Lesson learned - ask processor what cost will be prior to dropping off deer

[txwhitetail]

Basic processing here is $95 but that includes actually cutting meat up, tenderizing, and packaging, etc.

I'm thinking skinning and quartering is 35 or so.

[Graysonhogs]

You leave the tenderloins in the deer??

Small incision on each side and you can reach in and snag em. They come right out.

[oktx]

Mine charges $75 basic process, steaks cut, tenderized, burger ground with bacon a packaged.

[BowSlayer]

The processor by my house will take a whole deer guts and all and do it for $70. That's all the steaks cut, tenderized, and wrapped. And the rest made into burger or pan sausage and wrapped. Worth more than $70 for me not to have to mess with it and he's my neighbor.

[gingib]

This! I don't gut my animals. I quarter and take backstraps without ever touching the guts. It probably takes as much time to gut your deer in the field as it would getting all of the meat off. I can see $80 to skin, quarter, debone, and package.

x10000!

And yes I take the tenderloins out without gutting it Nothing complicated

Gutting it is the biggest waste of time

[coop]

I remember when processing went from $5 to $10 I quit using a processor and started doing it myself again.

I can't believe some of the prices y'all are talking about.

All I can say WOW.

[systemnt]

how much if you chainsaw it?

[Aggiehuntress]

Have you tried the place in Marion, TX? I have always been satisfied with their work and price.

Penshorns is the only place I have sausage made, they have the best mix of seasonings. Their dried sausage is pretty tasty as well. We skin /quarter and debone them at home then take the meat over (my FIL sells their market meat to them so they let him do it himself!!)

[Joshua Flournoy]

Before I begin let me say it was my fault completely for not asking the processor what the cost would be prior to dropping off my deer. I have noone to blame but myself. All I can do at this point is share my story so hopefully it will help someone else not fall into same situation as I did.

I dropped off three deer this past week at a processor close to my house (lease is only 55 minutes from house so all I ever do is field dress and drive them there).

This time all I wanted done was deer skinned, quartered bone in and back straps cut out. That was it nothing more. The place had always been very fair before and I was relying on my memory which I believed was 80 a deer for this service. Well yesterday I picked up the deer and lady at register told me total and I just about fell out. $115 a deer. I talked to mgr and told him I thought that was too high but got nowhere and I had no choice but to pay (again was my fault for not asking). I told him "I know now and will keep that in mind in the future".

The place I took the meat to get processed in new braunfels (and where I will now be taking my deer in future to get everything done since they are only 10 minutes farther from other place only charges $75 per deer vs $115. They in a round about way told me I just got violated place I go in ne texas charges 65 per deer.

So moral to story is no matter how long you have been using a processor always ask. I know before next season I will be doing price checks for sure.

And for those that want to ask why don't you just do it yourself - its because I rather spend the extra money to have someone else do it and use the time it would take me to skin and quarter to do other things. I guess I am lazy in that regard

I can't believe any place would charge even $80 just to skin, quarter and cut the backstraps out, no wrapping, boning or grinding at all!

[Jackal]

The only reason I let a processor skin and quarter my deer, is when I'm hunting the national forest. Only because I do not have running water at the campsite. And even then it only cost $20.

[Codie]

I don't have an issue with paying $95 per deer to have them skin/quarter/debone/ process it into hamburger meat and package it. My time is worth more than that as it would take me plenty of time to complete all of that on my own.

[Tx_Wader]

Man I know a lot of folks pay to have their deer processed into hamburger, steaks, sausage, etc., but I had no idea that people were paying others to skin and quarter their deer.

[fishingsetx]

I don't have an issue with paying $95 per deer to have them skin/quarter/debone/ process it into hamburger meat and package it. My time is worth more than that as it would take me plenty of time to complete all of that on my own.

X2! I pay a bit more for it $90 to debone and grind, cut, tenderize and package the back strap and tenderloins, but well worth my time and pkg expenses. I do the skinning and quartering myself. Takes about 15 mins and we are required to log field dressed weight. I figure the average deer we kill (about 90 lbs field dressed) would take at least one box of vacuum bags probably two ($25 per box) and take me at least 2-3 hrs. Plus our processor is a good family friend and its nice to give them some business. We usually get another 10 lbs of link sausage at $2.89 a lb. So total cost comes out to $110.

I did have a processor screw up on my order sheet a few years ago. I asked for 1 lb of their jerky and the idiot behind the counter wrote down 10!!!!!!! When I went to pick it up, it was an extra $120!!! The owner basically told me too bad so sad and I ended up having to either pay the fee or leave the jerky! I paid it and haven't been back since. Kinda sucks because they also have a great meat market where we used to get all our meat. Just can't bring myself to do business with them after the attitude I got!

[BrianL]

$115 for 20 minutes work at the most and that includes hauling the guts to the gut pile.. You got hosed!!!!!!!
And people gripe about a $600 shoulder mount.

Wow. Even $80/deer seems high for about 15 minutes of work.

I skin, quarter and process all of my stuff, but have never been able to skin and quarter that quick. Not saying it can't be done, just that I have never been able to do it. Takes me about 1 1/2 hours to skin and quarter, and about 2-3 hours to process quarters.

[fishingsetx]

I skin, quarter and process all of my stuff, but have never been able to skin and quarter that quick. Not saying it can't be done, just that I have never been able to do it. Takes me about 1 1/2 hours to skin and quarter, and about 2-3 hours to process quarters.

Quartering takes about 5 mins for me. If I could skin and gut like this guy, I'd be done in 7 mins!

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/big-buck-zone/2013/10/video-skinning-and-gutting-deer-under-2-minutes

Takes me about 20-30 mins from first cut to loading the cooler including getting field dressed weight (gut then lower to the ground, attach scale, raise and weigh, lower again, remove scale and raise), filling out the tag/paperwork (MLD lease), and dumping the guts.