Bear Paw Meats, LLC

Bear Paw Meats, LLC operates at 760 9th Street E in Chinook, Blaine County, Montana. The plant holds federal establishment number M3354 and is listed with FSIS for both meat slaughter and meat processing. FSIS classifies it as a very small establishment, with a reported slaughter volume category of under 1,000 head per year. Species reported slaughtered under inspection are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. The establishment also reports custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are processed and the packages are marked Not for Sale, and it reports retail-exempt sales.

The company website describes Bear Paw Meats as part of a family group of businesses founded by Dexter and Karla Buck of Montana's Hi-Line, alongside Bear Paw Livestock and Bear Paw Farms. Bear Paw Meats was purchased in 2006, and a store in Havre at 1705 5th Ave was added in 2007. The same year, a farming partnership with son Travis and his wife Jenny was formed to grow corn, barley and alfalfa for the feedlot cattle, with additional roughage and grains purchased from Northern Montana producers. The website states that cattle in the feedlot are bought from producers across Northern Montana and markets the beef as Montana bred and Montana fed.

The website labels the operation as Federally Inspected and lists pages for beef ordering, lamb ordering, single cuts and meat prices, though the text of those pages was not available. A directory listing describes a large selection of retail cut beef, pork and lamb at the Chinook location. Details beyond what appears here, including current booking practices, fees and cut sheet options, are not yet on file.

The federal record shows Bear Paw Meats reports both federally inspected slaughter and custom-exempt slaughter, in which animals owned by the customer are returned in packages marked Not for Sale. Species reported slaughtered under inspection are cattle, hogs, and sheep and lamb. FSIS lists the plant as very small, with a slaughter volume category of under 1,000 head per year. The website describes the company buying feeder cattle from Northern Montana producers for its own feedlot. Booking procedures, lead times, minimums, kill fees and cut and wrap charges are not stated in the sources on file, so producers should call (406) 357-3119 to confirm whether custom work is being taken.

Bear Paw Meats, LLC reports custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, which means it can process an animal a customer already owns (a whole, half, or share bought before slaughter) and return it in packages marked Not for Sale. Most small farms have one or two plants they book with, and the plant's calendar decides the delivery date.

The website describes ordering beef by the quarter, half or whole as a way to fill a freezer, and points to a frequently asked questions page about the process. It also lists pages for lamb ordering and single cuts, though the content of those pages was not available. The Chinook plant is at 760 9th Street E, and the company operates a store at 1705 5th Ave in Havre that carries meats along with other Montana and national food items. Gift cards are mentioned. Prices, delivery, shipping and online checkout are not described in the sources on file.

If you are buying a half or quarter animal, the plant is where the animal is processed; the farm sells you the animal. Read how to buy a half cow for the sequence and the math.