I've been taking my deer to Steve's in Brady for at least 13 years and up until last year was always pleased with the processing and quantity of meat. Last year I questioned the quantity, the processing was still good. This year I really question the quantity. Two axis doe, mature deer, good shots behind the front shoulder, no wasted meat and 38-40 lbs. of processed meat for two deer. Took one whitetail doe to Joshua's Deer Processing and got 50 lbs. off one deer. Burn me once shame one you, burn me twice shame on me. I've learned my lesson.

50lbs from one doe? You counting bones and all? Most meat I ever got off a Midwest Doe was about 25lbs of clean meat with no bones, fat or white grizzle.

I got 47# clean meat from the doe my son shot this year. I bone out all my deer meat. For all three we shot this year (doe, 10 point, and 9 point) got 163# (47, 64, 62) total.

A month or so ago I shot an Axis in the head. 130# live weight. 115# skinned and head off. 80# gutted. 51# pure meat.

That does seem pretty light for two axis does. Glad I enjoy processing my own.

I get a 140 to 160lbs of boneless meat from a 550lb live weight steer that is grass fed. A grain finished steer will produce about 40 to 44% pure meat Vs. it's live weight. Cows have more fat and their fat is edible Vs. venison. After trimming a white tail to get all the white off the meat, I am lucky to get 30% pure meat Vs. live weight. My average doe or 2/3 year old cull buck usually produces about 25lbs of pure meat with no white stuff and I get about 15 to 20lbs of scraps to grind for dog food (20lbs is if I bear down and cut everything off the bones/neck/ribs/etc). If I head or neck shoot the deer, I can add about 2 or 3lbs to my pure meat total.

Do a google search on expected meat vs live weights on cows and you will see that my numbers fall within the averages.

I have never killed or butchered an Axis, so I have no idea on how much meat to expect.

I hunt more Oklahoma deer but figure sizewise they are close. I process my own and take all I can off the animal including the heart and liver. I can get 60 lbs of meat and liver with a good shot that doesn.t hit a shoulder.

Sound's like someone had a cook out on you.

My FIL shot a doe on our place this year. I processed it. The deer was 97 lbs whole, dressed(gutted) 75 lbs.

The hit was a little far back so I didn't keep any of the flank or ribs, just the straps four quarters and tender loins. I got 20 lbs of meat and that isn't counting backstraps and 1 ham muscle out of each back leg. If we would have put it all in sausage and would have processed the flank and ribs it would have made 30 lbs of sausage/grinding meat.

Did you at least ask them about it? Were both deer boxed together or is it possible a box was missed? What did you have made?

Yes I asked if they overlooked a box in the freezer. No both deer were not boxed together. I suspect that with his thriving sausage business they were quite liberal (in their favor) with the de-boning process. I just had a standard process.

?

Yep, you got hosed. I process my own and I can get 35 lbs off of an average hill country doe. Sounds like you were shorted an entire animal. Might ask him how he would respond if he were asked by a judge under oath in a civil suit what the typical meat yield is for an average animal like an axis doe? He might come up with your missing box then.

sorry to hear that. We've been wondering about our own processor too, seems to be giving light returns.

Start doin it yourself

I hear a lot of people make claims about how much meat they got off of one deer, be it how little or a large amount. My first thought and usually question is "do you process it yourself or take it somewhere" and I usually have my answer. Also find a large majority of people think sausage is just venison and believe most meat markets add pork/fat/ something else to it.

Sausage made with just White Tail meat/fat will be almost inedible. It will go rancid in a month or two. About a minimum for me is 40% pork, however most times I will go to 50% pork for sausage.