Game processor near NM unit 52

[cbaloga]

We are going to be rifle hunting in NM unit 52 in Oct for MB... Any recommendations for processors who will process and ship meat to another state? Also shipping a skull?

 

[RuggedYogi]

There are a couple places in Taos that will process for you. I don’t have any personal experience using them, though.

 

[TKinderman]

I was in Unit 52 with my Grandpa in 2010, Cruces Basin. I believe we ended up stopping by Mel's Meat processing in Romeo, CO off of 285.
He had shot a bull at last light, gutted it and came back to camp. We quartered it the next morning and hung it, and went back for our mules. Came back and the quarters had been cut down, and the head was gone (was a pretty shitty deal). At that point the meat was salvageable, but by the time we got it to the processor it had already started to bone sour.
At 19 years old at that time it was a vivid lesson on what should be done in warm weather to preserve meat. Getting the hide off ASAP, and meat on ice or in freezer is priority. My grandpa had hunted for decades in the Bitteroot of Idaho with horses, but was always in cooler weather. In NM during the Muzzleloader season that year it varied from low 40s to high 70s the two weeks we were there.
On all our trips now we toss a 5.5 or 7 cubic foot freezer in the back of the truck with a generator.

 

[coelk81]

Hometown Market, Antonito Colorado. Not sure they will ship though.

 

[butcherboy]

There is one in Chama, NM. I think it’s called Carnivores Meat Processing. I’m a few hours west of there and stopped processing wild game a few years ago so I’m a little out of the loop now for WG processors.

 

[Laelkhunter]

There is one in Chama, NM. I think it’s called Carnivores Meat Processing. I’m a few hours west of there and stopped processing wild game a few years ago so I’m a little out of the loop now for WG processors.

We used him once, his name is Triny Vigil. He wanted to vacuum pack every single piece of meat, then wrap and freeze it (a little overkill). That almost tripled the price. I did talk him into doing just the wrap and freeze (mentioned a few local names that were friends of his). We were staying in Chama, and picked it up 2 days later. He did a good job. Following year, we couldn't talk him out of the vacuum packing and wrapping, plus he said he was overbooked, so it would be 10 days to two weeks before he could do it.
We drove to Antonito (45 miles away), and Ed at Hometown Market did a really professional job. He runs the meat market there, and is a professional butcher/meat cutter. Cost was $250, plus for an extra $50, he did a rush job, and had it for us the next day. Everything was wrapped in white freezer paper, marked with the cut of meat, and had the date on it and frozen solid. Not sure, but the price might have gone up. I didn't kill last year, so didn't need to have one processed.

 

[cbaloga]

We used him once, his name is Triny Vigil. He wanted to vacuum pack every single piece of meat, then wrap and freeze it (a little overkill). That almost tripled the price. I did talk him into doing just the wrap and freeze (mentioned a few local names that were friends of his). We were staying in Chama, and picked it up 2 days later. He did a good job. Following year, we couldn't talk him out of the vacuum packing and wrapping, plus he said he was overbooked, so it would be 10 days to two weeks before he could do it.
We drove to Antonito (45 miles away), and Ed at Hometown Market did a really professional job. He runs the meat market there, and is a professional butcher/meat cutter. Cost was $250, plus for an extra $50, he did a rush job, and had it for us the next day. Everything was wrapped in white freezer paper, marked with the cut of meat, and had the date on it and frozen solid. Not sure, but the price might have gone up. I didn't kill last year, so didn't need to have one processed.

It says online that Hometown Market is permanently closed. I heard they might have sold the store to someone else?

 

[Laelkhunter]

It says online that Hometown Market is permanently closed. I heard they might have sold the store to someone else?

When I last talked to Ed he was still in Antonito, Co. He did tell me that his Son no longer works at the Hometown Market in Pagosa Springs (the Son used to run the meat market there). Ed didn't mention anything about either place selling. If it did sell, it's possible Ed could still be there with the new owners.

edited to add: I just spoke to the manager of Lowe's in Chama. He said the Hometown Market in Antonito sold to Lowe's and it is now a Lowe's Market. Ed is no longer there, and the new store will not offer game processing.

 

[Laelkhunter]

The outfitter I hunt with now suggests using Cole's Meat Processing in Pagosa Springs (they are on 84 about 5 miles South of Pagosa). They are on FB under Cole's meat processing/Sys Taxidermy. Their # is 970-264-2426

 

[butcherboy]

Yeah, that’s a little overkill to vacuum pack and then wrap it. Vacuum packing is a little faster but the bags can still lose their seal or get tiny holes in it. We wrap everything in plastic first then freezer paper. Anything that is vacuum sealed is still wrapped in plastic first then vacuum sealed. Except for jerky and snack sticks. If you find someone to process an elk for $250 and only a $50 rush then you got a screaming deal. We used to take all WG that came in. Some of it had to hang 3 weeks before we could get to it as we were also processing domestic at the same time. Rolled the shop phone over to my cell on weekends as well and that got old really fast! We only process domestic now and make all our specialty meat products. I don’t miss WG season at all. Lol

 

[Laelkhunter]

The problem I have is I bring my ice chests with me, and drive home with the meat (packed in dry ice). I have always waited for it, and usually pay extra for a rush service. It's a 24 hour drive home from Chama, and I can just dump it in the freezer when I get home and be done with it. Too much trouble to have to coordinate with shipping, meeting the UPS/FedEx driver, and trying to get it into the freezer. Not even considering if it gets delayed along the way, and the high cost for overnight shipping, we find it is easier to plan to stay a day or two extra if we have to and wait for the processed meat.

 

[butcherboy]

The cost of shipping meat is definitely high. We shipped all over the country. Meat was packed in insulated boxes and shipped 2 day air. Even did a few ground per the customers request. That had me worried but packing the boxes tight and using the insulated boxes worked well.

 

[cbaloga]

Thanks for all of the input! We are flying into ABQ from Pittsburgh so the meat shipping cost isn't really a worry compared to the hassle of taking coolers and paying the extra airline fees.

 

[butcherboy]

If you are flying out of Albuquerque as well then you can take your elk to Green Valley Meats in Albuquerque.