INDIANA — Some hunters hunt for recreation, while others mostly do it to put food on the table.
Some combine the two and give whatever food is left over to those in need.
Tens of thousands of pounds of deer meat are donated each year to the Sportsmen’s Benevolence Fund managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The strongest turnout for the program was in 2014, when more than 1,300 deer were donated and processed into more than 81,000 pounds of venison, the equivalent of nearly 327,000 meals. The deer harvest in Indiana this year is expected to be robust as well.
With COVID-19 increasing the levels of food scarcity across the nation, the program has become more vital this year than ever before.
To donate to the fund, hunters are asked to drop off field-dressed deer at a local participating processor, which process the meat into venison burgers to be distributed to community food banks.
Another program called Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry encourages farmers to donate livestock to help feed those in need.
Donated livestock will be ground and frozen by USDA-inspected meat processors.
Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry will pay the processing fees and distribute the meat to hunger relief agencies.
Farmers are encouraged to contact a financial adviser to determine the tax deductibility of donations.
For more information on Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, visit hoosiersfeedingthehungry.org.
For more information on the Sportsmen’s Benevolence Fund or to find a nearby processor, visit in.gov/dnr/lawenfor/3987.htm.
Below is the quantity of deer donated and processed through the fund in recent years:
2017: 705 deer donated, 35,759 pounds of venison, 122,059 meals provided
2016: 1,307 deer donated, 65,443 pounds of venison, 261,772 meals provided
2015: 1,311 deer donated, 67,339 pounds of venison, 269,356 meals provided
2014: 1,756 deer donated, 81,715 pounds of venison, 326,858 meals provided
2013: 1,411 deer donated, 67,473 pounds of venison, 269,892 meals provided
