Butcher costs

The butchers know you are willing to pay out the butt for convenience, and will charge you as such. If you go that route, take your backstraps and tenderloins off and keep them and not send them to the butcher. I had a deer processed before and I don't think I got back the proper amount of backstrap and a few of the better cuts. My other concern is not even knowing if you're getting your own animal back. Most of them throw everyone's grind meat into the same hopper and spit out as much as they think you should get. A lot of places don't do a very good job trimming blood shot or silverskin or sinew from the grind meat. It would really suck to drive across country after spending everything you're spending and taking 2 prime does to the butcher that you took good care of, only to get burger back that's mixed in with a rutty old buck that rode around in the back of a pickup truck all day that taints your burger. For the amount of money you're willing to spend to butcher that many animals, you could upgrade a couple of coolers and get a small grinder and buy a whole lot of ice to get them home and do it yourself. PLus, you'll be amazed at how much more meat you get by doing it yourself.

Spot on advice.

The first time can be intimidating but after the first animal you will have the skinning and quartering thing down pat.
 
I'm to frugal to pay someone to butcher for me, plus I enjoy doing it myself. Butchered three Antelope on my kitchen island solo, took me some time and had a hell of a sore neck but deffinetly worth the 300+ in savings. With a decent cooler in the shade with frozen milk jugs you shouldn't have any spoile issues. I did run into town mid week to grab some dry ice blocks and that kept everything nice a cold in a warm October week. Id say if your taking a group you all would have a enjoyable time doing it your self, just my thought anyhow.
 
My guy does it for $50-$60 if I do gutless. Usually $100 for clean normal field dressed deer. Double wraps the cuts and grinds individual orders-get your own meat back. Frozen solid when you pick up.

I feel I'm a bit of a hack when it comes to doing my own but I think I will try it this year on at least one deer. I have trouble not cutting it into one giant grind pile.
 
Another great HuntTalk thread -- very good food for thought, I learn a little something everyday here. With this input I am definitely going to consider butchering myself, and at the very least see if the local butcher will guarantee the type of service Pondera gets.
 
The butchers know you are willing to pay out the butt for convenience, and will charge you as such. If you go that route, take your backstraps and tenderloins off and keep them and not send them to the butcher. I had a deer processed before and I don't think I got back the proper amount of backstrap and a few of the better cuts. My other concern is not even knowing if you're getting your own animal back. Most of them throw everyone's grind meat into the same hopper and spit out as much as they think you should get. A lot of places don't do a very good job trimming blood shot or silverskin or sinew from the grind meat. It would really suck to drive across country after spending everything you're spending and taking 2 prime does to the butcher that you took good care of, only to get burger back that's mixed in with a rutty old buck that rode around in the back of a pickup truck all day that taints your burger. For the amount of money you're willing to spend to butcher that many animals, you could upgrade a couple of coolers and get a small grinder and buy a whole lot of ice to get them home and do it yourself. PLus, you'll be amazed at how much more meat you get by doing it yourself.

Not half bad advice but I think there is a lot of rumor and myth around "getting you're own animal back"....I will agree that many butchers won't do a very good job of trimming meat for the grind.
That being said I would never pay $100 for a Goat, or Deer for that matter.
Antelope are just so easy to process on your own. I used to pay a guy $40 and he did a decent job, that was my max price I would pay.

When given the respect they deserve Pronghorn promptly field dressed, processed cleanly, and cooked properly are the best field fare around.
 
Thanks for the info. Not quartering to save $. Rather, have read best to get quartered and hide off and meat on ice as soon as possible to maximize meat taste. But we are in the learning process, so if this understanding is wrong I am open to learn.

Also, how many pounds of meat (steaks, ground, etc) should I expect from 4 quarters + backstrap + tenderloins -- I am guessing 30 lbs from an average animal, am I in the ballpark?

30 is about right
 
I treat antelope just like an elk or deer in the mountains and bone out in the field. If i want to do a full bone-in shoulder braise (currently one of my favorite recipes), I'll throw that in the game bag whole. Otherwise, standard bone out in the field on an antelope shouldn't take much more than 30 minutes. The meat starts to cool instantly, and you can leave the carcass in the field which is nice. I had a WY warden watch me from the road last year as I boned out a buck on a hillside (sidenote: he sat in his truck for almost an hour instead of walking the 300 yards as i took my time taking pictures and enjoying a beautiful day while field dressing). He was very concerned that I had left meat in the field and made me lay out all the pieces from the single large game bag i carried down. The reality is that a boned out antelope doesn't take up much cooler space at all, which is helpful if you are traveling far or flying. As far as weight, I weigh all my game bags when i get home. My average total boned out weight for doe antelope is 25-35 lbs, with bucks averaging 35-45lbs. My biggest buck boned out was barely 50lbs. Another reason i prefer boning even antelope in the field is that i find it much easier to carry a single ~40lb game bag back to the truck than trying to drag a full carcass back through the sage/through ravines/etc. Not to mention the processing fees saved.
 
What do you guys do to maintain proof of sex?

