Deer donation program open to all hunters

Once again Wisconsin’s Deer Donation Program is open to hunters who may be looking to donate their deer meat and provide nutritious meals to those in need. Since the program’s inception in the year 2000, over 94,000 deer have been donated, which equates to approximately 3.8 million pounds of ground venison. Venison is processed and distributed to food pantries across the state.

Hunters can donate deer free of charge. They may also retain the head and/or antlers for mounting if they so wish. 

When dropping off a deer at a processor to be donated, the hunter will be asked to fill out a log sheet indicating they wish to donate the meat from that deer. Nothing more is required of the hunter. Processors will take care of everything from there. A list of local processors accompanies this article.

CWD

Adult deer from both Oneida and Vilas Counties will be tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) prior to being processed. This is the case for all CWD-affected counties throughout the state. Venison is held by the processor until results are received.

How to donate

Hunters wishing to donate their deer should field dress the deer. They should use the same techniques and care as if they were preparing the meat for their own family. In warm weather, hunters can place bags of ice inside the carcass to facilitate cooling while preparing to bring the meat to a processor. Harvested deer should be registered as normal.

Hunters should make a note of their registration confirmation number. They will need this number when filling out the log sheet at the processor.

Hunters should call ahead when wishing to donate a deer. Hunters will want to ensure a processor has space to accept the deer before bringing it in. Once this has been confirmed, the hunter can simply drop off the deer and fill out the donation log sheet. Any legally harvested deer may be donated through the season and dropped off before February 1.

A full participating processor list can be found on the DNR website at dnr.wi.gov by inputting key words “deer donation program.” Monetary donations can be made to the program in $1 increments through the Go Wild licensing and registration system.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].