Donating your deer this season

[ejf76]

I get where you are coming from leech.  I do think supplying food to food shelves is a pretty well established need, but to your point, the funding for the program is mostly built in to licenses so it doesn't give you the choice.  Being that most of it is funded through out of state licenses and bonus tags, i think its a pretty fair trade off though.

Maybe i missed it somewhere but it would be interesting to know for the $160k, how many pounds of venison is supplied through the program each year.

 

[Getanet]

Leave it to HSO folks to pee and moan about donating food to the needy. This program has been around for nearly a decade - it's not just being implemented now. If you're worried about all the negative outcomes of this program, you have nearly 10 years worth of evidence to determine if any of your arguments have come to fruition yet. If you think food shelves throughout the state have a greater supply of food than demand for it - maybe it's time to volunteer at one, I think you're eyes will be opened. If you're worried about where the money comes from, that info is readily available too.

I agree the deer herd needs to be rebuilt in many parts of the state, but not all. I have never donated a deer, and don't plan to, but I certainly have no problem with someone who does.

If donating is something you'd consider - but sure to follow the link and know the rules. The deer has to be the whole carcass, hide intact, field dressed. I'm sure if someone wants to donate meat to an individual they could use C-list, Facebook or world-of-mouth, but that's an entirely different situation than donating to a food shelf.

[Getanet]

22 minutes ago, ejf76 said:

 

Maybe i missed it somewhere but it would be interesting to know for the $160k, how many pounds of venison is supplied through the program each year.

 

A few stats I found online are below. I don't know how much is spent on this program each year, but it seems $160K lasts for quite a number of years. The program started with $160K in 2007, and although I'm not sure, it would appear this is the first time another $160K was added to the program - which seems about right based on these numbers:

*Minnesota hunters donated 421 deer to the program in 2011, which provided 15,520 pounds of processed venison to Minnesota food shelves.

*Minnesota hunters donated 556 deer to the program in 2010, which provided 19,725 pounds of processed venison to Minnesota food shelves.

[Abndoc]

This is the exact reason why this page in my mind has fallen apart. I rarely come on here anymore because one guy puts up a post about donating deer and then has justify himself to a bunch of critics on what's right or wrong. Rather donate to the needy that throw it away. How many guys let their deer go to waste every year in the freezer??? He's was posting public information for those that might be interested.  Thanks for info RK!  How many guys are out hunting for horns compared to those hunting for meat?? Grow up

[ejf76]

Thanks Geta. That's good info.  Its actually a smaller number of deer than i thought. 

[O.T.C.]

Thinking been a pretty quiet Fall for topics on here maybe some are just revved up for any topic. Wait until a topic comes up with the word "rut" in it and we'll be 8 pages deep in a 24 hour window lol. I say keep the program going, there must be at least a few kids benefitting from it and the ones likely few in number that abuse these programs oh well, enjoy your cheating lie filled life. If some guys want to pound a deer for the program so be it. You still need to field dress it, drag it, and spend your dime ushering it to one of the processors.

[PurpleFloyd]

1 hour ago, Abndoc said:

This is the exact reason why this page in my mind has fallen apart. I rarely come on here anymore because one guy puts up a post about donating deer and then has justify himself to a bunch of critics on what's right or wrong. Rather donate to the needy that throw it away. How many guys let their deer go to waste every year in the freezer??? He's was posting public information for those that might be interested.  Thanks for info RK!  How many guys are out hunting for horns compared to those hunting for meat?? Grow up

I get what you are saying and for sure it's better to donate than to let it go to waste. But I do find it interesting that a hunter can get run through the coals for taking a buck with too few points because of "Herd Health" QDMA whatever even if it is the only deer they take all year even if they scrape the rib bones to get every ounce of meat from it. Yet the same forum says go ahead and shoot however many you want and take the extras to the food shelf if you shoot more than you need. 

 

[Abndoc]

I really could care less if someone likes to hunt but doesn't like to eat it. I love venison and can't get enough it but someone chooses to donate I have no problem with it. A hungry child is getting a meal that might not get one that night and it's going to be a healthy meal.  I just get tired of people constant bashing on here because they share different beliefs. If we are going to hammer on eat what you kill, then we also better get on the grizzly bear hunters, what are they doing with that meat?? Everyone views hunting different, some chase meat, some chase trophies, some go because of tradition. Some it's just a release from our crazy lives. About 5 years ago this page was awesome guys sharing great info because we all had a love for the outdoors..view points might be different but it wasn't a consistent bashing session, now it's turned into a page for trolling and arrogance. It's actually pretty sad.