Pa Hunters Sharing the Harvest

If you can, please consider donating your deer or a portion of your deer to Hunters Sharing the Harvest .  It's a great program that fights hunger throughout the commonwealth.  No one should go hungry in America.

Warm Weather Venison Care

From the Pa Game Commission....

 

 

Improperly field-dressing a deer carcass and warm weather can impact the quality of venison quickly if a harvested deer isn't handled properly warns Dr. Walter Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian.

"After properly tagging their deer, hunters should wear latex gloves to remove the entrails," Dr. Cottrell said. "Great care should be taken to remove entrails without rupturing them, and hunters should drain excess blood remaining in the cavity. Do not wash out the deer in a creek. Wipe down the cavity with a dry cloth."

Once entrails are removed, the deer should be taken from the field and cooled down as soon as possible. In warm weather, the cool-down process begins when you field-dress the deer. To improve the cool-down process, consider skinning the deer and hang the carcass in the shade, refrigerating it or placing a bag of ice in the body cavity. Never place a deer carcass - with or without the hide on it - in direct sunlight.

If a hunter plans to process the deer by his or herself, the first step - after tagging and field-dressing the deer - is to remove the hide, which comes off easier if the front legs are cut off at the wrists, and the rear legs are removed just below the knee joint, with a saw. Use a knife to cut the hide from where each leg was sawed off at the wrist, back to the body trunk. Cutting the rear legs at the joint also makes it easier to hang a carcass on a gambrel or meat hooks. Hang the carcass by the large tendons on the back legs.

Next, the hide is pulled from the carcass, starting at the rear end and working downward toward the head. Peal it from the hind-quarters first, then cut the tailbone and pull it down to the shoulders. Work the hide over the shoulders and pull it away from the legs. Finally, pull the hide down the neck as close to the base of the skull as possible and cut the carcass free from the head with a clean saw. Remove the trachea.

The remaining hide-free carcass should be wiped off immediately. If you use water to clean the cavity or carcass, dry the meat immediately. Wet or damp meat spoils more quickly and is more prone to cultivate and nurture bacteria. Rinsing meat with water also can hasten the spread of bacteria. Any blood clotting and hair should be removed. It's also a good idea to remove large fatty deposits to improve the quality of your meat. It helps lessen that "game taste" some people dislike about venison.

Following these steps will prepare your carcass for hanging in a meat processor's refrigerator, or quartering and placing it in your refrigerator. If the air temperature is above 50 degrees, hunters should get their carcass refrigerated as soon as possible.

"Deer harvested in warm weather have a higher bacterial load, so it's important to dress the deer as soon as possible, transport it from the field and remove the hide, and refrigerate the carcass," Dr. Cottrell said. "Cooling the carcass will prevent bacterial growth."

Hunters who are interested in becoming more self-sufficient also can de-bone the carcass. The cuts are relatively simple and can be made while the deer is hanging or from a plastic sheet-covered table. Use a plastic fluorescent light cover for an inexpensive cutting board. They can be purchased at any home supplies store. First, remove the front shoulders with a filleting knife. This can be done without cutting a bone by cutting behind the shoulder-blade. Next, remove the meat from the shoulder with a filleting knife.

Hindquarters can be removed from the carcass next by using a saw. If you plan to have steaks or jerky made from them, don't make any cuts. Leave them intact.

Inside the body cavity, against the backbone, are the tenderloins, considered the best cut of meat on a deer. Use your hand, and a knife when necessary, to pull them free. Outside the cavity, along the backbone, are the loin muscles or back-straps, which also are outstanding cuts. Using a filleting knife, slide the blade along the spine to separate each back-strap and then finish each piece by cutting in along the top of the ribs and under the muscle to the first cut you've made.

The remainder of the carcass can be de-boned with a filleting knife. Try to trim fat from meat where you can and wipe off blood whenever it is encountered. De-boning can be done relatively quickly, but remember, every ounce of meat you remove increases your trimmings for sausage, bologna, meat sticks or other products. De-boned meat can be taken to a meat processor immediately, or frozen and taken later. Hindquarters may be frozen for processing later as jerky or dried venison. Steaks should be cut fresh.

