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-   -   Taking a Deer to the Butcher (http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=43817)

JJRND 10-20-2009 03:58 PM

Taking a Deer to the Butcher
 
I'm new to hunting, and before I harvest any animals I want to know the steps I need to take to butcher the animals. I want to take any deer I harvest to a butcher to be made into jerky, sausage and pepperoni. But I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. Whether I take the deer home and age and cut out the meat myself and then just take the meat to the butcher? Or just take the deer to the butcher and they'll do the aging etc. Also can anyone recommend a butcher in southern Alberta? Thanks!

sheephunter 10-20-2009 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJRND (Post 413747)
I'm new to hunting, and before I harvest any animals I want to know the steps I need to take to butcher the animals. I want to take any deer I harvest to a butcher to be made into jerky, sausage and pepperoni. But I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. Whether I take the deer home and age and cut out the meat myself and then just take the meat to the butcher? Or just take the deer to the butcher and they'll do the aging etc. Also can anyone recommend a butcher in southern Alberta? Thanks!

If you just want sausage and jerky, I'd debone the meat, being carefuly to keep it clean and hair free. No need to age meat being made into sausage so just freeze it in large Ziploc bags and take it to the butcher. You are likely best to keep the tenderloins and backstraps for the bbq but again, no aging required. Deboning the meat yourself will save you a ton of cash.

Scott N 10-20-2009 04:09 PM

I've tried some of my hunting partner's stuff that he had processed at Mountain Sausage in Lethbridge and it was very good. Back Country Butchers in Cowley is also very good.

kevpack 10-20-2009 04:22 PM

Try the Chopping Block in Glenwood, they have a hook on a pulley block, skin it right there, slides right into the cooler, try their breakfast maple sausage, yum yum

JJRND 10-20-2009 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevpack (Post 413765)
Try the Chopping Block in Glenwood, they have a hook on a pulley block, skin it right there, slides right into the cooler, try their breakfast maple sausage, yum yum

Do you have a phone number or address for this place?

Mountain Guy 10-20-2009 07:42 PM

De-bone it yurself,as the butcher will probably weigh it and charge you the weight,bone and all.
Especially if your wanting what you suggest.
You should consider learning to cut it up yourself. Deer are small enough that it's quite manageable to do it yourself.
To make the task easier,wal-mart sell ( at least used to have ) a hard cover book called something like '' feild dressing and cutting'' big game. It has pictures to guide you through the process.
For jerky you should also consider doing it yourself. It's fairly inexpensive to get the meat ground at the butcher , buy a $20 jerky gun and some of the many brands of dry jerky cures out there, and have at er'. YOu can use a dehydrator or the oven. Pretty simple.

graham1 10-20-2009 09:08 PM

I took 2 to Back Country Butchering in Cowley last year, cost about a hundred bucks each for sausage, pizza meat, cheese smokeys etc. All great stuff. Easy to debone it yourself, you don't have to really know what your doing, just cut the meat off the bone. I can't remember for sure but I think the butcher needs to see your tag.
It's well worth the hundred bucks to me, all the family loves it. We had mule deer pepperoni pizza tonight. And the backstraps and tenerloins are great on the bbq. We made about 10 pounds of jerky to. The kids eat it for and after school snack most days.

hwkirby 10-21-2009 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJRND (Post 413747)
I'm new to hunting, and before I harvest any animals I want to know the steps I need to take to butcher the animals. I want to take any deer I harvest to a butcher to be made into jerky, sausage and pepperoni. But I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. Whether I take the deer home and age and cut out the meat myself and then just take the meat to the butcher? Or just take the deer to the butcher and they'll do the aging etc. Also can anyone recommend a butcher in southern Alberta? Thanks!

