Winnipeg area butcher

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curtmg

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Winnipeg, unfortunately
I'm going to be trying for my first deer, next month. Just wondering if anyone knows a butcher near Winnipeg, closer to Chuckwood is better, that can process a deer for me, and what I can expect to pay for such a service. Is it a hard thing to do yourself? I used to work in a butcher shop (not as a meat cutter though), and it didn't look particularly complicated with cows anyway. Shoot deer, dress and clean it, hang it, then cut. How much meat can I expect from a southern MB whitetail?

Also, what do I do with the stuff that comes out when I field dress the deer, just leave it under a bush? Bury it? Bag it and throw in a garbage can? I'd imagine anything that gets left in the woods will make a handy meal for some critter, but by the end of the season, there's got to be a lot of guts hanging around, no?
 
Coyotes,ravens and crows will clean up a gut pile in a single sitting, so dont worry about that. As for the amount of meat you get, that will depend on the size of the deer. I live north of winnipeg near Teulon and use a butcher who charges me $60 to cut and wrap a deer. This is not expensive at all considering he vacuum seals everything. Welcome to hunting and good luck!
 
I debone all the meat myself and take what I want ground or made into sausage in to Dutch meats on Marion Street. I save the tenderloins and freeze them in meal sized portions, slicing them thin when I'm ready to fry them up.

Too bad McIntyre meats went out of business, they were right in your area.
 
If you're willing to make the drive, Dennis Gropp in Kenora does the best job on deer and moose of anyone I've ever had butcher my animals. He makes amazing sausages, peperettes and summer sausage. I've considered ways to get my deer to him from where I am now, it's that good!
 
Grouse Man said:
There's a butcher in Starbuck, I forget the name right now, does LOTS of game and makes GREAT sausage. Archie's?
Click to expand...

The best stuff i have ever tried has come from there. My brother hits that place for his deer. Not sure what the place is called but Starbuck is small. I live east of the city and although it seams worth the trip, i just don't have the time to drive all that way. For processing I go to New Bothwell just south of the city. Quality is great and they will have it done in a week at most. They butcher wild meat aswell. I usually butcher my own when it comes to just steaks and roasts. Whatever I screw up on or is to small for a steak gets ground and sent in for processing. Close enough drive for you?
 
Any idiot can butcher his own deer.....I'm living proof!:p It's really not that bad to do it yourself, a learning curve for sure. When I look back, I'd have done things slightly different though.
 
Try it yourself. If you plan on hunting a lot in the future or if you can find a buddy or two to go in with you I would suggest buying your own meat grinder. For less than $400 you can go to cabela's and buy a good grinder with all the sausage stuffing atachments and in a few years you will have saved enough cash on butcher fees to easily pay for it. Plus it gives you 100% control over how your meat is cut and it is one more part of the satisfaction of getting your own meat. Sausage is easy to make and better than anything you can buy.
 
If you do decide to butcher, here's a tip, once you've established a firm platform invest in a Crazy Carpet the roll up plastic thingy that kids use to slid down hills. Makes a great cutting board, easy on knife, easy to clean. If you have a bit of extra cash buy a second one and put a decent tow rope on it, drill holes down both sides. When you have a deer down after field dressing lash carcas on it. Makes the drag out a lot easier and a lot cleaner.. Works well for quartered larger game also. all the best art
 
It's been so long, but I used to pay 50-55 cents per pound (hanging weight, not yield) for deer or moose to be cut/wrapped/frozen at any one of a number of Calgary area butchers.
Since learning to cut my own game, I've saved lots of cash, and learned a new skill set. Sure, when starting out I've had a few cuts turn out less than ideal, and have looked at some odd leftover shapes and said "could I make a roast out of that?", but it was still all good clean fun.

It's not hard, the few videos above or this one will give you the general idea.

http://www.inberg.ca/hunting_essentials/deer_cutting_&_butchering_(video).htm

Another thing I did was write to my provincial beef marketing board and get them to send me the FREE chart the butchers use for beef.

I also blew this up to poster size on the company plotter, which caused some conversation in engineering, let me tell you, LOL:

venisoncuttingchartopti36kb.jpg
 
curtmg, if you decide on a butcher, call him up and speak with him. Ask if he is taking new customers, ask if he has room to hang your deer (is there a fee?), ask if there is a window in which he does deer so you know how long you may be stuck with it until you can drop it off, (politely enquire) about how will you know you will get your deer back (I've seen animals dropped off at butchers, I wouldn't feed a starving dog and I've seen guys get handed someone elses box of meat), ask about de-boning......
 
Archie's Meat's is the guy in Starbuck.
He's very good and also very busy so you better phone ahead. I cut my own but get him to make sausage stuff and it's always good.
 
I have to echo the sentiment about doing it yourself. Deer is really easy. I can go from field dress to freezer in 2-3 hours. Plus I know exactly how my meat has been handled (clearly to a higher standard than most paid butchers). Now moose, elk or beef are considerably more time consuming plan on 9-12 hours of work.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I've already spent a LOT lately, so I think for this year anyway I'll pay just the little bit extra, and have it done (instead of buying a grinder, boning knives, etc [I'm a gear whore, that's gonna be $$$]). Starbuck is about 8-10 minutes (5, if I don't see any rcmp) away, so that sounds like the best place. I'll call around a bit though. Eventually I'll get around to setting up to do it myself, but The Wife is already dreading me bringing home a dead deer (She doesn't mind me killing it, or Us eating it, just the fact of a deer corpse itself, is something she's still going to have get used to).
 
PM me, I'll give you the # of the guy that advertises here locally to do it. Charges $50.00 if you've skinned it and removed the head already and $60.00 if you want him to do it head to hoof. He'll even do burger for you.
 
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