Processing cost?

[TheCougar]

In Texas, $60 for a deer (skinned) and $150 for elk (skinned and quartered). That’s just ground and steaks. Taxidermy is cheap also, at least for euros ($100/150) deer and elk.

except for this year, of course. All the processors are doing domestic cattle and pigs only due to commercial supply and consumer demand. The nearest place that is still doing wild game is an hour away, and I’m pretty sure they are charging a premium, so I’m doing all my own processing this year

 

[Randle]

Also I have talked to several friends in the last couple months that paid $600 -700
But when they went in to place the order, it was, oh 40 lbs of jerky, 40 lbs of jalapeño and cheese sausage, 30 lb great sausage, 3 smoked roasts, and custom cut stuff that made it add up. need less to say they learned from that.

 

[mattferg84]

$700 for burger, steaks and roast? WOW! I usually pay anywhere from $250-$350 here in Colorado. If that's the case for lots of places in Oregon I would buy a grinder and learn how to do it on my own. I ground up a mule deer that I shot last week and it was my first time doing it. Not very difficult and kinda fun!

 

[Ucsdryder]

Most places charge by the pound to cut and wrap. In Colorado that ranges from 1.20-1.60. It’s usually more if it’s boned out vs whole carcass. 700 is expensive but if the elk weighed 800-900 pounds on the hoof then that’s about right.

 

[TNhuntsman]

Cleaned and quartered bull cost me $300.00 in Antonito Colorado Oct 29th. It costs more if it is not skinned, split, or quartered. They did an excellent job, wrapping and freezing to be picked up and thrown in my ice chests with dry ice.
One place I called wanted $1.39 a pound to process. I had no idea what the quartered carcass weighed, so I chose not to go that route.

Had mine done at Hometown food market in Antonito which cost $400 but I got the 24 hour service since we only had one day of season left and were getting ready to head back home.

 

[AaronMColeman]

I learned how to do basic steaks, roasts, grind, on my own. It's kinda fun. The only place in town was pretty expensive then the owner died so we no longer have any place in town. I enjoy doing it myself. It's nice to know that no other human hands have ever touched this meat.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Had mine done at Hometown food market in Antonito which cost $400 but I got the 24 hour service since we only had one day of season left and were getting ready to head back home.

You are correct, Sir !! They do charge $100 for 24 hour service, which is well worth it if it saves you two or three days sitting in a Motel. If you kill early, and in no hurry you can save $100, but it's worth it to me. We picked up our meat, packed it in the ice chests in the parking lot of the store, then headed home.

 

[roosiebull]

dang! 700 sounds high. i have always done my own, but have the scrap ground and wrapped... that's .50-1.00lb depending on who does it, i usually have about 150lbs of grind after deer/elk seasons, so doing myself would be a chore.

i could see the price jumping if you have a bunch of summer sausage, pepperoni, and jerky made, but just simple processing, that sounds crazy high price

was this Oregon?

 

[Scotto]

$700, WOW!
Paid a flat fee of $250 for burger and steaks wrapped, frozen and ready for transport. Processor is in Idaho.

 

[willidru]

I just had a bull done in New Mexico 170# just steaks and burger and it was $300

 

[rclouse79]

The last animal I took to a butcher would only take meat still on the bone. After doing the back straps and neck meat myself I decided it wasn’t bad and haven’t been back to a butcher since. What ever it costs is too much for me considering I find the job satisfying and have peace of mind knowing the meat was handled with care. I know that isn’t what you asked, but I thought I would throw it out there for those who have never tried butchering.

 

[txhunter581]

My last one I paid a little over $400 but that including lots of Smoke rings which means they added lots of pork and smoked them. If you really just had standard processing with no extras, you got taken.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

My brother had a cow that was field dressed and done on a rush order for about $1.5/lb. this was outside Livingston MT.
I haven’t gotten my meat back from them yet, i am having sausages and snack sticks made so I don’t expect it anytime soon. We took it to them quartered but shipping will add quite a bit of money. But it will still be less than renting a car and driving it home would have been.

 

[Jardo]

PNW guys, whats it cost you to have an elk cut and wrapped for simple steaks, roasts and burgers?

My buddy asked me because it was $700 for his. We always cut and wrap our own so I have no idea where the market is.

please name this processor. definitely ripping people off. normal is $1 per lb. $2 is expensive.

your friend got ripped off and he should expose this processor and help our community of friends avoid the hell out of them


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[Fitzwho]

Last cow elk I had done cost me about $375, which included getting some sausage made.

 

[Poser]

I wouldn’t pay $700 but if you hired me to process an elk, I’d charge $800-$1000 for time, knowledge and skill, so there’s that.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

$700 seems pretty high.

I had a cow done this year. Already skinned, I gave them bone-in quarters and burger scraps in game bags. 170lb hanging weight. Had them add 10% beef fat to the burger grind. $230 out the door.

 

[TheHardWay]

OP, is there any chance that your buddy took his elk to a butcher that normally does domestic meat processing? If so, maybe the butcher added on the cost for the time of having to disinfect all his equipment, cooler, etc. Processors cannot go back and forth between domestic and wild meat or else they can lose their certification.

 

[AaronMColeman]

While we are on processing, does anyone have any good links to videos for DIY? And maybe DIY with some of the fun stuff like sausage and jerky? I've done my own elk, but I'm a boring butcher and just make burger, steaks, and roasts, I'd like to get better and dig deeper with my next elk.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

Before we cry foul on the processor, in his defense he could had been working with a Joe Rogan size bull. He gets 400lbs of meat off his elk.