I think this next season I'm going to start processing my own meat and packaging it. I have the equipment to do so, just never got around to setting me an area up to do it. What do you guys use to package the meat so its ready for the freezer? I have use some meat processors that wrap meat very poorly. I want to get a good idea of what to start using to wrap and package my meat in.

Vacuum seal it.

Freezer zip locks for what I plan to eat soon, vacuum seal what might sit for awhile

Yup, I've eaten 1 year old dear meat that was vacuum sealed and it tasted great!

Vaccuum seal it is then. I use to use a guy who just used that butcher paper, and that won't last ya long...what gets you freezer burnt meat. The guy I use now vacuum seal...just didn't know if those sealers are expensive or not.

I think mine from Academy cost about $175.

Vacuum seal all the way. Sign up with FOODSAVER and catch rolls and bags on sale. I also have started using ZIPLOCK brand rolls that I bought from Wallyworld and they are looking very promising. Get a good permanent marker and date everything.
Once you get the machine you can use it on fresh vegetables if you garden. What I don't can gets frozen.

Vacuum sealer, it's worth the investment, plus you can get bags pretty cheap off of Amazon. I know some people still use butcher paper and love it. But it's nice tossing it in the cooler and not having to worry about a darn thing for it to defrost.

If a vacuum sealer is not in the budget, you can get by with quality ziplock freezer bags. You put the meat in the bag, zip it up most of the way, and then immerse the bag in water with just the open section sticking out. That will squeeze most of the air out and then you can finish sealing the ziplock.

I have also stored larger pieces effectively by wrapping tightly with plastic wrap and then covering the plastic with foil.

If some does get freezer burned, you don't need to throw it out. It is still safe to eat. In a stew, chili, or gumbo, you will never know the difference.

All that said, I use my vacuum sealer a lot for smaller cuts.

Yeah I was thinking if I do some big cuts, would the vacuum sealer even be that effective?

I just got an outdoorsman plus vacuum sealer from academy. It says 40 seals at a time but I'm sure we did 60 plus each time we started packaging. It doesn't have a cutter on it but i made a couple different sized templates and cut all the bags with an exacto knife before I started packaging. I didn't get a buck this year but I was able to get 11 does off of an MLD place. It took 6 days, 2 grinders and 7 18' rolls of plastic for me, the wife and kids to process and package them all. My wife has to have her hand cut 1/4" chunks for her favorite dish.

I put whole backstraps in a vacuum sealed packages with no problem. Just start pressing from the end until the tight then hit the vacuum button. used to just freeze everything in freezer paper but would forget to label it and had to play "freezer roulette".

I have the Cabela's Commercial-grade vacuum sealer and found that pre-made bags work best. The 8"x12" works for 95% of my cuts and grinds. They often go on sale here https://www.waltonsinc.com/weston-vacuum-sealer-bags and at Cabela's. And for the larger cuts I use the 11" x 16"

If you use it within 18 months I see no use in the expense of vacuum sealing. Have eaten a lot of venison, pork, and beef that was two years old frozen only in zip locks. Longer than that it starts t freezer burn.

Sausage, jerky, snack sticks, salami/summer sausage, whole muscle cuts go in vacuum bags.

Burger, pan sausage gets wrapped in butcher paper, pretty easy to do it and get the air out, if you know what your doing, but probably going to switch this to those one lb bags soon.

Butcher paper for what I'm going to eat soon, vacuum seal for what might sit a while.

I like to use the tube style plastic bags for hamburger and pan sausage that you stuff with your grinder. I get mine from LEM. They also have a tape dispenser for the bags that is definitely worth getting. For my link sausage and other cuts that freeze, I vacuum seal as vacuum sealing keeps a long time in freezer.

I vacuum pack everything in the deep freeze. I also vacuum pack our fresh veggies. Stuff just keeps so much longer that way.

Before we started vacuum sealing Mrs HnF and I used the glad "press n seal" double wrapped with waxed butcher paper. We really like the vacuum seal and use it for everything.....

I use quart sized ziplock freezer bags for burger, and freezer paper (butcher wrap) for other cuts. I label and date the packages. I eat everything within one year. I have had a vacuum sealer. It worked great. My former spouse now has it. I have not kept the meat longer than 12 months, so I don't know how long it would last.

I've been vacuum sealing my deer meat and fish for 15 years. Nothing better. Even after two years in the freezer Venison that has been trimmed of all fat will taste as good as the day it was frozen.

Earlier this year my old Seal-A-Meal gave up the ghost and I replaced it it the one at the link below. Just finished processing two deer. It did a great job. I should have replaced that old unit sooner.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DI342B4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yeah, I could buy butcher paper for what I 'll eat soon, but I like the idea of vacuum sealing. One guy I used in the past, I don't know if he wrapped it right or what, but after about a year of sitting in the freezer, I noticed rips and tears in the wrapped meat. It could've been me when I was putting them in, or something happened where they just ripped on their own after being in there a while. Normally, I cook that meat atleast every week. I don't like anything sitting in my freezer for over a year. Some years if I get lucky though, kill a few more animals its going to happen.

Food saver vacuum bagger. Mine has been going strong though 4 years of elk and deer. Processing your own meat is pretty easy, i like knowing exactly how my meat was handled, plus it saves me a lot of money

Food Saver is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Not only is it awesome for processing your game meats, but good for freezing leftovers as well. I cook a ton of bbq and vacuum seal leftovers and reheat with warm water on the stove top and the meat tastes just like it came off the pit months later.

+1 We've done whatevery body else has said about using a vacuum sealer and are on our 3rd one.

One thing about freezing game bird's or fish fillets though that seems to worka little better...lay the stuff out on wax paper, then lightly spray/mist it with water, leave it in the Frig's freezer uncovered only until it get "sparkly" with frost and solid, then double the wax paper between the layers of fish fillets to keep them seperated, and use vacuum sealer like regular meat packages. This way I got a year or more out of thick striper fillets and mebbe doubles the "life" of the similar delicate contents, even the smoky links from Kuby's, individually double wrapped in wax paper that I go gaga over on the grill lasted for a couple years when I had one almost entire Doe done in smokey links.

We also like to buy beef & pork roasts and loins in larger almost primary sizes at usually cheaper prices per lb, then cut them down to 2 Old People dinner sizes...and go from there.

Plus One again on lightly freezer burned stuff GTG cut into chunks in stews and cassaroles. Biggest problem is forgetting to rotate the inventory by oldest date.
Ron