Butcher poll

[CrewJones]

made my own sausage last year, for me that was overboard i must have had 6 -10 hours in it trying to figure out the right mixtures, made potato sausage, hot italian, polish it was good used 75 % pork and 25% bacon ends or mix. This year i have saved up about 75lbs for the sausage but Ill be taking it to someone that will verify i get my own meat back.

just like everything in life youtube will have 3 or 4 diff instructional videos on anything you would ever want to do. If you haven't butchered your own deer you should really think about you learn alot about the anatomy, verify meat condition, and ensure that your trimming all the tallow, fat and tendon as possible.

[IceHawk]

butcher self cut steaks roasts out and take in trimmings for bacon sausage etc.

[mnguy152]

self but take the trimmings in. The one thing i do is hold on to my trimming until feb or so to make sure I get my meat back. I figgue that time of year not too many deer meat gets processed during that time.

[picksbigwagon]

just got my butchering knives sharpened and packed last night for this weekends opener in Iowa. We (group of 8) hang the deer from Saturday, skin them and let them cool in the garage with the windows open. We hunt Sunday Morning until we are done and then process the deer in the garage. The first time I did it, it was overwhelming but after the second year, I was able to process my MN deer in less than 45 minutes by myself.

we keep some of the fresh meat and the rest is taken into the Edgewood locker for sausage, etc.

48 hours to go for me, work is gonna be rough today and tomorrow

[slimngrizzly]

Self, but i also bring the trimmings in for sticks and sausage. At $2/lb or whatever, I dont think I could do it myself anyway for that cheap... or that good.

[DonBo]

Have always done my own butchering and made my own jerkey, but used to bring the rest of the scraps in for grinding or sausage or whatever.

Since I started surfing around here on HSO and found out how easy (and fun) it is to grind and make my own burger and sausage, I'll probably never bring another scrap into a butcher for anything.

BTW, I get to butcher at the kitchen table with my wife's blessing. Can't get her to help though.

[hockeybc69]

Both.

If I have the time to get to it, I do it.

If its late season and the deer more or less freezes before I can do it, I bring those in for sure. Tried butchering a frozen deer 1 time... That was enough for me.

[TylerS]

Self butcher for the past 10 years. Never could afford to bring my deer in, so I was forced to do it myself. Not a big deal. Bought a video and went to town. After all this time, I can't imagine the thousands of dollars I've saved from doing it myself. That, and I KNOW the deer I shot is the deer I get back. Grind my own trimmings, make my own sausage and jerky. It's great having a hand in the entire process. You really learn to respect the animal a lot more.

[jerkin'm]

Self butcher-Trim to A-Meats in Maple Lake for Cheddar Brats...Couldn't imagine living long without their cheddar brats.... If we get another with the ML we will experiment with our own sausage making...

[Cheetah]

self

[ozzie]

I cut it up and make my steaks and roasts and then take in the trimming for burger, sticks, and summer sausage...

[TruthWalleyes]

Self Butcher, Self Process, Enjoy!

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

Self butcher. My last deer cost ~$450 at the butcher. A few others before were in the $300 range. Never again.

I probably spent about $1,000 getting set up with good equipment, but it'll pay for itself in two deer. The best part is that I know exactly what is going in (no mystery meat), and I have complete control over the quality of the finished product.

[leechlake]

I used to pay local people to butcher but it turned into a hassle for various reasons.

I asked someone to show me pre-internet and since then have done my own.

The first ones you do by yourself will be a little trial and error and then when you gain some confidence and knowledge you'll get good at it.

Equipment wise, it kind of turns into an enjoyable extra hunting related hobby. Over the years I added a $100 winch I have in the ceiling of my garage, gambrels, a meat grinder, sausage stuffer, and a smoker. As I type I'm making jerky on the smoker and already made breakfast sausage a few weeks ago.

For me, I look at it as a hobby I enjoy, especially the grinding and sausage. I will freeze the meat or ground venison and throughout the Winter do batches of various things. I'd suggest picking up the knowledge and then the items that make it easier and more fun as gifts for Christmas etc. Within a few years you will save money on processing and have a new hobby and after a few screw ups some great sausage. Win win win.

[Bear55]

Self

[Musky Buck]

Wish self, just picked up my goat from the butcher last night, they had over 400 brought in so far, it took exactly 18 days to get done total cost was $213.88. I had polish, beer sticks, summer sausage, then your basic 2 roasts, V steaks, tenderloin, chops. Have brought deer to 7 different places and this place now is the bomb that's why it took 18 days and they have nearly 500 brought in now, because hands down they're the best, other butchers competing with them in the area some won't get to butchering even 100 deer this year and some even way lower. My wife doesn't even get tired of the meat from this butcher, she was more excited than me last night by a lot, kids to, wish I could mention there name, but they're not the ones that need business.

[jerkbait]

Self and make all our own sausage, also do our own smoking too.

[ANYFISH2]

Both I guess. Early bow deer I will cut up myself, and the deer I get during my late season metro hunt.

Our rifle deer always go to a processer, only $50 a deer and I don't want to cut up 3 deer at one time. I not very quick at it and it isn't very enjoyable to me.

[B-man715]

We kill way too many critters to even think about bringing them in......

I could see if a guy only killed one deer a year.....but.....

Lipripperguy spent $450 on one????

Good lord, it would cost me thousands for a butcher to duplicate all of the jerky/sausage/smoking/grinding/packing etc.....

[bigbucks]

Occasionally we take one in, but not often. I took my bear in this year. It was warm, I was worn out, & I'd never done one. I didn't think $160 for everything, sausage, sticks, burger, cuts, etc. was bad at all. Wish somebody hadn't shot her with 7 1/2 shot at some other point in time though. I've found 4 pellets so far...

[Musky Buck]

Heck my buddies deer 2 years ago cost me 481.50 with dental as I bit into his 25-06 round immediately in a polish, man was I livid, first freakin polish out of the 1st pack, and wow did that hurt, I'm careful with any bird, but a deer no way, still hurts lol.

[Musky Buck]

Locker plant butchered I shoulda added, still mad about that lol.

[Barbelboy]

Self

It's way too expensive otherwise.

My total this year is

2 elk

3 antelope

3 mule deer

5 white tail.

Most animals I've ever cut up in one year was 22. Bringing it in would have cost me way too much $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

I grind my own too.

I also have a deal with my buddies. For a case of beer and 1/2 the scrap I'll cut one up for them. but I enjoy the process and the evening spent in the garage grilling fresh steaks, drinking beer and shootin the bull with buddies.

[Barbelboy]

I should clarify that I hunt 3-4 states every year and multiple species.

And my wife only shoot 'em. You can guess who does the work after the pictures are taken. She's harvested 9 animals the last two years herself!

And it's amazing how many buddies you have who like beer and happen to have a deer in the back of their truck.

[LightningBG]

I do mine myself. Getting it done is too pricey for my tastes.