I do my own, I mostly cube everything except Tenderloins and Backstraps. We love cubed. I normally do 3 or 4 a year. Bought a hand cuber, Vacuum sealer.

The cube is my wife's favorite cut also, I need to get one so I can do more cubing.....

I just don’t have the time to do it all. I’d be interested but I can drop off after dressing and pay. It’s a how much is your time worth thing though no doubt processing your own would pull in more meat etc

We ain't all rich doctors.

If I were to do my own, I believe I would quarter it, put in a fridge for 7-10 days, then freeze it. Wait until after hunting season to process it. Now of course the tenderloins and backstraps won't go into the freezer. Pick a day or 2 and cube and grind whatever I wanted.

lol yeah yeah I’ve never had the money to get summer sausage but may just get some this year if I kill a deer. Love that stuff. Buddy made some logs and took em all day

Previously frozen meat doesn't grind that well. or cook up that well after grinding. I think it does something to the cell structure in the meat.

I would disagree here. I have frozen and then ground piles of deer into burger and have never noticed a difference at all.

I'd buy a really good grinder and you don't need a whole lot else. A good knife and steel, a big cutting board and a way to store it. I go simple. I keep the backstraps and tender loins for fry meat and grind the rest with 10% beef fat. With a good grinder, you don't have to be as picky about what goes in it. I just trim the fat and the heaviest sinew. Make sure to get the glands out, nasty stuff and bad bloodshot stuff. Grind through a fine plate into clean coolers and catch it on the 3rd grind into tubes. I cut the straps without taking off the silver to add another layer of protection. I just put them into zip lock freezer bags and squeeze all the air out. A good vacuum sealer is better but zip locks are better the the cheap vacuum sealer I have. When I thaw it, then I cut off the silver and slice it and pound it with a meat hammer.

For me it depends on the day and weather. If I get a deer on a Sunday, most likely the processor. Saturday with good weather the next day then I’ll do it. I don’t mind doing it, it just doesn’t always work out.

Quailman it don't take very long to process the ones you kill, they'll fit in a igloo 6 pack cooler.

I get my nephew to skin and debone. I finish the rest

Is it necessary to have a stuffer, most of the grinders I see have the stuffing part on them

It’s not necessary but the stuffing attachment on a grinder is slow and inconsistent for making sausage. It works ok if you’re grinding meat and putting them in those little tube packages. However I can grind the meat and use my little 5lb stuffer and stuff vacuum seal bags faster then I can with the stuffing attachment. When I do large quantities of ground meats, I’ll use my 25lb electric foot controlled stuffer. I can roll through it with this set up. But anyway no you do not need a stuffer if you have the stuffing attachment.

My plan was to start making my own sausage and snack sticks and what not. It sounds like I need a stuffer too. Thank you sir

It definitely makes the process a lot easier. Also there are lots of great stuffers on the market. Everything from a low cost hand crank to the high $ water or hydraulic stuffers. I have a 5lb LEM that’s mainly used for boudin, a 25lb F. Dick with the 2 speed gear set on it. This thing is a beast. My main stuffer is the 25lb electric stuffer mentioned above. I got this one because it allows me to do all my sausage making and still have both hands to work with. Also I can do it all by myself if I want. No need for a 2nd person turning the handle. We’re not commercial but I’d bet we make more sausage at my house then some local companies around home. 👍👍

Meat mixers are nice for sausage recipes

I have a 40 lb mixer and next to my big grinder, this is one of the best investments I’ve made for mixing seasing.

I do most of my own elk if I get free reign of my buddies meat cutting shop and grinder. I do all of my deer either way.

It’s just big a hassle getting deer to processor. We build a small walk in cooler and do it all here at our place.