Deer processors - honesty?

[iH8DemLibz]

There is no upside to a processor screwing around with weights.

Simple mistake? Yes. By design? No.

Done enough times, word would definitely get out and the business would fail.

 

[SugeMike]

I've never had questions about Hitchcock on New Cut Road (also an excellent taxidermist!) or Conrad Listman on Earleigh Heights road in Severna Park. But I know both of those guys and they're good guys.

FYI, I was once a meat cutter....worked my way through college doing that. However, my former and current wives don't like seeing the deer in it's skin....so I have used processors for a number of years. Also, used some guys on the Eastern Shore. Listman's and the Eastern Shore processors used cold walk-in boxes, and on the Shore that was a particularly good deal since our weather isn't always that cold and I didn't want to run home just to process my deer. It is different when you hunt near your home or just a day at a time here or there as I did many years ago when I had little or no paid vacation and couldn't easily afford processing fees.

I thought I had heard Conrad stopped. Pretty sure he's turning Listman's into a liquor store. I would have taken my first kill to him if he's still in the game! He's a very close friend to the family. I'll have to ask him and see what's up. You're right, very good guy.

 

[SRD]

I thought I had heard Conrad stopped. Pretty sure he's turning Listman's into a liquor store. I would have taken my first kill to him if he's still in the game! He's a very close friend to the family. I'll have to ask him and see what's up. You're right, very good guy.

Last one I took there IIRC was 3 yrs. ago and the store looked almost ready.Then I heard he wasn't going to open the store but was still cutting deer.And then last year I heard he wasn't even doing that.

 

[Striper69]

I'm a bit reluctant to bring this up, but now I've heard this twice.

As many of you know this is my first year hunting, and everything is new to me. When I got my first deer, I didn't even know where to take it for processing and like everything else I had to ask for advice. Many of you were kind enough to suggest places for me to take the deer.

However, another hunter who has been a mentor to me had a problem with one of the processors. He took in two deer that had been weighted after field dressing. One of them was 22 pounds heavier than the other deer. When he picked up the meat, there was only one pound difference, not 22.

Is that right? 22 pounds difference becomes one? Are there legitimate explanations for this other than fraud?

When he told me that story it bothered me but I hate to falsely accuse anyone of something bad especially since I'm such a novice, and this didn't happen to me personally. However days ago I heard a second story about this exact same processor, ref:



Are these just two isolated incidents, or have others experienced problems? Both of the problems I cited are at the same processor, however I'm reluctant to mention the name because it didn't happen to me. However I know my friend and mentor and he has no reason to be anything but truthful.

Besides if a processor were shorting hunters on the meat, what would he do with the extras? If I understand the laws, he can't sell game meat except back to the hunter. Is that right? How then would shorting hunters benefit him?

Now I know some of you will probably say I should be doing this myself, however at the moment I'm not prepared to take on that job, so for this year at least I'll still need to depend upon commercial processors.

Thoughts?

Be thankful you have a number of processors to choose from.

Here in the area of Iowa that I live in I've only found one and his work leaves a lot to be desired. I paid $60.00 and only got some steaks and hamburger back.

I'd like to find one who makes the jerky and better hamburger etc.

 

[HogCommander]

I was pleased with Austin's but decided to start processing my own due to cost and to give me the ability to remove ALL of the fat/tallow/silverskin. My logic was that for the cost of having one deer processed, I could buy a manual grinder (subsequently converted to motor-driven). As previously stated, everything else can be done with a knife.

I learned via in person coaching how to quarter a deer and learned from YouTube videos/books how to bone out the quarters and separate the muscles. I keep the roasts from the hind quarters whole (the individual muscles from the hind quarter) for the smoker or crock pot, cut the backstraps into 6" lengths for steaks, everything else goes through a coarse grinding plate. The coarse ground venison then becomes chili, jerky, or re-ground with 2/3 venison, 1/3 bacon for burger patties that taste amazing.

The results of my first attempt definitely left room for improvement but by the 2nd/3rd deer things went much better. If you've never processed your own deer and are thinking about it, it's definitely within your reach...just takes a little study and practice. The value of an extremely sharp knife cannot be overstated

 

[Racer Doug14]

+1 for M&G. Although I would like to butcher myself and take meat to them for bologna. Theirs is pretty good.

 

[remrug]

I dont know what their processing is like but Ilyes Processing in New Salem Pa makes awesome hot dogs/smoked sausage/bologna etc.Its quite a hike but well worth it.

 

[wilcam47]

I'm a bit reluctant to bring this up, but now I've heard this twice.

