Deer Processing Near Me

You can find a deer processor in every state below. This directory lists 859 meat processing plants across 48 states, searchable by state and city. Many take wild game during the season — but not all do, so the questions further down are worth asking before you drive anywhere with a deer in the truck.

Booking matters more than distance. Processors fill their season slots fast once the general firearm season opens. Calling ahead of opening weekend is the single thing that most affects whether you get your deer handled locally.

How much venison will you get? Estimate before you book

Measure your deer’s chest girth just behind the front legs, or enter a weight you already know. The estimator below is built directly on the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s published deer weight chart, so the numbers are measured field data rather than a rule of thumb.

Venison yield estimator

Source: Pennsylvania Game Commission deer weight chart, compiled with the Penn State Department of Dairy and Animal Science. Figures are for white-tailed deer; “edible meat” means boneless venison. Individual animals and butchering styles vary, so treat the result as an estimate.

Questions worth asking before you drop off a deer

  • Do you take wild game at all, and this season? Plenty of plants on this list handle livestock only, and some that normally take deer stop once they are full.
  • Walk-in or appointment? This changes week to week once the rut starts.
  • How do you want it delivered — field dressed, hide on, whole? Getting this wrong is a common reason for a refused drop-off.
  • What is your turnaround right now? Ask during the season; the answer in November is rarely the one on the website.
  • Do I get my own animal back? Some operations batch process. Ask explicitly.
  • What is priced separately? Cut-and-wrap, sausage, summer sausage, jerky and smoking are usually separate line items.
  • Do you accept deer from a CWD management area? Chronic wasting disease rules differ by state and often by county or unit, and some processors will not take animals from affected areas or will require testing first. Your state wildlife agency publishes the current boundaries and testing requirements — check them for the specific unit you hunted before you travel.
  • Do you handle elk, moose or bear? Worth confirming if you are bringing in something larger than a whitetail; cooler space and equipment differ.

State guides

Three states have their own guide, each with the full processor list for that state, the yield estimator and the state wildlife agency to check for season and CWD rules:

Everywhere else, use the state directory below, or the wild game processing directory for elk, bear and hogs.

Find a processor by state

859 meat processing plants across 48 states. Counts are live from our directory. Call ahead to confirm the plant takes wild game this season.

Also useful: wild game processing for elk, bear and hogs; what a male deer is called if you are settling an argument about bucks and stags; and the full meat processor directory if you also run livestock.

Run a processing operation? Get listed free →