You folks that hunt a bunch, you know some of you kill several deer, hogs, a trip to africa and the outback and a rocky mountain excursion for wapiti, what do you do with it all?
Even alot of you boys who can kill 4 or five deer in a year?
I ask cause I would enjoy gettin a couple of doe tags and killing a buck and a couple of does, a Bull and a reduced price cow, plus my speed goat. But than, what do I do with it?
I'm thinking soup kitchen or something on those lines?
If you are fortunate to take enough game that you have excess, you are right - donation is a great option.
Shelters/Soup kitchens take a LOT of donations and are happy to take them. Google "hunters for the hungry" or "donating game meat to charity" and you should find a slew of sites.
Edit - forgot to add that often, your local meat processor is probably a good option too. I would expect them to at least know where to send it (if not take care of the whole process for you).
Alot of years my household kills 4 deer some years less some more with the occasional bear or elk.I have 4 kids and we eat all of it before we start the next season along with numerous ducks and geese.We have never had too much,we often take some to a processor for pepper sticks ,summer sausage and such.Bill
I can always find a friend or co worker who is excited to get a deer from me. I also like to have extra venison around for partys and cookouts. I never have a problem finding good use for extra venison. Here in Iowa we also have a program called HUSH. You can drop off your kill at participating lockers and the meat goes to the needy.
I have 112 people on my staff at work. About 107 of them have learned to love venison. I host a couple of parties each year and always serve wild game at them. I have people begging for it. Sharing the success of the hunt is as old a tradition as hunting itself.
I used to have an older guy that loved deer but never had time to hunt.I would kill two or three extra deer for him each year.I only need about 2 or 3 for myself.Since he died I now just kill a couple a year unless someone ask for some meat.Sometimes if helping someone else thin out some does I will take them by the hunters for the hungry drop off site if no one I know wants them and my freezer is full but gernerally I just kill what I need.
Grand parents,and alot of other non hunting family love deer meat,and are happy to have any I bring them.Also land owners who let me hunt.
Bill
When I have venison, I don't buy beef. I process my own deer and a good year is 4 in the freezer as roasts, steaks, and burger. I will buy 1/2 a hog from a local farmer/butcher and no beef gets bought as long as there is venison in the freezer--really saves on my grocery bill for the summer.
This year, I'm out already. my daughter is getting bigger and taking on healthier portions!
Glad you asked. After our "freezer is full" I handle mine in a few ways:
1. Farmers Hunters Feeding Hungry (www.fhfh.org) Is a tremondous Christian organization which pays for deer to be processed and then donates the meat to soup kitchens/ food pantries/etc. They are nearly nationwide and happen to be founded by a gentleman from not too far from me. No $ out of the hunters pocket when they "donate" a deer but they run out of $ to pay for processing every guy season....way before they run out of hungry mouths.
2. I will take my deer to a processor and then to Church where I know some folks love venison. I just take a cooler in and let everyone know there is meat there and they clean it out!
Lots of hungry mouths here in the US and meat is the most difficult thing for soup kitchens/food pantries to get and we as hunters can help.
It is good that you are worried about this. I have known some hunters who will take the animals life, and not have a plan for the meat.
What a shame.
It is alot of work, but you can turn venison into GREAT jerky. It keeps forever like this. I take some into the office, and people can't stop eating. Donating to a church (after it is processed)is a great choice. Check with your neighbors, usually someone will know someone who can use/likes the meat.
Will a small effort you will not have any issues finding someone who will be happy to have the meat.
Feeding the hungry is a great thing...!
Check with your state fish & game for info regarding sharing the harvest.
John III
Kentucky has a "Hunters for the Hungry" program. The program pays for butchering processor fees. We just drop the deer off and they process them and take them to the soup kitchens.
We have it mapped out that 4 deer a year, meets our needs perfectly. We literally eat deer for a meal almost every week. I really enjoy giving some prime meat or even cooking some up for friends that have never tried venison. So we have a chest freezer in the garage just for venison.
A soup kitchen or Hunter's for the Hungry is a great option!
A while back I had a similar problem. I found a subdivision with a pig problem and the HOA gave me permission to hunt there. Personally, I have a big big problem with killing anything that's not hurting me or that I'm not going to use somehow. So I also was concerned about what to do with the dead hogs.
