Already Have Enough Venison? Your Next Doe Can Still Make a Difference

For many deer hunters, filling the freezer is one of the biggest rewards of a successful season.

But what happens when your freezer is already full?

You don’t necessarily have to stop hunting.

Your next doe could help feed Michigan families while also allowing you to continue enjoying time in the woods and participating in responsible deer management.

A Full Freezer Doesn’t Have to End Your Season

Maybe you’ve already harvested enough venison for your family.

Maybe you still have meat left from last season.

Or maybe you simply don’t have room for another deer.

Whatever the reason, Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger provides another option: donate your next deer.

Hunters can donate a legally harvested deer through a participating MSAH processor. The venison is professionally processed and distributed through food banks, food pantries, and other charitable organizations serving Michigan communities.

That means another successful hunt doesn’t have to mean squeezing more packages into an already crowded freezer.

It can mean putting food on someone else’s table.

Turn Another Doe Into Approximately 160 Servings

A typical donated deer provides approximately 40 pounds of ground venison — about 160 servings.

Think about that for a moment.

One afternoon in the deer stand.

One legally harvested doe.

Approximately 160 servings of lean protein for people in Michigan communities.

For a hunter who already has enough venison at home, that can give the next hunt an entirely different purpose.

Hunting Can Serve More Than One Purpose

Deer hunting has always been about more than filling a tag.

It’s about conservation, wildlife management, tradition, time outdoors, and providing food.

Donating a deer adds another element: helping your neighbors.

Instead of asking:

“Do I really need another deer?”

Consider asking:

“Could someone else use this deer?”

Through Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger, the answer may very well be yes.

Make the Decision Before You Hunt

The easiest time to decide whether you’ll donate a deer isn’t after you’ve harvested one.

It’s before you climb into the stand.

If your freezer is already full—or you expect it will be soon—find a participating processor near where you hunt and make a donation plan ahead of time.

Find a participating MSAH processor near you and call before your hunt to confirm hours, capacity, and drop-off instructions.

Then, when the opportunity presents itself, you’ll already know where that deer can go.

Can’t Donate a Deer? You Can Still Help

Hunters aren’t the only people who make deer donation possible.

Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger helps cover the cost of processing donated deer so that venison can reach food banks, pantries, and families across Michigan.

If you can’t donate a deer—or simply want to help us turn even more donated deer into meals—you can support the program with a financial contribution.

Donate to Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger through Pledge.to

One-time and monthly gifts help us pay participating processors and keep donated venison moving from Michigan’s woods to Michigan families.

Your Freezer May Be Full. The Need Isn’t.

Once you’ve put enough venison away for your own family, consider making your next harvest about another family.

Keep hunting.

Help manage Michigan’s deer herd.

And turn your next doe into meals for people who can use them.

Already have enough venison? Make your next deer a donation.

Find a participating processor near you.

Not hunting or want to do even more?

Make a one-time or monthly donation to Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger.