Minnesota deer hunters donate 78,000 pounds of venison in 2007

[Gunco]

In the first year of a new venison donation program, Minnesota hunters donated 1,977 deer, creating the opportunity for 97 food shelves located throughout Minnesota to distribute 78,000 pounds of venison. "Overall, I think we had a very successful first year," said Lou Cornicelli, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) big game program coordinator. "Most of the deer donated came from areas with overly high deer population densities, and the venison from those deer was put to very good use."

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[sjohnson]

South Dakota Hunters donated 45,000 pounds of venison this last year.

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[555th]

I think that's great. I don't think Kentucky has a program like that. I always keep my kills, but I've seen deer carcases in the woods with just the antlers sawed off or the backstrap cut out. Maybe with an easily accessible program like the one you all mentioned, some people wouldn't waste the meat.

[sjohnson]

What a lot of hunters here do is to get their freezers full, then hunt for charity. After the first round of tag assignment, anyone who wants can buy from the leftovers. And there are a lot of leftovers.

We have tags that go unpurchased each year, so the state hunters aren't even maxing out the game fish and parks annual quota.

Last season, I could have bought a half dozen, any two antlerless deer tags with ease. The landowners want the does thinned down, so it's easy to find places to hunt.

[sniper69]

an older article - but Alabama does this every year too. Press Release
"As the 2006-07 deer season opens, hunters are encouraged to provide food to needy families by participating in Hunters Helping the Hungry. The Hunters Helping the Hungry program provides thousands of pounds of ground venison to area food banks. Food banks then donate the processed venison to help feed needy families. Since the program began in 1999, more than 319,000 pounds of ground venison has been donated to Alabama food banks statewide.

Hunters Helping the Hungry began as a joint effort of the Governor’s Office, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Alabama Conservation and Natural Resources Foundation, the National Rifle Association and the Phillip Morris Company. Today, the program is sustained by annual fundraiser quail hunts hosted by the Governor.

“Thanks to the generosity of hunters, the amount of donated venison increased from 8,000 pounds in 1999 to over 57,000 pounds last season. Donating food to the needy is just one of the many ways hunters contribute to our state,” said Gov. Bob Riley. “The number of hunters donating harvested animals increases each year but more food is needed. I encourage every deer hunter to donate at least one deer to Hunters Helping the Hungry this season.”

The combination of Alabama’s long hunting season, dense deer population and generous bag limit provides ample opportunity for hunters to put food on their own tables as well the tables of those less fortunate. There is no charge to the hunter for processing the deer. Forty-one processors throughout the state participate in the program and more are being added to the list each season."