Missouri hunters gear up to help the needy again

Venison donations channel hundreds of tons of lean red meat to charitable groups through the Share the Harvest Program.

JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri's deer hunting season began Sept. 15 with the opening of archery season, and food banks around the state already are receiving a trickle of venison contributions. In a matter of weeks, that trickle will swell to a flood, until shelves are piled with tons of lean ground venison. The Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) reminds hunters that their generosity makes the difference between hunger and abundance for thousands of families.

The CFM, Missouri's largest citizen conservation group, administers Share the Harvest, a charitable venison donation program that channeled 130 tons of venison into community-based food banks last year.

"The state's deer harvest was down last year, but hunters still stepped up to the plate and hit a home run," said CFM Executive Director Dave Murphy. "The harvest was down by more than 8 percent, but Share the Harvest donations only dipped 6 percent from the record donations of 2004. That tells me there was some personal sacrifice involved. It makes me really proud to be a hunter."

Although CFM helps raise money for deer processing and administers the program, the real work of Share the Harvest takes place in communities around the state. Local organizations, such as hunting groups or civic clubs, typically find businesses to support local programs financially. Then they have to find a meat packing plant willing to process donated deer and a local food pantry, Salvation Army post or other charity to distribute the meat. Once these elements are in place, programs are registered by conservation agents, who ensure that programs are run properly.

Murphy said he hopes Share the Harvest will top 300,000 pounds of venison donations this year.

"There is no reason we can't eventually build this program to bring in half a million pounds of meat," said Murphy. "The challenges are logistical and financial. You have to find enough refrigeration capacity to store meat until it can be processed, and you have to pay for the processing. But businesses and civic groups find new and better ways to solve those problems every year. People's generosity continually amazes me."

That generosity has taken the form of volunteer service, donated refrigerator trucks, free processing by some packing houses and cash donations from corporate sponsors. Last year the Federation collected cash donations of more than $250,000 to support Share the Harvest.

Donors who have committed money this year include the Conservation Federation, Drury Hotels, Bass Pro Shops, Shelter Insurance, the Conservation Department, Safari Club International, Whitetails Unlimited and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Besides feeding hungry Missourians, Share the Harvest helps the Conservation Department achieve its deer management goals by encouraging hunters to shoot more deer. That means fewer traffic accidents involving deer and less damage to crops and landscape plantings.

The 2006 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Information booklet lists names and contact information for meat processors participating in Share the Harvest. For more information about the program, call (573) 522-4115, ext. 3290, or (573) 634-2322.

-Jim Low-