Price of venison

   / Price of venison #41  
Yep, true cost of venison includes (varies for each state/age of hunter/etc.) amortizing the following costs over number of deer/total lbs killed.


  1. lease cost
  2. lodging cost/food
  3. salary/income opportunity cost while hunting
  4. cost of hunting supplies..shells, feed plots, equipment, cameras, blinds, clothes, etc.
  5. travel cost to and from lease, including vehicle purchase prices, gas, meals, snacks
  6. ice, processing costs
  7. head mounting costs, extra price for taking a trophy animal
  8. hunting license
I've been fortunate, family has hunting locations, thus many of these are not out of pocket expenses to me... but they are to the family....
 
   / Price of venison #42  
Cost for ALL Hobbies = $0.00 I don't count $$$ when it comes to hobbies/recreational interests... I just have to convince the wife the tractor is only a hobby!!!
 
   / Price of venison #43  
The best thing about hunting (or fishing) is the free meals that result from a successful outing. You wont often catch me out on a golf course, or playing/watching football, baseball, socker, hockey, NASCAR, or any other "sporting" activity that dont offer this bonus. I can often turn a profit from hunting and fishing when you consider the food cost savings. Those other things are just pure net loss. You will also never catch me releasing a legal, good-eating sized fish. Incedentally, I obtained a tag from the town police for the "knife-finished" deer, making it legal. The officer working the desk asked me if it needed to be shot and I replied "no, I killed it with a knife. He said "that would be no", and gave me my carcass tag.
 
   / Price of venison #44  
why do people pay to butcher their deer ? its easy to do at home on the counter ... all you need is a spare fridge to run for 3-5 days while it ages (3 fine for little, the bigger the deer the longer ya need)
 
   / Price of venison #45  
why do people pay to butcher their deer ? its easy to do at home on the counter ... all you need is a spare fridge to run for 3-5 days while it ages (3 fine for little, the bigger the deer the longer ya need)

Because butchering is not easy, is quite messy, and you need to know how to actually identify and cut the meats.
 
   / Price of venison #46  
I guess growing up doing it has given me a different perspective. Heck my wife does it most times.
 
   / Price of venison #47  
Ya I never understood that either. All my kids started labeling packages as soon as they could write and progressed from there with age. All can now do it in their sleep without whine even. You get your own meat just the way you want it and save a bunch of $$ too. It really isn't very hard once you do a few if you can some of it you don't even have to sweat any grinding. Oh well somebody's gotta support all those processors.
Rick
 
   / Price of venison #48  
I have an old refrigerator in the garage that I fire up when it is to warm to just hang it out there. I like to age deer 7-10 days at 33-45 deg F. I enjoy cutting it up. I make sure the meat gets the best possible treatment from the time I pull the trigger (or slit the throat), until it goes in the freezer, vacuum sealed. My mom used to can it, but my wife hasnt picked that trick up yet. We really like the grind and use it anywhere you would use ground beef, and nobody can tell that it isnt beef.
 
   / Price of venison #49  
That's why I prefer to process my own and that I know I have the right deer! ~~ grnspot110

That is not a bad idea. I just don't want to buy\store all of that equipment, maintain it, repair it, replace it, for just 2 or three deer a year. I have often wondered if I am actually eating the deer I killed however!
 
   / Price of venison #50  
You only need a couple of knives and a cutting board. Until I got full time electricity we canned most of the meat so you don't even need a freezer or a grinder. I found for wrapping I do a thin layer in saran wrap then use that palatizing wrap to get it really tight and it does a much better job than butcher paper or vacumsealers, in less time for less cost.

Had a small hand crank grinder for years(still have it for backup) that was cheap and ez to put away if you want burger. It wasn't til I started makin sausage that I got a few things to make it easier but it still doesnt take up much room and I probably have less invested than your 3 deer processing fees. I bet if you try it 2x you wont do it any other way from then out.
Rick
 

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