COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is partnering with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to support local food banks with donated venison. With a $30,000 grant from the Division of Wildlife, FHFH and participating processors donate harvested white-tailed deer to charitable organizations throughout Ohio.
Hunters who harvest a deer and would like to donate the venison can bring it to one of 34 certified deer processing shops in Ohio. Each donated deer is provided to a verified charitable organization that offers food assistance. One harvested deer yields approximately 50 pounds of venison, which equates to about 200 meals.
Find the complete list of processors accepting donations of harvested deer at feedingthehungry.org. Hunters who donate their harvested deer are not required to pay for the processing of the venison.
During the 2023-24 deer hunting season, FHFH coordinated the processing of 1,157 deer donated by Ohio hunters. Seventy-nine charitable organizations then distributed the venison.
Ohio’s deer archery hunting season is open until Feb. 2. Statewide gun seasons are Dec. 2-8, and again Dec. 21-22. The muzzleloader season is from Jan. 4-7. Hunting licenses and deer permits are available on the HuntFish OH app, at wildohio.gov or at any license vendor.
