Deer processing without getting screwed
Posted: March 4th, 2015, 9:41 pm
Simple question born from utter disgust for the way some friends and I were treated this deer season: where do you take your deer to be processed and how sure are you that you're getting ALL of YOUR meat?
As long as I've been hunting in North Florida I've been taking deer to Concord Deer Processing, every deer killed on the property I've been hunting has been taken there for 10+ years.
Never again.
Here are some examples of deer dropped off for processing and the resulting packaged meat.
All deer with maybe one exception were prepared the same way. Back-straps and tenderloins cut in half, rest of the deer half burger, half smoked sausage.
Opening week of bow/antlerless season weekend of bow season - 75 lb doe 2 mostly full grocery bags of meat
Second or third weekend of the season - 90 lb doe - Two heaping paper grocery bags full of meat.
Last month of season - 96 lb doe - 1 decent bag of meat plus 3-4 packs of ground.
Last weekend of season - 100 lb doe - 1 3/4 full bag of meat.
Last day of season - 160 lb 10-point 3.5 yr old buck - two half-full bags that equal one full bag.
Last day of season - 85 lb doe - one half full bag.
My friend and I dropped off the last doe and buck within 12 hours of each other and when I picked up my doe I questioned how that could be all the meat and the guy basically played dumb. My buddy picked up his buck which was a clean heart shot with a .243 and the guy running the place basically called him a liar and then accused him of gut shooting it and then fed him some line of crap about sometimes heart shots ruin the shoulders and that's probably the issue...we're done. Last year was a similar situation but this year is blatant. They must be skimming off the top, processing the deer in big batches and "guesstimating" who gets what. Something. It doesn't add up.
Has anybody else had a similar situation? Anybody hunt deer in Gadsden county and have a reliable trustworthy processor? My buddies and I have got a bunch of deer for them next season.
As long as I've been hunting in North Florida I've been taking deer to Concord Deer Processing, every deer killed on the property I've been hunting has been taken there for 10+ years.
Never again.
Here are some examples of deer dropped off for processing and the resulting packaged meat.
All deer with maybe one exception were prepared the same way. Back-straps and tenderloins cut in half, rest of the deer half burger, half smoked sausage.
Opening week of bow/antlerless season weekend of bow season - 75 lb doe 2 mostly full grocery bags of meat
Second or third weekend of the season - 90 lb doe - Two heaping paper grocery bags full of meat.
Last month of season - 96 lb doe - 1 decent bag of meat plus 3-4 packs of ground.
Last weekend of season - 100 lb doe - 1 3/4 full bag of meat.
Last day of season - 160 lb 10-point 3.5 yr old buck - two half-full bags that equal one full bag.
Last day of season - 85 lb doe - one half full bag.
My friend and I dropped off the last doe and buck within 12 hours of each other and when I picked up my doe I questioned how that could be all the meat and the guy basically played dumb. My buddy picked up his buck which was a clean heart shot with a .243 and the guy running the place basically called him a liar and then accused him of gut shooting it and then fed him some line of crap about sometimes heart shots ruin the shoulders and that's probably the issue...we're done. Last year was a similar situation but this year is blatant. They must be skimming off the top, processing the deer in big batches and "guesstimating" who gets what. Something. It doesn't add up.
Has anybody else had a similar situation? Anybody hunt deer in Gadsden county and have a reliable trustworthy processor? My buddies and I have got a bunch of deer for them next season.