Larry's Deer Processing in Avon

[Gator]

I have no affiliation with Larry's, but I do believe in recognizing a job well done. I took a deer into Larry on Wednesday evening. He cut out the tenderloins and packaged them for me on the spot. Within a day, the deer was done. Larry went to the trouble of packaging the meat, which I wanted chunked for Costanza sausage, into three separate bags according to the "desirability" of the cut. He said that if I didn't want to put all the meat into sausage to keep the third bag, because it contained the best cuts. He also butterflied the loins and packaged them separately. Finally, he saved the head, thinking that I might change my mind on a European mount (I was back and forth when I took the deer over wed nite). Sure enough, my wife convinced me it would look good, and Larry saved me by having the head whole when I got there. He was courteous and professional. I've used Larry's before during gun season, but it's so busy that it's hard for anyone to get really personal attention. The service that I experienced during this less busy time (he only had twelve deer hanging) was just fantastic.

[momay4000]

Gator,

We have been using Larry's for as long as I can remember - we have taken at least 100 deer to him and he has always been great. I just took him my buck this past Monday and he had it ready on Tuesday.

You're correct - during gun season it gets a little hectic - but Larry and his wife are still the best around.

- Chris

[Stinky Finger]

It can be hard to find a good processor who does a very good job consistently, even under pressure when things get really busy. I think that's the difference right there, someone who cares to maintain professional integrity for the sake of providing his customers with quality because he cares about his customers and wants to do a good job.

I am going to rant a bit, sorry.

I take a lot of ribbing because I pass up bucks and big does, I don't want them. The best venison comes from yearlings, they have done nothing but eat the best feed of the year since their momma dropped them and haven't been through a winter yet, prime. I'm not bashing buck hunting, just not my preference and I do try very hard to make sure I'm not looking at a button before I take the shot. A dead button will never be a twelve pointer and the other guys in camp ain't so pleased so I strive to pick out that trailing doe fawn. It helps the local herd management wise and in the long run means more racks for the other guys to shoot at which goes over pretty good in camp.

I don't care that I get only about 35 lbs of venison out of it, it is the best there is.

The last thing I want is a buck that has been running himself ragged, all pumped full of testosterone, not eating, not sleeping, chasing his girlfriends 24/7 fighting all the time, pissing down his legs, a nasty old billy goat. Anybody can tell and appreciate the difference in the venison.

So my gripe with some butchers has been, like others have said here things are best in archery season when he has less deer to do so you get better service, that once things get busy and now the guy has 30 deer to get done well of course the quality is going to dip a bit. Working a 16 hour day is tough on any job. What grates me is when I bring in one of my black lab size deer and what I get back is some tough old run of the mill crappola that some other guy shot and I know that's not my deer. Add a bunch of hair stuck all over it and that's just icing on the cake.

Here's a good one that got a lot of laughs from everybody at my expense- Was the morning after opening day one year of shotgun in the southern tier. We took eight deer to a place that does a lot of deer, hundreds every season. They have a platform scale and one by one everybody got their deer weighed. 220 lbs, 145 lbs, 160 lbs, etc etc. Mine was last. 74 pounds field dressed. The butcher looks at me and says "you want me to wrap that or are you going to eat it here".

Ya I know, har har, but that is exactly what I want so I'm happy and I know what I get back out of it, about 35 lbs every time. Well the last time I had someone else do my deer I got back a box that was a little heftier I thought, paid the man, tossed it in the truck and went home. It looked like it was a lot more than usual when I opened the box so I stood on the bathroom scale with the box and then without it, The difference was 55 lbs. The deer wasn't any bigger, usually about the very same size every year. Hair. Lots of hair all over the venison. Pissed me right off and most definitely not yearling venison.

I've done my own ever since which ain't hard because I don't get fancy with it, mostly stew chunks, wrap the neck roast and slice the hind quarters into steaks. The rest gets piled into a heap and that goes in a box to a guy who makes the best summer sausage on the planet. O.K. so I get like three of 'em out of it, so what.

The bottom line is if you have got a really good butcher treat him like royalty, take him fishing in the summer, show up and wash his truck now & then, marry your son off to his daughter, you get the picture. These guys are few & far between and worth their weight in gold.

[Gator]

I had a buddy like that growing up. He'd pass on a buck to take the small doe. I was lucky enough to get an occasional seat at his table