Gr8 White Jr Report post Posted January 27, 2009 I just got back two deer from the butcher today. One deer is the small forky coues buck that I shot in late Nov and the other is the big mule deer buck I shot on Jan 2nd. I got only 16 lbs of meat back from the coues. That is boneless but 16 lbs? I know coues deer are small especially being just a little forky but this just doesn't seem right to me. I shot the buck right behind the sholder so there was no meat damaged. The coues deer was never weighed when it was dropped off so I don't know what he weighed before butchered. The mule deer however was weighed when it was dropped off. No guts, no skin, no legs from the knees down and no head the mule deer weighed out at 98 lbs. Again it is all boneless but I only got back exactly 40 lbs. I have never really paid any attention to weight before when taking deer to the butcher but after, what I think is a rediculas price increase I was just curious to see how much the processing was costing me per lb. Does this sound right or do I have a reason to think that I might not be getting all my meat back? Any info would be greatly appreciated! -Tracy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertGhost Report post Posted January 27, 2009 Im not real sure but from what I am finding there are several folks who feel the same way. I know most of these guys are busy so they dont take much time on each deer. ie they go through and take the best cuts that are the easiest to take off and the meat you would take from the ribs etc (if you butchered yourself) is discarded. may not be what happened in your case, but several folks that have dropped off deer this year have been saying that. again, second hand knowledge as I have not tagged yet this year or last year. good luck DG Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rimhunter Report post Posted January 27, 2009 Thats one of the reasons I do my own . The other is you get meat that is from someones elses kill that might not have been taken care of the way i would . Bruce Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkaholic Report post Posted January 27, 2009 hello Carcass weight = Field-dressed weight divided by 1.331 Ideal boneless venison weight = Carcass weight multiplied by .67 Realistic venison yield = Ideal boneless weight multiplied by .70 Let's say a hunter kills a mature buck, and it weighs 165 pounds field-dressed. Using the above equation, we estimate its carcass will weigh 124 pounds, and it will ideally yield 83.08 pounds of boneless meat. The deer's realistic meat yield is about 58.15 pounds. Because waste can vary between deer, we suggest using the "realistic" figure as a gauge. In the above example, the buck's realistic meat yield would range form 58 to 68 pounds. A 10-pound difference doesn't seem like much when dealing with a large deer , but it's noticeable when the deer is a fawn or yearling so you say he weighed 98 lbs x.67=65.66x.70=45.96 so give or take a few ribs - it's about right - - what do you guess the weight of the spike - 35lbs figures out to be 16.41 next yr. butcher your own and see. I agree most butchers don't waste a bunch of time -doing so called -extreme trimmings and tend to throw away pieces you might keep - Rarely does a butcher have time to waste , worring about saving a few lbs. I'll pretty much guarentee most trim and cut like they are going to eat it - knowing you as a customer don't want anythingless ! Gary who did you take it too? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gr8 White Jr Report post Posted January 27, 2009 who did you take it too? I'd rather not say. I was just trying to get everybodies opinion because I was unsure. I don't want this to be taken negatively toward the butcher shop, I don't want to hurt their business especially without knowing if there was any wrong doing. Thank you for your post! Where did you come up with these equations? -Tracy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted January 27, 2009 I just got back two deer from the butcher today. One deer is the small forky coues buck that I shot in late Nov and the other is the big mule deer buck I shot on Jan 2nd. I got only 16 lbs of meat back from the coues. That is boneless but 16 lbs? I know coues deer are small especially being just a little forky but this just doesn't seem right to me. I shot the buck right behind the sholder so there was no meat damaged. The coues deer was never weighed when it was dropped off so I don't know what he weighed before butchered. The mule deer however was weighed when it was dropped off. No guts, no skin, no legs from the knees down and no head the mule deer weighed out at 98 lbs. Again it is all boneless but I only got back exactly 40 lbs. I have never really paid any attention to weight before when taking deer to the butcher but after, what I think is a rediculas price increase I was just curious to see how much the processing was costing me per lb. Does this sound right or do I have a reason to think that I might not be getting all my meat back? Any info would be greatly appreciated! -Tracy Sorry but that is about what you are going to get. The butchers aren't as picky as if you would have done it yourself. Just to let you know I shot a pretty heavy buck this year and I only got 35lbs of meat off him and I'm picky and do it myself. My last years small 3x3 only netted 23 lbs. so go figure. I have been ripped off before and that is why I do my own. They charge way to much now a days but if you got the money it saves you time. Hope this helps you to decide what to do the next time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coues7 Report post Posted January 27, 2009 I've used a butcher on 2 kills.....all others I've done on my own. Anytime I've taken it to the butcher I've walked away feeling disappointed! End of Story. This last year's coues was a joke. He was big bodied and I only got back 2 "shopping bags" full of meat. I had requested hamburger and there was no hamburger.....called them and I'm sure they just pulled some from somewhere else and gave it to me. I'm 100% it's not my meat and THEY WERE LYING No more butchers for me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narrox Report post Posted January 27, 2009 All good posts: This year I used "Rusty's" out of