Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire game processor in Houston

Anyone know any wild game processing places in Houston? I googled around, but came up empty handed. seems like everything is about 1h out or more. Don't have any game yet, but hopefully that will change soon.

Thanks!

We use a place in Dickenson. I'll ask my pard later, I forgot the name.

The guy makes great sausages.

Midway

Midway's stuff tastes good, but I won't use them because, unless they have changed, they weigh what you bring in then throw it in with everyone else's meat. What you get back isn't what you brought in. No thanks. Way overpriced too.

Cost is a relative issue, depending on where one is. I have found that services often cost more in a city than in rural areas, and meat processing is no exception. For example, a good furniture moving crew (legal workers, bonded and insured) in Atlanta, GA, costs at least 50% more than a good one in rural Arkansas does (recent experience, and I shopped around for movers in Atlanta).

Back to the question on meat processors in the Houston area.

I have two experiences with Midway (which is in Katy). First the bad. They lost a friend's hog (feral hog bagged hunting) for months. No kidding, literally months. We dropped it off in their night locker, and they confirmed they had it when he called the next day to follow up and tell them how he wanted it processed. Then he didn't hear from them for several weeks, and when he called to check on it, they told him they had lost it. A couple months (or more) later, they "found" it. As I recall, at that point he told them just to donate the meat to the hunters for the hungry program. Who knows what really happened to the hog he took in.

After that episode, I gave Midway the benefit of the doubt, took a mule deer in for processing in December 2010, and they did a great job. For the Houston area, I thought the cost was very reasonable for what I had them do - skin the deer (the weather was cold so I left the hide on and filled the deer with bags of ice and covered it with a tarp for the trip home) and cut the carcass into steaks, a roast, and grind the rest into burger without any beef fat (I don't use the burger to make hamburger patties so beef fat is an unnecessary cost and a waste for how I use the burger). Midway did a great job, and the meat is great. When I talked to the woman on the phone before I took my deer in she said they don't mix different people's meat (you can obviously call to check what they are doing now). If I still lived in Houston, I would use Midway again.

Pete's Fine Meats in the Galleria area (on Richmond, near Chimney Rock) is another option. Before I used Midway in Katy (which was on my way back home from that mule deer hunt), I had two deer processed by Pete's, and they did a good job. However, Pete's was definitely pricy.

On the cost issue, one has to figure in the cost of fuel and time to drive out of your way to go to a cheaper meat processor.

Good to hear they have stopped mixing everyone's deer together. I went in with a friend to drop his deer off years ago, they were weighing them in tubs, then dumping it all together in bigger tubs. They do make good sausage, but there are lots of better places near Houston. You may have to drive a little further, but you would probably pay for the gas with the savings at a smaller place. I use Janaks in Hallettsville, great sausage, cheap and very fast. Right at an hour from W. Houston.

Dozier's in Fulshear.

I process my own. It's not hard and after recouping the initial equipment costs (by offsetting meat locker costs) it's free.

I like to know just what is (and isn't) in my meat and this affords me some peace of mind. It's also fun for the family...they all get involved stuffing, stirring, vac-sealing, etc.

In any case I hope you have a great hunt and have need for a good processor.

Thanks for all the input!!! I'll start researching these places and making calls. I agree with the time and gas money issues, and that is why I wanted something more "local" for me. Katy is not that far away, so Midway might be an option.
I have an acquaintance who processes his own meat, but they have the equipment back at their ranch, so unless I get to hunt there I can't see how I'll do it myself (for now).
Hopefully I'll have pics to post if I bag anything.

Dozier's in Fulsher. Been using them for years. Hasbeen

If it is not too far, H&S Meat Market in Conroe is the best I've tried. Their sausage and jerky is excellent, and the summer sausage is my favorite.

I use Doreck's in Santa Fe. Have tried several down this way and one in Crosby, and I like the way their pkg'ing (wrapped steaks/hamburger and vacuum pack smoked sausage) and I love their smoked sausage w/ cheese and jalapenos in it!

I honestly could care less about the cost since it's already the most expensive meat in the world !