" tag hanging on the carcass anywhere? :)
I've had the cops called a few times for hanging deer, city people think they come up here and they are the same from where there from. Times have changed quick, when I was a kid (I'm 30)are school bus would stop to admire a nice buck hanging in someone's tree. Now the kids have ptsd and need therapy if they see a dead animal.
 
Now the kids have ptsd and need therapy if they see a dead animal.
Their teachers might too. About twenty years ago I had a scheduled regular meeting with my son's teacher and at one point she mentioned that she has noticed my son has a vivid imagination, because he talks about helping me out dressing and skinning game, shooting machine guns and so on.

The expression on her face was priceless when I laconically replied that it isn't imagination. :)

The best part is that whatever was fun and games back then is now quite decent proficiency. In a pinch I can drop a field dressed deer on his front porch and it'll magically turn into nicely butchered, vacuum packaged cuts by the next weekend, but usually it'll be teamwork.
 
If you are needing to get your deer processed maybe you can do it your self.
Here are 4 videos showing how to process your own with out spending an arm & leg.








These videos were made by the Purdue Extension Educators Jonathan Ferris and Dave Osborne in a joint presentation with IN DNR that I attended.

Good videos. Thanks!
 
Around here, since the covid hit, even my farmer friends are having a hard time finding a processor to do their beef and/or hogs. When they do, getting a spot is months down the road, since the processors are so far behind. Many just don't have the space in their walk in cooler or the time to do deer. Then there's the difficulty in finding extra help most processors used to hire during deer season. This has greatly increased the number of "temporary garage butchers" but, knowing who they are or getting their cell phone number is not like going to the Yellow pages anymore.
 
I've had the cops called a few times for hanging deer, city people think they come up here and they are the same from where there from. Times have changed quick, when I was a kid (I'm 30)are school bus would stop to admire a nice buck hanging in someone's tree. Now the kids have ptsd and need therapy if they see a dead animal.
A lot of people think meat is magically dropped from heaven wrapped in cellophane and styrofoam.

Seeing an entire dead animal freaks them out.

 
Here in Northeast Ohio something strange has happened, the local deer processors have started refusing deer, a few of the larger ones have put a two week hold on new carcasses.

bow hunting friends killed deer then had to scramble to find a processor as their go to place was full.

Nobody will admit to a reason except the generic nobody can find workers which I find strange in the Amish community.

Is this happening in other places?

One conspiracy theory was that ODNR tested the deer herd and found Covid.

The best I can tell by released county kill numbers we’re about average this year.
I have a friend that does deer processing. He says it’s not worth the time and money unless you charge more than what most people want to pay and therefore deer processing businesses tend to go out of business pretty quick. Unless you’re a professional butcher and have quite a set up it takes a long time and everybody thinks you do a terrible job.

When I was younger there’s a local guy who is a retired butcher and did deer processing. He charged $50 a deer. He usually had a two or three day turnaround and it was a good enough guy it’s a guaranteed you get your own meat back. He didn’t really eat venison much so he didn’t really want any of it either we would drop them off some honey or some maple syrup as a kicker. Now processors charge twice that and don’t have the same guarantee anymore.
 
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