LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – A decades-old partnership between Michigan hunters and the Department of Natural Resources is once again helping stock food pantries across the state. The Hunters Feeding Michigan program is donating 140,000 pounds of fresh ground venison this year, connecting those with a passion for the outdoors to families in need during deer season.
Each year, Michigan hunters harvest more than 130,000 deer, and hundreds of those animals are donated to food banks. “Last fiscal year, October through October, we donated over 14,000 pounds of ground venison to Michigan food banks,” said Tom Weston, chief technology advocate at the DNR.
The program operates through a network of processors who accept donated deer at no cost to hunters. Fourteen to 18 participating butchers, stretching from southwest Michigan to Gladstone, turn donated deer into ground venison that is then distributed to pantries statewide. Hunters simply need to field dress the deer before dropping it off.
Drop off locations:
- Buried Stone Farms, Escanaba, MI
- Carson Village Market, Carson City, MI
- Clear Water Meats, Eau Claire, MI
- Community Cuts, Prescott, MI
- Davis Meat Processing, St. Johns, MI
- Great Lakes Custom Meats & More, Howell, MI
- Hanna-Davis Fine Meats, Sunfield, MI
- Ilowski’s Sausage, East China. MI
- Mac’s Rustic Deer Processing, Howard City, MI
- Manchester Market, Manchester, MI
- Richmond Meat Packers, Inc., Richmond, MI
- Soderman’s Processing, Gladstone, MI
- Uncle Henry’s Gourmet Meats, Troy, MI
- Yes Deer Processing, Orleans, MI
Hunters Feeding Michigan began in 2005, when the DNR started allowing donations through its hunting license registration system. “The program is really hunters feeding Michigan,” Weston said. “It’s the hunting community in the state taking care of those folks that need a little help these days.”
The DNR pays processors $3 per pound for donated venison, helping ensure the meat reaches families quickly. Weston said demand is high: “We’ll bring in 500 pounds of ground venison, and that venison is gone within a day.”
Donations are accepted throughout the entire deer season—from early youth and Liberty hunts in September, through archery and firearm seasons, and into the late antlerless season in January. Weston said venison remains a sought-after item at food banks. “It’s clean, fresh, very lean protein, so it’s a hot commodity for us, and we’re glad to help out these folks.”
The DNR says the program allows hunters to spend more time enjoying Michigan’s outdoors while helping support families in their own communities.
You can find more information here: Michigan.gov/dnr
