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

[bowhuntertex]

Heck for &80 per deer to skin and quarter bring it by my house in Kyle. I can save you some gas money

[Red Wing R/C]

Lesson learned.................

[Spener54]

Can I get in on that offer? I'll load the bed of my pickup with a few and head that way. I could use a few Cajun meals!!!

Pick me up in childress on the way Doc. I will throw a couple more deer in to eat dinner with you and CB.

[Reel Screamer]

It's your money, spend it like you want. BUT- IMHO, you should make an effort to at least skin and qtr yourself. It's part of the experience and should be passed on to the next generation. If all your interested in is pulling the trigger, then you should just go on a full service hunt. Not bashing here, just think people should take the TIME to take care of their kills as best as they can. Field dressing and running to the closest processor just seems like your cheating yourself out of part of the experience. What's next? Shoot a deer and call the processor from the stand to come pick him up?

[Dale]

Ted, thanks for the reminder. We can apply this to just about anything that you drop off at a place of buisness and come back later to settle up.

Always Always get some king of estimated cost before leaving the establishment.

On another note I am so thankfull butchering/processing game is something I enjoy. I really get a kick out of taking all that raw material and turning it into packages of finished foods. Shoot these day I sometimes think I get almost as much satisfaction out of the processing and sausage/jerky/ham etc... making as I do out of hunting. I really really enjoy it when others try my creations and are totaly amazed at how much better it is compared to store bought products and that there are still people that can do this.

[ted_kennedys_liver]

It's your money, spend it like you want. BUT- IMHO, you should make an effort to at least skin and qtr yourself. It's part of the experience and should be passed on to the next generation. If all your interested in is pulling the trigger, then you should just go on a full service hunt. Not bashing here, just think people should take the TIME to take care of their kills as best as they can. Field dressing and running to the closest processor just seems like your cheating yourself out of part of the experience. What's next? Shoot a deer and call the processor from the stand to come pick him up?

I have taken all the other off topic responses without issue but this point its beyond the back button. If you knew me (and you obviously don't), my love for hunting is well beyond just pulling the trigger. We obviously have differing opinions that are not going to get agreed upon. Just because I choose to have someone skin quarter and process my deer does not lessen me as a hunter or my respect for deer. I live for deer season. It is my money, it is my time and its my choice. Bringing my character as a hunter and how true I am to the sport just because of my choice on how top.process the deer is pretty freakin low. Classless.

Again the whole point of this thread was to help.

[fishingsetx]

Picked my wife's doe up Christmas eve. I did the skinning and quartering but that was it. Got 10 lbs of link sausage, the tenderloins and backstrap cut up and tenderized and the rest ground up with nothing added (ended up with 19 1.2 lb packages), cost $82.

[Harry]

I'm going to process whole deer my self and save the $$$$, well that's If I even get a deer this year lol

[redhoghunter]

It's your money, spend it like you want. BUT- IMHO, you should make an effort to at least skin and qtr yourself. It's part of the experience and should be passed on to the next generation. If all your interested in is pulling the trigger, then you should just go on a full service hunt. Not bashing here, just think people should take the TIME to take care of their kills as best as they can. Field dressing and running to the closest processor just seems like your cheating yourself out of part of the experience. What's next? Shoot a deer and call the processor from the stand to come pick him up?

I normally don't "fan the flames" but this response got to me. So applying this logic, where does the "cheating yourself out of part of the experience" end?! Does it end with the processing or does it end with the taxidermy work?!

Is "part of the experience" skinning the animal and tanning the hide , or is it making a euro mount, OR is it caping it out and doing the shoulder mount yourself?!

I agree with ted_kennedy. We all have different financial situations. We all have different time schedules. We all have different tools (meat grinders, skinning knives, taxidermy equipment) and lastly we all have different skill sets. However, I think all of us on this forum have the same passion! Hunting!

[Gringo23]

One of my buddies had a whole deer made into tamales $$$ !

[Graysonhogs]

One of my buddies had a whole deer made into tamales $$$ !

Yikes. If I were going to do that I think I'd find someone who'd make them on the halves...

[Chasin Bacon]

I knew I would take a major flaming and ripping due to this post but dang folks some response on here are pretty judgemental and just adding Sally in the wound. I never flame. I bet some of you.spend your money for things I wouldn't. Just wanted to try to help someone else from making same mistake as I did.

I am not rich by any means. I am sorry I choose to spend my money to get my deer processed. I wish I had the skills to do some of the things you do as fast as you do but I don't have the ability but am willing to learn.

I agree there are some judgemental folks on here, truth be told it takes a little thick skin (pun intended) to hang around the campfire these days.

You really can't win an argument on here because there are thousands of opinions, let's say you didn't drop it off at the processor and mentioned how you did it yourself, If you told them you skin your deer head up so the guts fall out someone will tell you that's wrong you do it head down so you can easily cut out the parts you don't want, if you tell them you field dress them in the field, they'll tell you why should have taken it back to camp first.

Hang in there, everyone's got an opinion and you know what they say about them.

[coldgas]

Mine went up this year also. I think it's because they are not getting as many deer as usual. She said the have done half the deer as they usually process.

[BTGuard]

We have a guy here in Iowa that will take a field dressed deer and process and package it for 50.

[ted_kennedys_liver]

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.

you pretty much summed it up for me - the time factor has always been my biggest fear which is why I took them to processor. It always has been too warm to try skinning and quartering by myself. I am really paranoid about meat going bad - then again I am taking my meat to someone who God only knows how they handle it (out for sure it's my meat)

I will try it next year come heck or high water. I have taken a beating on these last three deer.....if you didn't see the thread (the second processor ground EVERYTHING into chili meat by mistake. When I say everything, I mean ALL of it).