I finally have a rant...

That looks good. Real good. I need to investigate. Thanks for posting.

Man y'all have some processor stories, glad the guy that does mine in dawsonville is excellent. He will let it hang for 3'days and then Calls to confirm what cuts you want. After the call he starts your deer and you can pick up 2 days later frozen/vacuum sealed. He's a bit more than normal but he's quality.

kmckinnie said:

How much did all the tools you got cost about do u think. ?

Should not take long to recover cost.

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I got the cuber, vacuum sealer and grinder as birthday and christmas gifts over the last two years but let's see:
The cuber costs 35 from amazon, the vacuum sealer was about 100 from amazon, the grinder was from gander mountain but i believe it was about 120, the meat slicer is about 90 on amazon, and then i ordered bags, seasoning, etc from www.sausagemakersupply.com
They were the cheapest.
So.... 350 or so got me set.
Since it cost 100 plus when you take a deer to a processor and get sausage or salami, it only takes the equivalent of 3 deer or hogs to start paying for itself.
I do have a local processor i like and trust, but there have been times in the past where i've watched other processor guys cutting meat while my meat was being retrieved. I think by mid to late season, they just hate their job and go as fast as they can and leave a lot of meat on the bone. Just my opinion and observation.

On an average 100# doe in Georgia cubed and burger-ed you should return about 30-35% of the weight of the deer when killed.

I have had a processor return me more weight than he should have so I assume he was taking meat from a non paying customer's deer that he had processed and adding it to my bill. Im not a fan of this as I don't know how that deer was handled after being killed. I want back my deer with nothing added and nothing taken away from it.

Reading y'all's posts make me love my processor more and more.

Your deer is what they work on untill it's done. Then it is on to the next one. I have seen it many times.
I cut my own up some times and some times I just don't want to take the time.

godogs57 said:

That looks good. Real good. I need to investigate. Thanks for posting.

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You can't go wrong with the LEM #8 big bite. It'll grind as fast as you can put the meat in. If you're using the smaller plate then it slows you down a little bit. I've got the foot switch with mine, because we use the LEM burger bags, and it works great. Mine paid for itself in about 2 years.

Dutch

Dutch, u have a nice setup there

I always check the box before I leave, and question if I think there's a mistake. Once, I had ordered all ground and whole backstraps and t-loins, and opened the box and sorted through it and there was nothing but burger.

I asked where my straps and loins were, and he went and took some out of another box and gave me those. Never went back to that guy again.

Just picked up a small buck from Crane's in Acworth. I got exactly what I asked for, cut-wise, and the weight seemed about right for the size of deer.

Also, had good luck (for years and multiple deer) with Pittman's down in Sharon, GA. Plus, his sausage is great.

You have to find a processor you like and trust, and stick with them if you aren't gonna do it yourself.

I killed a Nebraska buck this year and tge meat back deboned. I am beyond busy with work so when I got I ran it over to a local processor in Winder because I just didn't have time to process myself. The exact same issue as tge OP and the exact reason I quit using deer processors years ago. They cubed my back strap on top of short changing my meat. I never said a word to them because it was my own fault and I knew better! I will never do it again, ever!

That's really a shame godogs57 ! You really never have a rant, and seem to be a very knowledgeable guy when it comes to hunting, calibers, bullet construction, etc.

When it comes to processors, there seems to be a lot of, I'm going to say inconsistency? I have tried at least 8 different processors in my area, and have only settled on 2 that I will use for my future processing needs.

I'm not really hard to please, but I expect a few certain things out of a processor.

First and foremost, I have to feel like I am picking up the same deer meat that I dropped off. This alone, has probably turned me away from at least 3-4 places.

Second, I need to get the feeling that the processor is handling the meat in a sanitary and clean facility. I don't want to go pick up my processed meat, and find that it looks bloody, or have blood smeared all over my ice chest afterwards.

Third, My processed meat, needs to be done they way I wanted it, when I placed my order. If I order fresh sausage, I don't want to pick up smoked sausage. Also, it should be representative of the quantity of meat that I dropped off.

Forth, it has to taste good, with no strange taste, or overpowering ingredient, that will smell up the house when I cook it.

That's really about it. However, of ~8 places I've used, only 2 of them can meet my needs.

Hank, next time bring it up to Cordele at Mike's deer processing on 41 just across from the fairgrounds south of town next time. I promise u will get what u are supposed to.

I weigh my meat a lot from deer I processed just to see what I can get. Usually about 35 pounds on a medium for. Up to 45 on the bigger ones.

walters said:

Dutch, u have a nice setup there

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Thanks.

godogs57 said:

Exactly. I was anticipating about 50# back. I’ve never really had a run in with a processor until now. Up till now, I’ve only used them to grind burger or cube. I see Cabela’s pro grade grinders will run me $375-$400 and a Cuber Attachment is $140. That’s a lot of pocket change for something used a few times a year. But...it wouldn’t take long to pay for itself....about 8 does worked up would pay for it.

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You can get a decent grinder for 150 to 180 bucks. Remember, you're not grinding but a few deer a year if that so you don't need an expensive heavy duty rig. I also opted to go with a Weston 80 dollar hand crank cuber instead of an attachment for the grinder. I don't cube the meat prior to freezing. I portion out the steaks and freeze with the intention of cubing as I'm preparing the meal. The meat is much easier to cube if it's semi frozen versus being soft; also less mess. Two passes thru the cuber per steak and you're good to go. Five minute cleanup, easy peasy.
Another reason to not attempt cubing as you're processing and grinding, time. Processing can be a bit tedious at times so decreasing the workload during processing is an added bonus to opt to cube prior to cooking.
I'd estimate it takes me about 30 minutes to process a ham. Pulling the ham from the cooler; removing fat and cutting sinew and meat away from the bone; cutting larger chunks into steak and smaller pieces into sizes to fit into the grinder. I've found that on a ham I get about half steaks and half grind meat. Run the smaller chunks thru the grinder, maybe five minutes; then wrap steaks and ground in freezer paper, label and freeze. Then on to the next piece. You're not going to get any steaks from the shoulders so it is simply a matter of removing the meat from the bone and removing gristle and fat then dropping it in the grinder. Backstrap even easier. I simply portion out the straps as works for us and wrap it in chunks. When I want strap, I'll decide at the time how I want to cook it and cut it then.
2 cts worth plus a bonus nickle.

godogs57 said:

Yeah. She was big. I've killed some that pushed or met 180 a few times.

I imagine they kept the backstraps for themselves, hurried through the hams, shoulders. Good cubers can go for several hundred, up to a grand from what I've seen.

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I have a hand cranked LEM cyber/tenderizer from bass pro. It was fairly steep I thought when buying it. It’s proven to be a sound investment. Built like a tank. My 5 and 6 year olds operate it. It’s safe, easy and will last 2 lifetimes.

I buy the harbor freight grinders for about 60 bucks. They will last you about 50 bucks but well worth the money before you have to buy a new one

Nicodemus said:

I figure between 30 and maybe 35 percent yield of meat of on the hoof weight.

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This is correct. We processed for the public for 8-9 years and we did the math on all different weights.

Hate they got you like that.

On the other hand you have people that bring you a 170# deer and expect 100+ #'s back.... It ain't happening.

Another cheap grinder idea is the grinder attachment for Kitchen Aid mixers. Most housewives have one for baking, so stake your claim on it too and use it for grinding veni burger. It has comparable power to the mid-grade stand alone grinders.