Who Processes Their Own Game

[SaskHunter]

I do my own for the most part now. We eat mostly ground meat and steaks at home so that's how I butcher my deer. I personally leave everything into roasts and thaw/cut into steaks when it's time to eat, that way I can adjust how thick I feel like eating my steaks that day.

While I now prefer to do do my own butchering, last moose I shot was dropped off to be butchered. I quartered it and packed it out of the bush by myself. Weather was warmer and I didn't have the energy/time left in me to butcher it myself, 400$ was a small price to pay to have someone do it while I was at home dying from being sore as shit.

 

[Mark1970]

I fully appreciate bringing the meat in to be processed by an experienced butcher. A butcher has a meat locker to age the meat and commercial equipment and space which is just not practical for most folks. Also, not everyone has the time to process their own animal, but they still want to hunt, and to me that is OK.

That said, I do all my own processing of large and small game including sausage making.
For me, it goes to the fundamentals of why I like to hunt. Its the primal connection to nature. Its going back to basics and harvesting from the wild to then make food.
When I pull the trigger, I feel its my job to be in contact with that animal through the entire process. I dont want to be de-burdened from the responsibility. I want to own it.

 

[jlcc381]

It is my favorite thing to do after the shot. Cutting up deer makes you really appreciate all the work you put into hunting. Sitting and eating something you handled from shot to table is quite an accomplishment.

 

[Outdoors]

I processed all my game since I was very young I was 18 years old. Have also taught my boys how to process them. I've processed hundreds of deer and like know exactly what's being done with them.

I usually only use the lions for steak and process the rest into a variety of types of sausage as well as burger. We usually eat 2 deer each per year. We love our venison.

 

[Trailsend]

We do all our own as well. The kids are involved as well. It has helped reenforce the importance of good shot placement.

 

[Wilderness_56587]

We do all our own, I find it to almost be more fun then the hunt. Trying new recipes and changing things. I try to invest in 1 piece of quality processing equipment each year, makes the process so much easier

 

[Foxtrot1]

Always processed my own game. My older brother worked as a butcher when I was a kid and I learned from helping him. As I've gotten older, the products I make have expanded to include curing, corning, and smoking. Majority of our red meat is game and we supplement with fish and gamebirds.

 

[Letthemgrow]

Born and raised on a farm/ranch so was familiar with the process from a young age. I do everything myself from salmon to moose. Actually enjoy seeing the process through to the end.

 

[802flyfish]

I will be processing my own game going forward. Killed my first Antelope last year, a rather small Doe. I went to a butcher and had the majority of the meat turned into brats and summer sausage. In the end it was 200 dollars for some cuts, brats and summer sausage.

 

[NEWHunter]

My Dad rarely brought deer home when I was young and it was always dropped at a processor.

So, when I shot my first deer for some reason we couldn’t locate somebody to cut it up. I rolled out some plastic on the garage floor and went to work - no YouTube, no books, just started cutting apart muscles and getting rid of anything that didn’t look like meat. Took me forever and my back hurt like crazy afterwards. It was fortunate my mom wasn’t around at the time or my backside probably would have hurt even worse if she found me cutting up a deer in the garage.

Since then I’ve cut a few more on my own after watching some YouTube. I leave the sausage and what not to the pros as I don’t shoot enough and the family doesn’t eat enough to justify the investment in time or money to do my own. Plus nobody is going to do a better job at that than Maplewood Meats anyway.

If it’s whitetails at home it’s off to the processor for skin, cut, wrap, and grind for $85. Just can’t justify doing it myself at that price and I am comfortable with the job they do. Plus when the wife says you can go hunting as long as the deer doesn’t come back with you, it’s an easy choice.

 

[Gellar]

I ground up 18 pounds of venison last night! The job gets easier and more fun the more/better equipment I get. With all the restaurants closing during the pandemic picking up good equipment at a reasonable price at auction might help people process at home.

 

[OverlordBear]

I have done 51 animals in the last ten years more than half have been roadkill or helping friends. I love butchering it is honestly my favorite part of hunting. I drink bourbon or whiskey and throw on some hunting shows or movies while I do it. If you want to up your cut game check this video out. Once you start intentionally cut different steaks for their intended purposes your wild game cooking really becomes much more meaningful and fulfilling.

 

[Gellar]

I have done 51 animals in the last ten years more than half have been roadkill or helping friends. I love butchering it is honestly my favorite part of hunting. I drink bourbon or whiskey and throw on some hunting shows or movies while I do it. If you want to up your cut game check this video out. Once you start intentionally cut different steaks for their intended purposes your wild game cooking really becomes much more meaningful and fulfilling.

I’ve watched their videos. They are some of the best IMO

 

[Sask hunter]

Always do as long as the weather isn’t crazy hot. Saves a lot of money especially when it comes to moose or elk since the butcher charges .85$ a pound hanging weight just to cut and wrap. Adds up on a 300-600 pound animal

 

[Bluffgruff]

I like it for the most part. I have done every animal for a couple years since I bought a grinder. I'm not quite as enthused as Randy, but I get excited when I see a really good cut. I'll stop while I'm working through things and take a minute to cook a chunk of a round or backstrap.

 

[shootbrownelk]

I've always done my own processing, except for a few times when health problems prevented me from doing it myself. I've done everything from antelope to moose and everything in between. For me it's relaxing.

 

[Trailsend]

We pull the loins and tenderloins. Most of the rest gets ground. We do keep some roasts as well as I have gotten better at cutting them. It was all trial and error. Things got better as I got better equipment. Bought a book with recipes and started making sausage, brats, and summer sausage as well. Don’t smoke a lot, my smoker is small. I enjoy the processing as much if not more than the hunting.

 

[Hammsolo]

Good afternoon,

I was hoping to get a general sense of how many people are doing their own game processing.

I’m a relatively new hunter but am a chef by trade. I think I take it for granted that I can comfortably process game and create products at home with relative ease. I really enjoy the entire process, in fact, processing my animals is one of my favorite parts of the cycle.

How many others are doing everything on their own? How many are dropping it off somewhere? Pros and cons?

I’ve recently started doing mine again with my hunting partner. We drink brews, turn on hunting shows, and have a great time. We know how our meet was killed, and processed. Cons? Hmmmmm... I gues some would argue the time, but I think the connection to the animal only grows. Field to table.

 

[Hammsolo]

We pull the lions and tenderloins. Most of the rest gets ground. We do keep some roasts as well as I have gotten better at cutting them. It was all trial and error. Things got better as I got better equipment. Bought a book with recipes and started making sausage, brats, and summer sausage as well. Don’t smoke a lot, my smoker is small. I enjoy the processing as much if not more than the hunting.

My favorite cut is the lions!!!

 

[SaskHunter]

We know how our meet was killed, and processed.

I think its one of the most primal thing we can do. Hunt, kill and eat. Whenever we eat wild game, I always think to myself: "I f'n killed this, prepared it and am now feeding it to my family". I take great pride in that.

My favorite cut is the lions!!!

Roarrrr!