what are your local butchering costs ?

[srthomas75]

I was curious what people are paying for their butchering of game? I know there is a rule on this site about not promoting meat cutters etc.. so I'm not asking for what a specific person charges, but thought this could be done more anonymously.
cut and wrap cost ______? and sausage making _____?
more of a comparison as I always wonder what others spend and want to know if things are fair in this trade? hopefully this is an allowable request.

[hare_assassin]

Cut and wrap cost = $0

Grinding = $1/pound at local butcher. I suspect I could find it cheaper but they are close to my house and very fast. I can just walk in with 15 lbs and walk out 5 minutes later with a 15 lb bag of ground.

Never had sausage made. I like the taste of venison too much to put it in sausage. When I get bear, I will do sausage.

[Dutch Ppoacher]

Extening the original question,
interested in price per batch (normally 20lbs)
for peperoni, smokies etc

[longstonec]

Frrreeeeeee!

[Buck]

75 cents a pound here minimum 75 dollar charge.Another place i use is 65 cents a pound.

[Mikey Rafiki]

69 cents per pound cut and wrapped.

Make my own sausage.

[Mauser98]

This year we paid $1.00/lb including taxes for cut, wrap, freeze. The butcher also stored our meat(about 1900 lbs gross) for 2-3 weeks at no charge.

[fyffer]

Free. I do it all myself. It is very easy. Everyone should learn. It is a ton of fun too.

[hare_assassin]

Free. I do it all myself. It is very easy. Everyone should learn. It is a ton of fun too.

I have to agree. It takes time, but it is not difficult and I quite enjoy it. Having 100% control over the entire process, from BANG! to "Mmmmm!" is incredibly fulfilling.

[v-king]

Frrreeeeeee!

What time are you open till today? Lol

[Brizz]

$.90 a pound + $3.00 a lb for pepperoni. $30 if you want them to skin it and a $90 minimum.

Needless to say, I'll be learning how to do it myself and bought a great book to do so.

[teleposer]

One of the local guys around here charges about 80 bucks for a deer. I had heard that someone shot a fawn and brought it in to get butchered... The butcher was able to salvage 8 (eight) pounds of meat that wasn't damaged by shot. Hoping he charged the whole 80 bucks for that guy.

[hare_assassin]

$.90 a pound + $3.00 a lb for pepperoni. $30 if you want them to skin it and a $90 minimum.

Needless to say, I'll be learning how to do it myself and bought a great book to do so.

There are some great videos on youtube, as well. Sometimes seeing it is so much more informative than reading it (for me, at least).

[Gateholio]

Depends how much beer we drink

[Web by]

Love doing my own butchering. Brings the whole hunting deal full circle. I get more meat also because I have the time to cut all the meat off the bones. You Tubed a video once and it's easy now. Buy a half decent knife and yourself a grinder. Doing your own sausage is fun too.
Also makes you realize the importance of a well placed shot. Alot of meat can be destroyed from a poor shot.

[Ltbullken]

I have one of two cutters that bring their set up to my garage and cut up the animal there. Bonus is that I get to see how it is done and say yae or nay to certain things. I really watch to make sure that dried and possible spoiled trim and meat is removed off the animal. Both my cutters take real care to ensure the best possible meat comes from cutting. This really does not result in whole bunch of waste or trim. Off a deer, there might be 7 lbs of trim that is just for dogs, but the finished meat is ultra clean with no gaminess. That dried outside surface on a carcass should be trimmed off the finished product when cutting - this makes for real clean meat. Usually, depending on animal size/weigh, a deer goes $100 - $125 and a moose/elk is $200 - $250, cut and wrap. I will wrap as the meat is cut just to be there, chat, have a beer and shoot the BS. With clean trim and and such, I get sausage made at the local deli. That usually runs about $40+/- per 30 lbs meat.

[Ltbullken]

One of the local guys around here charges about 80 bucks for a deer. I had heard that someone shot a fawn and brought it in to get butchered... The butcher was able to salvage 8 (eight) pounds of meat that wasn't damaged by shot. Hoping he charged the whole 80 bucks for that guy.

Just to stir up the pot and hijack the thread, Val Geist, the preeminent ungulate biologist of our time (from Calgary too!), states we would have healthier ungulate populations if we harvested the younger animals. But yes, use an appropriate calibre at least!! 8 lbs is a waste.

[Brizz]

How hard is it to make pepperoni?

[Colinofthewoods]

.70 cents a pound for cut and wrap. Just had 28 pounds of pepperoni made for $80. I think his sausages were between $2 to $3 depending on what kind.

[lightmag]

FREE :) i do it for myself and charge others to do it for them :) here in PG approx 69 cents per pound on hook cut and wrapped

[Mikey Rafiki]

I've only paid for the occasional early season elk, the rest I do myself.

