How many process from field to freezer?

[KnobbCreek]

Was processing a buck and got to thinking, how many people do it themselves? Or does the vast majority just drop off at the processor?

Overall I’m of the opinion if your able you should always do your own. For me it provides peace of mind that I know each step the meat has taken, from field to freezer. I’m also of the opinion it’s a great life skill. Up in AK where I’m at they even teach it in high school.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

ya never know "whose" game meat your getting back from a processor…DIY and you'll know.

 

[Nod4Eight]

I've always done my own butchering, whether it was something I hunted or raised on the farm. But I've found a processor that I really like and trust in the next town over. I'll be taking a load of hogs there after the first of the year.

 

[sanction]

I don’t process them anymore. Like Nod said I have a guy I trust.

 

[romeo212000]

Back when I still deer hunter I did everything myself.

 

[Chewbaccer]

You get jipped if you take it to the processor. I don't hunt as much as I used to, but when I do kill one, I process it the whole thing myself(well, to be fair, I save the backstrap and innerloins and cut the rest up for jerky).

 

[Ojb81]

You get jipped if you take it to the processor. I don't hunt as much as I used to, but when I do kill one, I process it the whole thing myself(well, to be fair, I save the backstrap and innerloins and cut the rest up for jerky).

mmmm venison backstrap...

 

[txTIGER1963]

I always did when hunting heavily
had our own walk in cooler and all my equipment was old usda tagged equipment I had access to buying
had easy access to pork fat and beef fat for burger and sausage making

maybe get one or two deer a year now for meat and still do them at home
if I run short on deer meat I do a goat, most would not know the diff in finished product

pigs are such a pia I would let a processer run them
I do buy boston butts on sale and grind them into sausage tho

 

[TemptressToo]

We definitely do our own butchering...but we also sometimes take the meat for processing into sausage. Speaking of deer...hubby's from this weekend. Scored a 165.

 

[Soonertshirtfan]

We definitely do our own butchering...but we also sometimes take the meat for processing into sausage. Speaking of deer...hubby's from this weekend. Scored a 165.

Nice!

 

[Copejunkie]

We do our own butchering for deer because it's always cold during deer season. Our steer is ready in summer and I don't have a cooler to hang in so it goes to the butcher. Usually do a hog during the cold Months though.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Was processing a buck and got to thinking, how many people do it themselves? Or does the vast majority just drop off at the processor?

Overall I’m of the opinion if your able you should always do your own. For me it provides peace of mind that I know each step the meat has taken, from field to freezer. I’m also of the opinion it’s a great life skill. Up in AK where I’m at they even teach it in high school.

I've hunted exactly 1 time, didn't shoot anything. But the thing that excited me most is processing the animal myself. As someone who likes to cook, understanding the cuts of meat enough to process an animal is a huge advantage. I get the sense that most hunters just turn the deer into 90% hamburger....which seems like a waste to me.

 

[KnobbCreek]

I've hunted exactly 1 time, didn't shoot anything. But the thing that excited me most is processing the animal myself. As someone who likes to cook, understanding the cuts of meat enough to process an animal is a huge advantage. I get the sense that most hunters just turn the deer into 90% hamburger....which seems like a waste to me.

If you know what your doing, take your time getting all the silver skin off. Proper cuts deer is phenomenal table fare. My family eats a lot of venison and when we have friends over they are blown away when they find out it’s deer.

 

[txTIGER1963]

daughter's first buck this year

 

[TemptressToo]

I've hunted exactly 1 time, didn't shoot anything. But the thing that excited me most is processing the animal myself. As someone who likes to cook, understanding the cuts of meat enough to process an animal is a huge advantage. I get the sense that most hunters just turn the deer into 90% hamburger....which seems like a waste to me.

I don't know any hunters that do that. They all take hams and back straps for steak.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I don't know any hunters that do that. They all take hams and back straps for steak.

I know a few. They all take the back straps but everything else gets turned into hamburger. I’m like WHY! I want a. Venison ham roast!

 

[KnobbCreek]

I know a few. They all take the back straps but everything else gets turned into hamburger. I’m like WHY! I want a. Venison ham roast!

So many great cuts of meat to be had off a deer. I personally do backstraps, tenderloins, roast, steak, flank steak, backstrap chops, cube meat, stew meat, jerky and hamburger/sausage. I want to learn to do pickled deer sticks

 

[packfancjh]

I just got into big game hunting last year and after hearing all the horror stories about butcher shops from my friends I decided to process my own and haven't regretted it one bit

 

[mrschaney]

I do it all with a Buck 110. I thought about taking it to a place one time, I can't remember the exact amount, but they wanted it gutted, skinned for what seemed like a lot of money. If i'm going to gut it and skin it, I might as well go ahead and do the rest too.