Anyone use Kinikin Processor in Montrose?

[doffiehoward]

Has anyone used Kinikin processors in Montrose? If so how was your experience? Did you get back what you expected on your elk? Reason I ask is buddy and I were out for first rifle and he scored a decent cow. Took 127lbs deboned meat to them and they gave him back 70lbs. Now I am fully aware of trimming and bloodshot, etc, etc. No way should that elk have yielded 70lbs, my opinion after processing dozens of animals is it should have been closer to 90-95lbs.

 

[LRHunter]

Yes, I've used them five times since 2014. My hunting partner has used them about 10 times (About five of those were at their old facility). My experience is they have a very nice new facility and are very friendly. But, they have a meat counter. Both of us feel we don't get all of our meat back. My buddy called them out on it the last time we used them as it was very obvious we were light on meat and the receipt show an excess amount of "scrap". We lined up the packages of backstraps (filets) and looked at each other like WTH, as it was obvious we were shorted.

We both took our elk from Wyoming last season to a local processor where we live and it was noticeable how much more meat we got back. Would I use them again? I'm going to shop for other processors in the area and if we have to drive another 45 minutes it would be worth it. I can tell you if we ever use them again, we will keep al backstraps and tenderloins and package them ourselves.

My hunting buddy said he noticed the change in shortage of meat since they moved to their new facility and it has gotten worse each year. I've heard good and bad about Orvis but have never used them.

 

[Short Track]

Montrose, go to Goods processing. Very honest family. Family owned & operated. Nice people too.

 

[Still Hunter]

I will "second" Goods In Montrose.... nice people.

 

[Pramo]

Third for Goods, I’ve been done with Kiniken for a while

 

[butcherboy]

If you think they are taking your elk and selling it out of their meat counter then report it. It’s illegal to sell WG meat unless it’s harvested from a farm under USDA inspection.

 

[gbflyer]

If you think they are taking your elk and selling it out of their meat counter then report it. It’s illegal to sell WG meat unless it’s harvested from a farm under USDA inspection.

Good advice.

About this time of year there are several threads that pop up on different forums about getting shorted at the meat processor. More often than not I think people overestimate how much they bring in and/or underestimate what gets trimmed. Really any meat processor that has a store front, license, history, etc., isn’t knowingly going to short someone. The reward isn’t worth the risk. I worry way less about that than I do the sanitary conditions. So many of those places are disgusting and health departments have no budget to do inspections.

I say find a clean one that puts out a good product and trust that they are giving you all your usable stuff.

 

[BuzzH]

Learn how to do your own butchering. It's easy, rewarding and you know exactly how it was done.

 

[butcherboy]

I just mentioned reporting it because it will more than likely come back that they aren’t selling WG meat. A legitimate meat shop with a meat counter will be following the rules because they are inspected if they sell meat. I agree that most people overestimate the amount they bring in. I had a customer tell me one time that the back straps from their elk they brought to me weighed 60 lbs and they should have gotten back at least 50 lbs of back strap! Lol or the one that wanted to know why he got more meat the year before than the current year. I looked up the records and said “well, your elk last year weighed 280 lbs and your elk this year weighed 162 lbs” he still didn’t get it.

 

[kscowboy01]

It's a clean facility and they do good work. If you are in the Gunnison area, Shane Guerrieri of F Bar Processing does great work. He's done a lot of elk for me over the years.

 

[mavinwa2]

As a young man (teenager), I worked part time at a small butcher shop. They had a great business with meat counter, smoke shack and also processed hunter's game. No WalMart's, Costco's back then, just a normal grocery store in the neighborhood.

I trained on cutting up customer's wild game. Why....because if mistakes made, no big deal. Not like if a side of beef came in, mistakes with beef are costly. I was always scolded because taking too much time; picking hair, cleaning dirt-pine needles off, working bloodshot areas, removing silver skin, etc. It surprised me then how much "scrap" was tossed out. I used to save wild game "scrap" and bring home, cook for the dog.

So maybe poor meat yields are due to training mistakes with cutting game meat. And mix ups, from one customer to another, were common. Not with me but the other 2 young guys and they didn't care...but they didn't get scolded either. Those 2 would often save a few select cuts to take home too!

The two hunt seasons I worked there was invaluable experience, as for many years now I cut up my own wild game.

 

[Deano0686]

Third for Goods, I’ve been done with Kiniken for a while

Will they ship meat hide horns home?

 

[MnWildFan]

This seems rather egregious.

 

[ckleeves]

I absolutely love these threads! I know the Goods and the people at Kinikin and Orvis personally.

If anybody thinks for one minute any of these people are stealing your poorly deboned, covered with pine needles and oak leaves with a good sprinkle of dirt and so much hair you can’t really tell if it was skinned or not elk meat then you have lost your mind.

The condition of most of the deboned meat that comes into these places is appalling. Some of the stuff I have seen I think they worked miracles to even end up with 50% of the weight at check in. The meat case theory is pretty hilarious too, I mean you really think they are going to risk their entire livelihood on selling unidentifiable pieces of wild game out of the case?

 

[Short Track]

I had a customer tell me one time that the back straps from their elk they brought to me weighed 60 lbs and they should have gotten back at least 50 lbs of back strap! Lol or the one that wanted to know why he got more meat the year before than the current year. I looked up the records and said “well, your elk last year weighed 280 lbs and your elk this year weighed 162 lbs” he still didn’t get it.

You weigh meat ? I never had a butcher weigh meat. 5-6 different butchers over the years. Even if they ship, they weigh the entire cooler.

 

[butcherboy]

I weighed every carcass when it came in. That’s how we charge for our services. I have never charged off the final processed weight. If I did, the price would rise significantly. I don’t worry about the WG side anymore since I quit processing it in 2020.

 

[Short Track]

Locally, they charge per deer, or per animal. Even a little fawn they charge per deer.

 

[SoloWilderness]

Butcher I use in Denver (Meatcleaver) weighs on check in, and gives a cut and finished weight, which is what you pay at the per/ lb price. This is for elk. For bear its a flat fee, but he still weighs it going in and out. I figure about 25% loss for trim, and I am meticulous about keeping my meat clean in the field. I usually take my backstraps and tenders to cut myself, as well as the rear hams if I have time to process. I give the butcher the grind meat to work on, and to make sausage out of it. Was pleasantly surprised when I got back close to 90% this year on weight.

If meat is dirty coming in, I would expect up to 50% loss on weight. Also, a higher loss on weight if its been allowed to dry and form a skin. This makes it more tender, but you cut a lot more off, especially if it's boned out. Bone in, you won't lose as much.

 

[Ddubs20]

I used them for a cow moose. I was happy with the results, good packaging. It was a little expensive, but I didn't have any way to keep a moose cool in September. I never give the butcher the backstraps or tenderloins either. They are too easy to butcher yourself. I generally butcher my animals myself, but that's usually 4th rifle and I can hang it that time of year.