Do Game Processors allow you to work on the meat yourself?

[matechakeric]

I want to do the butchering but since I'm facing a 20+ hour drive home (if I'm lucky enough to get an elk), I would rather process the game before I start driving. Do any game processors just rent you a bench and space in their facility to DIY the cutting yourself?

 

[JohnCushman]

There could be an insurance issue with someone doing their own in case they get injured or slip and fall in a puddle of blood or accidentally cut someone else.

 

[S-3 Ranch]

We never did when our plant was open , we could freeze and cut into manageable pieces in a day, or even better hang and dry age like a beef ,
insurance would never allow something like self service around saws, health department would have a shit fit !

 

[rwc101]

Haven't yet found a business that will let me work on my own meat on their premises...

The meat will be fine if you keep it cool for the drive.

 

[WapitiBob]

Buy a 2x5 folding plastic table and go to work.
I’ve taken multiple elk for 24-30 hour drives in cheap coolers and ice.

 

[kwyeewyk]

If they do game they are completely slammed through hunting season, not to mention liability and health codes, not a chance. Lots of threads on here with all kinds of methods for getting meat home under all kinds of circumstances, and home processing is the way to go unless you have a processor you know and trust very well.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Take your knives and a cutting board and break it down into muscle groups on your tailgate. Most of your work will be done when you get home.

 

[BucksnDucks]

I want to do the butchering but since I'm facing a 20+ hour drive home (if I'm lucky enough to get an elk), I would rather process the game before I start driving. Do any game processors just rent you a bench and space in their facility to DIY the cutting yourself?

Curious what you mean by processing before you start driving. If you are talking about final, packaged cuts ready for the freezer I say pump the brakes. I'm a firm believer in aging deer species and think the quality of the meat will be far better packaged days later at home. Break down the elk in the field to manageable muscle groups (hang/cool if weather allows) and into a cooler.
If you can get to a butcher, you can certainly get to fresh ice to replenish a cooler/coolers. Large muscle groups will do fine in a cared for cooler for a few days. Get home, age if possible or cut and package if required.

 

[shannerdrake]

It takes an hour to quarter out an elk which you are probably already doing in the field. If you put your meat on top of block ice or bagged up ice in a good cooler, it will be good for a lot longer than 20 hours. If it’s hot out, plan on draining water and adding ice about once a day until frozen or refrigerated.

I put a quartered deer on ice on a Saturday, then an elk on Sunday. Left Monday night, drove 24 hours. Drained my coolers and added fresh ice on Tuesday night. Had to work Wednesday-Friday so didn’t actually get to butcher until Saturday. It was excellent meat and no sign at all of any sort of spoilage.

 

[Pucky Freak]

It's not terribly difficult to process an animal on your tailgate in the field. A couple years ago I brought the supplies and did it at night with a lantern b/c it was too hot during the day.

 

[Sask hunter]

Lots of places will rent cooler space to hang an animal then could do it in your tailgate or a table if you had to

 

[shb]

I want to do the butchering but since I'm facing a 20+ hour drive home (if I'm lucky enough to get an elk), I would rather process the game before I start driving. Do any game processors just rent you a bench and space in their facility to DIY the cutting yourself?

That's wy God invented tailgates.

 

[NoWiser]

It you take care of the meat you’ve got a couple weeks before you need to worry about butchering it. The 20 hour drive is no big deal.

 

[schmalts]

I doubt you would find a place that would let you do that just as much as minute lube is not going to rent you the hoist to do your own oil change.

 

[Redman]

Buy a 2x5 folding plastic table and go to work.
I’ve taken multiple elk for 24-30 hour drives in cheap coolers and ice.

This....

 

[matechakeric]

Thank you all for the responses. I want to age the meat as much as possible so hanging it a day in a tree (as long as it's very cool out), and driving 2 days with meat very cold but not frozen in cooler should do some of the aging.

Any tips for aging the meat at home a couple more days? Do I need a refrigerator or walk in to continue the aging the process?

 

[schmalts]

Thank you all for the responses. I want to age the meat as much as possible so hanging it a day in a tree (as long as it's very cool out), and driving 2 days with meat very cold but not frozen in cooler should do some of the aging.

Any tips for aging the meat at home a couple more days? Do I need a refrigerator or walk in to continue the aging the process?

Anyplace cool and dry. Cool meaning cold actually but never let it freeze. If it gets below freezing at night and a little warmer in the day that's ok if the hide is on or it's left in big parts as it will not change as fast as the Temps. I have a digital point and shoot thermometer that's great for checking it. Leaving the hide on helps with temp swings but you better make sure it's cold to first leave a hide on.. below freezing for sure

 

[Pucky Freak]

If it’s warm out I have laid meat on beds of ice in large coolers, with the lid down. Ensure the water does NOT touch the meat, by having the cooler drains open.

If it’s cool it’s also possible to hang game bags from garage rafters.

With both methods there is risk of waiting too long and risk spoilage, but even if you cut it a bit short and age 3-4 days it’s still better than 0-1 days.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I’ll echo what Schmalts said about dryness - it can help to pat down your meat with paper towels in advance to reduce extra moisture if you’ve deboned the quarters, which is sometimes required if moving elk from a CWD area across state lines.

 

[COEngineer]

My dad ran a small-town butcher shop for most of my childhood. If someone walked in and showed any interest in using a knife, their only problem would be walking away without being offered a full time job.