Processor error/dishonesty?

I would like to get estimates of weight for east Texas deer when quartered. I recently took three deer, two does (not fawns, probably 2.5 years) and a mature buck (11-point, 4-5 years, heavy bodied) to a local processor in central Texas. The production log from the processor is meaningless, with lots of scratch outs, incomplete sections, and numbers that show the trim weight is the same as the quartered weight. The weight they now "say" that they had in quarters was 93 pounds total. Originally, they said there was 112 pounds in quarters, which is what I paid for being processed. When I put it into the freezer at home I found that I only received 73 pounds of meat back.

When I contacted to ask them to check the freezer for the missing meat, they eventually replied that the quartered weight they had originally was wrong. They now say that the 93 pounds is all they had in quarters and are offering to refund the extra that I paid in processing for the missing 19 pounds. Foolishly, I dropped the quarters off in ice chests without getting a weight. The shop was busy and couldn't weigh immediately.

The information I have is that they say the three sets of deer quarters (remember, one was a buck twice the size of the does) weighed 37, 27, and 29 pounds. I kept the back straps at home, packaging them myself. I had just over 25 pounds of backstrap for the three deer.

How much should I have received back in boneless meat trim from the does? From the big buck? At this point I don't know if the processor is sloppy and lost my meat, if they are dishonest, or if the deer were smaller than they seemed when I was putting them into and out of the ice chests. I'd appreciate some perspective on the deer meat weights. It sure seems like I have some deer meat missing.

Here is a photo of the buck. The inside spread is almost 19 inches. For scale, I'm 6'7", 265 pounds. Unfortunately, that's the only photo. Someone stole my game camera a few weeks before the season.

Okay, so here is the photo...

I would say nobody can give you a weight from that pic.

One reason I don't use processors. Another is that there is a large chance the meat you have didn't come off of your deer. Ive been processing deer since I was 7. At one point I calculated what a good percentage was from dressed carcass weight to de-boned/trimmed meat going into the freezer was, but I have forgotten.

Lessons learned for next time.

73lbs for 3 deer?

Just like a lot of others, I process my own. Spend the money on a quality vacuum sealer and grinder/sausage stuffer and never look back. Plus you'll never have to wonder about shortages and whether or not it's "your" meat you got back. I don't have a smoker but I still manage to make some kick-azz jerky and sausage.

if memory serves me, as a general rule of thumb, we always used the 50-55% packaged meat weight based on field dressed weight. Example, 100 lb field dressed deer would yield about 50-55 lbs into the freezer, trimmings were ground into hamburger, depending on shot placement based on potential ruined meat from bullet. Taking in quarters only, even less yield percentage of dressed weight (back-straps, tenderloins, neck, rib/flanks removed).

This is why so many decide to process their own, an it is very rewarding.
It would be interesting to see some numbers from those that have weighed deer at live weight, dressed, quartered, de-boned and packaged. I bet the loss in processing is more than you want.

I will say most people think they get a lot more meat from a deer than what they actually do.

simple searcher, my numbers were from processing our own and my dad did not waste any usable meat (hocks to ears). We never had live weight as we always field dressed before loading. We weighed most of our bucks hanging weight field dressed before skinning/quartering within a few hours of shooting. For the meat hunting only years of my life, does would yield 30-40 lbs and bucks 40-60 lbs to the freezer.

You receiving 73 lbs of meat seems about right for those weights. I think people tend to way overestimate meat quantities and especially so when it comes to Texas whitetails.

If the processor was doing this, he would probably be doing to it a lot of customers and would soon be out of business. Like Blazin posted, sounds about right.

98 pounds (their 73, your 25) from the three deer seems a touch light, but not out of the realm. I don't know what deer are like in your area but we get ~30 lbs off a standard Mills County doe. We weighed a couple 2-3 years ago that we thought we were getting light returns from the processor, and those two returned 26 and 29 pounds of boneless round steak, straps, and chili grind.

We now have a vacuum packer, a #12 grinder, a smoker, and a tenderizer and I hope to do more of our own going forward as I still think they might be shorting us. In the very least they don't cut the hams the way I'd like and as a result we get less round steak.

^ This

Simple solution: Cut your own meat. I have never paid to have an animal processed. With a little practice you can cur, wrap and grind a deer in less than 2 hrs and you know exactly how your meat is handled.

I saw your post after after I put up mine. Your post beat mine by a few minutes. Good information.

First the buck most likely did not weight double of the does. Maybe 30% more.
Next the best figure I have ever come up with is about 40% of field dressed weight and you only had the quarters so I would guess that would be less
Say buck 130 field dressed, does 70 that would be 270.
40% of that is 108 less 20 lbs for backs traps and the rest for rib eat and flanks you didn't take I Luke say 73 words be close to right.

