Hunters spend hours in the woods waiting for their shot at a deer. Before that, they spend hours sighting-in guns and surveying land for the best spots to hunt.

While hunters devote a lot of time to their craft, the people who process the deer meat do the same.

For the owners of meat processing shops, rifle deer hunting season, which begins Monday, marks the start of two weeks of constant work.

“Deer is definitely a big part of our business,” said Dan McKruit, the owner of McKruit Meat Packing in Cabot.

McKruit said processing deer meat can bring more challenges than other animals.

“They’re dirty, stinky and messy, and many times the hunter shot it three or four times,” he said.

While most processors work with venison during other parts of the year, most notably archery season, the main deer season always brings the biggest surge in business.

Many shops expect 100 to 200 deer on Monday with the first Saturday of the season bringing similar totals.

Dave Elluinger, the owner of Elluinger’s Meats in Zelienople, said he spends countless hours every day at his shop during deer hunting season, sometimes working from the early morning until late at night.

“It’s long hours for everybody,” he said. “It’s very trying because I take it very serious.”

McKruit said time drags on the deeper into the season.

“It’s fun the first couple of days,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement. But by the second week the days start to get pretty long.”

Many professional processors usually work in teams of a couple men per deer and can cut up a deer fairly quickly, typically within half-an-hour.

But the sheer number of deer brought in makes for seemingly endless work.

McKruit said he hires extra workers during this season to help with the process.

“We have three to four employees year round, but it balloons up to 12 for deer season.”

It may only take half an hour to cut up a deer, but it may take a couple days for a processor to get to it.

Large cooler rooms, capable of holding many deer, are used to make sure the meat stays good during that wait.

Elluinger said he tries to get all his deer cut up and into a freezer within about a week.

McKruit said to prepare for deer season processors need to anticipate the increase in supplies, ranging from freezer paper to plastic bags, that will be needed.

“There’s endless stuff needed,” he said.

While the two weeks of rifle season are the busiest times of the year, it’s not the only time deer processors are working hard.

Archery season, which began in September, is a warm up to rifle season, McKruit said.

Ronald Rome Sr., the owner of Rome’s Deer Processing in Herman, said he will get deer meat in the spring to process because many hunters like to have deer jerky or other specialized meats made to enjoy during fishing season.

Rome, McKruit and Elluinger all offer a variety of different cuts of meat beyond a typical steak, including multiple smoked sausages and jerky.

Rome said he spends a great deal of time making his smoked meats, which are popular among his customers.

“It tastes so good, it’s worth it,” he said.

Rome said if this year’s archery season is any indication, hunters are in for a good year.

“We’re already up 40 deer from last year,” he said. “There are deer out there for the hunters who want them.”

While deer processors will cut up the deer anyway the hunter likes, there is one thing the processors want the hunters to do before bringing the deer in for processing — to properly field dress the deer.

McKruit, Elluinger and Rome all agreed it is important for hunters to properly field dress the deer as soon as possible after it dies.

“The better you take care of a deer, the better I can do my job,” Elluinger said. “A bag of ice inside the cavity helps a lot, regardless of the temperature outside.”

Rome estimated only one out of every 25 deer he sees is properly field dressed.

”It’s hard to get that stuff out,” he said. “But getting the stomach out is the main thing.”

Rome said it was crucial for the stomach to be removed to prevent meat from going bad.

“It doesn’t take a long time to turn, and once it does, it leaves an odor you just can’t get rid of,” he said. “I won’t even cut it up at that point.”

While the grind of the processing season can wear on those in the business, there seems to be a collective joy from helping hunters.

Elluinger, who is in his 28th year of processing, said the relationship with the customers is rewarding.

“I have a third generation coming in now,” he said. “That’s the most appreciative part — the customers coming back happy.”

Elluinger also was excited to see his 17-year-old son, Jonathan, becoming more involved with the business.

“I remember he had a plastic knife when he was 4 years old and wanted to be like his dad,” he said. “Now he’s 17 and helping me out a lot. And he’s good at what he does.”

Elluinger noted that his wife, Michelle, and daughter, Kelly, also help out at the shop.

Rome can relate to Elluinger’s son because he also began cutting deer at a young age.

“I’ve been doing this for 54 years,” he said. “I started when I was 13. That’s a long time.”

Rome said he has met a lot of interesting people over the more than half-century of work.

“I think I’ve heard every hunting story out there,” he said. “And I’ve made a lot of good friends over the years.”