For those who enjoy the hunt, getting a deer can be a great accomplishment.
Some hunters try to find deer season after season without any luck.
When you do finally catch that deer that you have been chasing, chances are you will want to take advantage of all the meat that it has to offer.
Some hunters are able to get enough meat to feed their families for the entire year.
However, there is a cost involved with processing a deer.
If you don’t do this properly, you could end up missing out on a lot of the meat that the deer has to offer.
If you are curious about what it should cost you to have your deer processed, let’s take a look into some of the things that you should consider.
How Much Does It Cost to Process A Deer?
The cost to process a deer is between $75 and $200 depending on the process you are looking for, where you are located, and what types of cuts of meat you are looking for.
Like anything else, processing a deer takes time.
Since the process is so time-consuming, you are going to be paying quite a bit for the labor involved in the process.
In addition, you are likely going to pay more if you have a large deer as opposed to a smaller one.
The larger deer obviously have more meat, and therefore, there is more work for the deer processor to handle.
One of the things that will increase the pricing of the deer that you are having processed is how you want the meat.
Some will want steaks, and others will want the meat ground.
Grinding up the deer takes some extra time and the use of equipment, so this will add to your costs.
Of course, you could also grind the meat yourself when you have received the clean deer.
However, this is really up to you and the exact way that you want the deer processed.
Depending on the type of cook you are and how comfortable you feel preparing the meat, you may want the deer processed a certain way.
One way to save money on the processing of a deer is to complete the process yourself.
Although you may not be trained, and this could take you a bit to learn, it will save quite a bit of money.
Let’s look at some of the benefits and negatives of processing a deer without the help of a professional.
Benefits Of Having A Professional Process A Deer
Most serious hunters are going to know how to process their own deer.
They do it so often and have for so many years that the process does not seem overwhelming.
However, there are others who find that the time it takes is simply not worth it.
In addition, there is some equipment that you must have to make sure that you complete this process the right way.
Here are some of the benefits of having a professional process a deer for you.
1. Knowledge
To be a professional meat processor, you have to have some serious knowledge of the animal and the best processes for cleaning the meat off of the animal.
Like any other animal that is processed, there are certain areas of meat that are better than others.
When you go with a professional, you will know that they know what they are doing, and they will ensure that you are getting the best cuts of meat.
There are times when you are processing a deer on your own that you may miss out on certain cuts that are the best.
This is because you don’t have the knowledge that a professional will have.
In addition, you may find that you are wasting some parts of the deer because you are inexperienced.
The professionals know how to get as much of the meat as they possibly can.
Therefore, the yield and return are quite a bit higher with a professional.
This is something to consider if you know you are going to want to maximize the amount of meat that you can get from the deer.
2. Sterile And Clean
For a professional to call themselves a professional, they must have a sterile and clean environment for processing the deer.
This is essential so that there are no bacteria that have a chance to grow.
There are specific time limits that you will have to work within to ensure that the meat stays fresh and does not have any issues.
The last thing anyone wants is to waste any of the deer that just gave its life to provide food.
Therefore, going with a processor that is both sterile and clean will ensure that you are going to be safe when you start to consume the meat.
3. Fat Trimming
Even if you know the anatomy of the deer, you will have a hard time determining where the best cuts and trims will be for the fat of the deer.
Leaving the right amount of fat on the meat makes it taste much better when you prepare it.
If you want your meat to have flavor, you need to make sure that at least a very small amount of fat is kept on the meat.
In fact, many people will admit that they did not correctly trim the fat off of a deer that they processed themselves, and the meat ended up tasting really bad.
This is important to consider if you are not sure whether or not you have the proper tools or knowledge to professionally trim the fat.
4. Packaging
Have you ever thought about the amount of packaging required to put away months’ worth of deer meat?
The amount is quite a bit, and if you do not know how to properly package the cuts of meat, you could lose some of it to freezer damage.
When you have a professional process a deer for you, you won’t need to worry about any packaging.
The meat will be given to you frozen, and you simply put it in your freezer to take out in pieces as the months go by.
Some people will choose to have the meat packaged into portions of certain sizes so that they know they can pull out a chunk to make a family dinner.
This is an intelligent way to do it, and most processors are going to accommodate your wishes as best they can.
Remember that the packaging steps and the ability to get the meat in different cuts are certainly going to impact the costs.
