# Unlikely to return to meat processor



## Phil Carver (Apr 5, 2004)

I recently had a bad experience with a local meat processor in Millersburg named Bower and sons. Right after I dropped the deer off a few different friends told me of their bad experiences there as well. I should have turned around and went back to pick the deer back up and take it to Deer Skinners in Carroll who has always done a really good job and treated me well. Well I left the deer ar Bowers since it was already there andI was almost home. I was called within a week to let me know that the deer was ready to be picked up. I went and picked up the deer and was very shocked. The doe that I took in was very large. I was given 35 pounds of meat upon pick up. I know that if I would have taken the deer to Deer Skinners , Thurns or elsewhere that I would have recieved about double this amount of meat back. What would you do if this happend to you ?


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

Next time just gut it, peel the skin back and start chowing! This way you will make sure you get all the meat. 

Just busting your chops buddy, sorry to hear you got ripped off.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Did you weigh the box? I got two boxes from my buck, and each had to weigh 50 lbs. Buck was probably 220 on the hoof.


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## lotaluck (Dec 17, 2009)

We do our own any more but to be honest 35 lbs is not bad. Think about the amount of work that goes into processing a deer and ask yourself if you would work for that cheap. I don't know what the going rate is any more but if I had to guess it's probably around 65 to 75 bucks. 
I know your disappointed and understand your concern but in all fairness those guys or gals work awful hard for so little. In my opinion. 

For reference when we do our own we will usually get around 20lbs of burger and possibly 20 to 25 lbs of steaks for a mature deer.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Here is a good website to judge how much meat you should get back...

http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&cPath=36&products_id=331

If the deer weighed 180 (field dressed), expect 72 lbs of meat.

I'm not saying you didn't have a bad experience at Bowers, but I have had nothing but good experiences with them. They vacuum seal, they are real meat cutters, not "butchers". Can't beat it for $85.


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## lotaluck (Dec 17, 2009)

100 lbs of meat!! Wow that's incredible!! Nice job.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

The butcher I use weights the deer right in front of you and writes the weight on the business card he gives you. This takes the guess work out of how much the deer weighted when I took it in (they get heavier the longer you drag them). So I have a good idea of what I should get back.

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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

lotaluck said:


> 100 lbs of meat!! Wow that's incredible!! Nice job.


I might be exaggerating....maybe I'm getting weak , but those two boxes felt like 50 lbs!!


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## Phil Carver (Apr 5, 2004)

The box was 15"x12"x9". I have had many , many deer butchered over the years. I have never recieved the small amount that I recieved back from them.  If you really want a good experience , try Deer Skinners out. They also vacume seal for you as well as lable every package with a discription and date of when it was butchered.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

I'm not trying to be a wise guy, but if you learn to process your one deer you'll never have to wonder how much meat you should be getting back.


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## Wishin4Fishin (Feb 24, 2011)

ezbite said:


> I'm not trying to be a wise guy, but if you learn to process your one deer you'll never have to wonder how much meat you should be getting back.


You will also improve the taste of the meat on the table, IMO. The quality of venison, in large part, is made from the time the deer hits the ground to the the time it is put in the freezer. From gutting it in the field, to butchering the meat, to packing the meat.


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## Phil Carver (Apr 5, 2004)

I agree , the meat seems to taste very good when you process the animal yourself. The bad thing is that due to working long hours , and kid functions it was not logical this time. Sure would have liked to save the $85 as well. lol


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

from the placement of the slug or arrow..... to the table...I know exactly who and where my deer meat has been....I take a lot of pride and respect for the deer to do it myself....not a question of time and savings...I make that.... just like when I went to kill it....time was made....or I didn't go....and never have I had a bad piece of meat..... ever.....just saying


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## buckeye dan (Jan 31, 2012)

I'm not defending the butcher in question at all here. 35 pounds could be about right depending on several factors.

Where did the bullet strike the deer and was any damage done to the meat? Bone fragments, bullet fragments etc etc.

