What percent of live weight do you expect to get back in meat?

[Allsmiles]

We always figure about 1/3 of body weight unless bad shot. It has been pretty consistent with most of the deer I have shot. I haven't picked my last doe yet but here a stats. Live 120 on scale, gutted and head removed for hanging 88#. Expecting about 35# of meat since I had some made i to jerky.

 

[kc30121]

For beef or deer? I think beef is substantially higher?

I asked him about butchering a deer.

 

[jeep78]

I have processed my own for more than 20 years. 25 to 30% is all you get unless you go for the neck, strip out the legs, and throw some heart meat in it.

Standing weight, even less, mainly because there is so much weight in the gut and other internals.

If you want more meat, shoot more deer!

 

[Allsmiles]

Now if you shoot a little doe, expect about a Kroger sack of meat back as most of it is guts, hide, and bone. That's what we call them and try not to shoot them unless we have been blanked going into late season.

 

[jeep78]

I did get 120 pounds back (frozen) from a processor once from a 125 pound deer. 2 coolers full!

I think someone got shorted. LOL

 

[GeauxLSU]

I did get 120 pounds back (frozen) from a processor once from a 125 pound deer. 2 coolers full!

I think someone got shorted. LOL

That's what bothers me even more than the quantity is wanting MY deer back. Mine go from walking to hanging in the cooler in minutes, literally. I don't want somebody's that's been parading it around all day on the hood of their car.

 

[lokidogg]

I do my own and strip it to the bones. Get 25-30% or a bit more. This is some of two that I’ve gotten.

 

[Jblue]

Man all this is making me really want to learn how to process em.

 

[4ssss]

So we'd rather the government waste it on something else? OK I guess.

I do my own and strip it to the bones. Get 25-30% or a bit more. This is some of two that I’ve gotten.
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That’s pretty neat Loki. I’ve never seen or thought of canning meat.

 

[78Bronco]

I've always used 40% as my estimate. Don't know where I got that # from now that I think back.