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Meat Processors in Flathead County, Montana

Flathead County hunters know that getting an elk or a big mule deer out of the mountains is only half the job. With the local bear population, you need to get your meat out of the field and into a cooler quickly. Proper handling is the difference between high-quality steaks and meat that ends up as grind.

If you do not have the space or equipment to break down a carcass at home, local facilities are available to help. Glacier Processing Cooperative in Columbia Falls offers professional services to ensure your harvest is handled correctly. These processors can manage everything from basic butchering to specialty sausage making for your season’s haul.

4 meat processors in Flathead County

Serving Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish.

Using meat processors in Flathead County

A processor skins, quarters, ages, cuts and packages your animal, and can turn trim into sausage, snack sticks or jerky. Many shops post cut sheets in advance and cap how many animals they take per day during peak weeks.

What to ask before you commit

  • Are you accepting deer right now, and is there a daily cap?
  • Do I get my own animal back, or is trim pooled?
  • What is the base price and what do specialty products cost per pound?
  • Do you have after-hours drop-off, and does the animal need to be field dressed?
  • How long until pickup, and how is the meat packaged?

What it usually costs

Basic cut-and-wrap is often a flat fee per animal, with sausage, sticks and jerky charged per pound on top. Specialty products regularly cost more than the base processing itself.

Timing matters

Warm weather is the enemy. Field dress immediately, keep the carcass shaded and open to airflow, and get it to the processor the same day when temperatures are above the 40s.

Other services in Flathead County

Taxidermists (7)Bow Shops (5)

Meat Processors in nearby Montana counties

Beaverhead County (1)Big Horn County (1)Broadwater County (1)Cascade County (3)Chouteau County (1)Custer County (2)Dawson County (1)Deer Lodge County (1)Fergus County (3)Gallatin County (3)Garfield County (1)Glacier County (1)Granite County (1)Jefferson County (2)Lake County (2)Lewis and Clark County (1)Lincoln County (1)Madison County (2)McCone County (1)Meagher County (3)Mineral County (1)Missoula County (1)Park County (1)Pondera County (1)