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Deer at processor for 5+ weeks

agelessssone said:
I take mine to Flower's farms and they are calling me within 2 days to come get my deer!!
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Thats kind of interesting. That means they are either not hanging the deer for more than a day if that long or they are giving you someone else's deer. I process all my own deer and I don't have a walk in cooler so needless. to say, I don't hang deer that I process. I think it tastes better when I compare it to deer I have had processed. Maybe the processor did not have the cooler temp set correctly or I got someone else's deer that was not handled properly before going to the processor. It bothers some people. I have been told that I butcher a deer incorrectly by some but I have never had a complaint from those who have eaten any of the deer I have butchered. Actually, thats not true. I knew a guy who was from New Mexico or Arizona and he ate wild horse meat and he was disappointed that my venison was not gamier.
 
I hope you can change your situation in the near future, so you can process yourself.
I'm really picky when it comes to trusting anyone else with my deer. I tried a processor once, never again. I'm paranoid.
I believe you handled this situation quite well, imo.
 
I dropped one off in millington at a processor one time on opening weekend of rifle season, I would call and check in once a week. After February I stopped called. They called in April that it was done. I told them to keep it. I never used them again.
 
My dad sat in line for almost 4 hours Saturday at the slaughter house. It was opening day of ky rifle. They called yesterday and his was ready. Pretty quick timing for that many deer. I took a deer there this morning and picked his up. I asked the guy how many they got in Saturday and he said around the 240 mark.
 
I asked Flower's how many deer they processed last year....3700!
They have a tagging system that stays with the deer from start to finish.
An overhead trolley system that move the deer through each station.
They do so many because they have so many experienced people. They also have limited freezer space so when it's done, they text and want you to pick it up ASAP.
Took two deer in this morning at 8:20, said they would be ready Friday.
I've never waited more than three days for them to call.
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If you don't keep a home processing station set up all season (I dont), it's a pain to set up, process, clean, tear down. For the last 10 years I've done it the same way. I start hunting ML season. I quarter the deer as they are harvested. The meat is put in contractor bags I buy at home depot. The bag goes directly into the freezer (occasionally the backstraps find their way out before the bag goes into the freezer). Around the 15th of December I get all out of the freezer into 120qt coolers to thaw. When only partially thawed, we pick a whole day to process. We make breakfast and summer sausage, cubed steak, roasts, and jerky. The equipment all fits on my 8'x 4' kitchen island. In a single day, the processing is done, and equipment is cleaned and stored. For the next few days, the dehydrator cycles thru 7 pounds of jerky every 6 hours.

Any deer killed after the processing day is left in the freezer until I get back from the Eglin afb hunt in early Feb where All of it is sliced into jerky and the decent trimmings are burger.

All meat is consumed by the following deer season.
 

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