Here is an example in rough numbers. My dad shot a spike this year on our place it was 1.5 YO weighed 105 live weight 80 lbs dressed and they got 4.5 gallon bags of meat. We keep our meet in gallon freezer bags and find them to weigh about 8 lbs. The live and dressed weights were accurate on a scale, the 36 lbs is an estimation but based on historical evidence.

That is 36 lbs of meat from a field dress weight of 80 lbs or 45% of the dressed weight. All of the weights seem suspect to me, but a lot of it depends on body size of the deer. In the hill country we used to shoot 2-3 yo deer that dressed 80-90 lbs. At our place now we have shot 1-5 year olds that have dressed anywhere from 105-150 something lbs.

You should get a higher % of meat from quarters than field dressed weight, no skin head or probably back bone.

Sounds right, exspecially if didn't add any pork or beef and you kept the back straps.

So the consensus is that there is no consensus. Some are saying there should be more meat, others are saying there shouldn't.

1) The final, total, processed weight for three deer quarters and back strap was 98 pounds. The total reported by the processor for 12 quarters (2 doe & 1 buck) was 73 pounds.

2) I have processed myself in the past, just didn't have time this year. I still make my own sausage and jerky. In previous years, there seemed to be a good bit more meat than these yielded.

3) The deer were well fed, from east Texas, near Nacogdoches.

4) The buck WAS much heavier that the does. I could lift all four quarters of each doe at once. I could not easily lift a half (single hindquarter and a forequarter) from the buck-- I had to lift each into the chest separately. Possibly not double, but certainly more than 30% larger.

My error was clearly not verifying the initial weight of the quarters to be processed. Without that information I can never know. The reason I am suspicious is that there are lots of changes and scratch-outs on the processing logs AND I was told the original weight was 112. In either case, (73/93 or 93/112) the yield from quarters to processed shows as over 80%. That means the change in starting weight from 112 to 93 is a loss of substantial meat. I still don't believe that 73 pounds is the yield from three mature deer.

Were they all shot in the head? Just letting you know you left lots of unopened questions, but I still bet they didn't steal your meat.

My son's 210 pound field dressed buck yielded 81 pounds of meat total. I've always been told 40% of field dressed weigh....... that's pretty close

Can't stress enough finding professionals. I've done my own, but from now on will use Bluebonnet meats, Trenton TX (903) 989-2293.

A brother and sister operation, with degrees in meat technology from Texas Tech, and a trained Chef... there's nothing to chance, nothing wasted, and tremendous quality and professionalism.

I just do my own....I know "everything" that happened to it beginning to end....

I've heard of stories of people ending up with other peoples meat along with other problems....

I've tried processing my own deer and I admit, I suk at it.
Landers processing in Garland is legit. The deer you take is the deer you get back.
I've had them walk me through their process. They say it's a lot easier to
process one animal at a time than to mix them up and try to sort out the meat later.
Just my .

37, 29, and 27 less the back straps sounds reasonable if no other trimmings were included. Did you picked up 73 lb of venison ? Sounds like you got a deal if they are refund you for the 19 pounds.

M

Well then I guess we are all wrong and you knew the answer all along. I wouldn't sweat much over 20 lbs of deer meat. In the end if you figure how much it ultimately cost you by the pound it is all more expensive than the best ribeye steak you can buy.
If you were a sustanance Hunter you wouldn't pay anyone to process it.

Huntwest, I don't think you paid much attention to the thread and responses. I added extra details based on some of the questions and comments and admitted that I should have had a starting weight. I don't know how you take that as "knew the answer all along." Your comment, "I wouldn't sweat much over 20lbs of deer meat" is exactly why there can be sloppy processors. If you don't care about losing meat, that is your business. I'd prefer to have accurate work for the pay given. I'm not a subsistence hunter and I didn't say that I was. However, not trying to clarify what I perceive as more than a 20% error seems lazy at best and stupid at worst. Does either one of those categories fit you?

Moderator, please lock this thread since it doesn't seem to be generating much useful information for anyone.

Thank you to the people who responded with information about their results in processing weights.

I process my own deer. I don't add fat to the ground meat, or make sausage. I am always amazed that I don't get more meat per deer when the job is done, and it is put in the freezer. In the past, when I have gone to a processor, they wanted me to pick it up ASAP to get it out their business and get paid. Maybe they were careless with your order, or made a mistake. I would be very surprised it they tried to rip you off somehow. On another note, for anyone who wants to learn how to cut up deer, there are some great videos on Youtube. Also buy a quality grinder. I bought a #12, 3/4 hp electric grinder from Gander Mountain and am happy with it.