My solution was to offer to donate the meat to a big cat rescue close by. I sent this.
QuoteHi. I was told about your operation by a friend of mine who has
volunteered there.
I do a lot of feral hog hunting and have been asked by a local
subdivision to help them with their hog infestation. I can only eat
so much pork and I really really hate to kill anything that I am not
going to use in some way. I was wondering if your faclity would be
interested in the meat from these hogs. Generally I could bring them
to you gutted but otherwise intact. Barring special circumstances it
would be within a few hours of being killed as you are o the way home from where I will be hunting.
If you are interested please let me know
Thank You
Shane XXXXXXX
I can only imagine how much it costs to keep lions and cheetahs fed so I figured they'd appreciate the free meat.
NOT SO, apparantly it, like our local animal rescue operation, is ran by tree hugging PETA retards!.
I got this in return.
Quote
XXXXXX XXXXXX does not support the killing of animals for sport or as a form of recreation. We feel that communities should learn to live in harmony with the enviroment surrounding them.
Sincerely
XXXXXXXXXXXX
No concept of reality....................none at all!
Maybe they would have let you trap the pigs and turn them in with the cats....Let them live in harmony.lol.RC
I dont kill anything I (&/or my family)aint gonna eat.
All good suggestions. I usually give some away to extended family members. Not because I don't want that much but rather because I know they like it as well. The last few years venison has become much more tasty to me, I suppose because I have become a better cook. Also, I can't seem to make enough jerky. It goes quickly.
One recipe I discovered was to take 1 lb of ground venison and mix it with 1 lb of Jimmy dean pure pork sausage,(hot). It makes a great breakfast sausage. My wife generally does not care for venison, but since I started making this, she prefers it to bacon for breakfast.
I shot 10 deer a year plus in Wi, and normally shoot a deer, and 2 elk a year, plus a bear and maybe a few pigs. I've never had a problem using the meat. A few family get togethers and bringing some into work and it goes fast. Plus if you make sauage and hambeger it seems to go faster!
I have a fmaily of THIRTEEN that I donate 3 or so deer to/yr. When I made the switch to trad....I knew that might be a tough bill to fill. So I asked around and got one of my wheelie buddies on board to help. We're set.
We'll eat 3 NC whitetails in my household. My landowners and friedns will eat 2. I've been fortunate to have taken 21 whitetails the last 3 seasons. It's all eaten and my processor donates his services to the family I give venison to. Win-win.
I'll take it elkbreath.
I might even make some jerky for you.
I'm up to 73 - the number of people who have eaten some of the last deer I shot. Whether a full steak or a bowl of stew with one or two chunks, all these folks share that one deer in common. Oh, and there's a bit left in the freezer.
Circle of Life? Yeah, I knowz it.
ha! sounds good rusty! I'll call you after the freezers full
I bring in hog meat for friends at my school(work), they love it.
When I lived in Iowa, I donated deer meat to a couple of soup kitchens. Here in Florida, they won't accept wild hog and the deer I've killed are sandwich size so I keep them for my family.
Much thanks to all the responsible hunters herein. Good stuff! Waste not want not.
Meat sharing is mentioned. Eskimo wealth across the Arctic was much determined by such offerings. It's only natural & a good way to tell your hunting story. It's easy to figure daily portions of meat per person and goes quick when properly prepared.
I have a friend with a large garden who cans.... just traded some venison for 20 jars of green beans and he's about to start on tomatoes. Some hunt, some work on cars, some garden - nothing wrong with barter.
Now if I could just get a grant to buy a couple of tags...
Just the wife and I can eat 4 to 6 of these litle deer here. But there is always someone who could really use it if you look hard enough. We also do not buy any bef until the deer is gone.
B.
What are they feeding those cats, peas and cornbread?
B.
Sharing deer meat may be the only interaction someone has with a "hunter" and might be an opening to discuss traditional archery and hunting as a whole.
My ex and I raised our two boys (now men) on venison. I can't remember ever feeding them beef steak. They still prefer venison. We tried to get at least 6 deer in the freezer to last the year. The ex slew every doe she saw! Great- it allowed me to be selective. Last count she has killed at least a hundred deer, mostly with gun, but some with bow, too.
