Pink camo, #dadbodhunter, and a whole lotta stupid!

[Nick87]

They are getting there. I have been training my foreman since he started in the industry a little over 3 years ago. In the job training by me every day. He can now run the job site when I am not there. He is in his early 20s though and still learning how to be a good leader and how to keep the ego in check. I handpick the jobs while I am gone, mostly commercial and municipal work where I can double check before billing. We hired his then girlfriend, now fiancé over the summer and she is a little firecracker. I’d put her up against most grown men! Still learning but a solid part of the team. They are great and work their butts off, part of the family! They hang out with my kids after work most days and even the occasional water fight in the afternoons. Biggest blessing of all is that I only work a 3 day work week in the field now. They work 5. I do bids, paperwork, and all the other business ownership stuff 7 days a week though before my kids wake up. Luckily we homeschool and they aren’t up till after 9am most days.

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Spending the majority of the week with my kids is the real stuff in life though! That is what really matters at the end of the day. Be involved in your kids lives, you don’t get a redo!

Amen. Good bosses are hard to find just like good help, maybe even harder. Hope it stays that way for all of you guys.

 

[Dsnow9]

I don’t drink whiskey anymore but putting this one of a kind (coffee) cup to use while I cut up the last quarter of my nm elk. Thanks @Ben Lamb !!! I told you I would figure out how to buy one sooner or later!

 

[Dsnow9]

I was asked about the aging process and how much loss due to the shell. @SwaggyD said he cuts his right away. Maybe we will do a test on my MT buck. Let him process a hind right away and I’ll age one for a couple weeks and see what the yield difference is.

I didn’t take starting and ending weight but the shell bucket (red bin photo) was 6lbs. That included all the little trimmings shell, large cartilage chunks, and blood shot of joint messiness.

Hey Mr. Blue jeans! Maybe that’s why you buy a cow instead of eat game meat all year! You know they hang a cow for like 20 days before they cut it right?

 

[Dsnow9]

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I was asked about the aging process and how much loss due to the shell. @SwaggyD said he cuts his right away. Maybe we will do a test on my MT buck. Let him process a hind right away and I’ll age one for a couple weeks and see what the yield difference is.

I didn’t take starting and ending weight but the shell bucket (red bin photo) was 6lbs. That included all the little trimmings shell, large cartilage chunks, and blood shot of joint messiness.

Hey Mr. Blue jeans! Maybe that’s why you buy a cow instead of eat game meat all year! You know they hang a cow for like 20 days before they cut it right?

On a side note, this is only my first season processing my own meat. So loss from removing the shell will improve as time goes on.

 

[Ben Lamb]

On a side note, this is only my first season processing my own meat. So loss from removing the shell will improve as time goes on.

My experience only, but don't try to save every scrap if it looks mildly suss. Quality over quantity, even for the grind pile.

 

[shannerdrake]

My experience only, but don't try to save every scrap if it looks mildly suss. Quality over quantity, even for the grind pile.

Valid and world-class advice. My experience is people have a much lower threshold for off-putting experienced with wild game. The same folks that will chew on a gristly cheap beef steak will complain about chewy elk steak. Although I will say that they are not deserving of my elk, they are close friends and family so they get a pass.

Extra care during the trimming and packing process will always yield a better product that will increase enjoyment and use.

Plus trim is never wasted in my house. I make the best dog food in the world with it. My pups have learned when I get out my “butchering board and knife” that good things are coming. They watch me like a hawk, drool, and beg for bites.

 

[cgasner1]

On a side note, this is only my first season processing my own meat. So loss from removing the shell will improve as time goes on.

I upgraded to a new fridge this year but my go to move for last 7-8 years is to stack quarters in a regular fridge and ratchet strap is shut and don’t open it for minimum of a week. Excited to try and actually hang quarters in the new one

 

[SwaggyD]

Let him process a hind right away

That ain’t happening!!

 

[hank4elk]

Nice cooler dudes.
Mine is shade of a pinion tree...

 

[rmyoung1]

I upgraded to a new fridge this year but my go to move for last 7-8 years is to stack quarters in a regular fridge and ratchet strap is shut and don’t open it for minimum of a week. Excited to try and actually hang quarters in the new one

Your storage solution for those totes is genius

 

[cgasner1]

Your storage solution for those totes is genius

It’s free real estate for most garages. Built the wife one for holiday stuff in the basement

 

[rmyoung1]

It’s free real estate for most garages. Built the wife one for holiday stuff in the basement

 

[rmyoung1]

It’s free real estate for most garages. Built the wife one for holiday stuff in the basement

The fact that you can remove the middle two rows without unstacking everything… bravo!

Sorry for the hijack. Now, back to the regularly scheduled programming….

 

[Dsnow9]

I’m all packed up. It’s been a wild week with a big fall snow storm that caused a bunch of storm damage. It’s 11:40pm and I’ll be on the road shortly after I wake up! Here’s to a wild next 11 days!

11 days
1 MT deer tag
1 Co 4th season e/s elk
1 Co 4th season buck deer (neighboring unit)

But most of all, I have the best wife ever! Who is holding down the fort with the three girls! Somehow she hasn’t murdered me yet. This fall has definitely been wearing on her but you wouldn’t know it. She will be absolutely ecstatic when hunting season is over though!

 

[Dsnow9]

 

[vanish]

Safe travels! Good luck.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

 

[Dsnow9]

Well I made it to billings. Truck lit up like a Xmas tree about 20 miles outside billings. Had the scanner in my truck and misfire on cylinder one. Limped it to billings and replaced the ignition coil and spark plug. Everything seemed good till I got about 20 miles out of billings. Check engine light came back on so now I’m at a mechanic in billings.

 

[BrentD]

Man, I feel for ya. Why these things happen on the road, when hunting, I'll never understand.

Good luck.