DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — The state has a program that lets hunters donate venison to local food pantries and with government funding cuts to some food assistance programs, that meat is helping fill a growing gap.
The Wisconsin DNR's Deer Donation Program has been around since the early 2000s.
We spoke with a local food pantry to learn more about the program and how hunters can get involved, watch below:
"Well, a program like this is really very important to the food pantries and to our families," Sandi Soik, Director of Lakeshore CAP said.
With USDA funding cuts, Soik says venison donations are more important than ever.
"In October of 2024, we received 28 cases of meat through the USDA." She said. "This morning, I just received our order form and we are going to receive 11 cases so this is going to be a huge help for us."
Over the past three decades, hunters across Wisconsin have donated more than 100,000 deer which has been processed into over 4 million pounds of venison.
"We've received everywhere from 900 pounds last year, I think we received 600 pounds of venison," Soik said.
Hunter Dick Baudhuin has been donating his venison since the program started.
"There's a shortage of high-protein meats to the food pantry," Dick Baudhuin, said.
He hunts during both bow and gun seasons not just for sport, but to help control the growing deer population.
"I keep one deer a year for myself, and the rest I take to the food pantry," Baudhuin said.
Over the years, he says he’s donated between 50 and 60 deer, averaging five to eight each season.
The Door County Food Pantry Coalition says hunters can donate as many deer as they’re legally allowed to harvest, as long as they have the proper tags.
The coalition, which helps distribute the venison, accepts donations throughout the entire hunting season, from September through January.
