Processors from the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry butcher locator (40 participating butchers) and Yellow Pages meat-processing listings (page one of each town search); ODNR publishes no processor list. 28 custom processors whose listing never says deer or game carry an ask-first tag. Checked November 6, 2026.

Ohio deer processors statewide

67 deer processors carry their own coordinates. Left off the map for want of a street point: 5 listings.

Ohio processing rules, short form

Game check first

Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 14

Mandatory game check: deer by noon the day after harvest (11:30 p.m. on the last day of any season), turkey by 11:30 p.m. the same day.

Fill in the permit

Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 6

Fill in permit or app before moving the deer; game check by noon the next day.

Parts leaving the DSA

Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 10

High-risk parts may not be removed from a DSA unless delivered to a Division-certified processor or taxidermist within 24 hours.

Sampling days in the DSA

Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 10

All deer harvested in the DSA on October 10-11 and November 30-December 1, 2026 (first two days of the DSA early gun and statewide gun seasons) must be presented (head may be detached) at a staffed station or self-serve kiosk by noon the next day.

Testing outside the DSA

Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 11

Hunters outside the DSA can submit deer for a fee at the Ohio Department of Agriculture Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

Field to Food Bank

Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 15

Field to Food Bank: free deer donation at designated drop-offs during the early DSA gun, regular gun and bonus gun seasons (2025-26 inaugural year: 182 deer, about 36,400 servings).

Deer from other states

OAC 1501:31-19-03

Same parts rule for deer and other cervids from anywhere outside Ohio; out-of-state hunters may pass through if parts are not off-loaded.

Sources: Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 14; Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 6; Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 10; Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27, p. 15. Checked: last pass over the cited pages on November 6, 2026.

Quick answers on Ohio deer processors

How big is the Ohio roll of deer processors?

The directory carries 72, located in 51 counties; sources were reopened November 6, 2026.

Where are deer processors most concentrated in Ohio?

The busiest county is Darke County at 3, then Muskingum County at 3 and Trumbull County at 3.

What does the district split look like for deer processors?

Northeast Ohio leads with 21; Central Ohio has the fewest at 9.

Which outside lists name these deer processors?

Why does the map show fewer deer processors than the list?

Pins mark 67 street-matched entries. Unplaced: 5.

Are there counties with no deer processors at all?

Nothing turned up in 37 counties; widen the search a county or two.

Is there an official ODNR list of deer processors?

No. Of the 72 businesses here, 40 are butchers on the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry list and the rest come from Yellow Pages; 44 say deer or game in the listing and 28 are custom processors to call first.

Must a deer be checked before it goes to the processor?

Mandatory game check: deer by noon the day after harvest (11:30 p.m. on the last day of any season), turkey by 11:30 p.m. the same day.

Where can an Ohio hunter give away a deer?

Field to Food Bank: free deer donation at designated drop-offs during the early DSA gun, regular gun and bonus gun seasons (2025-26 inaugural year: 182 deer, about 36,400 servings). The 40 butchers tagged on this page also take deer donated through Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.

Other Ohio pages beside the deer processors

All Ohio services

Ohio by county

Pick a base town

Other photos on this page: NPS Photo (Public domain); Department of the Interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Conservation Training Center. 10/1997-8888 (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).

Deer Processors from Lake Erie to the Ohio River

Ohio deer processors sorted by Wildlife District

ODNR Wildlife District 1 (Central Ohio) (9)

Fairfield County (1)

Franklin County (1)

Knox County (2)

Licking County (2)

Logan County (1)

Morrow County (1)

Union County (1)

ODNR Wildlife District 2 (Northwest Ohio) (12)

Defiance County (1)

Erie County (1)

Fulton County (1)

Hardin County (2)

Huron County (2)

Paulding County (1)

Putnam County (1)

Seneca County (1)

Van Wert County (1)

Williams County (1)

ODNR Wildlife District 3 (Northeast Ohio) (21)

Ashland County (2)

Ashtabula County (2)

Carroll County (1)

Columbiana County (1)

Harrison County (1)

Holmes County (2)

Mahoning County (1)

Portage County (2)

Stark County (1)

Trumbull County (3)

Tuscarawas County (3)

Wayne County (2)

ODNR Wildlife District 4 (Southeast Ohio) (14)

Belmont County (1)

Coshocton County (1)

Gallia County (2)

Guernsey County (1)

Hocking County (1)

Jackson County (1)

Morgan County (1)

Muskingum County (3)

Noble County (1)

Washington County (2)

ODNR Wildlife District 5 (Southwest Ohio) (16)

Adams County (2)

Auglaize County (2)

Brown County (1)

Butler County (1)

Clark County (1)

Darke County (3)

Hamilton County (1)

Highland County (1)

Mercer County (1)

Miami County (1)

Shelby County (1)

Warren County (1)