Indiana Hunters Can Donate Their Game to Feed the Hungry

There is no doubt that the continuing rise of goods and services has impacted us all. For many, getting food on the table can be a real challenge but if you hunt, there is a way that you can help your fellow Hoosiers in need.

Donate Your Deer

If you hunt in the state of Indiana, you can donate your deer to help feed those in need with a collaboration between the Sportsmen’s Benevolence Fund and Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry. In 2021, there were more than 181,000 meals provided to residents in need all across the state. Those meals came from the donation of 879 deer that were donated by hunters just like you, contributing over 45,000 pounds of venison.

Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissue, make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. It also aids in boosting metabolism and lowering blood pressure. Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body does not store protein, and therefore has no reserve to draw on when it needs a new supply.

How It Works

If you plan to head out into the woods to hunt this season, consider donating your game or your dollars to help feed fellow Hoosiers in need. So how does it work? According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources:

Enjoy a deer hunting experience.
Harvest a deer.
Drop off the field-dressed deer at a local participating processor.
Processing fees are paid for by the Sportsmen's Benevolence Fund.
The processor will create healthy venison burgers to distribute to food banks.

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Two Ways to Donate

There are two ways to make your game donation. The first is to drop off your fresh, legally tagged, cleaned, and field-dressed game at a participating, state-licensed processing facility and the organization will pay to have the venison processed and distributed to shelters across Indiana. The second way that you can donate to help hungry Hoosiers is to donate a pound after you pay to have your game processed.

Photo by Laura College on Unsplash

Don't Hunt But Want to Help?

If you don't hunt but would still like to help, there are a couple of ways you can help. If you happen to be a farmer and raise livestock, you can make a livestock donation much in the same way that the game donations work. If you don't hunt or farm, you can "Share What You Can Spare" and make a monetary donation to the cause. To learn more, visit HoosiersFeedingTheHungry.org.

[Source: Indiana Department of Natural Resources; Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry]

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Stacker analyzed data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine which states have the most registered hunters. Read on to see how your state ranks on Stacker’s list.