Live Weight vs Dressed Weight vs Meat Weight

[DoubleDropTineTrouble]

Just ordered a cabelas 320lb big buck scale. Looking at the scale I noticed it has an estimate for Live weight and Meat weight based on field dressed weight. Based on their calcs, field dressed weight is 79.6% of the live weight and meat weight is 75% of field dressed weight. (that's about 59% of the animal going to meat)

Anyone have a great deal of experience to know if these are fairly accurate figures?? I'm assuming they didn't pull these numbers out of the air.


Here she is. The reason i bought the scale in the first place:

[MillDoo]

Thats a heffer

[Fred Bear]

those figures sound rather high to me.

[Lugian]

I would say its closer to 1/3 of the dressed weight goes into boneless meat. Maybe a touch more, say 40 percent.

Is the scale saying 59 percent of live weight goes to meat?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Fred Bear]

thats what I always thought. About 1/3 meat of the dressed weight.

[DoubleDropTineTrouble]

For example:
189lbs live weight = 150lbs dressed = 113lbs meat
251lbs live weight = 200lbs dressed = 150lbs meat


That seamed a bit high to me which is why I asked. Maybe they're not considering the meat boned??

[William H Bonney]

Originally Posted by DoubleDropTineTrouble

For example:
189lbs live weight = 150lbs dressed = 113lbs meat
251lbs live weight = 200lbs dressed = 150lbs meat


That seamed a bit high to me which is why I asked. Maybe they're not considering the meat boned??

Yeah,,, that's WAY too high.

Depending on how much fat is on the deer,, you're looking at roughly anywhere from 30 to 50lbs. of "meat" on a deer.

[Lugian]

Originally Posted by DoubleDropTineTrouble

For example:
189lbs live weight = 150lbs dressed = 113lbs meat
251lbs live weight = 200lbs dressed = 150lbs meat


That seamed a bit high to me which is why I asked. Maybe they're not considering the meat boned??

I've cut up many,many deer and have weighed them dressed, and then weighed the boneless meat afterwards. I would say 45 percent at the absolute most(that's probably a head shot deer so there is zero bloodshot waste).

Keep in mind that a deer that's shot through both shoulders loses at least 15 pounds depending on the size of the deer. A lot of guys shot them there though.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Chips]

Interesting...
Posted via Mobile Device

[langkg]

I have a 300 lb scale with the same translation and can only figure that it must have something to do with commercial butchering where they would leave the bone in like a beef steak or something.

I've butchered my fair share of deer and while I'm most certainly no expert butcher I'd say 35-40% of dressed is normal for me. For example, I cut a 135 lb dressed buck last month and came out with 49 lbs of finished (no bone) meat.

[Crowhunter]

Originally Posted by langkg

I have a 300 lb scale with the same translation and can only figure that it must have something to do with commercial butchering where they would leave the bone in like a beef steak or something.

I've butchered my fair share of deer and while I'm most certainly no expert butcher I'd say 35-40% of dressed is normal for me. For example, I cut a 135 lb dressed buck last month and came out with 49 lbs of finished (no bone) meat.

This is very close to what you will get .Bud

[redshirt32]

The last 2 bucks that I got weighed 160 and 162 and I think I ened up with between 60 and 70 lbs. of no bone meat. Yum Yum.

[Spike Country]

Originally Posted by langkg

I have a 300 lb scale with the same translation and can only figure that it must have something to do with commercial butchering where they would leave the bone in like a beef steak or something.

I've butchered my fair share of deer and while I'm most certainly no expert butcher I'd say 35-40% of dressed is normal for me. For example, I cut a 135 lb dressed buck last month and came out with 49 lbs of finished (no bone) meat.

I agree with these numbers. They must be including the bones to get the other figures.