Home Butchering

[Redmt]

For the last few days, many days , we have been cutting up, boning out, grinding and smoking a nice size piggy probably in the 250#+ range. So far around 30 pounds of a couple flavors snack sticks ( wife loves snack sticks). We spent the good part of a day smoking and vacuum packing sticks. Then I smoked 30-35 pounds "hams" to be sliced into sandwich meat. Yesterday and today we have been stuffing sausage links. We maybe have 20# done with at least that much more to go. We quit for the day because it got too hot in the shop to be comfortable. My darling wife of nearly 53 years looks me dead in the eye and says "will you quit killing shit?". I got no response for that one. Deer season starts next month.

 

[WYWINCHESTER]

Air conditioner in the shop.

 

[Redmt]

Air conditioner in the shop.

I'm running 2 11,000 cfm swamp coolers.

 

[Redman]

Does your wife enjoy the delicious meat that your efforts produce?

 

[Redmt]

Does your wife enjoy the delicious meat that your efforts produce?

You should notice that I make reference to "we". That would be her!

 

[Redman]

You should notice that I make reference to "we". That would be her.

I hear similar and get help from Mrs. Redman but she hates the butchering/meat craft part. I just remind her months later how it was worth the time and effort. She tends to forget every fall when we do it again.

 

[Boarmaster]

Air conditioner in the shop.

This , cheaper than a divorce……

 

[Boarmaster]

I have noticed many more people enjoy snack stix over just wild game burger or steak. I call it the gateway drug into getting spouses and family to eat wild game.
I think some of it is just convenient as you dont have to cook it.

 

[Redmt]

I have noticed many more people enjoy snack stix over just wild game burger or steak. I call it the gateway drug into getting spouses and family to eat wild game.
I think some of it is just convenient as you dont have to cook it.

Don't have to cook it? It's the same prep time and has to be slow smoked for hours.

 

[Treeshark]

I have noticed many more people enjoy snack stix over just wild game burger or steak. I call it the gateway drug into getting spouses and family to eat wild game.

So true. My wife for the longest time would not touch venison. I need to double my hot sticks order nowadays, they just disappear.

 

[Redmt]

We finished up the link sausage flavors and a bunch of 1# packs. We had to make sure that we had at least another 20# set aside for more snack sticks when more flavor and skins come in next week.

 

[Boarmaster]

Don't have to cook it? It's the same prep time and has to be slow smoked for hours.

If you give someone a pack of snack sticks they don't have to cook it. They just pull it out of the pack and chew it up. If you give them raw meat then they have to figure out how to use it.

 

[Boarmaster]

So true. My wife for the longest time would not touch venison. I need to double my hot sticks order nowadays, they just disappear.

A few of my buddies would give away their deer to someone in camp as their wives wouldn't eat it. They might take the back straps home but the rest they would give away.
One buddy in particular decided to get some snack sticks made. His wife who swore she would never eat venison gobbled them up. The next year he had some burger made as well as sticks. She started using the burger in pasta sauce and different things.

My buddy doesnt process his own game as many of us do. But now enjoys shooting more doe early in the season. He has plenty of money so he doesnt mind paying for the processing so long as it gets eaten.

I have given raw venison away a few times where later found out it never got used. I never had any sticks I gave away that didn't get eaten.

 

[np307]

I've slaughtered one hog in my life when there wasn't frost on the ground. Never again. More power to you.

 

[Redmt]

I used to send meat in to have sausage and sticks made from pigs. I'd send venison in for steak and burgers as well as sticks. It was just too much added expense so we started doing it ourselves. This year we picked up a Hakka 7# sausage stuffed and that made it easier yet. My biggest "chore" is the smoker. Keeping a good temp balance is a little tricky.
I have a buddy that drew a tag out of state for monster elk. We ended up with about 50# of steaks, back strap and burger. His wife didn't like it. Luckily mine loves it.

 

[Boarmaster]

I used to send meat in to have sausage and sticks made from pigs. I'd send venison in for steak and burgers as well as sticks. It was just too much added expense so we started doing it ourselves. This year we picked up a Hakka 7# sausage stuffed and that made it easier yet. My biggest "chore" is the smoker. Keeping a good temp balance is a little tricky.
I have a buddy that drew a tag out of state for monster elk. We ended up with about 50# of steaks, back strap and burger. His wife didn't like it. Luckily mine loves it.

I had a guy make me 40 lbs of snack sticks once. I basically lazed out. I felt it was expensive. I have done sticks myself so I know its quite a bit of work so I didnt begrudge him . And they were very good.

It probably had been a good deal if I had just taken him the deer. But he charges the same if you bring boned out meat as if you just dumped the deer in the yard.
I sort of understand why he does that. But after that one time I got back to making my own.

 

[Redmt]

I've known the same guy for years. He has a nice 2 man shop behind his farm house. He would charge $50.00 for skinning I think. $1.00 pound for process and wrap and $5.00 for sticks.

 

[Treeshark]

He would charge $50.00 for skinning I think. $1.00 pound for process and wrap and $5.00 for sticks.

That’s a great deal if he’s still charging that!

 

[JV842]

Just finished slaughtering a bull calf for one of my older cousins, got him quartered n hanging in the walk in rt now. Going to let him hang for a couple weeks, then butcher it for him. 516# hanging weight. He lets me n my grandkids do pretty much anything we want on his ranch so I refuse any $$$$ he always offers. But I couldn’t refuse a few bottles of his homemade agarita berry wine he just finished up!!!