Now I only have myself and a non-game-eating wife to feed, so 2 is enough for me. Any excess usually goes to the boys (men) 'cause they don't hunt as much as I do, but there's always a willing receiver. Love that summer sausage, and those backstrap medallions with morels... gotta go see what's left in the freezer!
We (4) eat it all, but that is only 3-4 deer. By time I do jerky, sausage, pastrami and such it gets used up fast with friends and family at events. We can really blow through a batch of jerky fast. When I get 4 I give smoked stuff I make away at the holidays. We always have friends and family wanting deer meat if we get extra. It never seems like we have extra. Now if I got an elk I would have extra. A lot extra. But with a lottery here in MI there is not a big chance of that anytime soon.
After last season, we had 7 deer split between my parents and I...6 people total. All that's left is 2 lbs of kielbasa, 2 lbs of sausage, 6 lbs of burger, and 1/2 of a backstrap. That will all be gone in the next couple of weeks.
I can't remember the last time we bought beef. I hope I don't have to buy any this fall.
My wife won't eat deer anymore, she says I ruined her years ago by shooting too many. I only shoot 2 per year now and eat it myself and give some to friends.
Our family eats at least 4-5 deer a year and we could probably eat double that if I had time to kill that many. There are volumes of cookbooks that offer an incredible variety of recipes for game. Sure helps out on our household budget.
I have never had a shortage of people that know I hunt wanting deer meat. For 5 years when I lived in Lewistown I was a virtual foodbank for several families by filling all of the doe tags that one could get for that area. It is a good way to get community support for hunting from non-hunters.
My girlfriend's favorite thing is cooking.She never had venison before we met.I wasn't sure if she would like it as most folks think of bambi when deer are mentioned but she LOVES IT! Man, I'm gettin' fat! :D
stiknstringer, it ain't the venison part of the meal that's makin' you fat! :)
Wisconsin has a program called "Hunt for the Hungry". You donate the deer and they process it and the meat goes to food banks, whatever. I don't remember off hand how they raise the money for the processing part because you take your deer to meat cutters in your area that participate in the program. I know there is some criticism on ethical grounds, by some hunters and non-hunters as well, that killing numerous animals like this, if you are not going to utilize it yourself, might be wrong. In my hunting unit for instance anterless tags are unlimited. I suppose it is a good question on ethics but never the less the program is well supported and gets a lot of support and positive coverage by the local media. For the last several years Wisconsin has had an earn-a-buck program where you had to shoot an anterless deer first before you could legally tag a buck. While the program is hated by most hunters for a host of reasons there is no question it kept the Hunt for Hungry program well supplied. Last year when the number of anterless deer killed declined so did the shelves of Hunt for the Hungry. That was covered and reported by the media as well. This year earn-a-buck is gone because of strong opposition by hunters and it will be interesting to see what effect that will have especially for food pantries. I would suggest if your state has an abundance of deer that you look into a program like this. Maybe it would work for you.
Good, let PETA use their money on helping the big cats, thats just less money to fight us.
I use it at family reunion every year and also give it to family and friends. What goes around comes around, if I need help with removing a tree, working on the tractor, plowing the garden, or any bigger task all I have to do is call, it's like a big extended family . The earths wealth is meant to be shared.
Jack
sharing and exchanging it is.
some go fishing, some have big gardens, some even raise chicken or pigs etc.
as mentioned above, its the best way to always have the best food of the season for almost free and it strengthens community.
Some one mentioned barter, that's a great idea. I just lined up a deal to trade one Doe for a bunch of ducks and geese. Lot's of hardcore waterfowlers in my area....
I think someone mentioned canned vegetables, which got me to thinking. If you have excess meat you can always cook it and store it that way.
Back in my wheelie days (when I had more time and killed more deer)my Mother in Law used to jar up cooked stew meat in a broth with onions and mushrooms. It is a phenominal, quick meal- just heat up and pour over rice or noodles and didnt take up the precious freezer space.
As far as that cat deal goes, that is just one more example of how irrational some of the enviro folks are. They just don't truly get it....Oh well.