Venison Donation Program: Hunters Donating Deer to Food Shelves in Minnesota

About half a million Minnesotans will be going deer hunting this weekend for the season opener, and between them shoot 200,000 deer during the season. In recent years, hunting restrictions have been liberalized in parts of Minnesota to lower deer populations, but when hunters shoot more deer than they will consume, what can be done with the surplus carcasses?

Since 2007, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Department of Health has been running a program for hunters to donate deer carcasses to food shelves.

Participating meat processors take the carcasses, cut and wrap the meat which is then sent to a nearby food shelf to be distributed to needy families. Venison is considered to be a healthy source of protein, having a low fat and cholesterol content, and can be used in much the same way as beef - how about venison chilli?

Over 30 meat processors in Minnesota are participating in the program. To donate a deer, it must be a whole carcass, field dressed, with the hide intact. It must have been hunted legally and have a Minnesota DNR registration tag. There is no cost to the hunter - they have to sign a donation form, and then the venison can go to feed hungry families.

• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Deer Donation Page
• Registered Meat Processors for Venison Donation Program
• Guide to donating a hunter-harvested deer