My step dad and his friend had opened up a deer processing business in our pull barn last year. During gun season we averaged 20 deer a day. We offer the cheapest price around and also we are one of the few places where you get your own meat back. It’s a dirty and stinky job but someone has to do it.
I didn't do much work around their last year, but this year I just learned how to skin the deer. It is fairly easy to do, but the knives are sharp so watch out. They say every year someone gets cut pretty bad and I have a knack for getting hurt during the work day. At my last job doing fencing I got more injuries in the first month then my boss said he’s gotten in the last 10 years.
I get paid 5 bucks a deer, which I think should be more but I average a deer per 30 minutes so I guess it’s not bad. Pretty soon when gun season starts up I should be a little faster, hopefully because we think that were going to get way more this year than last year. We also sell jerky and sausage sticks with pepper jack and jalapeño. They taste really good but in my opinion get old pretty quick.
The physical requirements for this job are not as bad as my last jobs, but you’re still going to be sore by the end of the day. It involves carrying 150 plus lb. deer and ripping the skin separate from the body after the right cuts have been made. The biggest deer we got in so far is a 10 point buck and weighed 180 lbs.
Also another responsibility I have is bringing the deer in and tagging them when no one else is there, which is often because they have other jobs also. The only things tagging involves is giving the deer and number for organization reasons, and then gathering the information onto sheets we have. The information includes what they want back from the deer like skull caps, the head and if they wanted it mounted. We also ask how they want their deer cut and what parts of the body they want like back straps whole, chops, steaks, neck roast and burger.
If anyone would like a business card please feel free to ask me during class, i usually carry some in my wallet.
