Approximately 445,000 Meals Provided to Hungry Tennesseans by Local Hunters 

Despite an essentially flat statewide deer harvest, venison donations to the Tennessee Wildlife Federation's Hunters for the Hungry (HFTH) program were up 9 percent in 2010-11, over last season's record of 101,000 pounds. Tennessee deer hunters donated 111,223 pounds of lean, high-protein venison that provided approximately 445,000 meals to their hungry neighbors through local food pantries.

Donations of whole deer grew by 12.6% to a record high of 1,962.

"This program continues to grow each year thanks to the compassion and the support of hunters, who put forth considerable effort to donate deer and raise money to have them processed professionally," says Matt Simcox, the Federation's statewide Hunters for the Hungry coordinator. "As folks renew their hunting and fishing licenses, we hope they'll consider donating a dollar or more to the program - with the right funding, we can go a long way toward feeding hungry Tennessee families."

This year's success is largely due to the current TWF chapters that sponsor HFTH through local fund-raising drives and events, such as clay target shoots, banquets and golf tournaments. Of the 55 counties involved in HFTH, 23 had secured funding for processing through local churches, businesses, and other organizations. Those 23 counties alone were responsible for 1,536 of the 1,962 whole deer donated to the program, or 78% of the total whole deer donations. 

Based upon available funding per county, processors are allotted a quota for the number of deer that HFTH will subsidize. Beyond these quotas, any whole deer processed is paid for by the hunter at the same discounted rate, typically $40. All processors are certified by the state department of agriculture.

The other way to donate venison is through the "pound or pack" method, where a hunter donates a portion of his or her own prepared venison when picking it up from the processor. To encourage the success of this program, TWF has placed chest freezers at various collection and distribution points to aid in storage space. This method of donating has added strength to the program, providing 28.5% of the total donated meat in 2010-11.

"The white-tailed deer is a tremendous success story in Tennessee, considering that a half-century ago they were virtually extinct here," Simcox says. "The herd is around a million today, and they must be managed to prevent negative wildlife interactions, like deer-car collisions and destruction of property. This program represents a means by which to address a critical social need in a very effective manner. It just makes sense all the way around."

Founded in 1946, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation's mission is to champion the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee's wildlife and natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship, advocacy and education. 

Click here to read the full HFTH Annual Report.