If you are trying to keep costs down, try to talk to the processor about other options that you may have for your deer and ways you can save money.
Overall, the process from a professional is very easy and straightforward.
You will know what you are paying for ahead of time, and these processors really do know what they are doing when it comes to properly cleaning the animal and getting all the meat they can.
Benefits Of Processing A Deer Yourself
If you plan on processing a deer yourself, there are some obvious benefits regarding the cost, but there are some other benefits that you should very likely consider as well.
Processing a deer yourself is a process that many people like to learn because of the benefits that are involved with it.
If you have the time and the desire, here are some of the benefits you will want to consider about processing a deer on your own.
1. Your Deer Only
When you process your deer, you know that you are getting only your deer.
As much as you may like to think that a processor is going to do the right thing, sometimes they won’t give you the deer you gave them to process.
There are times you will be getting cuts from other deer that they were working on at the same time.
Chances are you will end up with around the same number of cuts, but you probably want to ensure you are getting something that is entirely yours.
The only real way to do that is to process the deer on your own.
If you feel like you have been missing certain cuts or there is less meat than you had thought there would be.
Try to see if the amounts are any different the next time you process your own deer.
2. Specialty Cuts
When you process your own deer, you can make specialty cuts that work for you.
This is an excellent option because only you know what you will need from a preparation standpoint.
Do you plan on having large dinner parties, or are you just serving yourself and your spouse?
Whatever it is that you are planning, you can use the knowledge that you obtain to ensure that you are getting cuts of meat that work for exactly what you need.
Most times, when you go through a processor, you will have to choose from their list of packages for the cuts that you will get, instead of getting to customize it for yourself.
3. Zero Waste
Although you will have to learn the process, once you get things down, you will likely not waste any meat when you process your own deer.
When you are doing this on your own, there is just no reason to waste a single ounce of meat.
While you are in the process of cleaning it, you can ensure that you take advantage of everything that the deer has to offer.
Although most professionals will try and do this as well, there are times when they will cut corners to save time.
Remember that when you pay for a deer to be processed, you are paying mostly for the processor’s time and the energy that they are putting into the process.
Therefore, anytime that the processor can speed up the time it takes them to get this done, the more money they will make.
This can lead to you getting short-changed a bit when it comes to the total costs of paying for deer processing.
4. Option To Vacuum Seal
Most processors are not going to offer you the option to vacuum seal your deer.
This means that you will be stuck with the meat wrapped in paper and plastic.
The problem with this is that, over the long term, the vacuum-sealed meat is going to hold up quite a bit better.
If you have killed a large deer, chances are you will have meat that can last a very long time.
Therefore, the vacuum sealing process will likely be well worth it.
This is something that you can do at home as you are processing the meat.
It also makes things more organized and compact in your freezer when you have everything all put together.
In addition to all of these great benefits of processing the deer on your own, this is just another skill that you can use to say you have expanded your knowledge.
The time that you spend on tasks like this will only broaden your knowledge as a human and take you to a new level of education.
The process will take time to learn, and you will likely have to watch some videos showing the exact steps, but overall, it is very possible to learn the steps necessary.
Keep in mind that the number one reason people choose to process their own deer is that they are trying to save money.
However, this does not need to be the only reason to do it.
Instead, think about all of these benefits and choose the one that makes the most sense for you.
Where To Get A Deer Processed
There are locations all over the country that will allow you to get your deer processed.
Wherever you are located, if there are opportunities for deer hunting, there will be deer processors nearby.
A quick online search is a good option for finding a local deer processor.
However, if you have friends who also hunt, you will find that they are going to be some of your best resources.
Since deer processors are typically small businesses, most of them are going to get the majority of their business from word of mouth.
The better the work they do, the better the chance that people are going to continually choose them for their projects.
Keep this in mind: if you are hearing good things about a local deer processor, chances are they will be a good choice.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is going to cost you around $100 to $200 to have a deer processed.
The pricing will vary based on where you live and how you want the deer to be processed.
Overall, most people find that going with a deer processor makes more sense because of the time savings.
In addition, many hunters have no issues with the killing of the animal but would rather not work on processing it without the help of a professional.
If you don’t have the proper space in your home to set up this deer processing, then you will have to go with a company that can handle the process for you.
