Way to feed em, Ohio!Deer Donations Provide 382,000 MealsAdvocate staff report, found at the Lancaster Eagle Gazette
December 17, 2009COLUMBUS — Ohio deer hunters have donated more than 95,500 pounds of venison to local food banks so far this deer season, according to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The 95,500 pounds equals about 382,000 meals for needy Ohioans. To date, 1,910 deer have been donated with plenty of deer hunting opportunity left in the 2009-10 season. Last year at this time, 671 deer had been donated representing 33,550 pounds of venison.
Last year, FHFH collected 54,800 pounds of venison from 1,096 deer through the entire season, from September 2008 to Feb. 1, 2009.
Hunters still have a weekend of deer-gun hunting, Dec. 19-20, and eight weeks of archery hunting; the archery season remains open until Feb. 7. The statewide muzzleloader deer-hunting season will be held Jan. 9-12.
The Division of Wildlife collaborated with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry in an effort to assist with the processing costs associated with donating venison to a food bank, providing a $100,000 subsidy grant. Hunters wanting to donate their deer to a food bank are not required to pay for the processing of the venison as long as the program has funds available to cover the cost.
There are 65 participating meat processors across the state, including Oiler Meat Processing in Utica.
http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20091217/UPDATES01/91217014/-1/newsfront2
