Meat Yield

[Gravey]

Buck I killed opening day of rifle season weighed 140 lbs field dressed. Gave him to some neighbors and they had him processed. I asked them to weigh the meat they got back and it was 52-53 lbs I believe.

 

[Weegee]

How much does it cost now? What did you pay for those 20lbs?

$120. Seems pretty standard nowadays. I haven't taken one to a processor in a couple years, but I like having the option to do so if I don't have time to do one myself.

 

[Weegee]

When processors are busy, often times they rush thru the process, in order to keep animals moving.

I heard a story from a local guy who complained to his processor about how much meat had been left on the carcasses. The owner straight up told him that, "when it's busy, like opening weekends, he hasn't got time to trim it all off the bones."

The customer was not happy and said he'd never go back to this guy because of it. I imagine that's commonplace when the cooler is overflowing and the pressure in on to get 'em done, and move on.

I get that. And I'm not mad or anything, just curious what others thought. My dad took a doe that was about the same size to a different processor a week later, so it'll be interesting to compare the yield he gets.

 

[Weegee]

Obviously It would start with how big the doe was. Year & 1/2 deer isn't really telling enough to go by.
20 pounds doesn't sound like a lot but that's about all your gonna get from a 90-100 pound deer. What did you have done with the meat? Sausage? Sliced into steak or something else?
With that said, I've always thought the processors slip a pack or 2 on everybody

No sausage, just steaks, roasts, and ground.

 

[Weegee]

I'd be more prone to judge a processor by other parameters first.

1) Is it good quality grind? well ground and mixed, not overly bloody and no hair. 2) Turn around time and they can ensure that I'm getting my deer and my deer only. 3) Cost. 4) The amount you get back also plays into cost though.

I've always been disappointed by something with every processor I've tried. I tried 3 different ones and they weren't awful but I just wasn't fully content with it. It's a grisly task and I understand they need to be profitable on their end.

I've had much less complaints about it when I started doing everything myself.

I haven't cooked any of it, so I'm not sure about the grind quality just yet. Turn around time and cost are very reasonable, but i don't think I'll take another deer there based on the amount I got back. Taking one there was kind-of a test run, so now I know.

 

[Weegee]

30-40% of what it weighs dressed is a good rule of thumb to expect. That's what I typically get but I do all mine myself. One reason is I know that meat isn't being wasted.

Processors often don't do the best work. There's no way they are putting as much care into using all the meat as someone would themselves.

Whatever you got from that doe, you probably would have more if you had done it yourself.

You're definitely right about that. I prefer to do my own, was just curious about this new place.

 

[JJ3]

What kind of meat yield would you expect to get on a 1.5 year old doe? I try to do my own processing but sometimes timing and weather just don't cooperate. I shot a doe last month and took it to a new processor that I've never used before. Got my meat back and decided to weigh it out of curiosity. 20 pounds. Seems very light to me. I double lunged her with a rifle and gutted her cleanly, so meat loss should have been minimal.

I killed one last week and processed her myself — she was a small doe but 1.5 years. I didn't lose any shoulder meat. I only got about 29 lbs from her — that does include the bone-in shanks and a bone-in shoulder — so probably about 26 lbs boneless meat. My daughter killed a 2.5 yr the week before and we got 36 lbs (including bone-in shanks) but did lose a pound or 2 of shoulder meat on that one. I do trim heavy and cut out anything that isn't good meat.

 

[Weegee]

That does sound light, how was your breakdown of the meat?

Backstrap and TL: 4lbs 10oz
Steaks: 4lbs 3oz
Roasts: 6lbs
Ground: 4lbs 6oz (from what I can see through the packaging appears to be very well trimmed)

 

[Laserman1]

Started processing mine myself. Didn't like seeing deer in the floor of the cooler, and not knowing if my meat was from my deer or someone's else's. Had processor make some Italian sausage once. Picked up and there wasn't any there. He walked into the back asked how many I got, pulled that many from a crate full of Italian sausages and put it in my pile. Know for a fact it wasn't from my deer. I know they do t have time to get every scrap but I do.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Just don't start looking at the cost per pound when you include gear, leases, property taxes, whatever. We could all buy filet mignon every day probably.

 

[Iglow]

Buck I killed opening day of rifle season weighed 140 lbs field dressed. Gave him to some neighbors and they had him processed. I asked them to weigh the meat they got back and it was 52-53 lbs I believe.

I was gonna post these same numbers, I had one dressed 140 and put the finished meat on a scale- right at 60lbs.

 

[poorhunter]

I have done my own processing for the last 25 years. The deer in Tennessee seem to average 10-20% less live weight than the deer I killed in Indiana, much smaller here. That being said, 20-25% meat of live weight is a good average. Like other guys have said they are, I'm pretty careful at trimming.