Processor caution

[robtattoo]

I just read this on Facebook & thought i'd share it.....

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10157254324686249&id=601056248

 

[stonewall]

I'm shocked the hunter didn't want his meat to begin with...I'd love to have the chance at a moose. Sometimes it's best to process things yourself (if possible anyway).

 

[Titan_Bow]

LOL, gotta be more to this story?? Are you saying they only got those 5 little packages back? That doesnt make any sense, dont processors charge you based on the pounds of meat you get back? If a processor was going to pull one over on you, seems like they'd be going the other way, like brining roasts etc. to make more weight, not less..
I love processing my own meat anyways, so in full disclosure, I have actually never used a processor, but I hear horror stories and bad experiences every year!

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Sadly, there are plenty of horror stories out there about small time meat processors. That really sucks.

 

[Titan_Bow]

Heres the full text from the dudes FB post. Those 5 small packages was all he got out of the backstraps, said he got not quite 100 pounds total from a moose!

BEWARE OF ARNOLD’s WILD GAME PROCESSING – Ogden, UT



A few friends and I recently helped out on Moose hunt in Utah. The hunter (Non-Resident from Mississippi) graciously donated the meat to us. We had about 350-400lbs of boned out Moose meat that I took to three different places and was turned down due to capacity or closures on that day. I finally found Arnolds Wild Game Processing in Ogden and decided to take the meat down there as it was about my last chance to get the meat in. I was charged $375 for a standard cut and then $13.95 per pound for extras (jerky, Sausage, Brats). The final bill was $615.00, which was way over what I wanted to pay. However, we were splitting it three ways and I figured we would be getting about at least 250-300lbs of meat, so I pulled the trigger.


Upon return to pick up my meat, I was given three small baskets of meat. One basket was the extras (Jerky, Sausage, Brats), one basket was burger, and the last was a few roasts and 5 packages of steaks. I waited for the second load and it never came. I asked where the rest was, and was told “That’s it”. After carefully looking at what I received, I added up less than 100lbs of meat. I also lined up the 5 packages of backstraps I received witch measured about 2.5ft long. Anyone that has ever seen a moose backstrap (or elk) knows dang well that they are 4-6ft long. There are several steaks on a backstrap. I took in two full moose backstraps and received 5 small (hockey puck sized) packages. This is less meat than ONE deer backstrap will give you.

I called Arnold out of the shop to chat with him. I lined up the steaks and asked him where the rest were. He looked at me and said “Once you trim a backstrap, that’s all that is left”. I’m not stupid! There’s very little to trim on a strap, you just cut them into steaks. You don’t lose 75% of the meat trimming it.

Arnold refused to do anything for me. I wouldn’t have paid, but they took my money before wheeling out my meat. No refund, No discount, No apology, Nothing! What kind of business take a Once-in-a-lifetime animal (or any animal) and tries to pull of this type of sick joke?

Apparently I’m not the only person this has happened to. Several people have had the same type of experience and noted it in reviews.

BEWARE of Arnolds wild game processing. They are out to steal your meat!

 

[ChrisAU]

$13.95/lb for jerky/sausage? Holy shit

 

[Rob5589]

Damn, that blows.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

i get more than that off a coues deer! haha ok maybe not quite

 

[Huntindog45]

learn to process your own game. everyone should. my dad taught me when i was a kid and i will help anyone who ever asks. there are many good game processors and many bad ones. they all cost a lot of money. I can only think of how many thousands of dollars I have saved by doing it myself. and I know for certain I have the meat from the critter i killed in my freezer. It is really easy to do.

 

[ewade07]

I hear horror stories all the time about shitty processors. Luckily, the processor i use is an old family friend who prides himself on his work.

 

[mrchomponthis]

Good to know since that's probably my closest butcher.

 

[zion zig zag]

Good to know since that's probably my closest butcher.

I've heard good things about Champion meats in Riverdale.

 

[RS3579]

This is why I process my own game. If this is true it’s very sad.

 

[Lawnboi]

Don’t know what’s more sad, loss of the meat, the fact that the person used a butcher, or that a guy came out shot a moose and didn’t want the meat

 

[butcherboy]

I can see some truth in his statement but I also read some false statements as well. It’s true he should have got back more meat if he really did bring in 350-400 lbs of meat. How clean was it though? An elk backstrap is not 6 feet long! Lol I’ve never seen one that long in 30 years as a commercial processor and yes, they need to be trimmed before cutting into steaks. I’ve cut plenty of moose as well and haven’t seen a six foot backstrap yet either. Could be that long on a moose if count all the extra pieces on it that aren’t actually steak. Definitely should have had a lot more burger and backstrap steaks. Even more specialty items depending on how many pounds he ordered. $14.00/lb for jerky on the dry weight is not unreasonable. That’s high for sausage

Overall, should have had more meat than that if it was clean and he really did bring in the amount he said he did.

 

[jmez]

Usually three sides to every story. My side, your side, and the truth which falls somewhere in the middle.

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[gearguywb]

I was there in Utah at the same time, and am pretty sure I know exactly who the hunter and guide was. I was hunting elk at the time.

After a successful hunt I took the meat to Arnold's. I had a long drive back through CO to Kansas City and wanted the meat processed.

Dropped it off with Arnold, picked it up the next morning. No issues at all and am pleased with what I received back.

 

[Titan_Bow]

Look at the Google reviews for this business. There is review after review of people with similar stories... Sounds like the guy sucks at communication and setting expectations for his customers, OR he is a meat thief, one of the two..
I could see a lot of people not familiar with butchering and processing, getting upset if they dropped off an animal and got 1/3rd of it back in packaged meat. Again, sounds like the guy didn’t set any sort of expectation with his customers.


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[twall13]

learn to process your own game. everyone should. my dad taught me when i was a kid and i will help anyone who ever asks. there are many good game processors and many bad ones. they all cost a lot of money. I can only think of how many thousands of dollars I have saved by doing it myself. and I know for certain I have the meat from the critter i killed in my freezer. It is really easy to do.

While I agree everyone should learn how and it's not that difficult, there are certain situations where it makes more sense to use a butcher, like when traveling, etc. For me it depends on the amount of time I have and the weather. Typically, after taking time off to hunt, I'm slammed with work and family obligations when I get back and don't always have time to process right away. For a deer it's not a big deal as I can rearrange my garage fridge and get everything in there to keep it cool until I can get to it. For elk, if the weather is right I can hang it long enough to get to all of it over time, but sometimes it's worth taking at least part of it in to a butcher to make sure it's taken care of. Backstraps are about the easiest thing in the world to process so I don't know why anyone would ever pay a butcher to do those. I keep mine in 6-8 inch long chunks and typically cook them like that and slice to serve.

I'm in Utah and though I've never used this particular butcher, I've used a few others with mixed results. The end product tends to be better when I do it myself, but I'm not exactly fast at it. Maybe me taking my time making sure things are clean, etc. is why it turns out better, who knows, but either way, I only have so much time so it really depends on the situation for me.

 

[WCB]

I like how every post about processors turns into "should just do it yourself"... If the story is true the processor is completely in the wrong and screwing people over. Really doesn't matter "how clean the meat" was a Moose Should have coolers of meat once processed and even more so if sausage or any meat is mixed. I almost get that amount of Back straps of a mature whitetail.