Hunting on a budget

[Kevin Root]

I noticed in you first posts you have your game processed. Do it yourself and save a couple of hundred $$$ and you'll get better quality meat! I take a 5 cu ft freezer with me on deer and antelope hunts, a 10 cu ft when we expect to get 3 or 4 animals or a couple of elk. Run it with a small generator. Usually on a weeklong hunt I can run the thing on less than 5 gallons of fuel.

Butchering is not very difficult, I've been doing my own meat since I was about 20.

That's an awesome idea, I've never thought about hauling a freezer with me. They are not that big either doing a quick search and all. Good idea CC!

http://www.searsoutlet.com/d/product_details.jsp?pid=94097&mode=buyNewOnly&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=N94097&sid=IDx20110411x000008

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Been doing it for years. Usually sit around the fire in the evening with a lantern and cut up meat. Put it in plastic bags, label it and freeze it. You have to remember to leave evidence of sex on an edible piece of meat with your tag attached. You don't need to run them 24/7 either. 6 or 8 hours is more than enough, less if the weathers cold.

 

[tdcour]

Thanks for the tips cc! Never thought of taking a freezer either. What does it cost for a basic setup to process your meat? Do you vacuum seal or Butcher paper?

 

[Musket Man]

It really depends how you want to process your meat. I did mine growing up with a knife and ziplock freezer bags! Now I have a grinder, smoker, mixer, sausage stuffer, vacuum sealer, dehydrator, burger press, jerkey gun, big cutting boards, slicer, I think thats most of it. lol. You dont necessarily need alot of that but it makes it alot easier. I would definitely recommend atleast getting a vacuum sealer, and a grinder would be very helpful. I have a 1hp cabelas grinder that i really like but Im sure a smaller grinder would work fine too. It kinda depends on how much you plan on doing and how patient you are. Since I got the grinder I cut some nice steaks and grind the rest. I make alot of pre formed burger patties and sausage out of what I grind. I used to use the grinder to stuff sausage but it doesnt work all that well and I got a stuffer last year and it is much easier and faster. I smoke some sausage and some I package fresh. processing your own meat can be very addictive once you get started and its well worth it IMO!! Plus you know its YOUR meat in your freezer!! What do you usually pay to get a deer processed? Feel free to PM me if you have more questions!

 

[buckbull]

I noticed in you first posts you have your game processed. Do it yourself and save a couple of hundred $$$ and you'll get better quality meat! I take a 5 cu ft freezer with me on deer and antelope hunts, a 10 cu ft when we expect to get 3 or 4 animals or a couple of elk. Run it with a small generator. Usually on a weeklong hunt I can run the thing on less than 5 gallons of fuel.

Butchering is not very difficult, I've been doing my own meat since I was about 20.

Word of caution on the deep freezer thing. Buddy and I did an elk hunt and we put a deep freeze and gernerator in a trailer when we drove out. By the time we made it to our destination, the compressor was locked up from all the bouncing the freezer did on the trip. We beat on the compressor with a rubber malet to no avail. We ended up still using the freezer by buying several pounds of dry ice and lining the bottom. I have to drop $800 for a new freezer when I got home.

 

[buckbull]

Also, I have a vacuum pack food saver. It does an absolutely wonderful job at maintaining meat. If you can find the budget, I highly recommend getting one. Its amazing how long it can keep meat and fish.

I bought an all steel grinder that hooks up to my wifes kitchen aide grinder. it does the job and didn't break the bank.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Word of caution on the deep freezer thing. Buddy and I did an elk hunt and we put a deep freeze and gernerator in a trailer when we drove out. By the time we made it to our destination, the compressor was locked up from all the bouncing the freezer did on the trip. We beat on the compressor with a rubber malet to no avail. We ended up still using the freezer by buying several pounds of dry ice and lining the bottom. I have to drop $800 for a new freezer when I got home.

I have been hauling freezers in the bed of my PU for years. Started with a 5' Sears unit that lasted about 20 years until it finally gave up. I paid less than 200 for it. Took it to Baja, Canada and Alaska. Bought another one about 10 years ago for less than 300 and it is still going strong. I also bought a 10' at a yard sale for $100 that I use when I need more capacity. Difference probably is that I always have carried my freezers in the PU bed.

I have a commercial grinder that I bought at an auction when a butcher shop closed. I also have a sausage/brat stuffer. I usually take a big chopping block with me to work on. Bone all the meat, cut steaks/chops, jerky meat and burger meat. I use ziplok bags in the field. When I get home I repackage the steaks & chops with my vacuum packer. I thaw & grind the burger, make the sausage, etc all at home, then vacuum pack it all them. I smoke my brats before I freeze them and also make breakfast sausage. All my trimmings are pressure cooked, packaged, frozen and fed to my lab, great protein to supplement commercial dog food.

 

[Musket Man]

One nice thing about hunting by my self is once i fill my tag I can head for home. I just take a cooler and cool out my animal and put it in the cooler and throw a block or 2 of dry ice on it as as soon as I get to a town and its fine till I get home. If its fairly cold I dont even bother with the dry ice and if it its freezing at night it works pretty well to open the cooler at night and let it get cold and then close it in the morning. I bet if you kept an eye on ebay you could find some used processing equipment pretty reasonable

 

[buckbull]

Difference probably is that I always have carried my freezers in the PU bed.

I think your right. It doesn't take much for that trailer to bounce all over.