Meet the Family

Introduction + History

When Steve began processing game in the mid 80’s, his entire staff was two to four employees. He remembers his son Ryan standing on a milk crate skinning a deer, his daughter Amy wrapping steaks with locker paper using an ink pad and rubber stamp to mark the type of product in the package, and his wife Karen coming to the shop each day after she completed work at her “regular” job to call customers and advise their orders were ready for pickup.

He knew every customer by their first name, remembered that they preferred steaks a little on the thick side or to make their Italian sausage a bit more spicy. He knew when their children shot their first deer or that one of them was up to 10 points in unit #201 for the dream elk hunt, and he sincerely misses that relationship with his customers.

Looking back on it now,

“I can say those were the good ol’ days.”

While we try to manage our game processing business, rest assured that my staff and I will continue to process your game with the same passion that Steve had over 30 years ago. (There are just a lot more of you now!)

Thanks to all of our loyal customers and welcome to any newbies! We greatly appreciate your patronage and look forward to many more years to come!

I am asked why we have such short receiving hours.

For example: If you have been here and seen us receive 200-400 antelope in four to five hours on opening weekend of antelope season, you must understand that it is my responsibility to properly clean, refrigerate, process, freeze, and return this meat to you in one week. If I extend my hours to receive more than I can properly handle, I am setting my business up for failure. We need to receive animals at a proper pace and know when we can’t handle any more. As the owner, I monitor the production at all times. I feel that Steve’s Meat Market is the premier wild game processing plant providing a good value & excellent product.

RECAPTURING THE PAST

Steve’s Meat Market underwent an extreme facade makeover which also included doubling the size of our production plant in 2005. The building in Olde Towne Arvada has been restored to its Historic splendor.

The building located at 5751 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. historically known as the “Evans and Black Livery Stable” was originally built in 1890. In 1931 the building’s use was changed to Blacksmithing and was known as “Arvada Blacksmithing Shop.” The building was home to Arvada Iron Works from 1946-48, Lincoln Cab Company in 1957, and Arvada Tire and Brake in 1962.

Restoration was based on a photograph discovered by Dennis Culligan with Culligan Construction who performed the renovation. The photograph was our building in 1913 when it was still a livery stable. The “new look” creates a presence of identity, a building with character that will continue to develop over time.

In 2005, Steve’s Meat Market was awarded Arvada’s “Business of the Year.” This award was based on significant renovation of a Historic Building Business Expansion, Investment and Personal Commitment to Historic Olde Towne Arvada and Community Spirit.

ORGANIZATIONS

Steve’s Meat Market is a member of and/or supports the following organizations:

NRA Lifetime Member
Colorado Bowhunter Association
Rocky Mounting Big Horn Society
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Rocky Mountain Mule Deer Foundation
Safari Club International
Arvada Food Bank
Colorado Association of Meat Processors
Arvada Elks Lodge #2278
Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Steve’s Trophies & Stories

Kodiak Bear – Taken May 17, 2008 by Steve. This Bear squared 9’11”, Skull measured 27 6/16″, Weighed approximately 900 lbs and currently stands 7’4″ tall. This Bear is displayed at Steve’s Meat Market. The outfitter was Raven Guide Service in Sitka, Alaska, owned by Scott McLeod. Taxidermy work was done by longtime friend, Karl Devrous.

This big bull elk was taken with a muzzleloader near Evergreen in 2004. He is just a dandy bull at 7×8. He grossed 375, had a net score of 356. My friend, Rick Gaccetta (owner of Best Bet Taxidermy), called him in for me.

This cinnamon-colored bear is one that I took in Colorado. I was hunting with good friends Bill and Mike Lancaster in Glenwood Canyon with a firearm.

This mountain lion was taken on my third attempt near Grape Creek which is west of Canyon City. I was hunting with guide, Mike Gillis of Megabucks Outfitters.

The mule deer seen here was taken near Morrison, Colorado, and is the best deer that I have harvested with a bow and arrow. He is 5×6, about 25-26 inches wide. I was hunting with a good friend, Bob Love.

