Average cost of venison in todays market..

[stilllearning]

So, this is just a little tidbit of information that is actually "true" for some some people about the "$$ per lb. of venison".   I tell DH every year this is his last year joining the hunting club!   Sad thing is, it (club) is only about 2.5 miles down the road.  :-)

Hunting Club Fees:    $700.00 - $1500.00 depending on location

Gas for the season    $300.00 -  $ 400.00  (just guessing and depends on dog/still hunting)

Beer                         $300.00                  (being nice with this one)

Time Lost from work  $300.00+

Other possibles:

Dog expenses          $500.00+

Club Upkeep/corn     $200.00

What am I missing??

Another friend who loves hunting as much as DH does said that the average price of venison is $55.00 lbs.  :-)   I had to laugh, and though some might appreciate..

Just posted as a funny though.  :-)  We've hunted for 40ish years and as long as he can hold a gun, certain it will not change.

 

[linguica]

On the other hand ROAD KILL = 3.43 / gallon of gas. ( + possible body work)    Drive with purpose......

 

[stjoeguy1122]

Glad my hunting fee was so much less.

1 tank of gas, 30 gals around $3.39 a gal
2 Does on same day.
3 Winchester 7mm Mag Ballistic Tip bullets, yes I had to try for a 3rd at 350+ yards.
$125 processing fee at butcher in Hamburg IA.
Free delivery by son that was coming to visit.

Thinking it is still cheaper than beef at HyVee

 

[davidhef88]

It gets expensive but I wouldn't trade the good times of hunting with friends and family for anything. I have a logger looking at my property this week. Trying to put a little money in the bank to take care of maintenance and taxes for the next few years. That may also keep the wife from complaining about a place she has never seen. Lol

 

[BGKYSmoker]

When we lived in PA the local Giant mkt had farm raised venison for $8 pound

 

[mike johnson]

cheapest 1 I got was cost of 1 bullet and a drive of less than a 1/4 mile. I procesed it myself. Cost was maybe $0.05 a lb. The second deer ( I broke NO GAME LAWS ) cost me a 680 dollar fine for shooting it within city limits and the loss of my rifle for about 3 months. That little bugger cost about 20$ a lb. after processing myself. I enjoyed the first a lot better.

 

[shoneyboy]

  I’m usually so busy during hunting season with school, I don’t get the time to invest in hunting like I would like to.  I struck a deal with a few friends; I will make their sausage for them. They pay for all the materials and meat and I will grind/smoke their sausage for them, for my labor I get ½ of the finished product……It works out fairly well for both of us….They get a really good quality product and the assurance that it is only there deer meat and I get a little meat to add to the freezer……I usually get about 20- 30lbs a year……Plus I have a 1 buddy that just likes to pull the trigger, but doesn’t  like to eat deer, so he will come through ever once and a while too…..I have to buy him a case of beer or something else he likes to drink while hunting….. So it’s a pretty good situation for me.....

 

[farmnbum]

 One shot, no gas, and processed myself, pretty cheap.....this year (not counting previous years gear). A few years ago though spent ~$1K not counting the time off work for ~50lbs. I haven't done that again since. I enjoy the time with family and having some excellent meat to the table when I'm successful.
 

 

[roadkill cafe]

Shoneyboy, sounds like you make out like a bandit!! Nice arrangement.

 

[shoneyboy]

Shoneyboy, sounds like you make out like a bandit!! Nice arrangement.

 I made  about 5lbs of some bun length smoke sausages and brought them to work for the guys to sample…..I have a couple more guys that are saying that they want me to make them some sausage too, but I they haven’t come through yet…. It is a pretty good deal for both of us..... The couple guys that I have made sausage for usually cost them around $1.50 - $2.00lbs…….

 

[stilllearning]

Great idea there Shoneyboy, thanks!  We process our own as well, but are just learning how to "smoke" stuff.  Do you have a special recipe that you like to use for venison sausage, or do you just experiment?  I tried a packaged spice mix, which we used just for ground sausage, but we were not happy with the taste.  The meat is awesome and juicy, perfect texture (tested the fat ratio several times to get it right) but not much "flavor" to it. We will have to learn more about smoking sausage as well, for sure. 

Thanks for the idea, not bad, not bad at all! Sounds like fair trade to me as it takes a good deal of work and time to process and make sausage.

 

[ajbert]

This dollar per pound ratio is why I love to hunt elk over deer!  Though my costs are probably still way up there.

Thankfully, the wife LOVES elk over any other meat and has no problem with me taking off with the hopes of bringing one home.  Most years I'm successful as I always put in for a cow tag.

Antlers are only good for stirring the pot, BTW.  They don't cook up well at all!

 

[rstr hunter]

I just dropped off a couple this year to a friends for him to process and eat.  Just needed to thin the herd last year.  Looks like it's growing so likely will have to shoot some more this year.  Cheap for him and hopefully will reduce crop losses.  For the prices you guys are talking, you know prime rib is only $6-8/lb right?

 

[aeroforce100]

cheapest 1 I got was cost of 1 bullet and a drive of less than a 1/4 mile. I procesed it myself. Cost was maybe $0.05 a lb. The second deer ( I broke NO GAME LAWS ) cost me a 680 dollar fine for shooting it within city limits and the loss of my rifle for about 3 months. That little bugger cost about 20$ a lb. after processing myself. I enjoyed the first a lot better.

Sounds like it is time to move out of the city limits.