ELGIN — Bill Oldridge and his wife, Kaleen Smith, processed a pig as they exchanged banter across their new butcher shop. Since its Sept. 1 opening, their retail and custom butcher shop, BillyBob’s Butcher Shop, has been busy. In addition to processing ranch livestock, the duo has been processing game meat dropped off by local hunters.

“We’ve been slammed,” said Smith, looking up from wrapping meat in white paper.

To illustrate the point, Oldridge opened the cooler door and stepped inside. Behind carcasses of cattle and pigs were two rows of elk and deer carcasses.

“Our first customer was a hunter who brought us an elk, deer and bear,” Oldridge said. “And his wife brought a deer, too.”

The shop also has a retail store that sells beef, pork and natural free-range, hormone-free chickens. Oldridge and Smith also sell their own processed meats including pepperstick, beef jerky and summer sausage. The shop is taking holiday orders for turkey, ham and prime rib. Oldridge ages the beef for two weeks to make it tender. Retail orders can be as small as one steak.

“Billy will cut steaks to order: T-bone, prime rib,” Smith said. “You can call in the morning, and we’ll have it ready when you get here.”

See complete story in Wednesday’s Observer