How did you have the meat butchered? Steaks ,roasts, burger, ribs etc etc. Bone in or out?

Did you have the butcher add fat or suet to the burger if burger was made?

Did you do any specialty items like sausage, brats or bologna?

There are several combinations that will result in low yields depending on the above conditions that we don't have the specifics on. All of them will yield less than if you butchered your own deer. 

Some shops won't clean the ribs for instance. It's too time consuming. However if you ask for rib racks they will saw them. Stuff like that.


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

Been cleaning and cutting our own for years. Many huge bucks and does. And we debone all. Ive never seen an ohio deer that has 60 lbs of boneless meat a good size doe usually goes 20-35 lbs finished. Thats not wasting any thing. And we have a group of 6 and probably cleaned and packed over 1000 ohio deer.

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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Phil Carver said:


> The box was 15"x12"x9". I have had many , many deer butchered over the years. I have never recieved the small amount that I recieved back from them.  If you really want a good experience , try Deer Skinners out. They also vacume seal for you as well as lable every package with a discription and date of when it was butchered.


I have gone to Deer Skinners for the last 10 or so years, I just started trying Bowers this year because George is off and on during archery. How much does George charge for vaccum now? It was over $100 last time which is too much for me.


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## Agitation Free (Jul 11, 2010)

I got burned on Saturday to at Kellers in Litchfield. I've been taking 2-3 deer a year to them for about 15 years. Never a problem. Recommended them to many friends. Never again. My 1st deer this year was dressed at 100#. They said the deer I got back today dressed at 75# but it was much larger than the first one I took in. They charged me for 20# of summer sausage that I didn't get, and they charged me for 20# of trail bologna that weighed only 16#. When I took it in on monday, I was told it would be a couple weeks because mine was the only one they had to process. Today the place was packed from guys picking up deer that were harvested during the gun season. (Took mine with a bow monday). When The owner called me yesterday, he said my deer was finished. When I got there today, nothing was boxed or numbered as usual. In front of me he just threw some sh#t in a box and said here, $175.00. Wasn't even what I ordered. When I tried to tell him my order was wrong, he didn't want to here it. I've never had an experience like that with any deer processer.


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## postalhunter1 (Jun 5, 2010)

After reading all these stories I am glad that I have been butchering my own deer from the start. I think that it's the only way to go for a couple reasons. First: No matter how good your butcher is, they will never do as good of a job as YOU will!! They are going to send more of the fat into the grinder. Which by the way if you didn't know, deer fat tastes nasty!! I think that's the best way to have "gamey" tasting burger. Another big point is that your meat is still going to come into contact with other people's meat! In other words your meat will be on the same cutting board and ran through the same grinder as everyone else's meat. Which is not really a big deal I suppose, but I just like to be in control of every aspect of my harvest. I like to know exactly what cuts are what, was all bloodshot meat cut out, was it packaged properly? Don't get me wrong though, I am not butcher bashing by any means, they have a job to do quickly and efficiently and I understand that and yes it's a pain in the butt to butcher your deer after work, up till 10:00 or 11:00, and cleaning the equipment afterwards, but once you start doing it, you will never be happy outsourcing it again......


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## JoeFish (Apr 2, 2011)

viper1 said:


> Been cleaning and cutting our own for years. Many huge bucks and does. And we debone all. Ive never seen an ohio deer that has 60 lbs of boneless meat a good size doe usually goes 20-35 lbs finished. Thats not wasting any thing. And we have a group of 6 and probably cleaned and packed over 1000 ohio deer.
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


Wow, my Carrollton buck must have been a monster, because I weighed all my meat when I was done. I had 82 lbs of meat, including about 6 lbs of pork ground up in the ground meat. 

There is a great processing guide over at ohiosportsman.com in the archery section. it is a sister site to OGF. Everyone in this thread should go check it out. 

This was my first deer ever, and I processed myself with this guide, and it was easy. Never taking mine to a processor, unless its an emergency.

