Deer drop-off

[roundball]

I don't use any venison and have always just given away deer that I get to various families out in the country around where I hunt. When I drove up to my main hunting place last year to put up a ladder stand a few weeks before the season opened, I noticed the little house/shack where I dropped off/donated my deer was empty and abandoned...later learned they had moved out of the area, and in spite of knocking on other doors couldn't find anyone to just give my deer to. So instead of shooting any does last year, shot my 2 bucks and my season was over...and...I had to work at giving those 2 bucks away...people in the general public just don't use venison like they used to decades ago.

I still haven't found a replacement family for this year and was disappointed that I wasn't going to get in much shooting again...then on a whim, I made a post on a NC hunting site I frequent, asking if anyone knew a family in such and such and area that might like to take deer (whole).

In less than an hour, I got contacted by a hunter who knows a farmer that is heavy into providing deer meat to a big 'soup kitchen' place in a town near where I hunt...he has a big walk-in cooler to hang the deer and some of his friends all get together on the weekends to do all the skinning and butchering. And...it turns out its only a half mile off the main road I use going to and from my hunting area...says he'll take all I can drop off...just asks that they be gutted and be sure to close the door to cooler when I leave. His goal is to get 32 deer given to him this year as he wants to be responsible for 16 big meals...a meal evidently taking an average of 2 deer's worth of meat.

This has got me looking forward to deer season with enthusiasm again...we get 2 buck tags and unlimited doe tags this year so hopefully I'll be able to get in a few shots now that I have a convenient place to drop off some deer again. Just check-zeroed the .62cal Flinter today, and the season starts November 8th... :grin:

 

[rabjr]

Nice, thats a good thing he's doing and a good thing to be connected to. :hatsoff:

 

[PreglerD]

Nice to hear that you are still able to donate your harvested deer.
Here in Germany we are allowed to sell the meat of harvested game. So most of my roedeers are sold to private people who want to know where the meat come from and who want to eat high quality meat.Per kg I sell it for € 6. If you bought it in the supermarket or from a venison trader you will pay double or thrice.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[lockjaw]

... :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: ...

 

[tg]

Great news, good to see someone is making use of the meat and helping those in need....also good to see you perked up a bit about the upcomming season :thumbsup: I was afraid I was going to have to make a breech clot and leggins for you to get you going again :shocked2:

 

[J.D.]

Way to go Roundball. Our local food pantry distributes lots of venison to the needy. Most of the meat comes from DNR shooters who remove "problem deer" from suburban areas, but much of it comes from donations from hunters. :hatsoff:

 

[wtilenw]

I just don't see it getting any better than that. Congratulations on the chance to manage the game population and feed those that need help. Like TG, I too am glad to see you perk up a bit. I don't think I would make very good leggin's or breechclout but I might have to fly down to the Carolina's and drag you out of bed for a hunt. Have a great season.
Idaho PRB

 

[Maynerd62411]

In Illinois, we have a program called Hunters against Hunger. You have to preregister at a nmeat locker, they process for free and the meat is given to various state agencies for distribution. They've been doing that for many years. My neice used to work at a social program agency and always seemed to have a great demand for the deer meat. :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

We have the same thing called 'Hunters for the Hungry'...but they have to be gutted, skinned, and lower sections of legs cut off when delivered to the various drop off points.

Most of my deer hunting is 2 weeks vacation during the rut...and it makes for a very long day if you shoot one right at dark and then have to do all that, drive 100 miles round trip, get home around midnight, clean the rifle, shower, eat, and try to get up again at 4:30am for the next day of vacation...I can't do that.

If this place holds true as I've been told, they just have to be gutted...a few minutes with disposable gloves, some rinse water, paper towels, and deliver it to the cooler right on the route home...I like that

 

[44-henry]

They were doing this in parts of Minnesota and still might be. I do know there was some stir last season when somebody claimed that there was a danger of lead poisioning from consuming ground venison and some local butcher shops quit processing deer over it.

 

[chance]

Great way to promote hunting. Hope you get a bunch.

 

[roundball]

Uhmmm...if this thing really turns out to be as great an opportunity as it sounds maybe the farmer can be encouraged to get the local newspaper to run a little story on his volunteer work for the soup kitchen, and have him keep track of how many were taken with primitive weapons like bow and traditional muzzleloaders, nothing else...and have the reporter include those stats in the article...might be one more way get the word out about traditional muzzleloaders.

 

Here in PA we have a program called "Share the Harvest" through which a hunter can donate part, or all, of their game to a food bank. Personally, and quite frankly, I do not know the details because I have never participated. But it's a good thing to have. I have been reading numerous stories on a site that is dedicated to hunting in PA about numerous cases in which dead deer are found and the "hunter" has only taken choice cuts of the animal and left the remainder to rot. Bad, very, very bad.

