Price per pound of deer

[Rembrandt]

Depends on what "deer hunting accessories" are bought. Have had years it probably ran over $150 per pound, other years it might be $3 lbs.

Those higher years factored in new guns, Swarovski optiks, an ATV, and travel/licenses for multiple states.

 

[wombat13]

Until he retired dad was self-employed. He would close the shop the first day or 3 of deer season. He figured it cost him +/- $1000 wether he got a deer or not.

Economists call this the opportunity cost of time. The time you spend hunting is time that you can't spend doing something else. Even if hunting is the thing you would most like to do with your time, there is an opportunity cost of going hunting. The opp cost is benefit that you would have received had you done the next best thing instead of hunting.

This is the single biggest cost that most of the posters here fail to address. Why do you think you see so few surgeons or high priced lawyers in the field? Two or three days hunting equates to several thousand dollars of income.

 

[countertop]

Here's, by far, the best video on field dressing and processing deer.


If your not worried about a trophy, and just want the meat, its pretty easy to skin the animal. You'll figure it out once you field dress one.

If you are going to process it yourself, I'd suggest you get a dedicated boning knife (you could use your hunting knife, but a boning knife is better - I paid $24 for my Forschner-Victorinox 5 Inch Boning Knife on Amazon.com) and a gambrel to hang the deer with ($15 or 16).

You might also want to get some rubber medical gloves. You can pick up a box of 100 for $1 or $2 at Wal Mart in the pharmacy section.


As far as actual cuts, I tend to just cut the large muscle groups out from the bone, and then I go back and clean them up with the knife and put them into the cuts I want.

There are plenty of videos available for sale on butchering. And the end of the video up top they get into some of it. They've got a great video for $15 or so. Here's a different video on butchering. This guy is butchering a roe deer, but its basically the same.

Best way to do it though is to get out and shoot a deer.

As far as a gun, you can find cheap rifles. An old SKS works, or one of the old soviet military surplus rifles. Heck, you can use a handgun. Whitetail deer aren't that tough to kill and most of the discussion on line about acceptable ammo is pretty much overkill.

 

[Captcurt]

A Lot Less Than a Bass.

It can't be as much as I pay for fish. I crunched the numbers and bass cost me about $1700 a lb.

Most of the places here charge $75 to $100 to process a deer. I hunt two states and normally take 5 or 6 a year plus I pay about $500 for license. So that is 6X$75= $450+ $500=$950. Then you can add a couple hundred for gas, food, ammo and misc. That's $1150 not counting motel fees if you don't hunt from home or go to deer camp. If I take 6 deer that average 110 lbs, that is 660 lbs of which maybe 360 lbs is edible. That gives you a price of $3.19 per pound. I can handle that.

 

[cerberus65]

Wow so from pennies to crazy amounts per pound. I appreciate the replies. To those who asked, I just don't hunt because I never have. Like I said originally I would like to get into hunting. I'm currently laid off and trying to justify the purchase of a rifle to hunt deer with. Deer season opens here on 11/13 and if it makes sense I will buy one and fill the freezer. I have a great place to hunt at a relatives who lives in the Ozarks and always has deer on his land to the point of being pests in his garden. Just wanted to see if it made monetary sense.

This I can relate to! I was deprived as a child and was not taught to hunt or fish or even shoot. I started getting into hunting a couple of years ago with the express purpose of learning how to acquire meat in case of necessity. Employment or gov't scenarios that could lead us to that are numerous but will remain unmentioned so as not to sidetrack us (or get me in trouble

I have very much enjoyed the process of learning a bit about deer hunting. The first year I only went out a couple of times. Last year I went out a bunch but still did not get a deer. But I was learning and even saw several deer. This year I scored a small buck on my 4th trip into the woods. I will continue to hunt with some friends but it will be a different feel this year since I'll already have meat in the freezer. I guess my point is that there's a variable amount of effort involved and luck definitely factors into it.

If I were in your shoes I would first ask about the chance of success. The garden pest situation you described sounds very promising but I'd ask all sorts of questions to make sure.

Then I'd remind myself that folks dragged deer out of the woods long before there was camo or scent cover or 1000s of other "must haves" were even invented. Don't wear bright stuff and mind the wind. Deer are easily spooked but seem to have a short attention span.

Then I'd make the rounds of the local guns stores looking for a used but good condition .30-30 lever action rifle. Then I'd buy some ammo and shoot until I convinced myself I could hit a paper plate at the required distance (most likely 50-75 yards given what you described). If you've never shot a rifle that might cost some money. If you have then maybe only a partial box would be enough. Either way there's not much sense of shooting at an animal that might move if the wily paper plate is still eluding us. And I'm not going to go into the ethical issues other than to say I think we owe it to the animal to make a good shot.