"It's always a good idea to become self-sufficient as a hunter, because of the satisfaction you'll derive from processing a deer all by yourself and the extra care and quality control you'll provide," noted J. Carl Graybill Jr., Pennsylvania Game Commission Bureau of Information and Education director. "It also broadens your hunting experience and makes you more conscious of where you need to place the crosshairs when you shoot."

Hunters Sharing The Harvest

Hunters sharing the harvest

Hunters Sharing The Harvest,(HSH), is Pennsylvania’s charitable venison donation program for hunters who share their extra venison via a statewide network of participating butchers to Food Banks across Pennsylvania.

HSH participating butchers, who are paid for their services through monetary donations, coordinate the meat deliveries and work with local food banks. The food banks redistribute the venison to more than 4,000 local food assistance provider organizations such as food pantries, missions, homeless shelters, Salvation Army facilities and churches, as well as needy families.

There are 1.4 million families in the State of Pennsylvania in need of assistance.

HSH provides an excess of 750,000 meals annually to help feed the hungry.  Please share your harvest if you can, its a great program.

Meat Processors

HSH Meat Processors (PDF)

County	Business Name	Address	City	Telephone
Adams	Butcher Block Meat & Seafood	3055 Biglerville Road	Biglerville	717.677.7977
Allegheny	Kip’s Deer Processing	3 Saint John’s Drive	Carnegie	412.279.6527
Armstrong	Tom’s Deer Processing- Armstrong	278 Creek Road	Ford City	724.567.5053
Armstrong	Toy’s Deer Processing	1988 State Route 66	Ford City	724-763-7070
Armstrong	Gutherie Meats	168 Gutherie Road	Cowansville	724.526.5997
Beaver	Doug Peffers Deer Cutting	1685 State Route 65	Ellwood City	724.758.4976
Beaver	Blackhawk Specialty Foods	302 Blackhawk Road	Beaver Falls	724.843.7022
Bedford	Emerick’s Meats	1966 Hyndman Road	Hydman	814.842.6779
Bedford	Cessna’s Butcher Shop	3327 Main Road	Bedford	814.847.2749
Berks	Steve’s Custom Processing	131 Joanna Road	Morgantown	610.286.6274
Berks	Sadler’s Custom Butchering	241 Bordner Rd	Richland	717-933-8790
Berks	P&B Clams & Frozen Seafood	9418 Red Rd	Kempton	610-756-4147
Blair	Custom Deer Processing-Blair	131 Bailey Lane	Roaring Springs	814.793.4994
Blair	Fredericks Meats	1077 East Main Street	Roaring Springs	814.224.4812
Blair	Gearharts Meats & Country Store	RR2 Box 571	Hollidaysburg	814.693.1243
Bradford/NY	Mountain Man Taxidermy	265 Route 34	Waverly	607-565-2117
Bucks	Kasak Kuts Deer Processing	4591 Durham Road	Doylestown	267.767.8508
Bucks	Steve Kremp Deer Processing	1905 Bristol Road	Churchville	215.285.8088
Bucks	Bucks Haven Deer Processing	4911 Tollgate Road	Pt. Pleasant	215-297-5203
Bucks	Haring Brothers Meats, Inc.	5484 Haring Road	Doylestown	215.766.8330
Bucks	Bill’s Deer Processing	2150 Old Lincoln Highway	Langhorne	215.757.9798
Bucks	Ely Deer Processing	401 Woodhill Road	Newtown	215.860.0669
Butler	Ifft Turkey Farm	136 Pioneer Road	Evans City	724.538.5968
Butler	B&B Deer Processing	1202 Mars-Evans City Rd	Mars	724-816-1419
Butler	McKruit’s Custom Meat Cutting	1011 Bear Creek Road	Cabot	724.352.2988
Butler	Huff’s Custom Meats	650 Dick Road	Butler	724.789.9672
Butler	Bims Boloney	145 Morris Road	Petrolia	724.894.2569
Butler	TA Giger Deer Processing	121 Kyle Road	Valencia	724.898.2244
Butler	Wright’s Deer Processing	136 Wiley Road	Saxonburg	724.352.3376
Butler	Romes Meat & Deli	312 Bonniebrook Road	Butler	724.285.1236
Cambria	Ed Pudliner Deer Processing	Rear 173 Norton Road	Johnstown	814.539.5422
Cambria	Wm. Thomas Retail Meats	263 Scout Road	Hastings	814.342.1993
Cambria	Andy’s Deer Processing	15 Tank Road	St. Michael’s	814.495.4413
Centre	Gummo’s Deer Processing	500 Sawmill Road	Port Matilda	814.692.5207
Chester	Bozman Deer Processing	15 Worthington Dr	West Grove	610.945.8140
Chester	Hay’s Custom Butcher Shop	165 Leaman Road	Cochranville	610.932.0615

