Thursday, December 31, 2009
Bill Cochran's Outdoors: Hunters for the Hungry out of money to process deer
Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.
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Hunters for the Hungry has informed its more than 70 meat processors not to accept any more donations of deer from hunters through Jan. 2. The program has depleted its processing funds.
The Dec. 24-Jan, 2 shutdown comes the final week of the busy east of the Blue Ridge deer season when vacationing hunters and liberal game regulations likely would have meant donations of another 1,500 deer to feed the needy.
Laura Newell-Furniss, the program director, said the decision was made “with a heavy heart.”
The closure came at a time when there has been a dramatic increase in traffic at the food banks that receive much needed meat from Hunters for the Hungry.
“We know that many people are in need and that the meat could really be used,” said Newell-Furniss.
It costs on the average $40 to process a deer.
The setback should not mar the fact that Hunters for the Hungry has enjoyed a fabulous year, processing and distributing close to 400,000 pounds of venison, well beyond last year’s record of 380,151 pounds. That’s enough to provide 1.5 million quarter-pound servings of meat that is low in fat and rich in protein.
“We just cannot keep going without being able to pay for the processing,” said Gary Arrington, the program’s special events coordinator. “Last year we kept taking them and wound up with $30,000 in processing bills we couldn’t pay and didn’t get paid until June.”
The program has distributed 16.5 million servings of venison since its beginning in 1991. While no other state has matched that figure, it would be significantly higher had additional funds been available.
The program works this way: Hunters contribute deer and Hunters for the Hungry pays for processing and distributing the meat to feeding programs, such as church food pantries, the Salvation Army and food banks. A mature deer will yield 50 pounds of meat making the processing cost per pound about 80 cents, well under the $3.50 or more for similar cuts of lean beef.
What has happened this year? Deer have been coming into the program at a faster rate than the money to process them.
Financial contributions come from a variety of sources -- gifts from individuals, organizations, churches, civic clubs -- particularly Ruritan Clubs -- and businesses. Add to that, Hunters for the Hungry sponsors a number of fund-raising events, including an annual banquet in the Roanoke Valley, raffles, golf benefits and sporting clays matches. A modest amount of money comes from a check-off system that encourages hunters to contribute $2 when they purchase a hunting license.
Still, all that hasn’t been enough. The program has suffered continuous financial stress that could be eased by some major donors or more $2 license check-offs.
For the future, Arrington is looking with interest at the annual “Governor’s One Shot Whitetail Deer Hunt” in West Virginia that grossed $73,000 for that state’s Hunters Helping the Hungry program.
Sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, individuals, businesses and organizations donate money for the opportunity to hunt antlerless deer on private property with the governor.
Back in Virginia, here’s how you can help:
- Send a contribution of any size to Hunters for the Hungry, P.O. Box 304, Big Island, Va. 24526. The Web site is h4hungry.org.
- Pay the full processing fee for any deer you contribute.
- Hunt clubs: collect money and put it in a pot to process any deer contributed by one of your members.
- Churches, civic clubs and other organizations: send some extra money now. Don’t wait until your scheduled time to contribute.
- Share a few packages of meat from the deer you had processed for yourself.
- Tell your friends about the current need.
- During 2010, look for opportunities to assist Hunters for the Hungry by attending the banquet, golf events, sporting clays, by using the $2 hunting license check-off, by putting money into the collection plate at outdoor events, by mailing a contribution, by talking up the great benefits of this program.