The top right bull was taken many years ago while I was hunting with friends, Ernie and Paul Stewart, in Granby, Colorado. It was a gross score of 315. It brings back fond memories and reminds me of how tough it can be hunting public ground. It was a great experience.

The bull on the bottom left was a result of many years of putting in for preference points. It took 15 points to draw the public permit to hunt this elk. The bull is 7×8 and was taken on the Hill Ranch. Mike Lancaster was helping me (accompanied by my son, Ryan) locate this bull and it is many thanks to Mike that made this kill successful. Out of all the hunters that year on the Hill Ranch, this was the second best bull taken. He had a gross score of 378 and netted 373.

This buffalo is really nothing special. Buffalo, in general, are big and dumb and that’s why so many are killed. They are massive animals, a lot of fun to hunt. It was an exceptionally good buy as the rancher was liquidating his herd up in Wyoming.

This buck is a nice wide deer, about 28 inches wide, 5×5, taken down by Westcliff with friend Mike Coleman and an old school buddy, Michael Ballistreri. Definitely a lot of fun on this hunt. I snuck up on him from a mountain top, saw him down and took him right in his bed…he never knew what hit him.

The animal on the bottom is an Audad, a “poor man’s sheep”. I went down to Texas where they were free ranging. Quite a challenge and a lot of fun to hunt. They have great eye sight and have definitely adapted well to the environment down there. I was hunting with Nathan Tekell, (a fellow that I hunted with in Old Mexico a few times for whitetail deer) a real nice guy who really knows how to rattle up them bucks!

This antelope is the best buck I have taken. I was hunting with Les Olhauser down around Kim, Colorado, quite a few years ago. It is just about 1/8 inch under 16 and scored in the low 80’s but he was a lot of fun. I was on the hunt with my wife, Karen, son, Ryan, friend, Brad Parkhill and his wife, Jessie, and good ol’ “one-shot” Les who has about a million stories to share with everyone.

This wall is just a hodge-podge of some sheep, goat, bear, and antelope.

The top left is a Rocky Mountain big horn sheep. I was hunting with G&B Taxidermy owner, Gary Bohochek, down by Salida. He put in many years for sheep, could not draw one, and picked this area because he felt he would at least draw a license in there. There were 20 or 21 hunters that year and only two managed to take a sheep. It was Gary that helped me find this ram… he is a great guy and famous bow hunter.

Top middle is a stone sheep that came out of British Columbia many years ago, in the early 80’s, with an outfitter named Bobby Ball. It was an old traditional hunt, riding in on horses. It was booked through Atchinson and was my first guided hunt. On this trip I managed to take a goat (bottom right) which measured a little over 9 inches, a stone sheep, and a bear on the same hunt. I was extremely fortunate to have booked the trip many years ago and experience hunting the right way.

Top right is a dall sheep that came out of Bill Stevenson’s area (just north of Anchorage). I was hunting in the Wrangell Mountains and hunted quite a few days. Things didn’t work out but I was able to extend my hunt a couple of more days, was persistent about it, and spent the night below these dall sheep (with seven rams) in a little creek bed. While we were going to bed, we watched a grizzly bear digging up rodents and a herd of caribou on the far side of the hill. I had been in Alaska for about 19 days prior to taking this sheep. I was on Kodiak Island and took the deer in the right corner with a great group of old friends (Donnie Coxsey, Dave Young, and Jim Oldendorf). We were down on Kodiak Island hunting black-tail deer out of a USGS cabin. It was a fantastic hunt, caught a lot of fish, had a lot of fond memories. After that, we headed to Iliamna and went caribou hunting and that is where I took my first caribou using a gun. I finished up the hunt early, and booked a last-minute sheep hunt (due to a cancellation and good price) with Bill Stevenson. The bottom middle is a goat taken by myself on a hunt with my son, Ryan (who also took a billy that looked almost identical). It is a nice looking goat and was mounted by Rudy Meyers at Tanglewood Taxidermy. The goat was killed on Mt. Bierstat near Mt. Evans; a lot of years of trying to draw that permit, too.

On bottom left is another bear I took while hunting with Pat Lancaster.

This wall is just a hodge-podge of some sheep, goat, bear, and antelope.

On bottom left is another bear I took while hunting with Pat Lancaster.