Four Polk County outdoorsmen are launching a new service for hunters hoping to stock up their freezers this fall.
Polk Wild Game Processing will be opening at 2510 S. Florida Ave., the former home of Pelican’s SnoBalls, in early September. The storefront will serve as a custom deer-processing center, providing specialized venison cuts to hunters across Polk County.
“There’s a huge demand here in not just Lakeland but Polk County,” co-owner Brant Masters said.
Masters, 33, said he has been going out annually to hunt deer with Lakeland native Thomas DiCesare, 33, and Kyle Wise, 34, for most of their lives. He has been learning how from fifth-generation Polk native William Sullivan, 65, of Mulberry.
The four hunters were out at camp last season, Masters said, when one of them shot and killed a deer and didn’t have any place to take it for processing.
“There’s a very limited supply of processors,” DiCesare said. “In Georgia, there’s a lot more as you can generally find one within 15 to 20 minutes.”
There are two wild game processing centers in Polk County, Dicesare said, one in Frostproof and one in North Lakeland. The third nearest location is in Lithia.
The limited number of wild game processors in Polk and its outlying areas has created difficulty for the group.
“In certain parts of the season, they can stop accepting animals because they can’t keep up,” Wise said. “For the past couple years we actually did quite a few on our own at our house.”
Turning a deer or wild hog into steaks and sausage to fill a freezer can be a time-consuming process and can be difficult without the proper equipment, DiCesare said. Others might not have a hook and rig to hold the deer as it’s cleaned properly.
“It’s messy,” he said.
Hunters who attempt it at home in Lakeland might also find it difficult to legally dispose of the animal’s bones and carcass, Sullivan said.
Polk Wild Game hopes to offer its services to hunters starting with the upcoming deer season, which starts Sept. 13 for those using archery or crossbow south of State Road 60. The northern parts of Polk will see the season open Oct. 18.
Hunters will be able to drop off their deer or wild hogs, already cleaned and hide removed, and ideally quartered, to Polk Wild Game, Masters said. The business has hired a number of experienced wild game butchers who will help transform it into to a number of cuts and specialties selected from a menu.
Masters said hunters can ask for the animals to be simply processed, or can choose a number of specialties like seasoned sausage links or pre-made hamburgers, including bacon jalapeno cheddar and blue cheese flavors.
Another option will be to have the deer’s backstraps not just butterfly cut, but turned into pinwheels stuffed with jalapeno cream cheese or spinach and mozzerella.
‘We’re definitely trying to take it a step above,” DiCesare said. “It gets a lot more people excited to come in and get some really nice steaks to show off when they invite people over.”
Masters said he thinks the storefront has enough staff between butchers and the experienced hunters to make sure they won’t get backed up on orders.
The store will not be selling any meat to the public, Sullivan said, as the owners have not obtained the necessary licenses.
“That’s the next step up,” DiCesare said, indicating a possible future interest. “There’s a lot more hurdles to go through when you do retail sales.”
Polk Wild Game will be offering taxidermy services to those who might wish to preserve their hunt and have it mounted.
The store will have a retail section in the front half of the shop selling locally made outdoor goods including apparel from Lakeland-based Everyday Outdoors and Lakeland-based Low Rent Chronic Seasoning.
“We’re just four outdoorsmen who recognize the need and want to provide that service for the rest of Polk County,” Masters said. “There’s other options in town that do a great job, but we know other options are needed and want to provide them.”
The store’s exact hours have not yet been determined, but will be posted on its Facebook page closer to anticipated opening date in early September. Those interested can inquire by calling 863-225-3743.