2026 Archery Season Is Here — Make This Deer Season Count

The bows are tuned.

Broadheads are sharp.

Stands have been checked, shooting lanes trimmed, trail cameras watched a few too many times, and hunters across Michigan are counting down the final days until archery season opens.

This is the time of year we wait for.

Cool mornings. Changing leaves. That first walk into the woods in the dark. The sound of squirrels convincing you that a buck is coming from every direction.

And finally, on October 1, we get to do it again.

At Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger, we’re hunters too. We understand the excitement because we’re feeling it right along with you.

And as we get ready for another deer season, we’re asking hunters across Michigan to consider adding one more thing to their plans this fall:

Donate a deer and help feed your neighbors.

A Successful Hunt Can Mean Even More

For most of us, hunting has always been about more than filling a tag.

It is time outdoors.

It is tradition.

It is conservation.

It is providing food for our families.

And through deer donation, it can also mean providing high-quality venison to families right here in Michigan.

A donated deer can provide more than 140 meals.

That means one successful morning in the woods can have an impact long after the hunt is over.

A deer harvested in a Michigan field or woodlot can be processed nearby and turned into meals for people in communities not far from where that deer was taken.

That local connection is at the heart of what we do.

Donating a Whole Deer Is Free to the Hunter

Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger works with participating processors across the state to turn donated deer into professionally processed ground venison.

If you donate a whole deer through a participating MSAH processor, there is no processing cost to you.

You provide the deer.

A local processor provides the skill and labor.

MSAH and our supporters help fund the processing.

And the finished venison moves into local hunger-relief organizations serving Michigan families.

It is a simple system, but it works because people in the same communities come together around it.

Hunters. Processors. Donors. Food pantries. Volunteers.

Each plays a part in moving good food from the woods to a neighbor’s table.

Make the Decision Before the Hunt

Opening morning has a way of making everything else disappear.

You’re watching the wind.

Checking the trail.

Listening for footsteps.

Thinking about the buck you have on camera or whether that doe is finally going to step into range.

That is not the best time to start figuring out where to donate a deer.

Before the season starts, take a few minutes to find a participating MSAH processor near where you hunt.

Save the processor’s information in your phone.

Know where you’re headed after the hunt.

And if you already have enough venison in the freezer—or you simply want this season to mean a little more—make the decision now that your next deer could help feed someone nearby.

A Few Things to Know Before You Head Out

Hunters donating deer should follow all current Michigan hunting and harvest-reporting requirements.

Successful hunters must properly tag and report their deer according to Michigan DNR regulations, and donated deer should be properly field dressed before being taken to a processor.

Processing capacity can also vary during the season, especially during busy periods, so it is always a good idea to contact the processor before heading over.

Depending on where a deer is harvested, additional disease-testing requirements may also apply.

A little preparation before the hunt can make the donation process easy when the moment comes.

Hunters Have Always Taken Care of Their Communities

Michigan hunters have a long history of giving back.

We fund conservation.

We help manage wildlife populations.

We share venison with friends and family.

We support local processors and small businesses.

We volunteer in our communities.

And every fall, hunters donate deer that become thousands of meals for people throughout Michigan.

That is one of the things that makes this program special.

The deer comes from here.

The processor is here.

The food stays here.

And the impact is felt by Michigan families.

So as you pack the truck, check your bow one last time and start thinking about that first sit of the season, consider making deer donation part of your plans.

Maybe it is an extra doe.

Maybe your freezer is already full.

Maybe you simply want one of your hunts this year to do something bigger.

Whatever the reason, we would be honored to help turn your harvest into meals for people in your community.

Good Luck This Season

From all of us at Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger:

Good luck. Hunt safe. Enjoy every minute of it.

We hope you see the deer you’ve been watching all summer.

We hope the wind cooperates.

We hope the shot is true.

And if you decide to donate a deer this season, know that your harvest will stay part of something local.

A Michigan hunter.

A Michigan processor.

A Michigan food pantry.

A Michigan family.

That is what this program is all about.

Find a Participating Processor

Before you head to the woods, find a Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger processor near where you hunt and save the information for later.

Find a Processor:
https://sportsmenagainsthunger.org/hunters/find-a-processor/

Not Hunting This Season?

You can still be part of the effort.

Financial donations help MSAH reimburse participating processors and keep whole-deer donation free for Michigan hunters while supporting food distribution in communities across the state.

Support Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger:
https://sportsmenagainsthunger.org/donate/