Venison processing is a central part of deer harvesting, and area butchers are looking for new ways to keep the business afloat while the hunting tradition dwindles.

Gearhart Meat Shop in Hollidaysburg and Holland Brothers Meats and Catering in Duncansville are among the few remaining deer processors in Blair County.

Owner Thomas Gearhart said Gearhart Meat Shop is as busy as ever. Gearhart said that while the numbers of hunters are declining, the number of stores that offer deer processing is falling even faster, which keeps demand high.

“Our coolers are full,” Gearhart said.

According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s hunting license sales report, the number of sales has typically decreased each year since 2010. But the state saw a surge in hunting activity during the pandemic, even hitting a record-breaking white-tailed deer harvest in the 2020-21 season.

Last year’s harvests were down by 13% from the year before, and the number of hunting licenses sold also dropped.

Timing difficult

Gearhart estimates that the store is on track to process its usual 1,200 deer this season, and possibly even beat last year’s number. But he said many hunters are only hunting on the weekends this year, most likely due to a Monday through Friday work schedule, which makes it difficult for his shop and employees to keep up with the influx of deer.

“There’s this ‘no child left behind’ syndrome,” Gearhart said. “But they need to spread it out a little bit.”

In 2019, Gov. Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 147, introduced by state Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, which allows hunting on three designated Sundays each year. Previously, hunting was banned on all Sundays. This year, hunting was allowed on Nov. 13, 20 and 27.

Gearhart said most people are bringing in deer on Sundays, which puts pressure on his staff to work weekends or overtime close to the holidays. Gearhart Meat Shop limited its acceptance of deer on Sundays, according to its Facebook page. Gearhart said that he and other hunters want the old tradition of the Monday start of hunting back, even if not everyone can participate.

“Some people are just going to have to miss out,” Gearhart said.

Holland Brothers also still offers venison processing, which co-owner Mike Holland said has been fairly successful this year, but not as good as it once was.

“I don’t think it’s a down year,” Holland said. “The people that hunt are getting deer, but there are fewer hunters out there.”

As a hunter himself, Holland has heard fewer gunshots and seen less movement from deer while he is out in the woods.

Repeat customers

Holland Brothers attracts some of the same customers for venison processing each year, according to Holland, but the time of year of rifle season also adds to the difficulty of the service. Holland said some of the venison will soon have to be frozen and processed in January, as much of the staff will be taking time off for the holidays.

“It’s a good part of our business as far as profitability,” Holland said, “but it’s a juggling match.”

The owner said it is also a busy time of year for its catering and retail sales, so venison services often get placed on the back burner. These are now major aspects of the Holland Brothers’ operations, Holland said, and he is grateful to have a variety of revenue sources.

Holland advised other businesses that specialize in deer processing to also expand to other services to keep afloat. He said a lot of the equipment used for venison butchering can also be used for other meats services.

“It’s a dying trade,” Holland said. “When something falls off, you try to find another avenue to make it.”

Butchering own kills

More and more hunters are now taking it upon themselves to butcher their own deer, eliminating the need for third-party meat processors. The owner of Gearhart Meat Shop is looking to make the most of that trend. He said he is considering offering classes to local hunters on how to process their own deer.

Gearhart has been teaching his employees about bone structure and how to properly butcher the meat and said there is definitely a population looking for the learning experience.

“It worked out really well here,” Gearhart said. “That might be a good idea for the future.”

Also looking to the future of hunting is Randy Ferguson, executive director of Pennsylvania’s Hunters Sharing the Harvest program.

Since 1991, the nonprofit has been collecting deer donations from Pennsylvania hunters and donating the meat to processors, food banks and local organizations. Ferguson estimates about 4,700 deer were donated to the program last year with a goal of 100,000 pounds of venison donated each year.

“We’ve actually increased donations when the number of hunters in the field is down a little bit,” Ferguson said. “We’ve been able to increase our mission.”

Ferguson said that with some wildlife management units offering multiple deer tags and extending seasons, hunters are more likely than ever to donate their harvests to the program. The biggest hurdle for the program right now is finding processors who can accommodate the donations.

Hunters Sharing the Harvest works with about 100 meat processors around the commonwealth, but there are regional gaps, including Blair County. Ferguson, who has been involved with the nonprofit for over 20 years, said he has watched as many of the businesses close or move away from deer processing. He commented on the labor shortages and lack of interest processors like Gearhart and Holland Brothers are seeing.

“Like a lot of other small business and family businesses, they’re going through a generational change,” Ferguson said. “It certainly takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears.”

Ferguson said pressure has been added in recent years with the growing outbreaks of chronic wasting disease, a fatal disease that is rampant in wild deer populations in central Pennsylvania. Now, deer donated from affected areas must be quarantined until a head test can be proven CWD negative by the state, Ferguson said.

“That requires (processors) to have quite a bit of cold storage area,” Ferguson said. “So there are certainly challenges there.”

Mirror Staff Writer Linden Markley is at 814-946-7520.