Ideally then I'd go get in place and be very still before the deer usual come to snack and then shoot the plumpest doe that comes in (assuming doe tags aren't overly expensive). And then I might wait around to see if they come back and shoot a second one.

Assuming butchering it yourself, not too much ammo, and $250-300 for a decent .30-30 you could easily come out ahead of store bought meat. But on the other hand there's always the risk of coming home empty-handed even after spending all the money. Luck, unfortunately, plays a big part. And when unemployed that luck factor is going to feel an awful lot like Dirty Harry's "do you feel lucky?"

Best of luck (on the deer and job hunting)!

 

[bodul67]

I probably spend over $1000 a year for tags, food plots, ammo, etc. But it doesn't matter, to be out in the fresh clean mountain air and peace and quite is all worth it. After working construction in Manhattan, NY all week, it's a place to go and recharge my sanity.

 

[41magsnub]

I view hunting as a recreation activity.. a hobby if you will that gets me out of the house and into the woods with friends and guns. If I analyzed the economics of it I'm sure buying a side of beef would be cheaper.

 

[Zombiphobia]

I would estimate about 300 dollars I've spent in the last couple of years for hunting supplies, gas to drive to my preferred locations, ammo, etc.. most of it on scouting efforts and target practice.

and in the last 3 years I've killed ONE deer(only hunted a few times in the last 3 years), at about 85-90 lbs, a pretty small buck. Actually a nubby on doe weekend. What luck, huh?

But you know what, I enjoyed the hunt and BBq'ing him. He tasted really good, was very tender.

But heck, for the time I got out of the house, had some free time alone to relax and be in the woods and watch animals, it was worth every penny.

 

[caribou]

With gas a 7.85$ a gallon we run about 30cents a pound in the Summer and .10cents in winter, simply because we have more acess to the Caribou in winter, as they have Winter Range near by then, and we find only occasional strays and groups in summer, near the water where we boat around. But I have shot Caribou in Camp and from my houses front porch.....

Moose is dirt cheap, and so are Muskox, as we shoot them right outta town, and only one a year.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well, depending on how many deer I get, currently with only one for the season so far, and it was sorta small, $3.00 per pound, including cost of ammo, gas, license, and processing by a meat cutter. I live in suburban Maryland, just on the fringe of an agricultural area, so it's 5 minute drive to hunt, and the butcher is an old old friend, and only a mile from where I hunt.

It would cost me much more to play golf at the public courses.

LD

 

[d2wing]

If you by a vest, hat, rifle you have fixed cost to spread over many years. Then you need annual expendables like lic, ammo, gas to get there and any processing. Since guns don't depreciate much you can deduct it's value from you fixed cost. For some guys it's pretty cheap. For my son it's pretty cheap because he rides with me and uses my guns and ammo. For me it's more expensive because I provide pretty much everything except his License.

 

[kaferhaus]

Why would you want to figure the COST?

How depressing is that?

Some things a best left mysterious....

I'd be afraid my wife would find out.....and immediately make a run for the nearest shoe store....

 

[Mudinyeri]

Let's assume the rifle and cold weather clothing are sunk, fixed costs. My variable costs would include:

Ammunition: $1.00/round
Fuel to drive to my farm: $3.19/gallon (Diesel)
Processing: $85.00/Deer
Land owner tags: $17.50/2 Deer

I'd say the average whitetail on my farm would produce about 50 lbs of meat. I have to drive about 100 miles from my home in town to my farm at about 20 MPG. That's 10 gallons of diesel round trip. So, the cost per 50 lbs of meat would break out something like this:

1 Round of Ammunition: $1.00
10 Gallons of Diesel: $32.00
1/2 of Land Owner Tag: $8.75
Processing: $85.00
Total: $126.75
Divided by 50 lbs of Meat: $2.54/lb

I suppose I could argue that the diesel shouldn't be counted as I visit my parents at their home near my farm. Nonetheless, even with the fuel included, I'm getting some of the best meat available for $2.54/lb. You can't beat that at the local market. Go try to buy "organic" beef for $2.54/lb. LOL

To the OP, if you're laid off, need to buy a rifle to hunt and have never hunted before, it's a completely different proposition. You may very well end up without a single deer. In which case, you've purchased a rifle, clothing, supplies, licenses, fuel, etc. and have nothing to show for it. That's very different than guys like me, another others who've replied, that already own all the clothing, supplies, rifle, etc. and know where and how to hunt to all but gaurantee success.

You might consider befriending some hunters, however, as many of us end up with more meat than we can store or eat in a year and will gladly give it to a friend in need. My church puts on an annual game feed. I usually donate meat. I'd just as soon give it to a family that I know and care about.