So we have been really busy at work, and hunting season is fast approaching and truthfully I’ve been dreading it happening.
The butcher and I have been running full out for over a year, we have another full time guy helping us out and we are still just getting done.
The shop is out of room, we have to rearrange to get work done, which is wasteful and time consuming.
For about 3 weeks I’ve been going over in my mind if I was going to cut game this year, i mean we would jam it in, we are resourceful. I usually do about 160 deer, 90% of the guys have been customer for a decade or more and I didn’t want to let them down because they love the job we do.
Last night I was in my garage, I’m renovating it, insulating the ceiling, putting in a heater and so on, I’m looking at my workout equipment, and got a bit depressed. For 25 years my training has taken a back seat to work, every hunting season I watch all the muscle I build for the year melt off while I work 80+ hours a week. (Normally 8 am till 2 am 6 days a week, sometimes more).
Now that I’m a year from 50, I’m thinking, how much more time do I really have to get good gains before that’s over, should I process game again and wait till next year?
Honestly we do not need the money, cutting is low profit, on a $75 deer by the time I bring it in, talk a while with the hunter, cut it, call a couple times to get it picked up and so on, I’d bet it’s only $15 profit. Then we need to deal with an overflowing cooler and freezer, people not picking up for a couple weeks and so on.
Well this morning I looked at my butcher and asked him if he really wanted to cut deer this year (he’s a great worker, all about the shop) he said not really, I went up to my wife (who does the books) and asked her if she would mind if we didn’t cut this year and only took meat for sausage. She tells me that she is happy I decided not to cut, because they are already really busy up front and don’t have time to wrap really. She says, why don’t you just advertise meat packs to make up the difference.
So I made my decision, not lightly either, I honestly feel bad for the guys I’ve been processing for for a decade.
But the silver lining was when the wildlife officers walked in again to check to see what I had (last year they checked me weekly, eventually I told them if they didn’t leave me alone, I’d stop processing game and give the hunters their phone number), I told them I wasn’t cutting anymore, pointed towards the sign I made, and told them they could check my notice on Facebook. The poor guys almost looked defeated, then asked me who else was cutting. I’m thinking that’s your job, figure it out, lol.
So screw it, I decided that training was my priority this year, this year is for me. My butcher went out front and told my front end supervisor there was a god, we were not cutting this year.
I feel weird, the businessman in me is like, never miss an opportunity to make money, but the 49 year old in me is saying, you going to donate your whole life to work, lol.
Anyhow just wanted to get this off my chest.
The butcher and I have been running full out for over a year, we have another full time guy helping us out and we are still just getting done.
The shop is out of room, we have to rearrange to get work done, which is wasteful and time consuming.
For about 3 weeks I’ve been going over in my mind if I was going to cut game this year, i mean we would jam it in, we are resourceful. I usually do about 160 deer, 90% of the guys have been customer for a decade or more and I didn’t want to let them down because they love the job we do.
Last night I was in my garage, I’m renovating it, insulating the ceiling, putting in a heater and so on, I’m looking at my workout equipment, and got a bit depressed. For 25 years my training has taken a back seat to work, every hunting season I watch all the muscle I build for the year melt off while I work 80+ hours a week. (Normally 8 am till 2 am 6 days a week, sometimes more).
Now that I’m a year from 50, I’m thinking, how much more time do I really have to get good gains before that’s over, should I process game again and wait till next year?
Honestly we do not need the money, cutting is low profit, on a $75 deer by the time I bring it in, talk a while with the hunter, cut it, call a couple times to get it picked up and so on, I’d bet it’s only $15 profit. Then we need to deal with an overflowing cooler and freezer, people not picking up for a couple weeks and so on.
Well this morning I looked at my butcher and asked him if he really wanted to cut deer this year (he’s a great worker, all about the shop) he said not really, I went up to my wife (who does the books) and asked her if she would mind if we didn’t cut this year and only took meat for sausage. She tells me that she is happy I decided not to cut, because they are already really busy up front and don’t have time to wrap really. She says, why don’t you just advertise meat packs to make up the difference.
So I made my decision, not lightly either, I honestly feel bad for the guys I’ve been processing for for a decade.
But the silver lining was when the wildlife officers walked in again to check to see what I had (last year they checked me weekly, eventually I told them if they didn’t leave me alone, I’d stop processing game and give the hunters their phone number), I told them I wasn’t cutting anymore, pointed towards the sign I made, and told them they could check my notice on Facebook. The poor guys almost looked defeated, then asked me who else was cutting. I’m thinking that’s your job, figure it out, lol.
So screw it, I decided that training was my priority this year, this year is for me. My butcher went out front and told my front end supervisor there was a god, we were not cutting this year.
I feel weird, the businessman in me is like, never miss an opportunity to make money, but the 49 year old in me is saying, you going to donate your whole life to work, lol.
Anyhow just wanted to get this off my chest.