Chester	Countryside Butchering	269 Long Lane	Honey Brook	610.273.2629
Chester	Foresta’s Market	1098 West Bridge Street	Phoenixville	610.935.1777
Clearfield	Tocimak Deer Processing	771 Troy HawkRun Highway	Philipsburg	814.342.1476
Clearfield	Adler’s Market	1185 Philipsburg-Bigler Highway	Philipsburg	814.342.1993
Columbia	Gensemer Meat Co. LP	1172 Ridge Road	Bloomsburg	570.784.7227
Crawford	Bill’s Deer Processing	496 Main Street	Spartanburg	814.654.7741
Crawford	Hilltop Processing	4908 Fisher Road	Conneautville	814.587.2193
Cumberland	Diller’s Custom Deer Processing	6875 Wertzville Road	Enola	717.796.1776
Cumberland	Wenger Meats & Ice Co.	511 E Louther Street	Carlisle	717.249.8109
Dauphin	Sensenig Butchering	2491 Sand Beach Road	Grantville	717.469.2550
Delaware	The Smoke House	360 Lenni Road	Aston	610.558.3508
Elk	Palumbo’s Family Meats Inc.	111 Mountmorenci Road	Ridgeway	814.772.6328
Elk	The Smoke House	375 West theresa	St. Marys	814.781.3946
Erie	McDonald Meats, Inc.	10445 Ridge Road	Girard	814.774.3507
Erie	Scott’s Custom Deer Processing	212 S. Main Street	Albion	814-449-5335
Erie	Pacileo’s Great Lakes Deer Processing	8890 Wattsburg Road	Erie	814-825-3759
Fayette	Bennington’s Butcher Shop	3447 Country Club Road	Scottdale	724.570.2240
Franklin	Country Foods	6032 Buttermilk Road	Waynesboro	717.729.1521
Franklin	Stitely’s Meat Processing	3647 Haulman Road	Chambersburg	717.264.3341
Fulton	Strait’s Butcher Shop	304 Possum Hollow Road	Harrisonville	717.377.9223
Huntingdon	Brennemans Meat Market	211 S. 10th Street	Huntingdon	814.643.2751
Huntingdon	Clevenger’s Deer Processing	13737 Smith Valley Road	Mapleton Depot	814.542.2661
Indiana	Cunningham Meats	81 Cunningham Road	Indiana	724.465.8862
Lackawanna	Darling Meats L.L.C	Rt. 6 + 11, P.O. Box #1	La Plume	570.945.5716
Lancaster	Martin’s Custom Butchering	405 Reidenbach Road	New Holland	717.355.9601
Lancaster	Hess Meats Inc.	2635 Willow Street Pike	Willow Street	717.464.3374
Lancaster	Louis Martin Custom Butchering	741 Red Run Road	New Holland	717.355.9217
Lancaster	Fisher’s Butcher Shop	48 Furnace Road	Quarryville	717.786.7398
Lancaster	Noble Rd Butcher Shop	1553 Noble Rd	Kirkwood	717-529-9031
Lancaster	Smoker’s Custom Butchering	12 Old Leacock Road	Ronks	717-768-4635
Lancaster	Bair’s Deer Processing	308 Faith Avenue	Elizabethtown	717.361.9381
Lebanon	Sadler’s Custom Butchering	241 Bordner Road	Richland	717.933.8790
Lebanon	Twin Pines Custom Meats	400 Meckville Road	Myerstown	717.933.1142
Lebanon	Bur-Pak Family Foods Inc.	98 E. Rose Bud Road	Myerstown	717.933.5373
Lehigh	Lazarus Farm Market	3605 Rural Rd	Whitehall	610-799-3831
Lehigh	Hartman’s Butcher Shop	7291 Autumn Road	New Tripoli	610.298.8232
Luzerne	Country Butcher Shop	220 Oak Road	Drums	570.788.3044

