I have always processed my own deer. Took one, one time to the processor to get sausage made and felt terrible about it. Not knocking folks who do go to processors it just doesn't align with my ethics about hunting. I've always thought I do a good job, just do it how I was taught by my grandfather as a young boy. However last year and this year I have been thinking I'm missing a bunch of meat. Just cut up around a 100 lb doe don't know the real weight, and only got around 20lbs of very clean lean meat. That was 1 shoulder, 2 hams, 2 backstraps, 2 tenderloin, and whatever little neck meat I could get. 1 shoulder got shot up. These are the normal cuts I get on all my deer, plus a heart if it's a head shot. I trim very well cause I don't have a heavy duty grinder and don't want it to get clogged with sinew. My questions are 1st am I missing any cuts I should be getting? Should I bite the bullet and buy a better grinder so I don't loose so much meat in scraps? And also what percent yield do y'all get on a deer?

Also do any of y'all do anything with the shank meat? I always figured way to much sinew to slow cook and way to much for me to grind.

I think I remember reading somewhere its 30% front waste that's the entrails head and skin. After that the avg iirc is 50% of the remaining so at 100# you get 70# then 35# from that on avg. If you consider the lost shoulder your probably closer to that number plus how far down the neck or legs you go makes a huge difference. I keep all the meat ribs get smoked the rest is roasts or ground. I don't have a super powered grinder got the Harbor freight one sharpen the blade it shreds everything. Shank gets ground.

20 pounds of really cleaned up on a 100 # doe, with one shoulder gone may be a little low, but probably not much.

I don't think you're too far off if at all. The guts and the hide probably weigh 40 lbs or more on a 100lb doe. By the time you clean all the connective tissue, the net yield really drops. Yes, a bigger grinder might help with this, but do you really want to keep that in your meat?

100ish lb doe should yield 30-35lbs of processed meat without removing all sinew.

This^^ From my experience, hide, guts, head and bones equals about 65-70% of the weight.

Last year I was curious how much yield I was getting so I weighed a deer before processing. A 158 lb eight point netted me 32lbs of meat. That was both shoulders, neck, back straps and hams. I trim very well before grinding. So 20 lbs on a 100 lb doe is pretty good.

I have always thought there is a lot of waste on a deer.

I'd start with this, if you don't have a good clean head shot, let her walk. Too much work not to max out on meat.

+1, this is typically what I get. I shot about a 100 lb doe during bow season, blended w/brisket, I got around 40lbs of burger. Was happy w/that.