I'm a newby and don't want to get ripped off. What should I expect to pay someone to process a deer after I field dress it?
I think I pay about 65 for a basic cut of burger, chops, roast and steaks. This price includes skinning. Sometimes I do my own when I have time. all the fancy stuff...jerky ,sausage etc. adds up in a hurry.
Well a lot of people on here process themselves. I usually take about 20-30 lbs in for jerky and summer sausage. Just depends. I've seen places charge over $100. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Not sure where your at but most of them here in whitley county I know of charge around 90-100 for regular processing. I do most of mine myself but when I take a trip to Indiana and kill three or four at a time I usually do a few roast and the loins and take the rest for burger and sausage. They guy I take mine to usually charges 45-50 cents a pound for the finished product. Don't know if its an everybody type thing but the guy I take mine to does processing by the pound for me if I skin it myself and bring it to him. I think the last one I took he charged me like 60 cents a pound (skinned and dressed deer) basically like the do a cow. You pay for the weight of the animal minus the skin and the guts. Had it all sliced for jerky and it saved me a ton of time.
I'm wondering the samething, once my girlfriend or I get one, I plan on taking it to a processor, and if we get a second deer we will prolly process that one ourselves, depending on the weather conditions and where we are...
I had one processed earlier this season and it coated me $100. I had 4 rolls of summer sausage, 3lbs of jerky and the rest in burger.
Like stated earlier, I think it is going to depend on where your at. I am near Ft Knox, and the going price is around $75-80 for staright processing, (Burger, Steaks, Roasts, loins) The guy i use is a mom and pop type place, and he charges by the size (WT) of the deer, Sm, $65 Med $75 Lg $80. Example: The doe I took opening day weighed 97lbs and cost me $75. and that included, skinning, and Str8 processing, he even cut one of the hams so I could make my own jerky. If there was One bit of advice i could give you is that you need to research the processor your going to use. I have used a couple just cuz they were closer to where I was hunting and was EXTREMELY disappointed. The guy I use cuts my Hogs, and Beef, and IMO is top notch and I will NEVER use anyone else, even if im 3 hrs away, I will still take it to him.
All I'm gonna say is that price isn't everything. There are a few "processors" around here that are so nasty I wouldn't feed my dogs anything that they'd touched!! The only local one I'd trust charges $95 to cut & package. 50cents/lb to grind. Summer sausage or anything else is extra. So.... since I can't afford that, my husband & I process our own. Over the years, we've gotten a commercial style grinder & attachments from Cabela's and we cut up our deer EXACTLY the way we want them. No questions asked.
I am in the louisville area and have always done it myself...until last year. I took my doe to a processor and was very pleased with what i got. I cant remember exactly, but it was somewhere around 80 bucks for them to cut my steaks, grind some meat, etc. If you want anything other than that, they will take it and pick it up from webbs for you. When you get that kind of stuff, whatever webbs charges is what you pay. Thats when it can add up pretty fast.
Union Star Processing, Union Satr Ky, 270.547.4488 The best thing I like, is that when he does his processing that is the only meat in the shop. I.E. He takes one animal, (hog, Beef, Deer) out of the freezer and processes the whole thing, Cut, Grind, wrap and Bag the whole animal, and cleans the shop before getting another one from the freezer. That way I know I'm getting MY meat back.
I have a small processing business in Whitley County. Usually do about 50 per year simply because I treat them all like they are my own (3-4hrs per deer). But my straight processing is $70 and I try to keep my jerky summer sausage etc much cheaper than anyone around and everyone seems to like it much better. You need someone who will treat your meat like venison not beef. It should have no bone, no fascia or any connective tissue for proper tenderness and flavor. Burger should also have tendon and cartilage removed. Nobody wants that but that is what you will get. That is why I started doing it, got tired of shelling out money just to have somebody slice meat off the bone and wrap it. Pay extra for vacuum sealing if it is not included you won't regret it.