Joe


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

JoeFish said:


> Wow, my Carrollton buck must have been a monster, because I weighed all my meat when I was done. I had 82 lbs of meat, including about 6 lbs of pork ground up in the ground meat.
> 
> There is a great processing guide over at ohiosportsman.com in the archery section. it is a sister site to OGF. Everyone in this thread should go check it out.
> 
> ...


please post a direct link to the processing guide..... I would like to check it out....without joining another forum and searching


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## dmills4124 (Apr 9, 2008)

Every year this topic comes up in a thread here. I havent had the luck to harvest any of ohios venisen yet, but I do have several questions I feel I need to ask. 
Do you need to mix the fats from cow or pig to the venisen sausage for the better flavor since deer fat is too gamie?
Does the meat cutter just add all the ground deer together and then devide it according to how many deer were used instead of weighing each deer that he cuts up?
Why cant a couple of guys get together and butcher their meat altogether to share the work and meat?
The cost of a meat cutting band saw has to expensive. Can a sawsall be used instead? Can you buy a stainless steel blade for meat cutting?
Thanks ya'll
donm


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## JoeFish (Apr 2, 2011)

edit: added michgan sportsman forum link, try that one, it may allow viewing without an account:

Michigan sportsman link: Michgan Sportsman deer processing guide

Ohio link below, requires an account:

Ohio Sportsman Deer Processing Guide
sorry, it looks like you need an account to view the post, unless someone else feels like reposting it, or a mod can repost to OGF.

It was worth signing up just for this guide.

Joe

Edit: it looks like the michigan sportsman site allows you to view it, try that.


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## Muskarp (Feb 5, 2007)

Mushijobah said:


> Did you weigh the box? I got two boxes from my buck, and each had to weigh 50 lbs. Buck was probably 220 on the hoof.


Bro from that chart your deer would have had to be about 320 on the hoof. The chart is for 180 pounds head, hide and entrails removed. Not just field dressed.



> Meat Yields (In Pounds)
> Animal Weight* Meat Waste %Meat
> Lamb** 50 40 10 80%
> Hog 240 189 51 79%
> ...


100lbs of meat (@40% of total carcass weight) = 250lbs carcass weight + 30lbs organs + 25lbs hide +15lbs head = 320lbs on the hoof, or somewhere there about. What's in that feeder your hunting over?


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## chopper (May 15, 2004)

I have used them for years. I have no complaints. Did you ever clean a limit of fish and see how small the bags is? I don't think that they would cheat you. Seem like a nice family to me. But if I ever thought that they cheated me, that would be it. I would never go back again. Just be sure that they did in fact cheat you.


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## lotaluck (Dec 17, 2009)

Muskarp said:


> Bro from that chart your deer would have had to be about 320 on the hoof. The chart is for 180 pounds head, hide and entrails removed. Not just field dressed.
> 
> 
> 
> 100lbs of meat (@40% of total carcass weight) = 250lbs carcass weight + 30lbs organs + 25lbs hide +15lbs head = 320lbs on the hoof, or somewhere there about. What's in that feeder your hunting over?


It is very easy to overestimate and without weighing I can see how this could seem like 100 lbs. He did say mabey he was exagerating. 

From experience to get anything over 50 lbs is hard to do especially when we cut out all of the bruised meat. Sometimes the 2 front shoulders are toast and not good enough for us to butcher. It really makes a difference in the tast of the meat if you can get rid of all the bruising. I would not expect a butcher to put the amount of time in to get rid of all that bruising for what he gets paid.


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## Phil Carver (Apr 5, 2004)

Mushijobah said:


> I have gone to Deer Skinners for the last 10 or so years, I just started trying Bowers this year because George is off and on during archery. How much does George charge for vaccum now? It was over $100 last time which is too much for me.


 
Last year Deer Skinners was charging $85 vac sealed. I know how much meat that I would have gotten back from them. It would have been alot more than what I got from Bowers. Plus having bones in my meat really turns my taste buds the wrong way.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Phil Carver said:


> Plus having bones in my meat really turns my taste buds the wrong way.


