How much meat should you get back from the butcher???

[chucklej]

I took in a really nice big ol' doe. I was leaving town the next morning so I took it to my "Ex" butcher. I figured her for weighing around 105-110. Even at 100 lbs. I was thinkning at least getting backaround 33 lbs. I go to pick the meat up last night. The box felt a little light but, I was in a hurry so I left and took it home. Threw it on the scale and it was only 21.4 lbs. I've always heard you get about 1/3 of field dressed weight back. So what gives? Am I wrong. I called and made sure they didn't have another box they over looked or maybe spelled my name wrong. They swear up and down that I was the only one w/ my last name that took a deer up there. If I'm not wrong about the weight I should have been getting back then they've lost a lot of my business. I buy most of my meat there and was getting ready to order 15 lbs. of beef tenderloin from them for x-mas. Let me know what ya'll think!

[ageguy]

The 1/3 sounds about right but there is a lot of variables such as how much the deer has eaten recently, water intake and if the deer was pregnant. There is the chance that you got somebody elses deer. that happens alot around my place so i strated doing my own deer plus it saves money. 12 pounds is a rather large fluxuation but you never really know. was the hundred pounds or so field dressed? If not that could really have alot to do with it. I have seen a deer drop 20 pounds after field dressing.(the stomach was really full and she was pregnant)

[Okbowman]

You should have gotten more than that. The deer processors are the biggest cons around. Year before last I took a doe that dressed 80 pounds and three days later a buck that dressed 162 pounds. The butcher gave me back the same amount of meat for both deer! When I went back in to get the rest of my meat from my buck, he told me that was all there was. When I told him that was the same I'd gotten back from the doe that was half the size of the buck he got mad and told me if I didn't like it then go somewhere else. I did. I went to Cabelas and bought the 3/4 hp grinder and the tenderizer attachment. I went in halves with my uncle and we paid for it the first year. The meat tasted better and we got a lot more of OUR deer back too. I just cant see paying for someone elses deer that have been gut shot or hauled around in the sun for a few days. I'll never have to worry about it again.

[J.A.G.]

well, seeing how various processors have either screwed people over or just put out some nasty meat with either hair in it or just inedible..
we just got a lesson in processing our own from a very good friend that's been doing it a while.. it didn't take long at all.. We quartered it and put it in an ice chest for one week. adding ice to keep it covered and draining the water off. This aged it. Then we cut and packaged it.

The things you need are: a vacuum sealer ($99 at WM), and a good meat grinder. The one they used was an attachment on a Kitchen-aid stand mixer and it worked fabulous.. a sharp knife, an electric knife and a good sized cutting board is all you need.

The meat tastes fabulous, no gamey taste, just tender and delicious!

[poorman]

http://www.best-venison.com/venison-yield.html

[Looney Bin]

If cut and trimmed properly you should get just about half of its field dressed weight back. With in a couple of LBs. I always get my early season deer processed due to the temps being warm. To maximize what you get off a deer you have trim alot and that trimmed meat is usually only good for sausage or grind meat, but hey its still great meat. If I didn't get atleast 1/3 back i would never go back. I pay a pretty penny for my processed deer but, processed return weight is always more than 50% of the deers weight.( You have to take into account of the fat weight added to the sausage)


So I would find a different butcher. I went through several before I found one I liked. Plus the one I use has one of the best sausage and balonga makers in our area.(He has been for 30 years)

[Carpshooter]

Depends how picky one is ,if I take a arrowed deer to the locker ,I get only ground deer back no adding anything to it so my largest on an Iowa X-large doe (180+ lbs live weigh guess ) was 68 lbs .I usually think more like 40+ lbs on a full grow doe is more inline.The lockers around here seem to do a good job ( BETTER THAN MYSELF ) . There's alot of fat on the full grown does and this fat is not good for jerky
,so I tank it when I cut up deer myself ,seems to work if I can grind it alright ,but I own a small low cost grinder ,maybe a large one it would work better but too much deer fat is not good for jerky as it causes it to taste rank !

If I get screwed by a locker ,and yes that's happened to me ,I take my deer elsewhere next time .

[Gator eye]

Also ..... where did you hit the deer....you can ruin alot of meat if you hit her in the front shoulder or back straps.

When I butcher I cut ALOT of the tallow and fat off before I grind my meat so your weights are a little low but not that bad if the meat was well cleaned before it was ground.

[Carpshooter]

I always wonder if ouir buddy Gator is just not the " Robin Hood " the rest of us are ?

Hi Gator , old pal !