COGAN STATION -- With rifle deer season well underway, hunters are dropping off their bucks at a deer processing centers.
Hunters hunt them, and then they bring them to David Gross. He's a butcher.
"Been busy. We've been very steady. Last night we skinned a good number of deer and they're coming in steady already this morning," Gross said.
Now that deer season is well underway. The freezer is packed, and the team at Gross Custom Butchering in Cogan Station will be busy making bologna and jerky for the next few weeks.
"Try to get as much for the hunter to get back in his freezer," Gross said.
Wesley Moore of Trout Run brought his 8-point buck to the shop.
"I'm going to get steaks, some tenderloins, and some hamburger meat," Moore said. "It's my first buck, so I'm pretty happy about it. Hopefully more to come after this."
This hunter has no doubt his friends will help him finish off any leftover venison.
"Hoping to share that with the other guys and make some good meals," Moore added.
The owners of this family-run business tell us they like to use as much of the animals as they can. Of course, most of the hunters want the meat, but this butcher sells the hides that are used in products sold all over the world.
"Many times they make gloves. They also make women's shoes and pianos and many other things deer skins are used for," Gross said.
In some cases, Gross says hunters who bag more than one buck in a season don't want all the venison. That's where the "Hunters Sharing the Harvest" donation program comes in.
"Even when somebody doesn't need a deer, we can connect them with Hunters Sharing the Harvest, and they can donate it to a good cause if they are not using it themselves," Gross explained.
Rifle deer season ends December 9.