Whitetail Deer Meat Yields

[BoilerBowHunter]

I searched for a thread like this, but I couldn't find one save one in the mule deer forum.

Curious to know what other folks are getting in terms of meat yield from whitetail. I know there are lots of factors, but I'm curious either way. I process on my own at home. I am very picky in terms of trimming off fat, silver skin, etc. Here's what I yielded this year. It feels like it's on the low end, but the button buck was really small to begin with. I don't weigh deer, so I don't have that data unfortunately.

• Small button buck
  • Front quarters were unable to be kept due to broadhead damage and significant amounts of blood soaking in
  • 12.5 lbs of ground
    • Excludes tenderloins and shanks which were kept separately
    • Excludes both front quarters
    • Included back straps

• 2-3 year old doe
  • 23 lbs of ground
    • Excludes one back strap kept as steaks
    • Excludes shanks which were kept separately
    • Included tenderloins and one back strap

 

[birdman22]

I don't think you're far off, I've always guessed 25 to 30 lbs. including backstraps.

Always crazy how little yield there is, but I trim everything out. I assume the butchers leave more of that in for their grind and that is why people get more meat back from processors? I have never used one.

 

[UpNorth89]

I'd say your pretty close. For your typical adult doe or smaller buck the 25-35 pound range is pretty typical.

 

[Macintosh]

I have figured I package a bit less than 50% of the dressed weight of the deer. But that includes heart and liver, loins, backstraps, the four quarters, 4 bone-in shanks, neck, and however much of the flank steaks and rib meat I can trim off. We have 2 deer in our chest freezer from this fall, a 115lb doe and a 170lb buck, with not much else in there, and the freezer is FULL. I do trim silverskin from steaks, but I also leave a lot on slow-roasting cuts and stew where it cooks right out. Otherwise I think a lot of people trim stuff that I eat, and also I go out of my way to damage as little meat as possible.

Its really impossible for me to gauge the OP’s yield without an idea of deer weigjt, and without weihjt of the backstraps, etc. I’ve never weighed just the grind/stew meat.

 

[Wheels]

I think 40% of dressed weight is pretty accurate.

 

[Primal-Understanding]

In Nebraska, I usually get 30-35# for a doe and 50+# for a buck depending on size/ maturity.

Had a big mature buck I estimated at 5.5 years old that I got 78# of meat from last year.


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[Wolfshead]

My Buck this season yielded around 40-45 lbs.
Typically I believe yield is estimated at around 30-40% of total weight I’ve heard.

 

[rookieforever33]

Ive always heard from butchers that pigs, cattle, or deer are usually about 25 percent of live weight for clean, deboned meat.

 

[BoilerBowHunter]

I’ve heard all of the ratios, etc. I was hoping for people to post up their actual yields, preferably from those who process their own.

 

[rookieforever33]

My average does are 30-35 lbs. I hold out for bigger bucks now so the last couple have been around 45-50 lbs of meat. Earlier bucks were 35-40 lbs. Either broadheads or bonded/mono bullets through the boiler room. Not a lot of meat lost usually.

 

[Big Sexy]

Nice to know my numbers are similar, and I'm not the greatest butcher in the world.

 

[Pilarczyk85]

my last doe which was on the larger side yielded me 42 pounds between burger and the steaks and roasts and whatnot. The buck I just killed yielded me the same. I usually get around that number but Im very meticulous about my butchering.

 

[camping1601]

An average doe 35-40 pounds of clean meat. A decent buck can be 50-60 and higher for big bucks.

 

[Pilsner]

The rule is 33% of live weight as boneless meat. Usually turns out to be about 40% of live weight when you keep ribs, bone-in neck roasts, and bone in shoulder roasts. This held true for whitetails, elk, buffalo, pigs, etc, Basically, anything with hooves. This has been our average from doing nearly 100 critters a year here on the ranch. Bear in mind that the 33% number does NOT include losses for bullet or broadhead damage.

 

[elsb0048]

Here's the last few years of Idaho whitetails I've been a part of butchering.

This is measured as it goes into the freezer, ground meat in ziploc bags staged for later sausage making. Cut meat complete with butcher paper wrapping.
I'd describe myself as thorough regarding silver skin and fat removal.
I typically package the neck roast bone in but no other bones would be a part of this.
These weights would generally not include organ meats and sometimes not tenderloins as they're often consumed night of.

 

[BoilerBowHunter]

Here's the last few years of Idaho whitetails I've been a part of butchering.

This is measured as it goes into the freezer, ground meat in ziploc bags staged for later sausage making. Cut meat complete with butcher paper wrapping.
I'd describe myself as thorough regarding silver skin and fat removal.
I typically package the neck roast bone in but no other bones would be a part of this.
These weights would generally not include organ meats and sometimes not tenderloins as they're often consumed night of.

View attachment 980256

Love the record keeping. I am starting something similar this year. Wish I had been doing it all along.

 

[loganwayne]

I just finished up the buck I shot on Thanksgiving id say about 25-30 lbs. Im in the south and a big buck is 120lbs. Lost one whole front quarter and the better part of the other. I didnt weigh it but I could pull the packages out of freezer.
4 packs - rear quarter roast
2 packs- tenderloin
1 pack - real/inner loin
1 pack- shanks
2 packs - neck roast
5 packs - 1lb each sliced meat. (Used the other roasts for these)
1 pack of grind meat probably 10lbs. (I grind all at once at end of year when I figure out what all I have and what I want to do)

I also trim pretty heavy. No silver skin get as much membrane off the meat as possible. If I wouldn't eat it raw it dont make it to the grind pile.