 

[roundball]

Here in PA we have a program called "Share the Harvest" through which a hunter can donate part, or all, of their game to a food bank. Personally, and quite frankly, I do not know the details because I have never participated. But it's a good thing to have. I have been reading numerous stories on a site that is dedicated to hunting in PA about numerous cases in which dead deer are found and the "hunter" has only taken choice cuts of the animal and left the remainder to rot. Bad, very, very bad.

If you mean found a dead deer as in a fresh road kill...IMO that's one of those subjects that might have some pros & cons.

On the one hand, should the finder of a fresh road kill automatically be be burdened with the responsibility for the entire deer?
On the other hand should the finder of a fresh road kill be applauded for not letting an entire deer go to waste.

OR...you might be meaning other hunters have come across a killed deer in the woods where a hunter has only taken choice parts...but, there may be pros & cons to that as well.

Where do we draw the line on what's desirable and "should' be used from game animals by "all" people...for example:
Some people like the organ meats of an animal, others do not;
Some think squirrel brains are a delicacey, but to me just the thought is revolting;
Some prefer the hams, straps and tender loins of a deer but not the shoulders...others like the shoulders.
I've read articles in hunting magazines where somebody may have shot an elk or moose a long ways out in the back country and only made enough trips to back-pack the big hind-quarters out.

There is also the consideration that in nature, nothing is ever really wasted...any part of a carcass left behind is food for the next rung on the food chain ladder...eagles, vultures, foxes, crows, possums, etc

Not challenging / debating your comment at all, just tossing out possibilities of other considerations...

 

I mean - hunters are shooting deer and only taking the choice cuts, leaving the remainder to rot. Sorry, I did not word that clearly in my earlier post.

 

[roundball]

Well...it all finally came together today...the individual (who put me onto a farmer who has a big walk in cooler to accept deer donations) and I got together and met at the place, he showed me the ropes, etc. The place with the walkin cooler is owned / operated by a farmer who, along with a few volunteers, process deer donated to them and they deliver the butchered venison to a 'Soup Kitchen' in a nearby town.

The walkin cooler is inside and at one end of a large equipment barn.
It's about 8' x 12' and is kept at 35 degrees.
Has a steel bar across one end with several gambrels, and a drip trough underneath.
Also has a stainless steel shevling unit on one side.

Outside at one end of the barn is a large heavy duty overhead beam and post affair with hoists and gambrels where they hang the deer for skinning...has flood lights mounted around the area for working after dark. All I have to do is gut a deer and deliver to the cooler day or night, and the volunteer group checks every day and handles everything else.

I offered to make a donation to the operation...(they must have an electricity bill)...but he said no, that the Farmer handles everything...said if I'll just donate all the deer that I can that'll be great. So I'll hunt for a nice buck during the rut then start shooting does for the cooler...win-win for everybody and its only a few minutes drive off to the side of my normal route to and from hunting...

 

[Protrucker]

Roundball,
I like that you are donating your deer to a good cause. I have been doing the same thing with "extra" deer the last few years. My kids are grown & on their own now, so we don't need as much any more & I still like to hunt. But, why don't you keep any of the venison for yourself? Don't you or your family like venison?

 

[Mountainman56]

:thumbsup: That's an excellent thing you are doing. Both you and the farmer. :hatsoff:

I wish there was something like that around here but there's nothing within driving distance. I do however have a couple guys who are no longer able to hunt who like venison and I usually manage to get them each one a year.

My wife and I love venison ourselves so there's always one gets packaged for our freezer although the processing and packaging part is getting to be less and less fun every year. :shake:

 

[roundball]

"...why don't you keep any of the venison for yourself? Don't you or your family like venison? ..."

My wife of 41 years made an agreement with me decades ago..."our" agreement went something like this:

"If you'll promise never to bring a dead animal into the house, I'll promise never to cook it for you"

Seemed clear to me.

Did I mention we've been married 41 years ?
:grin:

 

[roundball]

:thumbsup: That's an excellent thing you are doing. Both you and the farmer. :hatsoff:

I wish there was something like that around here but there's nothing within driving distance. I do however have a couple guys who are no longer able to hunt who like venison and I usually manage to get them each one a year.

My wife and I love venison ourselves so there's always one gets packaged for our freezer although the processing and packaging part is getting to be less and less fun every year. :shake:

I want to be clear about this...I love deer hunting, and particularly with Flintlocks...and like to shoot a lot. And I've gutted, skinned, and butchered enough deer to prove my manhood but given a choice would never do another one.

I had that working pretty good for the past 15 years where all I did was shoot them, drag them out to a 'hitch-haul' on the back of my blazer, drive down the road a mile and give them to needy familes...win-win for everybody...didn't even have to gut them. Well, they moved out of the area and I don't get to shoot does anymore because I don't use them and had nobody to give them to.

So I started asking around and this opportunity came up...but the Farmer gets all the credit for this operation...I'm simply donating deer so I can plan to shoot does again...purely a selfish interest from my point of view, although the end result is the same and recipients still benefit.

My contribution will only making the shot, gutting the deer, and the gas to drive it over to the cooler :wink: