Pennsylvania hunters struggling to find deer processors

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — For hunters, it is a huge time of 12 months.

However an issue for them is looking for who will course of their deer. Indicators saying “full” have gotten a bit extra widespread for deer processors across the area.  

“There’s three on this space, and so they’re all nice. They’re all full, and so they’re working their butts off to get reopened up and settle for deer,” Dino Ciafre of Ciafre’s Deer Processing mentioned.  

Ciafre’s place is one among three within the Mars, Butler County space. By midday Sunday, he took in 200 deer and needed to cease taking any extra. Within the final two days, he is needed to flip down 200 different folks between calls and walk-ups.  

“There’s solely a lot cooler area. You may solely maintain so many deer,” Ciafre mentioned.  

As soon as a hunter makes a kill, the clock is ticking to get the deer processed.  

“There’s not a complete lot of processors on the market,” hunter Josh Watson mentioned.  

“I really feel unhealthy for them. I do not know what they’re doing with the deer,” Ciafre mentioned.  

What’s not serving to the trade is a few retailers have closed over time. In others instances, it is folks getting out of the enterprise and others not having the ability to discover assist.  

“The labor scarcity is a matter. It is arduous to seek out arduous employees and preserve them,” Watson mentioned.

“It is nothing however work, and it is arduous to discover a child who desires to work these days,” Ciafre mentioned.  

The following problem is there are extra alternatives to get a deer throughout rifle season. The season now begins on the weekend versus Monday, and there are alternatives to get antlerless deer. 

Over the following few days, processors will work days as much as 18 hours lengthy to get the deer meat collectively. 

“They’re filling up. Rifle season is all the time hectic in Pennsylvania,” Watson mentioned.  

If you cannot get to a deer processor, you possibly can take steps to verify it lasts till a spot opens up. Ciafre mentioned that you must area gown it properly, get it clear, put ice on it and let it dangle.