# Processor Selling Venison



## Blueump (Aug 20, 2005)

My daughter took a deer she hit with her car to a processor and picked up the finished product last week. As she's paying the guy he asks if she wants to buy more.

Apparently this guy still has lots of venison left over from people that brought deer in last November and have never picked it up.

When asked by my daughter about this I thought that it may be something illegal. I know you aren't suppose to sell wild game...is this guy doing something illegal by selling off what others haven't picked up?


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## Huntinggirl (Aug 3, 2006)

It is my understanding that it is illegal, there is a small time butcher (actually a meat shop that does a few deer for locals) in Livingston County that recently got fined for that.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

If the scenario was like this, would it be legal? What if you were merely covering an unpaid bill for the unclaimed deer after the processor notified the person who dropped the deer off that it was ready several times, but never showed, or had money hardships & was unable to pay the bill? What if the person gives the OK to let someone else cover the bill and take the deer with his permission.
If the party declines to pick up their deer, then what would be the legal manner in which the buthcher would have to deal with the situation?
Just curious.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

We can come up with a lot of excuses but bottom line, illegal. Turn the guy in because in my scenerio the guy skimmed from paying customers; didn't give some hunter all the meat back that they were suppose to get and is selling venison illegally. Cover the bill or not one cannot sell venison no buts or ifs about it.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Somewhat related thread.
Deer processor accused of keeping some for himself
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2023777#post2023777


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## DANIEL MARK ZAPOLSKI (Sep 23, 2002)

time for the processor to GET PROCESSED BY A ***C.O.***:Modified_:woohoo1:


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## Wizard3686 (Aug 30, 2005)

So they cant sell vension???

What about the country smoke house and a few other butchers / processors that sell vension?


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

boehr said:


> We can come up with a lot of excuses but bottom line, illegal. Turn the guy in because in my scenerio the guy skimmed from paying customers; didn't give some hunter all the meat back that they were suppose to get and is selling venison illegally. Cover the bill or not one cannot sell venison no buts or ifs about it.


good call, I took a large doe in once and thought I got shorted, especially considering the 4" neck roast. That was the last deer I had done.


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

Wizard3686 said:


> So they cant sell vension???
> 
> What about the country smoke house and a few other butchers / processors that sell vension?


Get their venison from legit farms.


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## Blueump (Aug 20, 2005)

boehr said:


> We can come up with a lot of excuses but bottom line, illegal. Turn the guy in because in my scenerio the guy skimmed from paying customers; didn't give some hunter all the meat back that they were suppose to get and is selling venison illegally. Cover the bill or not one cannot sell venison no buts or ifs about it.


Thanks guys. I know I could always count on you for a legitmate answer! Guess who's gonna be "tattled" on!


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Wizard3686 said:


> So they cant sell vension???
> 
> What about the country smoke house and a few other butchers / processors that sell vension?


If its Michigan deer it can't be sold. If its deer from New Zeeland or from a few other places they have to have documentation but NEVER Michigan's Whitetail deer.


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## adjusted3 (Feb 3, 2003)

Ray,

What about the Deer and Elk farms in Bitely and Croton? The deer are penned. Did they not purchase those deer and elk from the state? I was under the impression that they do sell the culls.

Mark


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

adjusted3 said:


> What about the Deer and Elk farms in Bitely and Croton? The deer are penned. Did they not purchase those deer and elk from the state? I was under the impression that they do sell the culls.


Some of them raise excess deer just for the meat market.

They buy the deer that are trapped when the fence goes up. From then on those deer and offspring should belong to the farmer/rancher/game farm, shouldn't they??


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

adjusted3 said:


> Ray,
> 
> What about the Deer and Elk farms in Bitely and Croton? The deer are penned. Did they not purchase those deer and elk from the state? I was under the impression that they do sell the culls.
> 
> Mark


I'm talking about regular Michigan deer. The deer farms still have to have a paper trail and I doubt that a regular processor is butchering deer from the deer farms or purchasing it from New Zeeland just to sell.

If there is some question then thats why you turn them in and allow an investigation to find out where the deer are coming from.


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## TJO (Dec 30, 2004)

A friend of mine just put up a fenced in area to raise deer. All the wild (mich) deer have to be removed from that fenced in area before you can put in your paid for deer. They the state actually come out and inspect your area to make sure you have no native mich deer in there before you get a permit. He can sell those deer to anyone cause he has the paperwork to go with them. Pen rasied deer are just like cattle they must be tested for things like TB and other stuff in order to sell to the public.


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## duckhunter382 (Feb 13, 2005)

in high school i worked for a local butcher who processed deer, you would not believe the scum that would shoot a deer and drop it off just to leave it there. oh yeah they would pick up the antlers but leave the meat. I was just the clean up boy but i could only imagine how annoying it would be to have all that meat in a freezer using your electricity that you already cut up and not get paid for your work. however it is still illegal to sell it.


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

I believe it would be considered illegal if he sold it for more than the processing fee was originally. I don't think it should be illegal to sell it for the processing fee. This person has time, machinery (wear and tear) electricity, etc. invested into every deer he sells for processing and should be paid for it. To put it more into perspective, it would be like you working 40 hours and getting paid for 30. I know all of you would try to recoup the additional pay you worked for.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

You can't sell wild Michigan whitetail venison, it doesn't matter what excuse you want to use, first offense in a misdemeanor, second offense is a felony. Businesses get burned regardless what type of buisness they are in. That is part of the cost of doing buisness.


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