Luzerne	Dave’s Custom Deer Processing	584 Cigarski Road	Shavertown	570.696.1546
Luzerne	Naugles Deer Processing	1522 State Route 29	Hunlock Creek	570.477.2229
Lycoming	Country Store Pennsdale	607 Village Road	Pennsdale	570.546.7675
Lycoming	Gibson’s Custom Butchering	6191 Beaver Lake Road	Hughesville	570.584.5713
Lycoming	Gross’s Custom Butchering	1060 Upper Powys Road	Cogan Station	570.323.2488
Mercer	Liszka Meats	727 Mercer Road	Greenville	724.588.4364
Mercer	Minor Acres Packing Co	641 Kilgore Road	Jackson Center	814.786.7852
Monroe	Martinell’s Deer Processing	RD#1 Box 365	Tannersville	570.629.3852
Montgomery	East Coast Outdoors Deer Processing	261 W. Broad Street	Telford	215.799.1900
Montgomery	Clemens Meat Market	2208 Old Arch Road	Norristown	610.275.7785
Northampton	Nello’s Specialty Meats	500 Schoeneck Avenue	Nazareth	610.759.0628
Northumberland	Mertz Meats	1177 Susquehanna Trail	Northumberland	570-473-7363
Perry	Seidel’s Custom Butchering	2933 Back Hollow Road	Blain	717.536.0033
Perry	Gill’s Deer Processing	2283 Middle Ridge Road	Newport	717-275-3421
Perry	Shaffer’s Custom Butchering	138 Dellville Road	Duncannon	717.834.4570
Philadelphia	W.B. Saul High School Meat Dept.	7100 Henry Avenue	Philadelphia	215.487.4474
Pike	Prime Time Meats	105 Wheatfield Drive	Milford	570.296.6064
Potter	Tom’s Deer Processing – Potter	64 Smith Lane	Galeton	814.435.1076
Schuylkill	U.E. Butcher Shop	1722 West End Ave.	Pottsville	570-294-2252
Schuylkill	Mease Meats, Inc.	68 Sawmill Road	Pine Grove	570.345.2586
Sullivan	To Donate Deer	219 Chaney Road	Dushore	570.928.9629
Susquehanna	Scavazzo’s Deer Processing	660 Valley Road	Montrose	570.553.2703
Tioga	Cherry Flats Processing	2893 Cherry Flats Road	Covington	570.659.5286
Tioga	Alexander’s Deer Processing	578 Hurley Hill Road	Morris	570-353-2360
Washington	Bobeck’s Deer Processing	139 Craig Road	Monongahela	724.258.2298
Washington	Jim Sutch & Sons Processing	80 Pike Run Drive	Daisytown	724.938.8851
Washington	Shuba’s Processing	1116 Allison Hollow Road	Washington	724.255.4861
Washington	Lenik Deer Processing	204 Railroad Street	Finleyville	724.348.7019
Wayne	Zarcone’s Custom Meat Cutting	145 Sugar Street	Honesdale	570.253.3960
Wayne	CS Custom Meat Processing	74 Cochection	Honesdale	570.224.6936
Westmoreland	Naser Foods	PO Box 335	Apollo	724.727.7503
Westmoreland	S & S Deer Processing, Inc.	327 Dunmire Road	Saltsburg	724.422.1503
Westmoreland	Golden’s Deer Processing	PO Box 562	Ligonier	724.238.4910
Westmoreland	Hoffer’s Ligonier Valley Packing	582 Darlington Road	Ligonier	724.238.7112
Westmoreland	Espey’s Meat Market	319 Espey Meat Market Lane	Scottdale	724.887.3226
Westmoreland	G. Karas Packing	606 Story Road	Export	724.468.5811
Westmoreland	Custom Deer Processing	131 Flowers Road	New Alexandria	724.668.8950

Wyoming	Wright’s Cut-Up	154 Dietz Mt. Rd.	Monroe Twp.	570.333.4616
York	Co’s Meats & Deer Processing	426 Valley Road	Etters	717.938.2845
York	BreezieView Deer Processing	1040 Valley View Road	York	717.324.0096
York	Windsor Meat Market	73 West First Avenue	Windsor	717.244.1998
York	Gary’s Meat Locker	236 Poplar Street	Hanover	717.633.6773