For the other do it yourselfers, how do you deal with your game when it's 30 degrees in September? Just process without hanging or do you have your own walk in cooler (a future project on my wish list)?

Either way, 70 cents seems to be a good standard. To save a few bucks, just bring in the quarters and do your own backstraps, ribs, neck and loins. Saves a lot of bone weight from the ribs and spine. Plus you have some meals before you get your stuff back from the butcher.

[bandit]

This year we paid $1.00/lb including taxes for cut, wrap, freeze. The butcher also stored our meat(about 1900 lbs gross) for 2-3 weeks at no charge.
For $1900 I would probably pack the game out of the bush and cook the as well!!

[PointMan]

I've only paid for the occasional early season elk, the rest I do myself.

For the other do it yourselfers, how do you deal with your game when it's 30 degrees in September? Just process without hanging or do you have your own walk in cooler (a future project on my wish list)?

Either way, 70 cents seems to be a good standard. To save a few bucks, just bring in the quarters and do your own backstraps, ribs, neck and loins. Saves a lot of bone weight from the ribs and spine. Plus you have some meals before you get your stuff back from the butcher.
I have a decent sized walk in cooler made out of a modified air conditioner and the corner of an old portable. Haven't tried making my own sausage or Peperoni yet, but I'm thinking about it.

[lovemywinchester]

.89c lb for deer in the Loops at the interior C.R.. Worth it for the consistent hanging temp and lack of hassle. My doe was 85 lb on the hook so why not? Like Gate said, a few guys and 2 flats is $100 anyway.

[MOUNTAIN MICKEY]

I also like to do my own cutting and wrapping. Our local guy charges $40 for deer & $150 for Elk & Moose. Cut and wrapped. Makes good sausage too.

[j270wsm]

I also like to do my own cutting and wrapping. Our local guy charges $40 for deer & $150 for Elk & Moose. Cut and wrapped. Makes good sausage too.

He charges $60 for a 15lb batch of pepperoni/smokies

[Jarrett]

What portion of a deer do you figure you loose in bones etc that you don't get back... assuming it's a clean kill and not shot up. If you took in a deer that weight 100 lbs at a butcher how much weight of meat would you get back? thx

[Lillypuff]

Very lucky, friend is a meatcutter cost is zero

[kenadiens]

Hey PointMan I'de like to see your set up if you don't mind. I made a walk in cooler of an old shed with a wall shaker A/C. I have a home made smoker that I have only used once but would love to use it more.

[two-feet]

I got all set up with sausage making gear this year because my kid has allergies and i needed to have full control of what we eat. It has always been a family operation to cut our meat but now we are taking it one step further. Pretty nice feeling to watch the boy chew into a bear sausage and grouse dinner.
So what i am saying is doing the whole job from start to finish is very rewarding. And cheaper! The 3/4 horse grinder from cabelas was about $500, $35 for casings to do 100lbs worth of sausage, i buy organic pig fat for $1lb.

[Rhyno]

I try to cut my own but if I am too busy the guys I use is $0.60/lb with a 70 lb min. Sausage goes upto $2.60/lb I think. Like Mikey said, I take the strip loins and back straps out and only give the quarters. No sense paying for spine, ribs, etc.

Jarrett.....Depends on the damage from the shot and what you give them, ie full animal vs quaters......but the two deer my wife and I have dropped of so far,we go back say 55-60%.

[MRP]

The large meat grinder ( from Princes Auto ) with the pulley and a 3/4 hp elc motor a belt $150. 1 hr to make a base.
8 buffalo a dozen plus moose and its more than payed for.

[Rhyno]

When I have cut my own I still take the burger in to be ground, never been charged once. If I was paying you could bet I would be investing in a quality grinder. I have hear stories of guys working for hours just to get some burger out of a cheapo.

[decker9]

55c per lb, cut and double wrapped. My times worth more then that to me lol, 550lb moose, $300, $20 in fuel, little bit for tag and license. Can't go wrong.

[skid]

I cut my own for the first time this year with the help from a few friends and 40 beer and in 6 hours it was all cut, ground and wrapped and in the freezer and then off to the pub we went, its was lots of fun.

[oldersniper]

ZERO! do it myself ..bone out everything, no bone "dust" from a saw, otherwise probably .35/lb "in weight.

[Steeleco]

What portion of a deer do you figure you loose in bones etc that you don't get back... assuming it's a clean kill and not shot up. If you took in a deer that weight 100 lbs at a butcher how much weight of meat would you get back? thx

About half when doing it myself. I'm pretty picky mind you. If it's not red it's either dog food or bush scraps.