Wisconsin-based PS Seasoning is adding two purpose-built wild game seasonings to its Deer Camp Harvest Collection: Tagged Out Backstrap Blend ($8.99), formulated for venison, elk, antelope, and wild hog, and Flocked and Loaded Wild Fowl Rub ($8.99), developed for waterfowl and upland birds. Both launched October 20 and are available direct and through select retail partners. The move extends a portfolio that already supplies meat markets, butcher shops, and meat processors — channels where wild game processing is a meaningful revenue line each fall.
The Market Opportunity
The addressable volume here is substantial. The National Deer Association's 2026 Deer Report puts whitetail harvest at more than 6.1 million animals in the 2024–25 season, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracked more than 14.9 million ducks and 3.6 million geese taken in the 2025–26 waterfowl season. That volume moves through a network of independent meat processors and butcher shops that depend on reliable seasoning suppliers — exactly the trade channel PS Seasoning has served since 1977. For operators in that channel, a vetted wild game line from an existing bulk supplier reduces the friction of sourcing specialty blends from unfamiliar vendors.
Product and Portfolio Logic
The formulation rationale is straightforward. Tagged Out layers garlic, onion, black pepper, red and green bell peppers, tomato, and Worcestershire into a savory crust built for lean cuts like backstrap and tenderloin — proteins that cook faster and drier than commodity beef. Flocked and Loaded pairs orange peel, brown sugar, paprika, and ginger to complement the darker, richer fat profile of duck and goose. "When the seasoning is built for the meat, it brings out the flavor hunters worked hard for instead of covering it up," said Jed Hanson, Executive Chef at PS Seasoning. Neither product is a repurposed beef or poultry rub, which has historically been the default at retail and in many processor supply lines.
With these additions, the Deer Camp Harvest Collection exceeds 70 products, spanning snack stick and sausage seasonings, jerky kits, casings, cures, high-temperature cheeses, and equipment. PS Seasoning's parent company, Dervati, also operates Pro Smoker, giving the brand a combined flavor-and-equipment angle relevant to processors outfitting commercial or semi-commercial smoking operations. The Deer Camp Set ($30.99) bundles a Venison Jerky Kit, Wild Game Seasoning, Ten-Point Venison Chili Mix, and Big Buck Bloody Mix — a logical bundle for retail display during hunting season.
What Operators Should Note
For butcher shops and meat markets that process hunter-harvested game, this is a supplier story as much as a product story. PS Seasoning produces over 80 million pounds of seasoning annually and offers private label partnership services through Dervati, which expands the relevance beyond retail SKUs into custom formulation territory. The company also provides free Field to Table processing guides and a Meat Block Calculator for exact seasoning, cure, and water ratios by raw meat weight — tools that reduce labor and training burden for counter staff handling variable harvest volumes.
Operators evaluating fall and winter seasoning assortments for wild game processing should benchmark these SKUs against their current supplier's wild game offerings. The $8.99 price point sits within mainstream specialty seasoning range and carries margin headroom for retail markup. Distribution is currently direct-to-consumer and select retail; a store locator is available at psseasoning.com.
For broader context on ingredient and flavor trends shaping the specialty meat category, see our coverage in Operator Intelligence and procurement considerations in the Marketplace section.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