As many of you know this is my first year hunting, and everything is new to me. When I got my first deer, I didn't even know where to take it for processing and like everything else I had to ask for advice. Many of you were kind enough to suggest places for me to take the deer.

However, another hunter who has been a mentor to me had a problem with one of the processors. He took in two deer that had been weighted after field dressing. One of them was 22 pounds heavier than the other deer. When he picked up the meat, there was only one pound difference, not 22.

Is that right? 22 pounds difference becomes one? Are there legitimate explanations for this other than fraud?

When he told me that story it bothered me but I hate to falsely accuse anyone of something bad especially since I'm such a novice, and this didn't happen to me personally. However days ago I heard a second story about this exact same processor, ref:



Are these just two isolated incidents, or have others experienced problems? Both of the problems I cited are at the same processor, however I'm reluctant to mention the name because it didn't happen to me. However I know my friend and mentor and he has no reason to be anything but truthful.

Besides if a processor were shorting hunters on the meat, what would he do with the extras? If I understand the laws, he can't sell game meat except back to the hunter. Is that right? How then would shorting hunters benefit him?

Now I know some of you will probably say I should be doing this myself, however at the moment I'm not prepared to take on that job, so for this year at least I'll still need to depend upon commercial processors.

Thoughts?

I had one in St Leonard short me on a big doe and a button buck I had processed...I think they keep it for themselves or give it to friends...thats my guess. I write bad reviews for those types and I dont care about if their name is tarnished...

. A good sized doe should yield at least 40lbs of meat IMO. Unless you hit the deer in the back you should have a good amount of loin and the tenderloins should be at least in 4 good sized pieces...ie one tenderloin cut into two pieces.

 

[44 Bulldog]

If you ever get yourself to this point.......you will never look back.

People tell me all the time how much my venison tastes much better then the way they have had it before.Processors dont have the time to remove all the fat and silver skin and that makes a huge difference how venison tastes.

Your absolutely right, not only does it taste better but look how much money you save, $70.00 average price to have it butchered

 

[foxtrapper]

I LOVE processing a deer myself! A lot of work, but kinda fun too. Only issue I have is trimming meat from the danged foreshanks, so much tendon. I hate wasting meat. I use all the leftovers and the shoulders for grind. The more grind the better. I get 4- 5 different roasts from the hams. 2 are pretty big and can be a meal for 3 on it's one (I think it is a round roast, but I call it a football roast- a name some guy called it when he showed me the roasts- it stuck with me). The backstraps and tenderloins of course, then the grind. I trim from the rear shanks, shoulders, neck, abdomen, and whatever. Not much meat on the ribs and all these deer I have done have all this fat over them anyway. A little bit of fat does not seem to affect taste. I hate the silverskin lol, and I trim it best I can, getting most of it. I got a vacuum sealer this year and hope that it helps ALOT. I also keep the leg bones for the dog, as well as neck bones for him, all vacuum sealed too now. I also have the hides to do stuff with. I got 2 deer given to me out of pity LOL.

Pics are the first deer I was given- a small doe. I got 14 pounds out of her. It fits into one freezer basket. The 2nd deer was a button buck but had a shoulder part blown out, and some other meat damage, and was 3 pounds less grind. 25 pounds of meat total between them. Not sure what I should be getting from them- doe was 45 dressed, BB was 44 dressed.

 

[sxs]

I thought I had heard Conrad stopped. Pretty sure he's turning Listman's into a liquor store. I would have taken my first kill to him if he's still in the game! He's a very close friend to the family. I'll have to ask him and see what's up. You're right, very good guy.

It's been 2 or 3 years since I last used him so it's possible. I hunt near Salisbury on the shore and when I get a deer early I take it to one of a few Eastern Shore guys near where I hunt. I've used Conrad when I get a deer just before returning home.

He told me at the time that he was renovating the old store to reopen it, but last couple times driving by, it didn't look open. However, that was also the case when I last had him process my deer.

FYI, I first began learning to cut meat working at Listman's store (close to 40 years ago, now). I was primarily a stock boy, but the Listman boys (mostly Tudor and Henry at that time) had me working the meat counter sometimes when they wanted to get away from the store early on Friday or Saturday evenings. I knew my lunch meats and could run the slicer in their absence. They taught me some basic cutting to better cover when they needed me. Later I cut meat at Lauer's in Pasadena.

 

[sxs]

Last one I took there IIRC was 3 yrs. ago and the store looked almost ready.Then I heard he wasn't going to open the store but was still cutting deer.And then last year I heard he wasn't even doing that.

That was my observation when I was last there...probably around the same time frame.