I’ll be hunting a couple states and bringing a freezer/generator. I’d like to also bring my vac sealer and process the meat down to meal sized cuts. Legal or not?
 
What do you guys do to maintain proof of sex?

I’ll be hunting a couple states and bringing a freezer/generator. I’d like to also bring my vac sealer and process the meat down to meal sized cuts. Legal or not?


proof of sex while in the field up to the point it is processed into steaks. when skinning, you can easily, with a little care skin out and leave a nut or mammary, skinless and attached to a hind quarter. much cleaner than leaving hair on those parts. I would think if you processed in the field and package up all the cut meat, you could toss that evidence in a plastic bag and store with meat. never packaged an animal in field so check with a warden. If a buck gonna also have the skinned out head as proof of sex
 
What do you guys do to maintain proof of sex?

I’ll be hunting a couple states and bringing a freezer/generator. I’d like to also bring my vac sealer and process the meat down to meal sized cuts. Legal or not?

I have thought about this also, I think if you shoot an pronghorn on a type 1 or 2 tag (any antelope) then proof of sex is moot and you just need to keep the head to show species. If you shoot a doe on a type 6 or 7 tag then you need to keep proof of sex, the regulations in WY don't specifically say it needs to be naturally attached like they do in CO or MT, so I think if you just kept the head you would be fine... to be safe I would probably cut and wrap everything but leave a boned out hindquarter with the mammary glad skinned out and naturally attached.

"Retention of Evidence to Identify Sex, Species
and Horn or Antler Development of Big Game Animal
Harvested. Any person who takes any big game animal
in a hunt area where the taking of either sex, species,
or antler or horn development is controlled or prohibited by
regulation shall comply with this section while said animal
is in transportation from the site of the kill to the residence
of the person taking the animal, or delivered to a processor
for processing.
(a) In hunt areas where the taking of any big game animal
is restricted to antler point or horn size by regulation, the
antlers or horns shall accompany the carcass, or edible portions
thereof.
(b) In hunt areas where the taking of any big game animal
is restricted to a specific sex of animal by regulation, either
the visible external sex organs, head or antlers shall accompany
the carcass, or edible portions thereof.
(c) In hunt areas where the taking of a species of deer is
controlled or prohibited by regulation, either the head or
the tail of the deer shall accompany the carcass or edible
portion thereof as evidence of the species taken."
 
I have thought about this also, I think if you shoot an pronghorn on a type 1 or 2 tag (any antelope) then proof of sex is moot and you just need to keep the head to show species. If you shoot a doe on a type 6 or 7 tag then you need to keep proof of sex, the regulations in WY don't specifically say it needs to be naturally attached like they do in CO or MT, so I think if you just kept the head you would be fine... to be safe I would probably cut and wrap everything but leave a boned out hindquarter with the mammary glad skinned out and naturally attached.

"Retention of Evidence to Identify Sex, Species
and Horn or Antler Development of Big Game Animal
Harvested. Any person who takes any big game animal
in a hunt area where the taking of either sex, species,
or antler or horn development is controlled or prohibited by
regulation shall comply with this section while said animal
is in transportation from the site of the kill to the residence
of the person taking the animal, or delivered to a processor
for processing.
(a) In hunt areas where the taking of any big game animal
is restricted to antler point or horn size by regulation, the
antlers or horns shall accompany the carcass, or edible portions
thereof.
(b) In hunt areas where the taking of any big game animal
is restricted to a specific sex of animal by regulation, either
the visible external sex organs, head or antlers shall accompany
the carcass, or edible portions thereof.
(c) In hunt areas where the taking of a species of deer is
controlled or prohibited by regulation, either the head or
the tail of the deer shall accompany the carcass or edible
portion thereof as evidence of the species taken."

I had a game warden in Wyoming tell me that the proof of sex doesn't need to be attached. He said just drop it in the bag with the hind quarter. However, I leave proof of sex attached to one of the hind quarters.
 
I had a game warden in Wyoming tell me that the proof of sex doesn't need to be attached. He said just drop it in the bag with the hind quarter. However, I leave proof of sex attached to one of the hind quarters.
I’ve have asked two different wardens in NE Wyoming tell me the same thing about sex evidence. For my type 6 tags i just cut of the mammary gland off and kept it in a ziplock bag in the game bag with the quarters.
Best to just give a call to who overlooks your area if more clarification is needed.
 
It says it has to accompany the carcass. Accompany means be with it. If it had to be naturally attached, then it would likely be worded differently.
 
I had a game warden in Wyoming tell me that the proof of sex doesn't need to be attached. He said just drop it in the bag with the hind quarter. However, I leave proof of sex attached to one of the hind quarters.

Just make sure the ziplock containing the antelope nuts doesn't smolder in a hot garage after the meat has been cut up and frozen... Don't ask!!
 
Wyoming used to require that proof of sex be attached to a part of the carcass, but a few years ago changed the Regulation so that all it has to do is accompany the meat. That's why the Regulation now reads like it does.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
110,807
Messages
1,935,171
Members
34,887
Latest member
Uncle_Danno
Back
Top