Packsaddle Meat Processing

Packsaddle Meat Processing A custom exempt butcher shop specializing in slaughter and butchering of cattle, hogs, lamb and exotic livestock. We do not process wild game.
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On this page we also provide education and entertainment related to butchering.

09/11/2026

The one time dropping hay or grain for the cows works to keep their attention RIGHT before slaughter: when they haven’t eaten in 24 hours.

They have had plenty of clean water.

As a custom exempt butcher we have a couple of options.

1. Don’t feed the cattle the day before slaughter. Emptier stomachs are nice for processing, and the cattle’s focus is entirely on the food during the kill. But is a grazing animal without food for 24 hours truly stress-free?

2. Let them have food and their usual routine as much as possible. The cattle’s focus is more on me before the kill and they tend to be more curious and nervous.

What form of stress would you say is harder on cattle? How come?

Which would you prefer for your cattle and why?

Let us know in the comments.

09/10/2026

If you’re a custom exempt butcher or plan to slaughter your own livestock, this is a tool we recommend.

It doesn’t need to be fancy, and it doesn’t have to be high-powered, but we recommend having a scope on one of the weapons you use for cattle.

The one time you can’t get close is the one time iron sights won’t cut it and you’ll need the magnification.

Usually it’s because the first shot went sideways and now the suffering cow won’t let you get within 50 feet.

You don’t need to use it all the time, but it’s a tool worth having to ensure the shot is quick and clean.

***e

09/09/2026

We were hired to process 2 steers for a customer we work with every year.

At the bottom of the driveway there’s a road that crosses in front of the property.

Behind the camera is more than 50 acres of gently sloped pasture and mature pine, cedar and fir trees.

Samantha takes her time circling around the steers, giving them plenty of room and minimal eye contact to keep them calm.

When the first steer goes down the second is startled and confused but does not run or make any attempt to jump the fence.

He circles away from the steer, stands and watches and waits. Samantha prevents him from coming down the hill, and Brian moves out of the way of the line of the shot.

This is one situation where a scope is helpful, and a larger caliber bullet is trusted over a smaller caliber.

Samantha could have made that shot with our open sight .243 but the added support of the 3-12x scope on the .270 ensured a clean and instantaneous death.

A standing shot without a rest requires calm, even breathing, a steady trigger finger and balance.

Knowing that bullet will either lead to an instant painless death, or cause excruciating suffering is sobering.

Use whatever tools at your disposal to make it clean. This setting is no time to show off or make a point.

Both steers were killed instantly and bled out less than 30 seconds after each shot.



Samantha circles around

09/08/2026

When our customers offer their equipment to help us load livestock we will always accept!

It’s always faster and cleaner using a customers tractor or skid steer than it is our winch, but we have it when we need it.

On this rainy day we had to take a minute and think about the safest way to get these steers from a muddy, rainy slope, into the bucket of a tractor.

On the slope it would have been too dangerous to scoop the steer. The weight of the tractor would have caused the tires to sink into the mud and caused it to tip.

Instead, we keep a tow strap on hand at all times to drag livestock to a safer location before loading when necessary.

This causes no harm to the meat. Cheeks and tongue were still intact, and the hide was nothing more than a little muddy.

A gentle drop into the trailer had no damage to the bones.

Never be afraid to receive help, just make sure you’re factoring in the safety of the customer and their equipment when they get involved!

If something doesn’t seem very safe - find another way.

09/07/2026

Sunday is our “no Work” day.

Of course, there’s Work and then there’s “work” that’s required to have fun. The second is absolutely allowed.

My husband brought out the chainsaw to clear trail on our property so we had a place to ride at home.

We don’t have an arena or even a round pen, but I’m going to make this space one full of trail challenges and trail conditioning for horses.

God created man to work, and He commanded us to rest.

A Sunday like this recharges us for a busy week ahead. What recharges you?

09/06/2026

Eggs from backyard chickens.

Sausage and bacon from a pig we fed, processed and butchered ourselves.

Forget powders and bars - give me the real stuff.

09/05/2026

As we enter into the fall season when things get REALLY busy, we just wanted to glance back and say, “thank you.”

Brian started Packsaddle the true North Idaho way: with grit, determination, creativity, and hard work.

In the last two years we’ve built it from the ground up and have made slow and steady improvements and progress that we’re proud of.

We’ve worked hard to earn your trust with transparency, honesty, integrity, and compassion.

For our faithful customers who keep coming back - THANK YOU.

For our new customers who are willing to take a chance on a newer business - THANK YOU.

For those who support us from a distance with prayer, encouragement, tips, and continual watching our content - THANK YOU.

We wouldn’t be where we are today without you.

09/05/2026

Enjoy the transition. Happy Fall.

09/03/2026

Life is what happens when you’re busy doing something else.

It’s the messy bits. It’s the in between, the middle, the boring sections, the mundane and routine, and the repeated actions you don’t think anything of until they’re gone.

It’s not the grand gestures, the pictures posted to social media, the platform or even the milestones.

I’m living the life I dreamed of when I was in my early twenties (for the most part) and it’s still so easy to slide into the space of dreaming of tomorrow.

Time with Jesus reminds me to be in the moment. Live today. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Practice righteousness, live the fruit of the spirit, abide in Him - TODAY.

It’s all we have.

There was a time I wanted to write books, teach, speak, and counsel. For a short while I was well on my way. I believed that when I had that platform and that influence, THEN I’d be set.

In His goodness God gave me what I needed instead.

Only in Christ do we find the peace, love, freedom and joy we’re striving after.

Having “enough” and being “enough” only comes from Him.

If you don’t know Him, let me introduce you to my Jesus. People often don’t represent Him well, myself included, but His Word represents Him perfectly.

No matter where you come from or what you’re doing, His arms are open and all the life He has to go with Him is for the receiving.

09/02/2026

I get a lot of challenging comments like: “How can you call yourself a Christian and kill animals?” Or “how can you say you follow Jesus and murder innocent sentient beings?”

Or just plain accusations: “murderer” “killer” “animal abuser” “sociopath”… and worse.

Putting this kind of content out there opens the door for that kind of feedback.

A year ago, comments like that would have really hurt and sent me running back to anonymity.

Understanding what it means to be a Christ follower, having a better understanding of God’s Word, continual prayer and study of His word, all of it has helped me step back and stand firm in the truth.

There are lost people who don’t know Jesus in my own community.

While some head to a mission field in Africa, others go to the local jail, some volunteer with their church youth group, I’ve found more people who don’t know Jesus right in my line of work.

So I get to love them like Jesus would.

I get to meet the people who may never step foot in a church or a home school co-op or even leave their house apart from groceries, and I get to show them Jesus in humility, service, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.

What God does in their hearts as a result is between them and Him. But I get to plant a seed.

I can’t help but share about Jesus. I love Him too much to keep quiet. But I don’t force feed Him to others.

What’s your “mission field?” The place where maybe no one would call it a mission field, or the place where you think you’re in limbo and waiting for the “real” assignment?

A heads up: right where you are is it.

Address

Athol, ID
83801

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+12088196051

Website

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