I don't think it will happen, but maybe CWD will lead to their demise. There are at this point no regulations, but state agencies are strongly advising that deer be quartered and deboned prior to removing them from the property they were shot on.

C W D

Meh... the good processors like Shana will figure and deal with CWD regulations. The sorry one's like the guy who has a shed on the side of the highway will have to fold.

so y'all are thinking CWD will bury them not due to decreased business (which is what I thought the implication was) but due to increased regulation?

No, I don't think so. I just figured where that was going.

However, if you give me a choice between:

There are not enough deer left to process or regulations make it difficult for processors to remain profitable. I'll bet on the regulations.

No way that's happening. If you made it mandatory to debone the meat on the spot, that's a death certificate for game check.
Not gonna happen.

Look at other states that have the CWD issue, the processors and others have figured it out. Its not a real big problem. Besides, if you go crazy and die from a deer hunting related disease how is that really any different from the situation you are in now?

Well, that is what the electronic apps are for. You notch your tag as soon as you harvest. Then you telecheck or use the internet to "check" the game prior to processing or prior to leaving it. The check number has to be with the meat/antlers/whatever at all times. Even in the freezer. Not to mention then they have the exact location where the tag was used and the location that it was "checked." Alabama is just in the early stages of having to check game.

Alabama is one of the least internet connected places in the lower 48 that has always been the big problem with game check or anything that relies on the internet.

It is very limited in MO too. But that is what the "notching" is for (no network needed). Then you can't leave your game or process it until it is "checked." So, whether that means driving down the highway or finding the tallest ridge to use you got to send the Man the info. It really can be a pain in the you know what. Then, better have paper, zip-locs, and a sharpie cause you have to write down the confirmation #s on any part of the deer/turkey when it leaves your possession or you start to process it.

Fun times. But we used to have to drive a 1/2 hour each way to a check station. So, it beats that. Although, now during mandatory CWD testing I have to drive to a testing station anyway......and better have that electronic app or tag used correctly.

I enjoy Alabama's regulations or lack there of. But I have a feeling the good old days won't last forever.

Absolutely not. Good processors businesses grow every year. If CWD becomes a thing, processors will figure it out. It’s only matter of time where a CWD test kit it available

It’s my understanding the deboning and such is to transport across state lines. The processors may have to implement something where some of the deer has to be sent off but, doubt that will cripple their business. All the talk of CWD potentially harming humans might keep some folks from hunting though. Social media talk becomes facts to some, unfortunately.

Deboning is not a problem, in fact I killed an 8pt in Georgia and deboned him instead of quartering him and besides the shoulders, I found that it was actually easier than quartering

Maybe somebody read this field and stream article. https://www.fieldandstream.com/why-testing-for-cwd-is-one-biggest-obstacles-to-fighting-it/

"The days of hauling your buck back across the river to the processor are probably numbered—​and hunters who don’t know how to quarter a whitetail in the field will need to learn. But agencies must also realize that driving a Ziploc of lymph nodes 50 miles to the nearest check station is a hassle many hunters are going to skip."

90% of the ones brought to the processor have not been gutted.

That's one thing that make Shana's so unique now is she runs a business 12 months a year. She sells everything from pimento cheese to designer meats from pork, chicken and beef. You can get added to her weekly menu email to see her specials.

When I hunted in Pickens Co, used to drop deer off at Halls. Don’t recall seeing many that were gutted as they were brought in. Used to enjoy watching them get after it like samurai masters

If I can be at processor inside of an hour after shooting then I don’t process. It doesn’t affect the taste at all. I do however gut them when it’s really warm.

Shana is one of the nicest people I know. She runs a business with a no nonsense plan. If you follow her rules she will take care of you. On the other hand she will not put up with any BS. It's getting late in the season and patience is waning. I was there yesterday dropping off a deer. Her crew was like a machine. I guess someone crossed the line.