Recently, Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Member Congressman Don Young (R-AK), along with CSC Members Congressmen Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA), introduced the Wild Game Donation Act of 2015 (H.R. 461), which would provide hunters with tax deductions for costs associated with donating game meat.
This bill aims to combat chronic hunger across the nation, with the donation of deer, moose, and other wild game meat of food-based charities. In addition to hunters receiving tax deductions for processing their hunted game, the game processors who participate in the program will of game donation will be given tax deductions as well.
H.R. 461 has also received widespread support from the hunting conservation community. “Every year, hunters across the U.S. take it upon themselves to donate more than 2.8 million pounds of venison to food banks and church kitchens. Yet, with nearly 400 million pounds of deer meat harvested annually, hunters have the ability to assume an even more central role in helping to solve this nation’s hunger problem. We believe that the Wild Game Donation Act will encourage more hunters and processors to donate their game to charity. CSF is proud to support this bipartisan piece of legislation,” said CSF President Jeff Crane.
“With the abundance of wildlife resources in my home state of Alaska, it’s truly disappointing to know people – especially children – still go hungry. From the pan-handle to the North Slope, more than 100,000 Alaskans don’t know where their next meal will come from. As a former teacher, I understand the impact hunger has on families and growing children. This legislation, which has received bipartisan support from organizations and groups across the country, is a small but critical step in the right direction to solve the greater issue of hunger. I look forward to passing this commonsense bill to provide an added incentive for hunters to donate their game and provide some of the tastiest protein in the world to our food-based charities,” said Rep. Young.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
