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

[R Dubya]

Buddies deer just got done at processor . 145# live weight.

Skin, cut the steaks out , turn the rest into breakfast sausage.

$356


I choked...

I did this ONCE, I had no idea I was going to get so much breakfast sausage, I about fell over when they called to tell me it was ready and the balance was nearly $300. Lesson learned

[salth2o]

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!!!

I think there is about to be a line @ Blake's house!

[rbertman]

Out here in West Texas now the average price is 100.00 to process the deer that includes grinding hamburger,slice and tenderized steaks and back straps and vacuum sealed not real bad. Its the extras that will drain your wallet summer sausage breakfast sausage jerky snack stix

[ShawnG]

Ouch!! One year I paid to have 6 deer processed. Next year bought the equipment and started doing it myself. Yes its much more time consuming but my family enjoys helping and whether its in my head or not the love I put into it makes it taste much better!

[Phdan]

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. However, no way in heck do I see much more than $50 to skin and quarter.

That is insane.

If I was a betting man, I would bet that they priced it high so that they price themselves out of having to do them.

You leave the tenderloins in the deer??

[Phdan]

I did this ONCE, I had no idea I was going to get so much breakfast sausage, I about fell over when they called to tell me it was ready and the balance was nearly $300. Lesson learned

if you could live without the meat, you don't have to pay.

[rbertman]

Had a friend dropped a whole deer off at processors once asked for half jerky and other half snack stix without thinking of cost just the taste.Little over $700.00 later had learned a lesson

[Wackmaster]

You said it before I could.

It's worth the work, especially if you don't like forking out the $$.

I'll never pay someone to skin/quarter/debone my meat. Even at $80/deer you're out $240 before they even start processing it... Crazy.

I agree 100% and the meat taste 1000x better when you do it yourself. Nothing better than home made venison sausage smoked with some good fruit wood!

[txagyotebuster]

Man, that is outrageous, i have two uncle in laws that run separate processing facilities and all i ever have made is jerky. My dad always processed his own, and we still do. We spend enough money on hunting stuff to spend a couple hundred more getting meat ground up and cut up when i can do it myself.

We have a grinder, sausage stuffer, and vacuum sealer. We do everything except jerky. It's too easy to do and too expensive not to do it yourself. Plus it is the only way to know exactly how your meat was handled.

[AgHntr10]

I would charge you more to do the field dressing than skinning/quartering. 10-15 minute job.

[rbertman]

For sure the only way you know your getting your venison back you killed not someone else's that was not cleaned or handled as good as yours

[Amazing Grace]

I didn't know people would pay for that. Especially that much. I could be rich. I can knock em out in no time.

[WCB]

I skin and quarter all deer I shoot. Processing, hamburger/chili grind, backstraps/tenders, hams and steaks is not expensive at all. But them sausages will add up quick. I only order a lot of sausage if momma says to...

[huntindude]

I always, always, always do as much as I can myself then let the processor finish it off (mainly because I like the commercial grade vacuum sealer) last deer I did everything myself I could. 10LBS of trimmings went to snack sticks which cost some money. I had them tenderize and package steaks and backstrap I had already cut and grind/package hamburger meat from the other 10lbs of trimmings. cost me 7.00

Of course it was a spike and everyone knows those are baby deer

[PondPopper]

$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.