Did he ever retire from the Fire Dept? I can't remember discussing this with him....but it would have made sense to wait to open after retiring. He put a fair amount of money into the place to not open it.

 

[outrider58]

I'm a bit reluctant to bring this up, but now I've heard this twice.

As many of you know this is my first year hunting, and everything is new to me. When I got my first deer, I didn't even know where to take it for processing and like everything else I had to ask for advice. Many of you were kind enough to suggest places for me to take the deer.

However, another hunter who has been a mentor to me had a problem with one of the processors. He took in two deer that had been weighted after field dressing. One of them was 22 pounds heavier than the other deer. When he picked up the meat, there was only one pound difference, not 22.

Is that right? 22 pounds difference becomes one? Are there legitimate explanations for this other than fraud?

When he told me that story it bothered me but I hate to falsely accuse anyone of something bad especially since I'm such a novice, and this didn't happen to me personally. However days ago I heard a second story about this exact same processor, ref:



Are these just two isolated incidents, or have others experienced problems? Both of the problems I cited are at the same processor, however I'm reluctant to mention the name because it didn't happen to me. However I know my friend and mentor and he has no reason to be anything but truthful.

Besides if a processor were shorting hunters on the meat, what would he do with the extras? If I understand the laws, he can't sell game meat except back to the hunter. Is that right? How then would shorting hunters benefit him?

Now I know some of you will probably say I should be doing this myself, however at the moment I'm not prepared to take on that job, so for this year at least I'll still need to depend upon commercial processors.

Thoughts?

All things being equal, the differential would have been 11 lbs(you generally get back half the dressed weight of a deer in meat).

As others have said here, depends on what meat was damaged from the shot.

 

[SRD]

^^^ Not sure if he did or not,I did here something about it but it might have been whoever was in the police dept. too.?

 

[aray]

Thanks to all for all of the feedback. You've given me a lot to think about. Re: my friend - I know he weighed the deer at a field station so he’s sure about the 22 lbs. difference vs. the 1 lbs. he got back, but I honestly don’t know where each of the deer was shot.

And as stated I’m not posting the name of the processor because while my friend is honest this is still second-hand; it doesn’t feel right to put the name out there if this didn’t happen to me personally. Plus I now get why some of the weight difference might be explained away, something I didn’t understand before. My buddy didn’t think 22 lbs. (11 if you only get half) was reasonable, but now at least I can see why some of that difference might have a good explanation.

I might consider processing them myself in a future year, but I have enough going on right now that for my first season at least, I’ll need to rely on the commercial guys. Indeed Sunday after church we’ll be driving over to the Eastern Shore to pick up deer numbers 2 & 3 that are now ready for pick-up!

I don’t have any more scheduled lottery hunts until January. I have to eat up some of the meat before I restock. Three deer in my freezer at one time is a lot – dunno what I’d do with a fourth at the moment…

 

[steves1911]

Generally i get 40-50% of dressed weight in meat. Some deer will have enough meat on ribs to process sometimes not. I really take my time to get as much meat as possible and it can get pretty tedious to process the shanks but the reward is worth it.

 

[danb]

Thanks to all for all of the feedback. You've given me a lot to think about. Re: my friend - I know he weighed the deer at a field station so he’s sure about the 22 lbs. difference vs. the 1 lbs. he got back, but I honestly don’t know where each of the deer was shot.

And as stated I’m not posting the name of the processor because while my friend is honest this is still second-hand; it doesn’t feel right to put the name out there if this didn’t happen to me personally. Plus I now get why some of the weight difference might be explained away, something I didn’t understand before. My buddy didn’t think 22 lbs. (11 if you only get half) was reasonable, but now at least I can see why some of that difference might have a good explanation.

I might consider processing them myself in a future year, but I have enough going on right now that for my first season at least, I’ll need to rely on the commercial guys. Indeed Sunday after church we’ll be driving over to the Eastern Shore to pick up deer numbers 2 & 3 that are now ready for pick-up!

I don’t have any more scheduled lottery hunts until January. I have to eat up some of the meat before I restock. Three deer in my freezer at one time is a lot – dunno what I’d do with a fourth at the moment…

Please consider donating it to FHFH or a suitable org or family. Lots of people could use the meat.

 

[aray]

Good point and will do. I won't shoot something that I, or others, aren't going to eat.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

YUP!

Every year one goes to FHFH.

It cost nothing and the hunter still gets time to enjoy the woods.

 

[outrider58]

Please consider donating it to FHFH or a suitable org or family. Lots of people could use the meat.

I always try to donate at least one deer a year.