Ok this might sound pretty sad but here goes this will be the first year my biz has been open for deer season. My question is when do I remove the deer cape. Should I remove it right away and cut the neck high in the neck behind jaw line. Or should I just let the meat markets remove the capes. My only fear is of slippage if I wait for the meat markets to remove the capes. Then it all comes down to the deer tags do they need the tags to take it into the meat market since people put the tags on the bucks rack. I guess I just didnt want the meat markets pissed at me for having my customers bring them headless deer. Any help would be great Thanks.
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I'm not sure why you're asking us instead of the DNR folks in your home state, BUT as for me, I encourage (almost demand) that the hunter have the deer butchered by select few professionals that I trust and who'll send the cape back without 40 pounds of meat still inside. The only word that comes to mind is "expedite" when you're talking of caping. Don't be wasting any unnecessary time in any of the processes. That's just the way it is. I can't give you a specific "safe" time for any of this, just expedite it.
If your looking to run a good business, and $$$$'s are important to you, than the most important thing is to get these people in your door. Do not turn anyone away, or send them to a butcher first, because that will give them the opportunity for many things to change, like their mind. When a deer goes to a butcher first, you now lose control of your sale. Than there is a great possiblity that the cape may go bad in the time that it takes the butcher to do the deer, especially if the butcher does not have adequate freezer space. I have a wench, no pun intended, to hang my deer by the back leg tendons, than I cut a circle above the shoulder, and start caping out the deer, roll it down to the base of the head, and cut the neck off as low as you can by the ears so you can save the neck roast for the customer. The most important thing to remember in being courteous for the butcher is to make sure the back leg tendons stay intact, this way they can hang the deer. When I am done taking my cape, I than tie a garbage bag over the exposed part of the meat without the hide on, so it stays clean for the customer and butcher. That's it, the the game. Do not lose sales.
I believe the tag has to stay with the meat in NY State. I don't skin deer for customers unless I absolutely have to. I prefer them to skin there deer before bringing it to me. I then cape the head out and tag the horns and cape myself. I never give back any meat as I am not a butcher shop. There is a hole set of rules in handling meat and I don't want to be bothered with that. All you need is one yahoo claims he got sick from the neck meat you gave him back. Nope no way. Just my two cents. Jack F
The tag has to stay with the head/Antlers.
Sheesh, I just shake my head...
You dont have a wench to help you, unless you mean a unworthy female, I think you are using a WINCH.
As for tags, an easy rule of thumb, ALL deer parts must be tagged and identified. Cut off the head? Duplicate the tag for the carcass, and keep the original on the head. If you do this, you MUST leave proof of sex, that is, the plumbing, on the carcass. No balls, etc, no way of proving its a buck, comprende?
I talk to the true professional meat cutters in my area and let them know what our newest forms require for cape lengths, and also the replacement values on capes cut wrong. Then I offer to show them how to tube the legs and leave the whole hide attached. Most of them are sharp, and already know the way it goes. Some dont wanna be bothered. Those are the ones we refer to as butchers instead. They soon start receiving deer without heads, with exposed meat. After cleaning exposed meat, they soon skin them better. At $50 to cut one up, and $500 to mount one, which is the customer going to worry most about?