Butcher in Pouce Coupe issue

[Darksith]

Took a moose into the only butcher around DC that I could locate, the guy is in pouce coupe. Anyway this was by far the smallest amount of meat I have ever gotten back from a butcher for a moose. I am pretty sure I lost at least 25% of my animal. Not much I can do about it since its impossible to prove, just wondering if anyone else felt like their meat return was a little light?

[Whonnock Boy]

Depends..... The butcher that you normally take your animals to, does he do bone in? Was this animal boneless? I have been cutting my own stuff for a while now and a good percentage return is 60 percent. If there is more damage or spoilage, it is lower.

[Darksith]

he did no bone, regular butcher does bone in. The moose was 500+ on the hook, we got 4 boxes with maybe 70lbs in each. The freezer looks rather empty and usually my freezer at home can't even hold 1 moose and its bigger. Im just suspicious is all, don't wanna call anyone out, just curious if anyone else felt they were light on return. The number of steaks and roast I got was low IMO, I got lots of burger though...no waste from spoilage fyi. Clean through the lungs, missed the shoulders.

[Steeleco]

4 boxes at 70lb apiece no bones. That's 280lb of nothing but meat. That's not bad at all. Till you cut your own animal of any kind, you truly don't realize just how little you seem to get compared to how much you started out with.

On the two deer my kids got in the youth season, I got 60lbs of scrap. For me that's a good thing as my dog eats all that. A butcher isn't going to spend the time us home cutters do to be picky. Time is money.

[lorneparker1]

you had a 500 lb bull on the hook. and got almost 300 in pure meat back? wow man, theres not much to complain about there....

[Mr. Dean]

you had a 500 lb bull on the hook. and got almost 300 in pure meat back? wow man, theres not much to complain about there....

Ditto.
That's a good yield.

And may explain where MY moose meat went. :razz:

[Whonnock Boy]

he did no bone, regular butcher does bone in. The moose was 500+ on the hook, we got 4 boxes with maybe 70lbs in each. The freezer looks rather empty and usually my freezer at home can't even hold 1 moose and its bigger. Im just suspicious is all, don't wanna call anyone out, just curious if anyone else felt they were light on return. The number of steaks and roast I got was low IMO, I got lots of burger though...no waste from spoilage fyi. Clean through the lungs, missed the shoulders.
I think you did alright too! It sounds about right. Don't forget the carcass lose weight just by moisture content too!

[coach]

I agree with the rest - sounds like a decent yield to me. How are the cuts? Gotta be nice not to have bone shavings. Hopefully he trimmed all the silver skin, fat and gristle.

[lunatic]

Just an FYI, that butcher is highly recommended in the area and I have never heard a single complaint.

[KB90]

I took my moose to Richard last year. No complaints from
me!

[Darksith]

fair enough, I'll still take my local butcher back in kamloops any day though. I enjoy a nice bone in my steak, and the ratio of steak/roast to burger is much higher. Granted the moose in kamloops that I have harvested have been at least 100lbs bigger, and Im guessing thats almost entirely meat, which is probably why it seems like I have less.

[Glenny]

Prepare ahead. Steelco's buthcher list has 4 cutters in DC.

[kendoo]

Omineca meats is shut down in DC. Heard Ben had a heart attach around opening day.
Rumor is Ben & his friend got a moose & Ben was measureing the antlers when it happened & passed instantly. Any one heard different.

[wickit]

Nope that's what happened. He will be missed.

[250 sav]

I've used Richard for 5 animals last 3 years and have been happy with everything. In my experiance you lose allmost 50% of the weight between bones, trimed fat and moisture loss while its hanging on a young animal, and lose 40 -45% on more muture (filled out) animal.

[Darksith]

this was an old moose, he had tripalms, that being said I have shot a fork bull that wieghed 100lbs more in kamloops and an old bull in kamloops that was 200lbs bigger on the hook. In both cases I got at least double the amount of volume in meat back. Just my 2 cents. Lets let this one die, and I'll write it off to an old shrinking moose.

[anethema]

320lbs of meat from a 500lb hang is great. I'd be shocked if you got 620lbs of meat from a 6-7 hundred lb hang. You are saying you got nearly 100% of the hanging weight back? Or more somehow ? How much do you envision the bones and trim weighing ?

The bones, silverskin, moisture, all that take a serious toll.

I used the same guy this year, got a similar percentage, and thought it felt normal. I lived in Kelowna etc and have never gotten near 100% hanging weight back on an animal for meat.

