Hunters in Michigan have been donating more deer meat to a state program that supplies local food pantries.
Joe Presgrove, a specialist with the Hunters Feeding Michigan Program at the state Department of Natural Resources, said the program collected a record amount of donated venison from hunters in the last fiscal year, which ended in September.
The program pays processors to create ground meat from cleaned deer that was legally hunted in Michigan. Presgrove said last year the program provided 140,000 pounds of ground venison to Feeding America and the Food Bank Council of Michigan, which distribute the meat to food banks around the state.
Presgrove said the program’s goal is to eventually reach 300,000 pounds of meat per year.
“Protein right now at the food banks is a hot item,” Presgrove said. “So if we can help provide a good, clean protein through venison donations, we’ll do whatever we can to make that happen.”
With the regular firearm hunting season for deer underway now, the DNR has planned donation drives at locations throughout Michigan starting next weekend.
The drives are on:
- Friday, November 21, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Saturday, November 22, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Sunday, November 23, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
At:
- Buried Stone Farms – Escanaba.
- Clear Water Meats – Eau Claire.
- Deer Camp Coffee – Sterling Heights.
- Frank’s Great Outdoors – Linwood.
- Jay’s Sporting Goods – Clare.
- Jay’s Sporting Goods – Gaylord.
- Mac’s Rustic Sport Shop – Howard City.
And:
- Saturday, January 3, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Sunday, January 4, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
At Knutson’s Sporting Goods – Brooklyn.
Presgrove said the Hunters Feeding Michigan program reimburses processors primarily from financial donations. Deer must be legally hunted and field cleaned when donated.
Presgrove said processors reported a high number of donations during this year’s bow-hunting season.
“They’re getting a lot more donations,” Presgrove said. “And they’re getting a lot more calls about people interested in how they can donate deer. So it seems like the trend is still increasing.”
More information is available at the program website.
