BUFFALO PRICE

[DUMBDOG]

Just purchased a buffalo (bison) for the table. Price was $350.00. Hanging weight 400-500#. Of course at this price it is still on the hoof.

Have had extensive hunting experience, deer hunter for 30 years and couple of elk.

Debating doing this myself or taking it to a locker plant.

Has anyone had any experience with this, hanging time, etc.

Once it is in quarters, no problem.

Either way you look at it, cheap healthy meat. Cheaper than beef right now.

 

[patrickg]

DUMBDOG, I have never purchased such a large quantity of bison all at once. I usually get mine in the single digit pounds (or fractional pounds as in Buffalo burgers). I like bison myself, even the burgers, which as everyone knows (as with beef) is the meat that is too poor or tough to use for anything else. I find the burgers to be more strongly flavored than beef but not in a bad way and most generaly the "cuts" of meat would "pass" for beef with many folks. I'm thinking of raising some beeffalow (sp?)

Now to the buisness of answering the mail: If you are experienced with dressing and cutting up elk or other large animals and have the time and inclination to butcher it yourself then more power to you. I can do it too but prefer not to do so. In fact I don't know anyone currently who slaughters their own beef. I know folks who exclusively eat their own beef that they raise from new born but none of them go to the trouble to process it themselves anymore. It is a lot of work, much of which is not particularly fun but it would save quite a lot of $ or meat depending on if the processor would take bison for his efforts as some will do with beef.

For what it is worth, everyone I know personally who has raised/slaughtered a hog has done their LAST ONE. What with the killing, bleeding, scalding, scraping and on and on they just don't want to be bothered. If times weren't so good and folks were more interested in "old fashioned" food prep or didn't prefer everything to come in plastic wrappers from the supermarket I could probably get some community interest in community slaughters. I should think that, say, 5-6 families (at least 2 or more) slaughtering together would generate a considerable economy of scale. It isn't much more mess to do two or three than it is to do one and with extra hands to help it should be less of a chore. Besides some of us don't have freezer space for whole beef, even a small one so there is a locker to rent and so forth. Yet another advantage of slaughtering one animal for two or more families is the freezer space and the time it takes to use it up can run long.

Are you going to make a buffalo robe, a rug, or anything out of the hide?

Let us know how it turns out if you do it yourself.

Best of luck in your adventure.

Patrick

 

[Carl_NH]

David,

Growing up on the farm we used a butcher shop (unless circumstances dictated immediate attention, injured etc) since they are set up to handle the meat, cut, wrap and quick freeze it in the cuts we wanted. I suggest that if you haven't used a butcher to go there when he's cutting it up to make sure you get the cuts you want.

As for hanging time, typically 2-3 days is good, but for more aged meat I have heard a week or more, it depends on the animal as well personal preference. I would go by what they suggest as a rule.

Also, the price sounds really good - less than a $1 pound. What was the live weight? 650-700? Just curious as to the yield factor in bison since they are large boned.

Let us know how you make out.

Carl

 

[cowboydoc]

We do all of our own meat. I shoot it and then hang it and bleed it out for about an hour and then gut and skin it. I leave mine hang for about 10 days. I've got a meat saw and hamburger grinder so it's pretty easy for me to do.

 

[Ozarker]

I use to do some of that. When my father-in-law was still alive and on the farm in Iowa, we went up a couple of times a year to get meat. He had a well equipped butcher shed and we would buy half a pig and a quarter of beef. Then we spent a day cutting, wrapping and making hamburger.

He had a big meat cutting band saw that was great for cutting the steaks and chops.

 

[MDNick]

Who woulda thunk that I could turn this into a "Uses for an FEL" thread but.....

We always used to butcher one of our hogs (rather pay a shop to do it), as well as buy a whole beef from a friend, and a lamb (such a cute LITTLE box of lamb meat).

Well our butcher shop would show up, kill the hog, load it on his truck and immediately take to his place and gut it out, etc. We always let our hogs get upwards of 300#. Well I think Larry was drunk one day when he showed up with 2 buds. They shot the hog but then couldn't get it into the back of their truck. My brother mentioed, 'We have a loader". Ker thunk goes the hog in the truck. Beat the heck out of the meat hooks they were using. Dad was not home. I really don't think he would have been pleased. They had without a doubt been drinking, and then shooting a .22 in his barn. My brother and I thought it was /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif. Obviously we were young and /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif.

Nick

 

[heehaw]

i just sold a perfectly good cow that weighed a little over 1000 lbs, for $350. cattle prices have dropped around here.
sold a calf at the same time and got 90cents per pound, thats on the hoof..not sure how that would compare to the price you paid, but if it was available in this area, i'd give it a try for that price.
heehaw

 

[DUMBDOG]

Picked up the quarters on Friday. $35 to kill and chill, they kept the hide. Did not think the price was to bad for slaughter.

It is cut up, deboned, ground and in the freezer. Will have to watch the auction calender for a meat saw. Lot larger than deer or elk for steak and roast cutting.

Put some on the grill last night, great taste, requires slow cooking.