[Darksith]

Im not claiming to get hangnig weight, I am talking volume not so much weight since I have never weighed what I got from a butcher. I know that between myself and a friend we have harvest 2 moose in the last 2 years prior to this year, and both times after splitting it 50/50 and filling my freezer I would take 50-100 lbs to the mother in laws because I was out of room. Our freezer right now is 1/4 full and thats the whole moose. I do normally get sausages and jerky but just got cut and wrap this time since I can take it home and get it made for free.

Anyway people say hes good and honest, I can accept that they are probably right and right it off to an old weary moose.

[StoneChaser]

this was an old moose, he had tripalms, that being said I have shot a fork bull that wieghed 100lbs more in kamloops and an old bull in kamloops that was 200lbs bigger on the hook. In both cases I got at least double the amount of volume in meat back. Just my 2 cents. Lets let this one die, and I'll write it off to an old shrinking moose.

If you are getting 600lb immy's on the hook I think you are questioning the wrong butcher...you may want to check your scales down in Kamloops!


Im not claiming to get hangnig weight, I am talking volume not so much weight since I have never weighed what I got from a butcher.

The yield you ended up with in Pouce Coupe is right on the money (plus, you claim that don't even weigh it....tough to just guess the finished weight).

[chilcotin hillbilly]

My father had a butcher shop for years. No one left without wieghing in and weighing out, scrap and all. 30 years and not one complaint! Maybe there is a lesson here?

[Darksith]

If you are getting 600lb immy's on the hook I think you are questioning the wrong butcher...you may want to check your scales down in Kamloops!

Not worried about the scales at all...we have a better longer feeding season, and we have a secret little hole that is packed with feed. Our big bull last year was the 2nd biggest he saw all year at over 700lbs on the hook, including all the moose that got hustled south quickly in the cooler temps. The immy was a 2x3 but he was massive. Just cause we don't have the 60" racks don't mean we can't have some big bodied animals. The scale is digital, the butcher is a personal friend and doesn't charge me and he has also weighed all my deer and everything, his numbers are good...he even deducts hook weight. Why can't I go by volume...seems pretty safe to me to look at it that way. Yes there is bone in some cuts, yes I get sausage that will have extra pork fat and will take up more room, and the most obvious reasoning that I am ok with is a full grown moose's skeletal from is probably pretty similar in size and weight, but the amount of muscle they have on them will be the big difference in yield. Also we didn't even see the butcher weight this 1 as we brought it in in the following morning when we should have been at work so we just dumped it off and left. This issue is moot...with these temps and me not being a local if I was back next year and had to do it all over again I would. Im just too used to dealing with the same guy year in year out is all Im sure. I would rather do it all myself, but don't have a cooler or the facilities up here to handle it, and I get it done for free at home so...

[vip_ruger]

I've taken everything to my friend Richard and the same as all my hunting party and I've never heard any thing but great stuff it's very clean and he does a very good job . I would recommend him to any body that want it done right no ? asked

[ditch donkey]

We have used Richard for last few years and hes has always been good to us.

[BRvalley]

I'll beat a dead horse here ha

I used Richard last year, although I wasn't thrilled about the lack of cheese in my smokies, everything was great and I will be back...and will discuss extra cheese LOL

the whole family was excellent to chat with when I was there, I was happy with my results, even offered as much raw bones as I could take for my dog, good people there

[Sofa King]

Omineca meats is shut down in DC. Heard Ben had a heart attach around opening day.
Rumor is Ben & his friend got a moose & Ben was measureing the antlers when it happened & passed instantly. Any one heard different.

wow, that's sad.
but, he went out doing what he loved.
i'd hate to die working.

my great grandpa died on the spot, bang-flop.
same with my grandpa, working the farm, standing out in the field, bang-flop.
sometimes I think that way is better.
then when dad had his massive heart attack, he was rushed to the hospital and spent his last couple years unable to do anything he enjoyed.
I think i'd rather just let it be done when it happens and not be half the man I used to be.

rip ben.

[GoatGuy]

That's about the right yield for bone out.

[Darksith]

I got no issues with Richard...after sinking my teeth into the moose we got, it was plainly obvious that it wasn't a moose in its prime. Probably more bone than meat on that old guy. I regret how I started this thread off...and would like to offer my apologies to richard if he felt that I slandered him in any way. I would/should edit the original statement, but I feel that this post will make up for the way this thread was started last year...if I was back up there, I would take my animal to him again.