Ive used this site in the past to get an estimate of what to expect to get back, it seems to be pretty accurate. Of course you have to figure in bullet damage waste etc. http://www.daystohunt.com/index.php/deer-weight-formula

Wyndell,

Things like that link are what caused me to think that meat was missing. If I shrink the deer to the smallest on the list (since Texas deer aren't as big as northeast deer) it still looks like there should be more meat from three deer. Remember, the total weight I got from three deer (quarters & backstraps) was only 93 pounds. If my buck was only 180, then total meat should have been almost 80 pounds for the buck alone. Subtract 10 or so pounds for the neck, rib, & flank meat and the buck alone should have weight close to 70 pounds processed...

I'm not really saying my deer were huge, I just think that the confusion on the processing sheet looks like some of the deer meat was lost. The photo below shows the numbers on the photo-copy of the processing page I was given. I'm going to ask the processor about it one more time. Also, remember that the actual weight I received, 73 pounds, doesn't show anywhere on the processing sheet.

I would imagine most deer you will get in the 40% range back.

When you say "if my buck was only 180" it tells me I think your over estimating the weight of your deer. I bet there is a slim to none chance that deer weighed 180 lbs live weight, and the does weight probably doesn't even register on the bottom end of that chart.

Found this on Youtube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoawhsmKIEY

So, RedChevy, no comments about the unexplained weights on the processor's log sheet? About the errors and scratch-outs? Or the obvious error that shows (after lots of corrections) the same numbers quartered and trimmed? I suspect >180 pounds for the buck, but I didn't weight it live, dressed, or quartered. My son-in-law and I couldn't lift it into truck, but had to get mechanical help.

The bottom line is that I'm done with this processor and I will recommend against him if someone around in my area asks. I've already deleted the positive reviews I gave on Yelp and Facebook after having two backyard steers butchered. There were some errors on the processing logs for the steers, too, but I gave the shop the benefit of the doubt. Not chancing it for anything else.

I'm still debating negative reviews.

I don't recall seeing the name of the processor. Maybe someone has some experience or knowledge about the processor in question if you care to provide it.

I doubt you got shorted. I just finished processing 3 deer, 2 doe and a buck (no front shoulders) and ended up with right at 75# of meat. Like others said, many people overestimate what they will get off a deer. I do see why you would question it given the numbers above.

Dude, It is your own fault. Why didn't you wait to get it weighed and checked in? Don't bash someones business because of your own neglect. You said they gave you a refund for the difference so whats your gripe? You didn't pay for anything you didn't get. Go shoot another and take it to someone else. Sounds like this processor is giving you a fair shake. If you just left it in an icechest in the locker, who's to say some other customer didn't borrow a hind quarter or 2 before it was weighed in the first place. Take responsibility for screwing up and move on.

WestTx, thanks for the civil reply. My buck had both shoulders and no lost meat in the quarters since I shot it in the lungs.

HornSlayer-- it is my fault. The only choice I had was to walk out since they wouldn't weigh it while I waited. It was checked in, and tagged with their storage IDs. They had something else going on at the moment and wouldn't stop. That's one of the reasons I'm not going back.

The meat went back into their processing area immediately. If there was some stolen, it was by the employees. I am not accusing them of theft, only sloppiness. My initial question was to figure out if the number was realistic. Some say it is-- but the screwy production sheet doesn't support the 73 pounds I received. Based on what I see, sloppy work and bad documentation lost some of the deer. The processor has declined to explain. The refund allows them to say they only had 93 pounds to process, nothing good-hearted about it.

Others say it is only 20 pounds... get over it. Unlike some of you that are on management property, I have the opportunity to shoot 1 buck, 1 spike, and 2 does. The three deer I have are all I will get this year. So, over 20% of the deer meat I should have had is gone.

I haven't mentioned the name, since I didn't start out to bash the processor, just check my opinion. I will send it by PM if someone is in the Round Rock, Georgetown, Belton area and is interested.

Maybe the processor just didnt trim every ounce of meat off the bone. No processor does that. They have their time/labor in mind, not getting you 100% yield.

I used a processor in Carthage once because I won a free deer processing gift certificate at a banquet. They gave me backstraps and the rest in pan sausage when I asked for backstraps and hamburger. Seriously had like 40 lbs of pan sausage. I called and told them they messed up my order and somehow they came up with 20 lbs of ground steaks for me to come pick up to make up for it. Where did this meat come from?

Unclaimed processed deer meat most likely if it was ground venison steaks.

180 lb deer in texas that are low fence free range and not protein fed are not that common, especially if they are not super mature, he is a nice looking buck, but I think that weight chart you were looking at is geared toward northern deer. We feed free choice proten 10 months a year and the bigged bucks we have killed so far in the 4-5 YO range have not broke into the 180 lb range yet.

The processor sheet seems slopy at best to me. If you buck weighed 180 lbs each hind leg quarter by itself would weigh about 20 lbs. The weight the processor gave your for the buck was 37 lbs. The deer didn't weigh 180 lbs.