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As the conversation intensifies over whether or not federal funding of food programs will be reinstated amid the government shutdown, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is offering one idea that could help alleviate some of that uncertainty.
The Department of Health Services said that last year alone, more than 700,000 – or about 12% of the state’s population, received food assistance, a figure that is expected to rise. To help address that need, hunters are being encouraged to donate Wisconsin-harvested deer through the DNR’s Deer Donation Program, which helps stock food pantries and supports residents in need throughout the state. Since the program’s inception in the year 2000, hunters have donated more than 100,000 deer, totaling over 4 million pounds of ground venison to help Wisconsinites in need.
Deer harvested outside of Wisconsin can’t be donated, and those in some counties must be tested for Chronic Wasting Disease before being donated. That includes adult deer from Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac and Washington Counties.
If you’re interested in participating, you’ll find all the needed information on the Wisconsin DNR’s Deer Donation Program Website.
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