Bone fragments is what turned me off..... on a processor


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

dmills4124 said:


> Every year this topic comes up in a thread here. I havent had the luck to harvest any of ohios venisen yet, but I do have several questions I feel I need to ask.
> Do you need to mix the fats from cow or pig to the venisen sausage for the better flavor since deer fat is too gamie?
> Does the meat cutter just add all the ground deer together and then devide it according to how many deer were used instead of weighing each deer that he cuts up?
> Why cant a couple of guys get together and butcher their meat altogether to share the work and meat?
> ...


Well me im 60 and my buddy is 65 and it takes us less then 2 hrs usually to gut,dehide and debone. Its a simple task any one can do and ive cleaned many my self. Dont use any saw. Creates bone meal and sourers the meat when you freeze. We hang the deer from the rafter by the neck.Simply use a saws all to cut legs off at the knees, Cut up the belly remove any thing in the stomach area if not done already.(Should be done in the field.) If you cape to mount head safe about the whole upper half of the hide and cut the neck off at the end all inn one piece. Cut up the belly to remove it. If not Make a cut around the neck and pull the hide off cutting fat as needed. Then just start removing the meat. We usually carve out the back straps and tenderloins first then remove each leg. Then cut meat from bones. If steaks and that is wanted leave meat in as big of hunks you can then slice with knife. We save tenderloins and back straps and cut a couple small roasts and grind the rest for sausages and such. And yes you usually add pork or beef fat to burger. and when we do sausage I usually make a 80/20 or a 70/30 mix depending on the product were making. That's 80 % venison to 20 % pork butt. And when we do clean deer the ones who shot are asked to watch. THat way no arguments. Hope that helps. And if you do one of your own you'll see how bad people judge weight and exaggerates. LOL! Any thing else I can help with PM me.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Muskarp said:


> Bro from that chart your deer would have had to be about 320 on the hoof. The chart is for 180 pounds head, hide and entrails removed. Not just field dressed.
> 
> 
> 
> 100lbs of meat (@40% of total carcass weight) = 250lbs carcass weight + 30lbs organs + 25lbs hide +15lbs head = 320lbs on the hoof, or somewhere there about. What's in that feeder your hunting over?


Refer to my exaggeration post stating how I am weak....bro!!!

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## leupy (Feb 12, 2007)

Once you learn to butcher your own deer you will not need a saw at all unless you use it to cut the head off and cut the rib cage down to where you can get it into a trash bag and a hatchet will do the some thing.


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## hooptie (Dec 10, 2012)

I harvested my first deer this year estimated her at 150-175lbs standing and ended up with 42lbs of meat paying for a butcher, the next one I hope to do a deer myself to compare the difference


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## Muskarp (Feb 5, 2007)

Mushijobah said:


> Refer to my exaggeration post stating how I am weak....bro!!!
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I'm sure your not weak. You just have a tendency to exaggerate.


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## TeamClose (May 23, 2005)

Its funny how this discussion always comes up after gun season. Been processing my own deer for 15 years and something around 30-40 pds seems to be the average. As previously stated a lot has to do with shot placement and the weapon. I shot a doe this gun season, hit her high in the front shoulder. After skinning her, had to throw out both front quarters and trim some bruising out of the backstraps. Someone that doesn't do their own deer and doesn't know any better would think that a shot like that was above the front quarters and in front of the backstraps. They would take it to the butcher and when they got their meat back would go on a public forum and bad mouth the butcher because they didn't get back 100 pd of meat. Not talking about anybody specific, this just happens all the time during gun season. Bottom line if you want something done right just do it yourself. Save money and get satisfaction of doing it yourself


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

We did a couple of does so far this year. I weighed the first one field dressed. (gutted with hide on) She was a real nice size doe, 130#. Yes we have shot bigger does but she was what I would call a big doe. Anyway I debone all of my deer. We ended up with 40# from her. The second one I would guess was somewhere around 120#. I didn't weigh the meat but we got 17 quarts of canned meat. I would suspect that it was somewhere around 32-34#. If you got 35# back of boned meat I would way that is very believable for a doe unless she was a real brute. I don't do any of mine with bone in the steaks so if you had some of that I don't have a good guess as to how much that would add. Obviously it would depend on how many steaks you got. Bottom line is that I didn't think your number seemed unusually low when I read it. And as other have mentioned there could be some loss if it the shot was anywhere other that a shot straight through side to side. If it was hit in the shoulder or high or anything it can result in waste.

