Hunters For The Hungry

[wrecksj]

I encourage you to look into the Hunters For The Hungry in your locality. In my state, your tag is renewed immediately after recording if your kill is donated. The deer goes to one of our local participating meat processors and on to the local food bank for those in need. Please consider those less fortunate than you, and continue your hunt.

[Pahoo]

We have this program in place and have to admit, that I do have some reservations about it's use. I will wait and see what others have to say. ..

Be Safe !!!

[Againstthewind]

I didn't see that we had one here. It seems like it could be a good idea. It sounds gross but from a reliable source, but in the old days before PC came to the wild west, roadkill was donated. The sheriff's department knew who the needy were, and there can be a lot of usable meat on roadkill if taken care of and gotten to quickly. Winter extends the time frame probably. I don't know a lot about that kindof stuff, it was kindof hush hush and probably not a department policy.

It would be a good idea for the antelope. I have heard that a lot of hunters don't really like the antelope and mule deer because of the sage taste and stuff, so donating might be good instead of getting freezer burned and tossed. Illegal, but I am sure it happens. Snooping around on craigslist and stuff people are asking for left over meat, and some outfitters will share, too. The tag has to go with the meat I think here.

[buck460XVR]

We have the program here, but do not get a free tag outta it. You donate the deer and the state pays for the processing. Unfortunately most deer donated are the ones shot to heck or so small that the hunter cannot justify the $100 cost for processing. Plus, there is a limit to how many each processor can take. Good intentions, but mostly used by those that like to hunt but don't like to eat what they shoot. Much of the reason they don't like the taste of venison is because they never learned or never cared about proper care after the shot. Hopefully those that benefit from the program are happy to get what they do. When CWD was first discovered here, the processors were overwhelmed with donated deer. Folks still wanted to shoot a deer but were afraid to eat it themselves. The intentions there were to get rid of a potentially dangerous carcass, not to help the needy.

[shortwave]

We have a program here in Ohio as well. I think the idea of the program is a good one but like Pahoo, I'm a bit skeptical as well.

Maybe I just need to research the program a bit further to get a better understanding of it before passing judgment.

Just a brief search found that Ohio hunters donated 58,500 lbs of venison in the 2013-14 season ranking Ohio 5th in the nation for the amount donated.

www.peakofohio.com/news/details.cfm?id=107037

That's a lot of venison.

[Panfisher]

Missouri has a "Share The Harvest" program, you don't get a new tag but tags are pretty easy to get in most places. On the radio this morning it was reported that 227,000 lbs of venison was donated through the program. I honestly don't know how they go about getting it to the right places, but I would think that anyone would be happy to have some meat, essentially treating it like lean ground beef, if they couldn't afford it. Lots of folks like to hunt, but either don't want to mess with a deer, or just don't want the meat, the program gives an easy way to donate the venison. I personally love venison and have plenty of friends who already pester me to give them some.

[Mobuck]

I/we used to donate to Share the Harvest here in MO. Last year, the local processor informed me I'd have to pay $25 to donate since the funds didn't pay his fees. I said "NO WAY". When it first began and the kids got some school credit for community involvement from the donations, I paid $5-10 for their benefit. I feel it's asking too much to demand the hunter use a tag(regardless of the cost), clean the carcass, haul it 20 miles(one way), and then PAY to give it away. I posted these concerns to the state but got zero response.
In 2012, I donated 3 archery deer because it was too warm to hang and cool it at home. This year, I just let them walk past w/o shooting. My family eats a lot of venison. We killed and processed 10-11 deer this year and donated nothing.
If the over funded bunny cops step up and provide tags, pay for processing, or hand out goodies(T-shirts, coffee cups, caps,-SOMETHING to make it seem appreciated), I'd be happy to help out.

[Doyle]

There are many of these donation programs across the country. Some are state run - others are private. The best one is called Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. They work a little different than most in that they solicit corporate donations like any other charity that pays butchers for the processing (meaning the person donating the deer pays nothing).

They also take advantage of the special depredation tags that farmers get in many states. Here is the link to that program: http://www.fhfh.org/Home.asp

[thallub]

My hog trapping/hunting partners and i have our very own "hunters for the hungry" program. Last year we gave away about 200 clean field dressed hogs.

Few times each year i have hogs processed and give the wrapped meat to the food bank.

[doofus47]

I might look into it. I tried to donate some deer meat locally and the charity said that they don't take wild game.
I need to plan ahead, b/c if I get another elk... It's probably going to crush my freezer.

[Bezoar]

ITs a sad fact that most people who get rid of an animal through feed the hungry programs do it for one or more of the following reasons

1. only hunt for horns
2. dont want to get fined for leaving a headless deer body in the woods
3. only hunt to feed the dog, yes ive known people who only hunt to get "cheaper' meat for the dog.
4. left the deer in the truck for 3 days in september..... hmmmmm tasty....

[globemaster3]

Almost every state I've been stationed in has had some version of this program.

The only state I tried to use it in was NJ. I was conducting deer depredation hunts during the summer on state-issued tags because they were causing problems on the runway and taxiways. The local butcher shops hired additional manpower for the hunting season and could not handle the volume out of season. We conducted our own, on-base, with young enlisted families in need by going through the first sergeants' council.

I have helped other hunters take their animals to supporting butcher shops in a couple states. In every case it was NOT because they did not like deer, but because they already had full freezers to begin with, but enjoyed hunting enough to use the program to combine community support and their hunting passion.

I've never witnessed the program from its community effects, however.

[Roaddog]

Some years ago MN.through out all the venison that was donated. They said it was contaminated from the lead bullets.You can be sure there will be no meat donatid from this camp.

[shortwave]

I guess the reason I have never checked into the deer donating programs is I just never shot any deer that was not already wanted. I did, for years shoot a deer every year for a needy family that I had met through coaching one of their boys.
I did not have to process the deer myself. Would take the field dressed deer to them and the mom would actually process the deer herself. Nothing went to waste. She was very thankful for the deer and the kids loved it also.

It did them good and knowing I was able to help them out a little, especially doing something like hunting which I enjoy...did me good as well.
A win...win for everyone.

So I can see how donating a deer can be a very good thing. And in todays economy, we probably wouldn't have to look very hard to find a deserving someone that has fallen on hard times. I guess were I to chose to start donating a deer every year again, my options would be either to donate to one of these programs and trust that my donated deer went to a deserving family and not going to a lazy bum that has chosen to make welfare a way of life and wouldn't work as a taster in a pie factory... or... find a deserving family myself and give the deer directly to them.