Common practice?

Yep thats JJ's. Just took a deer there a couple weeks ago. From what I heard the ownership changed hands since last season. I had a positive experience with the new management and no complaints.

The meat that I got back tasted fine as usual. I have no affiliation or ties to them. Just the place I have always gone and is closest to me. I do not think much of it with the new ownership learning the ropes and having more deer than expected. This is their first time dealing with a large rush of people so I'm sure they have a better idea of what to do in the future. From the sounds of it, it sounds like they are doing a good job with the large amounts of deer being brought in and putting a daily limit.

 

I got my first deer in about 20 years, a doe. I do know how to do them myself and have done a few.

I would have done this one but just no time as the day I came home I had to do on an emergency overtime shift at work

I took it to the Amish near my cabin. Looks like a real nice place, there were ladies cutting up deer in the back that looked like the girl on the Blue Bonnet margarine box.

When I dropped the deer off at the side of the building, a young man was skinning one that was hanging. He helped me unload it and laid it next to where he was working. I dont know where they keep the deer but I think they are hanging in the building behind where he was working.

I am sure they will do a fine job. I tried some of their summer sausage, it was fantastic so I had them make 10lbs of it from my doe.

The older man that must own the place has one hand with a thumb and his baby finger. The rest must have got cut off sometime in his lifetime. He also has the vegetable and bakery stand down the road, he is quite the guy

 

Doing it myself scares the bejesus out of me. Someone did try to teach me when i was like 15 and i remember him with a blow torch trying to get every hair off followed up by the nastiest tasting gamey venison steak you can imagine. Been afraid ever since.

Even if i got over that fear... having the time and place are big issues for me. I envy those guys with the walk in coolers, skinning areas, tables, grinders, sealers, tools and TIME. For me, i struggle to have time to get them to the butcher honestly. I have to schedule my hunts around that idea... 'if i shoot a deer when could i drop it off...' I have to sit out afternoons because the butcher is closed and i have to work the next day.

Interesting thing here is i bet there is a market out there to keep a processor busy at a higher price point with cleaner facilities, better packaging, etc. I generally expect to see a pile of deer outside the back door of those guys who advertise deer processing for $45.

 

You tube it. AIN'T that hard. Lot's of vids on how to do it. Watch a vid on skinning. Watch a vid on quartering. Watch a vid on cutting and packaging. Some aren't that great, but some can teach the basics.

 

I agree. How I learned was with a VHS tape long before the internet.
Went like OK cut here.
Stop the tape. Run into the garage make the cut. Start the tape. Cut here. Stop the tape.
Next thing I knew I had cut up my own deer!
And that was all done with a 6" boning knife. Great video. I still have the tape someplace but nothing to watch it on lol

 

It takes me less time to cut up a deer myself as it would to load it up, haul it to a processor, deal with that business, then drive all the way there and back again to pick it up when done.

 

Most of these places are just gross...and good luck getting your meat back from the grind.

Learn to do it yourself unless you like eating wtf surprise burgers.

 

Skin it with the truck, no hair:

Backstraps before:



Backstraps after:



Ham before:



Ham after:



Add a foodsaver and an inexpensive grinder and that's it. I quarter the deer and put the meat in food grade plastic bags and store in the refrigerator until I cut it up. It ain't rocket science.