Why It Matters: Hunting is a primary tool in maintaining safer populations of wild game, such as the white-tailed deer. As some states have increased the number of deer a hunter can take, or the “bag limit”, it has become ever more important to provide outlets for that harvest. There are state and nonprofit programs which allow individuals to donate their legally tagged harvested deer to food donation centers when processed through select processing sites. These efforts see tens of thousands of pounds of processed venison donated to statewide food pantries each year.
Highlights:
- A nonprofit in Western/Central New York donates 76,000 pounds of venison annually.
- New Jersey’s Hunters Helping the Hungry donated 911 deer in the 2020/21 season which provided nearly 117,000 servings of lean meat.
- Hunters Sharing the Harvest (HSH) in Pennsylvania has distributed 2.5 million pounds of venison since 1991.
- Lack of funding and available processors is making these programs more difficult to sustain.
Programs like Hunters Sharing the Harvest (HSH), Hunters for the Hungry, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, and the Venison Donation Coalition are providing millions of servings of lean venison to food pantries and donation programs. These programs are performing a trifecta of allowing hunters to responsibly use venison they have harvested to not let surplus meat go to waste, support locals in need, and continue to identify sportsmen and women as leaders in conservation and support efforts in their communities.
States like New York offer donations at the time of purchasing hunting license to support state venison donation programs while other states rely on legislative budgets to reimburse those processors who partake in the program. Partners, like the National Rifle Association (NRA) have grant programs to help sustain venison donation efforts. Inflation is raising the cost of doing business for processors when they are reimbursed a set dollar amount per pound. This creates an unfortunate business choice for processors to focus on regular business where they can set their own price or hope the state’s reimbursement model covers costs for venison donations.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is working with non-profits, state wildlife agencies and legislators to maintain and enhance funding for these programs. New York, specifically, needs to address the issue of processors shutting down and losing in-state partners. As 2025 state budgets are working through the legislative process, states who directly fund these programs need to account for inflation and increased costs.
States have implemented larger quotas to sustain wildlife populations over the years, it is important for hunters to continue their invaluable efforts on maintaining these numbers. Venison and wild game donation programs are a healthy and ethical outlet to allow hunters to utilize surplus harvested game which also shore up public support for hunters and hunting.
Most state programs try to cover the cost of processing, but processors may not have room in their freezers during peak season and may request additional fees to help cover any shortfall.
Whether you take a deer with a vertical bow, crossbow, muzzleloader, shotgun or rifle, consider sharing your harvest with family, friends and those in need. Most Americans approve of hunting, particularly when educated on the benefits for conservation, wildlife management and healthy living. Continuing to educate non-hunters and legislators about the positive impacts venison harvest has is essential to protect our sport and receive continued support for wild game donation programs.
