Double Check Your Processor

holton27596

Senior Member
If you got 70 pounds of meat back from a 135 pound deer you got someone else's meat!! 30-35% is ideal, if you blow up the shoulders or otherwsie mess up the meat you will get a lot less than that. I will stick with processing my own meat.
 

Nicodemus

The Recluse
Staff member
Ok, tried to process a doe I got opening day and ended up with less than 15 lbs of meat. Obviously, I was throwing away a lot I was supposed to keep, but everything I'd read said to make sure i got rid of all the silver skin and the tendons.

Anyone who has actually processed their own have a good book or youtube video they can recommend so I can figure out what the heck I did wrong? I can't afford to (and don't want to) lose that much meat again.



This might help you some.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=265049&highlight=sinew+removal
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
Ok, tried to process a doe I got opening day and ended up with less than 15 lbs of meat. Obviously, I was throwing away a lot I was supposed to keep, but everything I'd read said to make sure i got rid of all the silver skin and the tendons.

Anyone who has actually processed their own have a good book or youtube video they can recommend so I can figure out what the heck I did wrong? I can't afford to (and don't want to) lose that much meat again.

First of all, how big was the doe, and what did you keep and what did you leave attached to the carcass when you quartered it? I know folks who leave a lot of good meat on the carcass and throw it away. When I quarter a deer, I usually end up with two hams, two shoulders, two backstraps, two tenderloins, the neck filleted off the bone, and a bunch of rib and brisket meat filleted off the ribcage and chest. The neck and brisket/rib meat on a good-sized deer is a lot of burger. The amount you can get varies with where you shot it and what with, too.
 

LureheadEd

Senior Member
BPS had the Lem #8 on sale for around $125 in the last flyer I got in the mail.... Excellent price on a great piece of equipment...
 

WNewman

Senior Member
First of all, how big was the doe, and what did you keep and what did you leave attached to the carcass when you quartered it? I know folks who leave a lot of good meat on the carcass and throw it away. When I quarter a deer, I usually end up with two hams, two shoulders, two backstraps, two tenderloins, the neck filleted off the bone, and a bunch of rib and brisket meat filleted off the ribcage and chest. The neck and brisket/rib meat on a good-sized deer is a lot of burger. The amount you can get varies with where you shot it and what with, too.

We figured she was about 2 years old, looked to have had at least one faun. Medium sized I guess. I had the hams, shoulders, back-straps and tenderloins. I had some brisket meat off the ribcage as well, but couldn't figure out how to trim it, got frustrated and tossed it on the reject pile.

From the video I watched last night, it looks like if I'm planning on grinding it, I don't need to clean it up near as much as I thought or if making steaks or roast. Does that sound right? Just get all the fat off and the thick tendons cut out?
 

deebo

Senior Member
I agree with the do it yourselfers who have posted here. I bought this video several years back. I've learned that his method is very tedious, so I don't follow many of his unnecessary techniques (for example, he splits the entire deer down the spine). But it's a great introduction to properly de-boning, cleaning meat, and getting the most out of your deer. After a bad experience with a processor and very "gamey" meat, my wife has laid down the law. If I want to hunt, I have to process myself. She won't cook or eat anything from a processor again. I grind almost everything except the tenderloins, and she swears it tastes better than ground sirloin from the grocery store.

http://www.lemproducts.com/product/dvd-deer-processing-from-field-to-table/all-books-dvds
 

BendItBig

Member
Nicodemus, how and where can I get a grinder for under $100? I have always heard for every 100 pounds of deer weight you should end up with 35-40lbs of meat. This is what I have heard over the years.

If you or your wife have a KitchenAid mixer the meat grinder attachment is only $55 and the sausage maker is about the same. Cabelas has a hand operated meat grinder for $54
 

S-Balentine

Senior Member
My buddy just used a processor in Nichols that I feel did a great job. He ended up with 65 lbs from a 140 lb deer. We have took him 2 more
 

bamaboy

Senior Member
Google #32 handgrinder. They`ll run from $40 to $60.

A deer should yield about 33% of total live weight in boneless meat.

Thank you.
 

dawg2

AWOL ADMINISTRATOR
Top