Springerville AZ. I was very impressed. All of my meat was coded as a group, very cleanly packed and the price was better than me spending the time to do it. It might matter that this was an elk and not everyone wants to butcher three hundred plus pounds! I didn't. I would add that this is a long standing shop. I do not know the present opperater outside of one job but the previous butchers were pretty close family friends. I have heard a few stories of how a customer had expectations of "X" amount of pounds and must have been ripped off( but they weren't). I know that it does happen, hopefully it was just a case of "high expectations" Thanks, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Browning'sCustomMeat Report post Posted January 27, 2009 I've used a butcher on 2 kills.....all others I've done on my own. Anytime I've taken it to the butcher I've walked away feeling disappointed! End of Story. This last year's coues was a joke. He was big bodied and I only got back 2 "shopping bags" full of meat. I had requested hamburger and there was no hamburger.....called them and I'm sure they just pulled some from somewhere else and gave it to me. I'm 100% it's not my meat and THEY WERE LYING No more butchers for me. Two shopping bags? Wow sounds like you scored!!! :lol: All in all, everyone has a valued point. I have cut for three different shops from time to time when they have needed me, all three shops don't waste anything. I understand many a people have had bad experiences in the past, believe me, we even hear about them. Gary, you have an almost exact formula. It seems real close. As far as pricing, it has a lot to do with electric and gas. But there is many more factors, paper, tape, knifes, roast netting, them handy little bags for grind, seasonings, cleaning agents, ie. bleach, dish soap, trash bags etc. dump fees, if there is help, gotta pay them too. Just my $.02 -Jeremy- Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Noel Arnold Report post Posted January 27, 2009 I have always done my own.Try it,it is not as hard as you think.The 16lbs on the coues is what seems a little light to me.Maybe by 5lbs or so.But it also may have been a real small body.My pig was not very big this year around thirty dressed and I got exactly 9lbs of boned out meat.So I guess if the coues was only 60lbs dressed it may be right. Noel Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Report post Posted January 27, 2009 I do my own and your results aren't too far off based on what I got out of mine this year. He was a typical sized (body wise) 3x3. I didn't weigh him before quartering him. I used the "rib roll" method Lance posted and trimmed the meat off the bones from tail to ear butts. My results, 9 2lb packages of wrapped meat and 2.5 lbs of dried jerky. Kevin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkaholic Report post Posted January 27, 2009 hello -- heres a vidieo i thought was informative - after the guy shows how to shoot a deer ? http://www.newjerseyhunter.com/video/deerfield.wmv Gary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted January 27, 2009 I've used a butcher on 2 kills.....all others I've done on my own. Anytime I've taken it to the butcher I've walked away feeling disappointed! End of Story. This last year's coues was a joke. He was big bodied and I only got back 2 "shopping bags" full of meat. I had requested hamburger and there was no hamburger.....called them and I'm sure they just pulled some from somewhere else and gave it to me. I'm 100% it's not my meat and THEY WERE LYING No more butchers for me. Two shopping bags? Wow sounds like you scored!!! :lol: All in all, everyone has a valued point. I have cut for three different shops from time to time when they have needed me, all three shops don't waste anything. I understand many a people have had bad experiences in the past, believe me, we even hear about them. Gary, you have an almost exact formula. It seems real close. As far as pricing, it has a lot to do with electric and gas. But there is many more factors, paper, tape, knifes, roast netting, them handy little bags for grind, seasonings, cleaning agents, ie. bleach, dish soap, trash bags etc. dump fees, if there is help, gotta pay them too. Just my $.02 -Jeremy- Well put Jeremy! Operating expenses are what they are... can't expect guys to run a business for free! We have had several coues deer done by Terry at Round Valley (South of Payson) and have consistantly gotten a white kitchen garbage bag full of meat back on each one.... I'd guess 25-30 lbs of meat plus suit and seasonings, etc.... Again... just a guess. Terry does all our processing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdog Report post Posted January 28, 2009 I have always done my own as well. It can be a little extra work but when it comes to quality and total meat back there is no other way to go. My family has always been a big believer in getting all the fat off and boning everything out. Game fat and bone when left over time in a freezer is one of the main reasons for that classic game taste that we all love, and the main reason my wife will not touch deer. Her dad always took his deer to the butcher and they left a lot of fat and bone in. Result, well crap. The first time she had deer at my house my mom cooked it like chicken fry, we were half way through the dinner when I said how is your deer. She looked at me with a look like what do you mean. She still will not eat deer because she cannot get that taste out of her head from her childhood. Long story short, do your own you wont be sorry. I even pressure cook the bones after I am done butchering. Once you do that all the meat falls off like shredded beef. It makes the best tamale or burrito meat you can imagine. And you don't waste a scrap. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kaffer62 Report post Posted January 29, 2009 Thats one of the reasons I do my own . The other is you get meat that is from someones elses kill that might not have been taken care of the way i would . Bruce Exactly my thoughts! I do all of my own butchering, grinding, sausage... Everything. Its a lot faster if i do it myself, and there is nothing like grilling fresh meat during the process either. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
