Butchering costs 2012

John Y Cannuck

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Ok, lets see what we are all paying, who's getting a deal, and who's getting jerked around.

We took our Bear to Nesbit Meats here in Lindsay. He has always been excellent to deal with, and has clean facilities.
Cost was $1.25 a pound, for the game as it is weighed when brought in.
This included steaks, roasts, and burger only, no sausage, or other fancy meats.

There was an additional charge for Pork fat, of $2.19 / lb.

We don't usually add pork fat at all, but the bear was huge, and Old judging by worn teeth, so fat was added.
 
I think we paid .70 a pound (weighed bone in, skinned and quartered) cut and wrapped for our moose. Steaks, roasts, stew, burger. They do a very good job, everything is de-boned and trimmed. Perfect wrap job so it lasts in the freezer. Turn around time is a couple of days usually. This was at the Butchers Edge in Perth Ontario.
 
What you paid to have that bear packed would have purchased a mid level grinder, knives, meat saw (hand) wrapping paper, tape, and a case of beer for the guys to did in when cutting it up. I do my own on the kitchen island and have so for 23 years. It is not hard and it does not take long.


Darryl
 
Just dropped off our moose yesterday morning. Price is the same as last year at .90 / lb. hanging weight. It may not be a deal but we get all of our meat back and the work is top notch. I wouldn't go anywhere else if it was half the price.
 
I pay .50/ lb here to hang (2 weeks), cut and wrap (plastic tray wrap) beef. Sausage, and pepperoni are 2.00 /lb which includes the required pork.
Deer and moose are done at home. De-boned and tray wrapped.
 
We use Griffiths Meats just west of Dryden, Ontario who charge $0.65/lb vacuum packed. They cut it any way you want, it's all the same price. We generally have the entire moose done in steaks. Any leftover trim is turned into pepperettes which make great snacks for the kids lunches!
 
Ok, lets see what we are all paying, who's getting a deal, and who's getting jerked around.

We took our Bear to Nesbit Meats here in Lindsay. He has always been excellent to deal with, and has clean facilities.
Cost was $1.25 a pound, for the game as it is weighed when brought in.
This included steaks, roasts, and burger only, no sausage, or other fancy meats.

There was an additional charge for Pork fat, of $2.19 / lb.

We don't usually add pork fat at all, but the bear was huge, and Old judging by worn teeth, so fat was added.

I think you got hosed paying $2.19/ lb for pork fat. My wife picked up some for sausage making at Superstore and it was less than a dollar a pound. And I thought that was high. I will check at the local pork slaughterhouse next time.
 
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Looks like East coast guys have the best prices. I've not paid that low a price since the 70's, and that was a not so great butcher out of Belleville.

BTW I own a grinder, but, when you only have a week to hunt moose, and you want to maximize bush time. It's hard to get it out of the bush, a one hour ATV ride if all goes perfect, and then 45 minutes to the house by Vehicle.X2 for those times to get you back by morning.

I do bone out, cut and wrap my own venison, including hamburger when I'm bow hunting close to home, or doing road kills.

The price of the fat really got me. They used to throw that in free.
 
The hind half of a dear was a $60.00 minimum.
Pork fat was quoted at over $1.00 per pound but I declined.
A previous experience found the pork fat to be rancid.
Some of the best ground venison had 3.5 pounds of pork loin added to 19.5 pounds of meat (all triple ground together.
A frind buys Costco Pork Loins for his sausage making.
 
$1.25 a lb for the complete weight of the animal sounds a little excessive to me. Costco had ground pork for around $1 a pound last time I checked. We had our bull moose done by a butcher in Carleton Place for $.50 lb. That was for the weight of the animal (Head removed/gutted). Cost was $412 with tax. Just steaks, roasts, & ground, no sausage or pepperettes.
I butcher my own deer & bear, but that moose was just too big for me to handle. I also enjoy making sausage & pepperettes.
 
What you paid to have that bear packed would have purchased a mid level grinder, knives, meat saw (hand) wrapping paper, tape, and a case of beer for the guys to did in when cutting it up. I do my own on the kitchen island and have so for 23 years. It is not hard and it does not take long.


Darryl

I 100% agree but the guys in my camp don't want to do the work. I even offered to do it in my kitchen. I have access to a heavy duty grinder and have all the knives but the group wants to pay so I lose out. If I shoot a deer outside of the camp season (early or late) then I do it with my wife in my kitchen.
 
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When it got to be $0.65 per hanging pound at the butcher for cut & wrap only, I stopped using the butcher: simply uneconomical, IMHO. Eliminate a few animals' worth of meat-cutter's bills, and you've paid for some adequate equipment of your own.

Nice thing about doing your own is you learn a new skill, and as you go, you improve, plus it makes for a great day with the hunting buddies. I do recall the first few deer having a few cuts, where you're looking at them going "Can you make a roast out of that?" :D
I also recall the first time my lovely, but city-born-and-raised, wife pulled into the garage and I had an animal hanging in the corner- in this case, a skinned pronghorn. Hilarity ensues.
 
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62 cents/lb for our moose cut and wrapped, based on skinned weight. Hamburger, steaks, roasts, stewing meat, all deboned, not frozen.
 
Bout 3 cigarettes a deer is all It costs me to butcher It, that way I know It gets done right with no bones, fat, silver skin or dirty saw blade!
 
I'm spoiled. My dad has temperature controlled cold room where we hang for a minimum of 10 days. Cost is $.25 a bag for vacuum sealed packages. Of course, I help. December is a sausage fest, in both senses of the term. Plenty of vino and fresh sausages for lunch. Maybe a nap after.
 
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