TWF Provides Professionally Processed Venison Donations to Hungry Families

Hunger relief agencies statewide are seeing record numbers of individuals and families seeking food assistance, and the demand is stretching limited resources. The Tennessee Wildlife Federation is helping to meet this need with a renewable resource in plentiful supply – venison, donated by hunters.

“This program is one of the most unique and cost-effective ways to feed hungry people with a healthy, renewable resource,” says Matt Simcox, TWF’s Hunters for the Hungry coordinator. “Funding is the challenge.  We can provide a meal for an average of 25 cents, and we want the public to know that everyone can support the program through donations that fund processing or by harvesting an extra deer or two and dropping it off at a participating butcher.” The fastest way to donate is through the TWF’s website at www.tnwf.org.

The 2010-11 season donations shattered the all-time record by almost 10 percent, bringing in nearly 56 tons of professionally processed, donated venison that provided more than 445,000 meals to hungry Tennesseans. TWF chapters sponsor HFTH through local fund-raising drives and events, such as clay target shoots, banquets and golf tournaments, and a generous grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation will support the program for the 2011-12 season.

Based upon available funding per county, processors are allotted a quota for the number of deer that HFTH will subsidize. Beyond these quotas, any whole deer processed is paid for by the hunter at the same discounted rate, typically $40. All processors are certified by the state department of agriculture.

The other way to donate venison is through the “pound or pack” method, where a hunter donates a portion of his or her own prepared venison when picking it up from the processor. TWF has placed chest freezers at various collection and distribution points to aid in storage space.

“The white-tailed deer is a tremendous success story in Tennessee, considering that a half-century ago they were virtually extinct here," Simcox says. “The herd is around a million today, and they must be managed to prevent negative wildlife interactions, like deer-car collisions and destruction of crops and landscaping. This program represents a means by which to address the ever-increasing hunger issue in a very effective manner. It just makes sense all the way around.”

When Tennessee hunters purchase their annual licenses, the clerk is supposed to ask whether the hunter would like to donate a dollar to the Hunters for the Hungry program.

“Unfortunately, for any number of reasons, the clerks are busy or unfamiliar with the system and simply skip the question,” says Matt Simcox, HFTH program coordinator. “What a lot of folks don’t realize is that those dollars could add up quickly, and they could make a significant impact on the program’s ability to feed hungry Tennesseans.”

With approximately 750,000 hunters statewide, full participation could be a game-changer for the program. Participating processors are reimbursed by the number of donated deer, and based on available funding. At the reimbursement rate of $40, that’s more than 18,000 deer that could be donated for free by hunters across the state.

“The dollar option should be the single-most effective tool for raising money to process donated deer,” Simcox says. “Today, less than one percent of hunters purchasing licenses give a dollar to the program, so there’s nowhere to go but up.”

Founded in 1946, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation's mission is to champion the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee's wildlife and natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship, advocacy and education. To learn more, visit www.tnwf.org.

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