HSH reports record venison donations
With archery deer season now open, bowhunters are reminded that Hunters Sharing the Harvest (HSH) is open for business too, not just in gun season. Archers can donate a deer to the program through the same process as rifle hunters. Participating HSH deer processors are accepting deer for distribution to those in the community in need of food assistance.
Pennsylvania hunters fed the hungry in historic fashion during the 2022-23 hunting season 鈥� donating a total of 235,532 pounds of venison from 6,201 deer and four elk via HSH. The season totals were announced by HSH executive director Randy Ferguson.
Reflecting a nearly 25% increase, the recent season numbers eclipsed the previous record of 190,302 pounds from 4,896 deer donated during the 2020-21 hunting season.
鈥淧ennsylvania deer hunters continue to astound us with their generosity and selflessness,鈥� said Ferguson.
Based on the American Heart Association鈥檚 recommended serving size of three ounces of lean red meat per serving, the 235,532 pounds of venison donated during the 2022-23 season provided approximately 1.25 million servings of lean, high protein venison to the food insecure in Pennsylvania this year.
鈥淲e are proud and excited to have reached this important milestone,鈥� said Bill Sordoni, chairperson of the HSH board of directors. 鈥淲ith strong leadership, a clear vision for our future and the growing support of a tremendous network of hunters, processors, volunteers and partners, we believe the impact of the HSH mission will continue to grow in the years to come.鈥�
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has been a key supporting partner with HSH for many years, providing a substantial annual allocation to help HSH defray the cost of reimbursing participating processors for their services. This support from the Agriculture Department and other HSH sponsors means hunters donating a deer do not have to pay a processing fee but may make a donation to HSH if they choose.
鈥淧rotein-rich meats are often difficult for families on tight budgets to afford,鈥� Pennsylvania Agriculture Russell Redding said. 鈥淭he generous donations of hunters stretch the dollars of cash-strapped families and the food pantries that serve them. The department is pleased to support the generosity of Pennsylvania鈥檚 hunters and the important work of Hunters Sharing the Harvest.鈥�
As part of the Pennsylvania Game Commission鈥檚 herd management goals, deer hunters can harvest several deer in a year with appropriate tags. HSH provides an opportunity for hunters who might typically only harvest one or two deer for their family鈥檚 consumption to fill more tags, donating additional deer to help those in need in their community. This hunter participation helps the PGC achieve its objectives while performing a worthy act of social service.
鈥淵ear after year, Pennsylvania hunters donating venison through the Hunters Sharing the Harvest program do a world of good for Pennsylvania鈥檚 hungry, and last year took things to a new level,鈥� said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. 鈥淭heir generosity made big differences for countless people, all while enjoying the outdoors and helping to manage the state鈥檚 deer herd, benefitting wildlife conservation.鈥�
The HSH program is a coordinated effort of nearly 100 participating deer processors who accept donated deer from hunters and process the deer into one-, two- and five-pound packages of ground venison for distribution to regional food banks and food pantries.
In its 32 years of operation, HSH has delivered 2.2 million pounds of hunter-donated venison, providing over 10 million servings to food insecure Pennsylvanians.
鈥淥n behalf of Pennsylvania鈥檚 food bank network, Hunger-Free Pennsylvania thanks our state鈥檚 deer hunters for sharing their harvest in record numbers,鈥� said Sheila Christopher, executive director of Hunger-Free Pennsylvania. 鈥淗unger relief organizations are in desperate need of lean, nutritious protein sources for their recipients. Venison is one of the very best of these proteins and is so appreciated by those who receive it.鈥�
Hunters interested in donating a deer need only to legally harvest, tag and field dress the deer and take it to a participating processor near them. The list of participating processors by county can be found at https://sharedeer.org/meat-processors/.
A volunteer force of nearly 60 county coordinators ensures that processors have the resources they need and that the public is aware of the program. A list of county coordinators is available at https://sharedeer.org/area-coordinators/. Individuals interested in being a coordinator are encouraged to contact Ferguson at 866-474-2141 or by emailing him at randy@sharedeer.org.
鈥淥ur network of area coordinators across the Commonwealth is the boots-on-the-ground, grassroots team that helps us spread word of the HSH mission, recruit participating processors and secure new deer donors and financial supporters,鈥� said Ferguson. 鈥淲e need an HSH participating processor in reasonable distance of every hunter wishing to donate a deer. If you are a deer processor or know of one near you that might want to be a part of HSH, I鈥檇 like to discuss welcoming them onboard with HSH.鈥�
Two deer processors recently joined the HSH effort in Fayette and Greene counties. In Fayette County, Chef B鈥檚 Processing is located at 878 Flatrock Road, Markleysburg, PA 15459. Rejoining the program in Greene County is Hungarian Smokehouse, 534 North Eighty-Eight Road, Carmichaels, PA 15320.
More information on Hunters Sharing the Harvest can be found at www.ShareDeer.org.