Editor's note: Some of the video may be upsetting to some viewers.
POCONO TOWNSHIP -- Archery season began statewide on Saturday and already butchers at Martinell's Deer Processing near Tannersville have received more than a dozen deer to be processed.
Lucky hunters aren't the only reason for the rush to the butcher shop; warm weather is also a big factor.
"We do have plenty of cooler space, so we can get them in and cooled down. In this temperature you want to get them in someplace cooler and especially out of direct sunlight," said Dan Martinell, Martinell's Deer Processing.
Butchers here tell Newswatch 16, if you can't get your deer processed right away, there are a couple things you can do to preserve the meat.
"Make sure you field dress it properly. Number two, it's not a bad idea to put a bag of ice inside of it and then hang it by the neck, that will let anything inside of it drain out," said Martinell.
Because it's been so warm, butchers here are offering after-hour deer drop-offs. All you have to do is fill out a form, tag your deer, call a number, and the butchers will take care of the rest.
Dan Turansky, who also happens to be my Newswatch 16 photographer, finally got his first doe. Because it's too warm at his campsite, he drove it back to Pocono Township to be processed before heading back out into the woods.
"We hung it up so it can cool off overnight and then I bought a bag of ice, jammed the cavity with ice to try and keep it cool so the meat will still stay fresh and first thing in the morning, I brought it down here," said Dan Turansky, Newswatch 16 photographer and hunter.
Butchers here say business will ramp up more in the coming weeks.
Archery season runs through November 11 and starts up again in some parts of the state at the end of December.