I think there are a lot of folks who unfamiliar with processing deer that would estimate the yield quite a bit high. I know Mushi mentioned that he got 100# from his deer and I don't doubt it but that is definitely the exception and not the norm. I have done a couple myself over the years that just missed 100# of meat and they were very mature bucks.


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## WeekendWarrior (Jan 20, 2008)

I tried Bowers - ONCE! - Over charged and dirty!! 

Mike Rieser down the street in Baltimore is the place to go!! $85!! My wife even commented that his place is cleaner then House of Meats at the Anderson's General Store.


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## dmills4124 (Apr 9, 2008)

Viper1 thanks for the answers that helps alot. Also DUMAS Meats in Magador is $60 vaccuum sealed. If I'm lucky next year I can do the butchering myself in the garage.
later
donm


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Muskarp said:


> I'm sure your not weak. You just have a tendency to exaggerate.


Why have you been keeping tabs on my tendencies? Creepy. Do you even deer hunt? Have anything substantive to say about meat processors in East-Central Ohio?


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

dmills4124 said:


> Viper1 thanks for the answers that helps alot. Also DUMAS Meats in Magador is $60 vaccuum sealed. If I'm lucky next year I can do the butchering myself in the garage.
> later
> donm


That's a good deal. Where is magador?


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## lotaluck (Dec 17, 2009)

Mushijobah said:


> That's a good deal. Where is magador?


2 hours north east of Columbus near Kent.


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## Agitation Free (Jul 11, 2010)

dmills4124 said:


> Viper1 thanks for the answers that helps alot. Also DUMAS Meats in Magador is $60 vaccuum sealed. If I'm lucky next year I can do the butchering myself in the garage.
> later
> donm


Just checked out Duma Meats web site. They make deer hot dogs and a lot of other deer processed meats . Next deer I get I'm going to try them. Thanks dmills.


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## ditchdigger (Feb 22, 2012)

Had the deerdogs from there,very tasty!


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## kparrott154 (Mar 26, 2007)

I shot a deer in both the '05 and '06 season and took them there to be processed. They seemed nice and professional. I'd definitely recommend them


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## dmgonfishin55 (Jan 8, 2009)

WeekendWarrior said:


> I tried Bowers - ONCE! - Over charged and dirty!!
> 
> Mike Rieser down the street in Baltimore is the place to go!! $85!! My wife even commented that his place is cleaner then House of Meats at the Anderson's General Store.


Reiser takes his meat to Bowers, he debones and butchers but has Bowers do sausage and sticks. Had an issue at bowers last year, did not find out until this year what the problem was. One of the main butchers got hit by a drunk driver. Came back to work, had a problem come up from the accident and was off for a long time. Felt like a D*$k when i found out cause I posted on here all p.o. cause my meat was 4 weeks late. But hey it happens, took one there this year and they did a fine job. And yes, their hot dogs are freaking delicious. So the my ranting posts from last year may be disregarded, sorry Bowers and Sons.


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## Phil Carver (Apr 5, 2004)

You can always tell the difference between a deer that was taken in clean and one that just sat around not cleaned out before it was taken in. I have cooked some of the deer burger that we got back and can say that it is 100% not the deer that I dropped off! Really tastes bad! Really not trying to sound dramatic but it's the truth. They must bulk grind there.  Can not wait to tear into the meat I got back today from Deer Skinners. I am sure that it will taste soooooo good!


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