The more you can do yourself the cheaper it will be in the long run. Deboning a deer is easy and requires very little skill. Nothing to wreck if it is just being further processed into jerky sausage etc. As SH mentioned above be sure to remove hair, fat and bone fragments and the like to make your eating experience that much more enjoyable in the future. Larger game (elk, moose) is a different story though. You can watch videos and take a class to learn how to make cuts from your big game animal. But if you can afford it and want it done right take it to a local butcher shop and have it done professionally. You are on the right track looking for reccommendations, not all butcher shops are created equally!
Most big game does not need to be aged very long if at all imo. Again especially if your going the sausage route. Game typically has little to no exterior fat and just dries out to fast. Leaving a "jerky" type crust over the lean meat which just has to be cut off and thrown away later. Lots of wasted meat and labour for nothing.
Your deer tag will have most of the information needed for the butcher to process your game. However, some take more information to be on the safe side, and it would not hurt to take in your certificate as well. With the new computer generated tags you will have to take in your license.
Good luck!:wave:

JJRND 10-21-2009 02:58 PM

Does anyone have any information about the Chopping Block in Glenwood?

Soreneck Racing 10-21-2009 10:25 PM

The Chopping Block
 
I have used the chopping block for two of my deer last year and I know a couple of other fellows that have used them. Its a father-son operation, pretty small place (mind you Glenwood is a pretty small village!)

They did a fine job on my two deer. $.49/pound hanging weight for the basic processing. Drop it off and go back and pick it up cut/wrapped/frozen. If I remember correctly one of my deer was $54.00 last year

One fellow had some pepperoni and jerky made by them, but it was overdone-very dry. If you are looking for the basic stuff done-use them-otherwise try Mountain Sausage for the speciality stuff. I like the Mtn Sausage jerky and pepperoni.

If you have any interest, it does not take much to cut and wrap your own. I learned from reading stuff here on this forum and other sites on the net. The library has some books as well. My first attempt at butchering was not pretty, but I believe that I will become better with more practice. If it is cool enough, I will be processing more of my deer at home.

Hope that helps!

kevpack 10-22-2009 11:54 AM

Chopping Block 403-626-3842

Okotokian 10-22-2009 12:17 PM

So how do you take a deer to a butcher? I'm assuming they want it gutted, skinned, head and lower legs removed? Wrapped in what? How soon after harvesting? Never used one before.

raggmann 10-22-2009 12:27 PM

As far as deboning the meat yourself, these videos are quite informative.
http://www.outdooredge.com/gameprocessingdvds.html

Scott N 10-22-2009 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okotokian (Post 415346)
So how do you take a deer to a butcher? I'm assuming they want it gutted, skinned, head and lower legs removed? Wrapped in what? How soon after harvesting? Never used one before.

It depends on the butcher. Some won't take wild game without it being de-boned first. The ones that I've used will take them as you describe, gutted, skinned, and lower legs removed. As far as the head part goes, just keep in mind the laws regarding evidence of sex. Also try to make sure that the carcass is hair free and as clean as possible. Keep in mind that some butchers will only accept wild game at certain times / days, I assume as not to scare their regular non-hunting customers too much! I usually just bring them in wrapped in cheesecloth.

trouty 10-22-2009 12:52 PM

butcher
 
mostly taken in gutted, skinned, lower legs removed, evidence of sex etc. I have when situation dictated taken them in unskinned and most will charge you a skinning fee.

backcountry in Cowley is the best around.

Tabers Best 10-22-2009 01:01 PM

go to mountain sausage, they do fine work have a speedy turn around and unlike back country I believe that you actually get back what you brought them!!!

hwkirby 10-23-2009 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okotokian (Post 415346)
So how do you take a deer to a butcher? I'm assuming they want it gutted, skinned, head and lower legs removed? Wrapped in what? How soon after harvesting? Never used one before.

Eviscerated for sure. Depending on the shop, some will only take in deboned product and others will take the carcass with the hide on. Some prefer to skin them for you (for a price of course) because they can skin them so much cleaner and that in turn makes their job just that much easier when it comes to breaking it down into cuts or deboning.
If the carcass is skinned, as long as it is CLEAN, most butcher shops will accept them wrapped or unwrapped, aged or not, fresh or frozen. Just be sure to call ahead and and get the details from your shop of choice, they are all different.
Remember, as mentioned above, to bring in all appropriate license/tag information.

dcutter 10-23-2009 12:05 PM

Do it yourself!!!!! There are lots of books that will give you step by step instuctions on how to do the whole process on your own. All you need is a sharp knife and a table, and you can debone and wrap (personally I vacuum seal) a deer in about an hour. A grinder will cost you between $25 for an old arm-strong, to about $100 for an electric grinder from Canadian Tire. Easy easy easy, and you will save bag-fulls of money!


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