Hunters donate deer meat to needy with help of butchers
Scores of hunters will take their latest kills to a butcher this week as they return from one of the busiest hunting weekends of the year. Most will return to claim the venison, but a few will drop off the deer and ask for nothing in return; instead, they’ll donate the meat to feed the needy.
At least two local butchers partnered with the Tennessee Wildlife Federation for another year of the Hunters for the Hungry program. The program, now in its 21st year, partners with more than 80 certified wild game processors across most counties in Tennessee who process the meat and give it to local food banks, churches or soup kitchens.
“I wanted to give to people who couldn’t go out and work or couldn’t help themselves,” Bob Winder said. “I enjoy helping people and for
me this is a great way to be doing that.”
Winder owns Middle Valley Deer Processing in Hixson. He’s been working with the program for about five years now, he said. He received and processed about 20 deer last year, contributing
to 3,360 meals.
The program gives the butchers freedom to work with groups in the community to provide meals.
“I like how they let you handle it,” he said. “I distribute it, and they give me freedom to handle this.”
Winder partners with One Accord Baptist Church to provide meals to local youth. The church buses in children from low-income families once a week to provide a meal.
Down the block and around the corner, another Hixson butcher also partners with Hunters for the Hungry. Donnie Rains, owner of Don’s Meat Shop, joined a couple of years ago and sees the program as a logical way for the community to help those in need.
Hunters often harvest more deer meat than their families can possibly eat in a year. Some will keep one deer for themselves and donate any others they harvest to Rains. He and his team will take about an hour to process the meat, separate it into 1- or 2-pound blocks and freeze it. Once he accumulates two or three deer, he’ll call the food bank and they’ll come pick it up.
“There’re so many hunters harvesting more meat than they can possibly eat, it just makes sense,” he said. “It’s good, wholesome meat that can help someone less fortunate.”
The butchers receive a stipend for their work from the program. Rains receives $40 a deer for up to 10 deer. Hunters will skin the deer for him and drop them off to be processed and donated.
If he receives more than 10 deer, it’s up to him to eat the cost, but it’s not something he minds doing if it comes to that, he said. He’s happy to help and said it doesn’t take much extra work.
Hunters for the Hungry program managers are challenging themselves and the processors to do even more this year. They’re challenging processors to add 10 deer to their count this year.
“Adding 10 to each, that’s 650 extra deer. That’s 109,000 more meals. That’s what we’re shooting for this year,” Hunters for the Hungry Eastern Program Manager Cameron Mitchell said.
Winder, Rains and Mitchell expect most of their work with the program to take place in the coming weeks. Saturday was the start of the deer gun season, which traditionally begins the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
“This coming season is huge,” Mitchell said. “Opening weekend of rifles is our busiest time.”