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Old December 6, 2017, 10:07 AM   #1
Jevyod
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Formula for figuring live weight?

Is there a way to figure live weight based off of the meat you got from a deer? most deer around my place (central pa) we can figure 55 lbs of meat for an average deer, with a big one going 70+. what would be a good estimate of live weight on those?
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Old December 6, 2017, 01:41 PM   #2
T. O'Heir
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Go here.
http://askthemeatman.com/estimate_deer_weight.htm
55 pounds average sounds light to me though. Unless it's a doe. 34" isn't a lot of deer.
Here's what PA says.
http://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Wildl...ightChart.aspx
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Old December 6, 2017, 02:20 PM   #3
Jevyod
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Sorry I should have qualified! That was average doe weight. Buck tend to be more like 70-100 lbs meat.
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Old December 6, 2017, 02:24 PM   #4
Jevyod
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Thanks for the link...exactly what I was looking for!
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Old December 7, 2017, 07:36 AM   #5
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"what would be a good estimate of live weight on those?"

There are too many variables to even make a SWAG. Where was it shot, how much damage was there, how well does the butcher trim, and 1/2 dozen other factors.
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Old December 7, 2017, 08:09 AM   #6
wild willy
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I've weighted a lot over the years field dressed verus meat.To get the amount in those charts you have to get all the meat picked clean.I don't save a lot of the rib meat and I don't spend a lot of time on the neck over the years the ones I've weighted I get a little over 50%.I'd bet the 55lb of meat for an average for Pa is a lot closer than the 100lb.There are some big deer taken everywhere but a lot of deer don't weight near what people think.Thats why you always hear the stories about a butcher shop keeping people deer meat they don't have a clue what their deer weighted
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Old December 7, 2017, 04:39 PM   #7
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Ballpark figure from a number of years butchering my own:

Field dressed will be about 65 lbs per 100 lbs on the hoof.
Bone-in will give you 45 lbs of meat per 100 lbs on the hoof.
Deboned will yield about 35 lbs per 100 lbs on the hoof.

The bigger the animal, the higher the yield.
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Old December 8, 2017, 08:41 AM   #8
Jevyod
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I butcher my own deer because the butcher shop wastes too much. This one was shot right in the chest (facing me) and pulverized heart and lungs, and exited by the front of the ribs as i was in a tree. There was very little blood shot meat, maybe 2-3lbs. I tend to have more problems with what I think is drag marks, especially behind the shoulders. It looks like a "jellied blood" , and it was nowhere near the shot. Am thinking of one of those deer carts...
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Old December 8, 2017, 03:50 PM   #9
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Total guess here but id say less than 50% of the live weight of the animal is meat. Id say go with 35-40%

Of course I am not the best butcher out there
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Old December 8, 2017, 07:03 PM   #10
bamaranger
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numbers

Scorch's numbers look pretty good to me. A field dressed doe here might go 100-110 lbs. I do my own butchering, don't spend a lot of time on the neck or ribs, and I don't freeze any bones. I get about 35lbs of meat from such a deer.
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Old December 9, 2017, 06:13 AM   #11
shortwave
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Have always butchered my own as well and have always figured the deboned meat to be about 1/3 total body weight. That is if there's very little to no waste due to being shot up.
So, agree that on 100lb deer...about 30-35lb of deboned meat. On the higher side if ribs and neck are picked clean...lower side if not.
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Old December 10, 2017, 05:48 AM   #12
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The PGC chart is a good reference. My doe this year dressed at 97 pounds and i got 55 pounds of meat.
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