Weight of game after processing....

[FOTIS]

Would you guys agree that the total edible meat is usually 40% of live weight? This is after gutting, skinning, de-boning. So in a 100 lbs antelope 40 lbs would be clean edible meat.
Am I close?

 

[DrMike]

Fotis,

That would be very close to an accurate estimate. That has created problems in the minds of some people, but there is a lot of weight in the bone, hide, hooves and head. After trimming bloodshot or dirty meat, it doesn't leave a lot of meat.

 

[big rifle man]

Right on the money Mike. I've weighed meat in the past and found your calculation to be accurate. This is one reason I aim for a spot behind the shoulder when hunting animals that don't bite back. It's amazing how much meat you lose with a shoulder shot.

 

[FOTIS]

Thought so. Thanks

 

[DrMike]

Fotis,

For what it is worth, I had a friend insist that a meat cutter had robbed him of half a bison. I had delivered the carcases to the abattoir, requesting that the cuts be boneless. The fellow was incensed at the lack of meat and insisted that the cutter had robbed him of meat. In his case, I have never again had anything cut boneless for him, and he is perfectly happy. On another occasion, I lost a friendship when I delivered half an elk to a fellow that was incensed that he didn't have more meat. I've learned not to deliver meat for other people since that time because they simply will not believe how little meat they receive. I generally opt to take my meat to a fellow that insists that I must wrap my own meat. I know what I am getting and what it amounts to that way.

 

[JD338]

Fotis,

That is what I always figured.

JD338

 

[Elkman]

40 % is the number that I use, and 40% of a 90 lb. antelope is not very much meat. Its kind of like going to the grocery store and getting $50 of stuff and then carrying it out the the car in three or fourbags. :grin: :grin:

 

[DrMike]

Its kind of like going to the grocery store and getting $50 of stuff and then carrying it out the the car in three or fourbags. :grin: :grin:

Or one bag if you live in northern BC.

 

[Elkman]

DrMike

The friend is always a challenge for me. Like you I have tried to help several different "friends" over the years and got burned most times. I gave a friend a very nice rifle after my father died, two years later he wrote me and wanted to know if I wanted to "buy" it back. Another more similar experience to yours is that we/I killed an elk while hunting with a friend. Our deal was prior to the hunt that we split expenses and the meat if any was taken. Well for various reasons my wife and I ended up cutting and wrapping the meat. When we took it over to his house the comment was " gee I thought it was a lot bigger. I had purposely taken less than my share because I had thought there should be more also. But was certainly not rewarded with a kind word. So I am wareful of whom I call a friend and even more so about doing them favors. !!!!

 

[DrMike]

Bill,

The attitudes you identify must be related to the fact that fewer and fewer people are intimately tied to the land. In general, people are ignorant of what is entailed in preparing meat for the table. I suspect that this could be extended into the entire realm of farming as well.

 

[Guest]

I've always used 40% yield if cut 'boned,' 50% yield if cut 'bone-in' for game meat. Most people are completely unaware of how much meat is actually on an animal, as opposed to bone, hide, viscera, etc. Best thing to do is to let folks get in touch with a butcher and ask what amount of meat would come off of a steer at slaughter. That figure (leaving out liver, brains, sweetbreads, etc.) is around 45-50% (about 542lbs), and wild game is going to be far leaner in both fat content and muscle mass versus an 1150lb farm raised beef steer.

Unfortunately, too many people think that meat comes from the grocery store, and starts it's journey in a little Styrofoam tray.

 

[JD338]

I used to fill doe tags in the late season and give the venison to friends. I ot tired of cutting meat and hearing the Thats all comments...

I started taking the deer to a local butcher where the "friends" could deal directly and after getting calls from the butcher asking when the deer wil be picked up, no freezer space I stopped being so nice.

Making jerkey tomorrow AM from the deer I shot loast week. Can't wait.... :grin:

JD338

 

[maanbr1]

Here are some formulas that I have found to be accurate:
http://www.askthemeatman.com/estimate_deer_weight.htm

 

[Stevesdl]

That is one nice site Maanbr. I saved that in my favorites. Thanks!

Steve

 

[Elkman]

I was explaining to a women the other day the steps one goes through when processing game. She was fascinated with the whole idea and would like to see it done, but she was afraid that it might make her sick. I asked her how she thought that the meat she buys at Costco gets that way. She did understand that it to was processed but then she said, but she doesn't have to see it.
That is the problem with most of our society today regarding food products. I think half of them as stated below think that it comes in the plastic packaging. The animal lovers just ignore the facts regarding, growing killing and eating because if they don't think about it, it never happened. Its far easier to legislate when you really have no facts or actual data regarding the issues. :grin: :grin: