Cost breakdown for Venison

Here's a cost breakdown for the deer that my husband "bagged" this weekend:

• $15 -- License (he bought a "combo" license for $30 which allows him to get 2 deer, he'll get another so I figure $15)
• $3 or so -- The arrow and broadhead used to kill the deer .. both were bought after deer season last year on clearance, he did have the arrow "refletched" at a sportsman shop for $2 .. it was a clean kill so both can be used again
• $2 -- Supplies to package the meat for the freezer, bought on sale and with coupons of course!

So figure around $20 .. we, with help from his parents, (you really need help!) processed 15 lbs of ground meat, 7 packs of tenderloin steaks (1 meals worth per pack about a pound) and 13 packs (again 1 use per pack) of steaks, plus the true tenderloins and back strap we had for dinner on Saturday and the pound that was made into jerky. So about 35 lbs of lean, all natural meat for $20 or less than $.60 per pound! The cheapest that Ground Sirloin ever is in our area is $3/pound, natural beef is about $1 more .. so just the savings on the ground meat is over $36 .. and even that comparison isn't entirely fair since ground venison is much leaner than even ground sirloin .. in fact most directions for processing ground venison has you add some sort of fat, usually suet .. we don't however since we don't tend to actually make burgers out of the meat we don't find it necessary.