Live Weight Vs. Field-Dressed Weight Vs. Edible Weight

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Originally Posted by kennyj

I would say its close with the bone in.De-boned is less.I saw a video called Elk Memories by Larry Jones and Dwight Sch. It was about de-boning and I think they estimated the de-boned meat at 1/4 of the live weight.
kenny

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X2, I think the chart is figuring with bone in! Boneless will yeild between 1/4 and 1/3 IMO!

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Originally Posted by moosinaround

33-40% sounds close to me! Moosin

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Only if you have a shifty butcher .

Even a shoulder blade shot deer would yield at least 50+% , I know first hand that you dont lose much good meat with shoulder shots and a good bullet.

I was some pissed at bringing in a 84lb dressed deer only hours after being shot through the humorous touched the heart and exited out the same place on the other side with very little bloodshot meat (tsx bullet so you know you can eat up to the hole) and all i got back was 24.5 lbs. (WTF?)

I have butchered wild big Game , domestic goats & sheep and a few other critters and there was no way i could figure out the 24.5 lbs not to mention cuts were missing. :mad:

Sometimes you dont have a choice because of the trip distance and heat and you need to get it processed so they have you by the short hairs. :mad:

Once you butcher an animal yourself you will realize what some butchers waste or discard .

I think you got hosed Barracuda.I butcher my own(deboned)and I`ll get around 50% to 60%.I save every scrap that`s fit to grind,including the neck meat and I skin `em right to the ears.I take the meat off the hocks as well,lots of commercial guy are too busy for that.I used the no skinning till you butcher method last year and saved an extra 6 or 8 .lbs because I did not have to re-skin the crust off..

My buddy that is a butcher always used to say that you can expect somewhere between 50 and 55 percent of edible meat off the live weight with beef, and 45 to 50 percent of edible meat of game. Obviously there will be exceptions to the rule but throughout my hunting and ranching career I have found these numbers fairly accurate.

I don't like deer fat, so I think the chart is generous. When I butcher, I remove ALL fat, bone, lymph and nerves so my take is about 50% of the dressed weight. I lose a little more, but my meat is good for 3+ years.