Do you butcher your own meat?

[bluewine]

Thanks Bill!
You read it right, I meant de-boned large cuts of meat.  I can't always process in one sitting, AND would like to age it out a bit.
Good thread and thanks for the feedback.  Now if I could only afford a big Yeti cooler!

 

[basco]

I work hard to get therfore I want 100% of it back. Im cheap so I have always done it myself and made my own smoked products etc. I don't trust the butchers in my area to give it all back, and they cost an arm and a leg to do it.

 

[MT_mulies]

Yeah we do everything but grind the burger. But I'm trying to convince the wife to let me buy one cause it will pay for itself in 2 season or 1 if I can fill all my tags.

 

[BrentLaBere]

Very impressive to do it in 3 hrs!. I try to do the whole 9 yrds with deer and my first elk this year.
Country style, summer, jerky and steaks is what we do and always learning and trying to improve. I have to say elk is my new favorite over venison. Smell is quite different as well

 

[ElkManDan]

Wow sounds like I'm the only one not doing it myself.  I've done several and do not enjoy it.  I have a butcher that does an awesome job on my elk and reasonably priced, I always get back more meat than if I did it myself.  Gives me more time up in the mountains hunting I can drop the meat off and then head right out on my next hunt!

 

[RockyMountainHi]

I do my own as well--stew meat, steaks from backstraps and loin and burger the rest.  Had to buy a 1/2 hp grinder after burning out my wife's KitchenAid mixer .  Now, I offer to grind up other's deer/elk.  I like the opportunity to trim it and clean it to my specifications and will vary about mixing it with beef fat.

 

[linds1007]

We cut,grind and vac seal ours that way we know whats in the meat.

 

[Atfulldraw]

If the group I hunt with get more than 2 elk we cut all the steaks, roasts and trim all the nastys off the burger meat and have the butcher grind it. It makes it easer with that much meat. Besides it dose not cost that much to have it ground into burger.

 

[Elkoholic]

Butcher it myself usually. Usually have my family to help but this yr had to do it all by myself and took a very long time. Back was very sore by the end of it. Would suggest to have at least 3 people doing it if your going to do it yourself.

 

[COelkaholic88]

I usually fill my tag in October-November in Colorado so I just hang it up in the shop and let it sit for no less than 7 days. I have always butchered my own animals as I don't trust some one else handling my backs traps! This past year I received a meat grinder for my birthday an used it the first time in november and I was ecstatic about how easy it was. I butcher my elk and deer by myself. I don't expect help from friends and family cause I feel it's just another reward after harvesting.  It usually takes me about 2 days total. I try to leave hardly a trace of meat on bone and have actually scraped them clean. You'd be surprised how much more jerky meat you can get by doing that.

 

[Alder]

I love the butchering process - that way I know every cut of meat and every package. That makes cooking it so much more fun. Last time my wife and I did it it was closer to 6 hours. Although we had one day where there were 7 of us butchered five deer in just two hours. Every extra person really speeds up the process an amazing amount.

 

[Chad44]

We do ours. My 13 year old daughter and I make a day of it. She loves running the grinder. I figure its the only way to be sure that you actually get the meat from your elk.