Free Fruit

[Nyboy]

At the weekend house I have a pear planted by the rode. One day tree loaded with pears branches almost touching ground. Next weekend only pears at very top of tree, none on ground. I am sure someone picked them, all they would have had to do was put note in maiilbox asking.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Our food banks take roadkill venison here, they have specific game processors you can contact to pick up fresh dead deer, then the processors give it to the food bank. You can also butcher your own roadkill deer, elk, moose in MT now, just have to fill out an easy, online form either before or after you butcher.

 

[Nyboy]

About how much does it cost to have a deer butchered?

 

[journey11]

About how much does it cost to have a deer butchered?

They charge by the pound, hanging weight here, about $120. Which is why we do our own. 5 x $120 = ouch!

There is one shop that will cut it up for $30, but you have to skin it yourself and you pack it yourself. I don't think bringing it in already skinned is very sanitary though. Fuzz gets all over it, at least.

 

[bobm]

Time wise, I can skin and gut a deer, sheep, goat, pig and hang it into a cooler in 15 min. Larger animals such a elk or moose something like 30-45 min. I can do a 1,000 steer in 45 min to 55 min. depending on how skinny or fat in heath condition and if rigor mortis sets in. Better body condition, as well as sooner after death, the easier and faster. Then there may or may not have to hang the carcass in cooler / or well house / or ? at 34* for several days to tenderise ( commercial butchers will hang a beef from 11-14 days [ the so called grass fed beef takes a longer time to tenderise], however, the most tender meat for high end use has the benefit of being grain fed in a feed lot for 120 days so it is well marbled then is hung up to 21 days for the best flavor and commands a higher price. ) and then processing into cuts, then time will vary greatly as to the operators' skill level, and equipment used, wrapped or not, refrigerate or freeze and transport distance.

 

[Jared77]

Here it's $70 you bring it gutted and that's it. You fill out a few questions "do you want sausage, if so what kind/flavor", how many lbs you want your burger packaged into, suet what % etc.

Then you return in about a week and pick up your deer. It's in individual vacuum packed bags and your good to go.

All that for $70. And yes they have walk in coolers.

Mind you we tend to do our own but for the early season hunts or when it's cold enough that the meat just freezes I'd rather pay the $70 and be done with it.

 

[journey11]

They must make a pretty good profit, since a deer doesn't take too long to do. What bothers me is that the processors here won't hang a deer for any length of time, as I'm sure they get so many and probably don't have the room. They call you to come get it the next day. People complain about deer tasting gamey, but I'm convinced it's because it hasn't been hung long enough.

We like to hang ours for a week or so if the weather permits. Bow season is usually too warm and I make a lot of those deer into jerky and sausage, especially bucks. We've been thinking about installing a walk-in cooler in the garage as I'm sure we'd get our money's worth from it.

LOL, I'm trying to remember how we got to talking about meat. This thread started out about fruit! Sorry Nyboy!

 

[bobm]

Yup, it's all NYBoy's fault ... but a city slicker needs an education now and then about the price of the good life and how to live it especially when he goes to Ruth's Chris' Steak House and orders a well marbled grain fed and aged for 21 days rare steak that just melts in your mouth . From that day on he will never order a grass fed cut of beef again.

 

[Jared77]

Ours go a week to 10 days depending on the size, gender, and the weather.

@journey11 you're 100% right letting it hang makes all the difference in the world if you can.

Our clans goal is 6-7 deer in a season to keep everybody in venison till the following season.