Hunters donate venison to address food insecurity in Mass.

Since deer season began about a month ago, hunters across the state have donated more than 750 pounds of venison to residents facing food insecurity through MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest Program.

The donations make up over 3,000 meals and more than double the impact that the program had last year when it launched as a pilot.

"The fact that we have already doubled the meals donated last year with two months of deer season remaining is incredible," MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa said. "Hunters and the wildlife conservation community are making a big impact addressing food insecurity in Massachusetts."

The program launched last year as a way to address high levels of food insecurity in Massachusetts. Hunters can donate their whole deer or a portion of it at three approved processors, where the deer is processed into ground venison with 10% pork fat added, packaged into individual portions with a MassWildlife label, and then distributed through programs like the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation's Food 4 Vets.

"Fresh meat can be incredibly hard to source for our food pantry," Sarah Fecteau, chief financial officer for the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation, said. "The donated venison was very popular with our patrons last year. It means so much to our veterans and active-duty military families who can come and get fresh and healthy meat."

Martin Feehan, MassWildlife's Deer Project leader, said the program is a win-win in a state where, according to Project Bread, nearly 20% of all households reported food insecurity in September.

"Not only does it provide meals to those in need, but it is also helping our forests by reducing the impacts of overabundant deer and fostering growth of young tree saplings," Feehan said. "Hunters play this important role of both conserving our forests and providing food to our communities."