Butcher Time

[not on the rug]

13 hours ago, Stugots said:

500 - 600 deer per year at 100$ a pop plus taxes and expenses ain't full time wages in this state unless you live in a tent. Maybe if they have a spouse who works.  Definitely a nice side hustle though.  

500-600 deer a year at $100/pop is 50-60k.  Way above an average salary in this country.

The good butchers are doing 5000-6000 deer (some way more) in 6 months.  I know the one I use does that many and I get my deer back in a week, sometimes less.

Edited December 2, 2023 by not on the rug

[not on the rug]

@Nomad maybe tell us who it is so others can avoid using them?

[archer36]

My Dad and I used to butcher all the deer we got. At first it was just me, but as other people in the family started to deer hunt, and we got better at it, it was too much for him. I would butcher a few deer in later years myself but eventually had to resort to professionals. I hunt and share all my meat with another friend that hunts with me in my local spot. He wants nothing to do with butchering deer so we get them all done and split the cost. I still like to do one or two a year if the weather is cold and I can take my time 

[Nanuk]

46 minutes ago, not on the rug said:

500-600 deer a year at $100/pop is 50-60k.  Way above an average salary in this country.

The good butchers are doing 5000-6000 deer (some way more) in 6 months.  I know the one I use does that many and I get my deer back in a week, sometimes less.

Yes,  it can be profitable or they wouldn’t do it . When you get into those numbers thou  you’ll have a shop (rent) , employees (even per diem) and commercial sanitation to get rid of all the waste, that all eats into your gross.  $100 bucks is a bargain 😂

[Stugots]

2 hours ago, not on the rug said:

500-600 deer a year at $100/pop is 50-60k.  Way above an average salary in this country.

The good butchers are doing 5000-6000 deer (some way more) in 6 months.  I know the one I use does that many and I get my deer back in a week, sometimes less.

I wouldn't say it's way above an average US salary . And after expenses and taxes that's likely cut in half.

 

All I was saying is the "average" butcher that I have used in my hunting experience aren't doing much more then 500 - 600 a year and most of them had another form of income. 

 

Didn't mean to get off topic from original post. 

 

 

Regardless, I did my own deer for the first time this year and for basic cuts,  it was quite easy and rewarding. 

[hostak126]

UPDATE: I got the call my deer has been processed and ready for pick up.

 

I brought in another deer (first buck small 6 pointer) late Sept and asked for the a Texas mount. Pre paid for the mount when I picked up my meat, and there was an issue with the skull. It fell apart during the whitening process but the antlers were salvageable so I'm getting an different type of mount. I believe a Euro style. I'm not being charged for the mount and the butcher isn't charging me for processing this deer either, but I pre paid for the mount $150. I probably should just let it go, but at the same time I really could use that money for some bills that popped up, but I don't  want to ruin the relationship between myself and the butcher I'm using.

[archer36]

Are we going to get an update from the OP on this?

[JFC1]

I've only ever sent out two deer to be butchered. And every other deer I've taken, and butchered myself, has come out much better.  When I'm cutting I'm already thinking about what I'll cook with each piece or what friend wants what type of meat--from each specific deer depending on age, condition, fat, how long I aged it, etc. I cut with that goal in mind and make a small note with date on the package.  Sometimes that means I'll just quarter it up and sit late at night at the kitchen table. Other times I go all out in the barn.  But my venison comes out so much sweeter than the stuff my buddies send out to even the best butchers. In fact, I've gone so far down the rabbit hole that when 4-5 deer come in I'm already looking at them, and choosing the shooter, in terms of what I want to cook or the type of meat I need to add to the freezer.  I m not going to have someone's gut shot deer hung at 60 degrees ground and mixed with mine.  What I butcher lasts us all year long. No government red meat at all. I don't even miss beef.

[Nomad]

49 minutes ago, archer36 said:

Are we going to get an update from the OP on this?

I picked up the meat yesterday and delivered it to the landowner where I hunt.  All vacuum sealed nicely. 100 for steak and chop meat. Nothing added.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Nomad

[Lunatic]

On 12/1/2023 at 11:34 AM, BowhunterNJ said:

Of course I have a solution.  Expand.  Increase your shop size, hire more help.  Unless you're simply not interested in more work and more money and potentially losing customers but are confident they'll be replaced by new ones because of the quality of your work.  Likewise, he could simply increase prices if the demand for his quality is that high.  Either way, it's just not a good look to close shop because you can't handle the work (IMHO).

Thats not a solution for a seasonal business which even during the season experiences highs and lows.
Expending is not as easy as you think. Very expensive, it could take many years to recover. 

As to this being not a "good look", it has no effect on his business.  

[Lunatic]

On 12/2/2023 at 6:01 AM, not on the rug said:

500-600 deer a year at $100/pop is 50-60k.  Way above an average salary in this country.

The good butchers are doing 5000-6000 deer (some way more) in 6 months.  I know the one I use does that many and I get my deer back in a week, sometimes less.

Not even close to average. What is butcher's expense vs an avg guy working for the man? By the time you pay your insurance, all permit fees, disposal costs, state and local taxes and pay your employees you are in poverty bracket. For many this is a part time job while working elsewhere to make a living  

[Lunatic]

1 hour ago, JFC1 said:

I've only ever sent out two deer to be butchered. And every other deer I've taken, and butchered myself, has come out much better.  When I'm cutting I'm already thinking about what I'll cook with each piece or what friend wants what type of meat--from each specific deer depending on age, condition, fat, how long I aged it, etc. I cut with that goal in mind and make a small note with date on the package.  Sometimes that means I'll just quarter it up and sit late at night at the kitchen table. Other times I go all out in the barn.  But my venison comes out so much sweeter than the stuff my buddies send out to even the best butchers. In fact, I've gone so far down the rabbit hole that when 4-5 deer come in I'm already looking at them, and choosing the shooter, in terms of what I want to cook or the type of meat I need to add to the freezer.  I m not going to have someone's gut shot deer hung at 60 degrees ground and mixed with mine.  What I butcher lasts us all year long. No government red meat at all. I don't even miss beef.

I appreciate you your effort and I have butchered my deer for years.  Now my time to do it is worth much more than $100 and I tell the butcher what I want.  

[not on the rug]

3 minutes ago, Lunatic said:

Not even close to average. What is butcher's expense vs an avg guy working for the man? By the time you pay your insurance, all permit fees, disposal costs, state and local taxes and pay your employees you are in poverty bracket. For many this is a part time job while working elsewhere to make a living  

Same with any business.  Operating costs, fees, taxes, etc are a nightmare.  That's why it's so difficult to make the leap/scale a small business into becoming a full time gig, especially if you're the primary breadwinner in the family.  As a butcher, you're stuck being small potatoes (500 deer annually) or you jump in feet first and do 5000+ deer.  There is no in between

[mazzgolf]

1 minute ago, Lunatic said:

I appreciate you your effort and I have butchered my deer for years.  Now my time to do it is worth much more than $100 and I tell the butcher what I want.  

I was just talking to a friend of mine telling him how long it took me to butcher my deer by myself  (hours from start to finish) .. As I'm saying this I realized, "Maybe it's worth it to spend the $150 or whatever it is" lol

[vdep217]

2 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

I was just talking to a friend of mine telling him how long it took me to butcher my deer by myself  (hours from start to finish) .. As I'm saying this I realized, "Maybe it's worth it to spend the $150 or whatever it is" lol

Once you get used to it you'll be able to do a deer from start to finish in under 2 hours