Deer hunting season opened on the final Saturday of November this year to mild weather, with the following Sunday open for hunting as well. The deer population is healthy this year, so the Pennsylvania game commission was issuing more antlerless licenses than usual, as well.

Those specific conditions led to what Bim Slater, owner of Bim's Boloney, called a perfect storm, which overwhelmed his meat processing business to the point where he had to briefly cut off orders.

“You had three big hunting days in a row,” Slater said. “Sunday night we ran out of room for a couple hours. We had to shut them off just for an evening.”

Slater's was not the only meat-processing business that was overwhelmed by orders this year. Dan McKruit, owner of McKruit's Meat Packing, also said he got more business than expected, with more orders in one short period than he normally gets in a whole season.

Jason Amory, information and education specialist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said the total number of hunting licenses issued this year is slightly lower than last year, but up over a five-year period.

Additionally, he said hunting opportunities have been plentiful so far this year, and the conditions have added to the crowds.

“This year we allowed people to have concurrent deer season, and people didn't have to wait to harvest antlerless,” Amory said. “They added some Sunday opportunities so they could hunt on select Sundays for three total days.

“That's going to result in more deer being harvested.”

While the meat processors don't want to complain about increased business, McKruit said staffing is an annual issue during the season.

“It's a seasonal job; it's hard to find help,” McKruit said. “We do a lot of cattle and a lot of hogs, and deer is like extra. So you have to add people on to do the deer for a month and you can really only get a few.”

McKruit said processing a deer takes four to five days on average, and Slater said it could take about a week at Bim's Boloney.

Additionally, both processors participate in Hunters Sharing the Harvest, and take donations of deer whose meat can go to local food pantries. Slater said this is another good problem to have.

“I get a lot of guys who donate a lot of deer,” Slater said. “There's a lot of people who I'm sure could use it this year.”

McKruit said his meat-packing company already received 30 deer donations this year. While he is happy to have so many customers, he said the high volume could cause people to get their meat processed elsewhere.

“It's very difficult because they don't keep,” McKruit said of deer that have yet to be processed. “For all processors it's going to be two, three, four days to a week or so. There are so many variables.”

According to Amory, the deer harvest was up about 12 percent last year, but 2020 was an “aberration” in terms of participation, so he doesn't have projections for 2021.

However, the conditions bode well for those hungry to hunt.

“There have been pretty good opportunities for hunters, and the deer population is great,” Amory said.

Slater said that after the initial rush of deer that needed to be processed, the rest of the season should be manageable for his staff.

“Right now we are caught back up and in pretty good shape,” Slater said. “But it has been a tough one.”