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1. How should I prepare my deer for processing?
Once you have tagged the deer, the next step is to field dress it. Don't cut the throat to bleed it. Remove
the internal organs. Don't forget the anus. You may wish to split the pelvic bone. The hind legs will generally cool out better
if you do. Rinse out the body cavity with drinking water to remove any blood or other contamination. Use only drinking water,
not water from a creek, river, or mud puddle. If it is a warm day or it will be awhile before you can bring the deer in for
processing, you need to use several bags of ice to begin cooling down the deer. Place one bag between the hind legs and a
couple in the body cavity. This is crucial for keeping your deer in top condition for processing.
2. Won't removing the hide prior to bringing it to you save you some time?
Removing the hide from the carcass prior to transporting the carcass to be processed, increases the likelihood
of contamination. We must trim all of this contamination from the carcass prior to processing it. This trimming reduces the
amount of meat that you will receive in the form of delicious steaks, roasts and sausage. It takes at least twice as long
to trim a carcass of contamination as it does for us to skin the carcass in our facility and the customers who have skinned
their deer previously receive about half the meat that the deer would have yielded due to contamination. This is why
we no longer accept deer that have been skinned fully or partially.
3. Do you accept boneless meat?
We are happy to accept boneless meat that you or someone else has processed. Please make sure that your
meat is clean and free of contamination. Contamination may be in the form of hair, blood clots, bullet, broadhead or bone
fragments, particles of food or feces. Please do not pre-grind it. No ground meat will be accepted anymore. We suggest
that you take a moment to look through the boneless meat prior to packaging. You will often find contamination that you were
not aware of when you check this meat over. You may bring the meat to us fresh on the day or the day after it is cut. If you
are unable to bring it to us that next day, please freeze the meat to preserve it in it's best condition. *Note please see
#9 on when we accept boneless meat.
4. How should I package my boneless meat to be processed?
We recommend 1 gallon plastic zipper bags. These are small enough to freeze fairly quickly in your freezer.
They also defrost quickly. Packaging this way will help to insure that your boneless meat is of the highest quality to make
into sausage. Please label each bag with your name and confirmation number from your tag.
5. May I package meat in plastic garbage or grocery bags?
No, definitely not. These types of bags are made from recycled plastic that may contain chemical contaminates. Only use
plastic bags that are approved for food storage. Also, when you package meat in 20-30 pound bags, the meat may take a week
to freeze, increasing the food safety risk due to bacteria growth.
6. Do I get my own meat back?
When you bring a deer to us for processing, we use the states confirmation number from your tag and
our ticket number as your identification number. All of your steaks, roasts and legs to be cured are identified with
that ticket number. You definitely receive your own cuts of meat back.
7. What about my boneless meat?
We take great pride in our ability to process your deer in a wholesome manner. There is really no difference in the quality
of the boneless meat between deer to be used for sausage. Therefore, we do not keep the boneless meat for sausage separate.
8. What about the boneless meat that other people process and bring to be made into sausage?
We inspect all meat prior to making it into sausage. All meat that is not in good condition or that has
visible contamination will not be included in our sausage. This is the reason we no longer accept ground venison because it
can not be visibly accessed for cleanliness and it's important to us to keep all meat of a high quality.
9. When can I bring my boneless meat to you to be processed into sausage?
We are now accepting boneless meat from the current season all season long. We just ask that you refrain
from bringing it in the weekend of the two gun seasons as we do not have the staff to process it at that time. Thank you
for your understanding.
10. How long will it be before my order is ready for pickup?
That depends on the time of year and how successful your fellow hunters have been. We skin and cut your
venison shortly after we receive it. The trimmings for sausage may be frozen to be processed later. As we make sausages and
get the variety of products needed to fill your order packaged, you will be notified to pickup your venison. Since we are
not a "full-time" locker it may take us a little longer at times.
11. How will I know when my meat is ready?
We are currently using a texting system to contact you that your meat is ready for pick up. If you do not have texting capabilities
please let us know when you drop off your meat. Once you have been notified, we ask that you pick up your deer in a timely
manner. Usually within a week if possible.
12. My buddy and I brought our deer in at the same time and he already got his back, where's mine?
What you are having made out of your venison determines how long it might take. Some sausages take longer to make. The demand
for some sausages is greater than others. Our processing schedule is adjusted accordingly. As a result, we may have some
orders ready for pickup before others.
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