Hunt for the Hungry > Wisconsin Statewide Deer Donation

The 2007 Final Report

Hello all!

Once again deer hunters have shared their bountiful harvest with hungry families across the state.

For the 2007 season, hunters donated 9,200 deer to food pantries. Our large network of 126 processors in 52 counties butchered and ground the venison into over 414,000 pounds of packaged venison. As you may recall, last year's record was nearly 12,000 deer with about 10,000 coming from the non-CWD or out-state area. So, despite losing the funding for the CWD Zone pantry program in the southern part of the state, we still had a great turnout this season!

Buffalo County hunters donated the most this season with 797 donated deer. Hunters in Trempealeau County weren't far behind with 693 donated deer. Waupaca - 430, Fond du Lac - 384 and St. Croix - 368, finished out the top 5 counties.

Since the fall hunting season of 2000, hunters have donated over 63,200 deer which have provided over 2.8 million pounds of venison to needy people across the state. A large network of volunteers including sports groups, church groups, civic organizations and food pantry staff work together to distribute the meat from the processor to the food pantries. USDA – Wildlife Services staff, Dept. of Natural Resources staff and county wildlife damage staff also help administer the program. Hunt For The Hungry, headed by Lee Dudek of northeast Wisconsin, is also a strong partner in the Wisconsin Deer Donation 2007 program. Many, many thanks to all of these folks too! We couldn't run a program on this scale without you! From conversations I've had with other states' resource agencies and sports groups nation-wide, it is very evident that we have a deer donation program second to none.

Special thanks also go to our great frontline staff who spent countless hours answering questions and directing hunters to their nearest processor.

Attached are this season's tally and also our historical tally. Thank you all for a job well done!

<<WDD07Tally.xls>>
Laurie Fike
Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program Specialist WM/6
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Bureau of Wildlife Management
PO Box 7921 Madison WI 53707-7921
(() phone:      (608) 267-7974
(() fax:        (608) 267-7857
(+) e-mail:     laurie.fike@wisconsin.gov

The 2006 Final Report

The Wisconsin Deer Donation Statewide Program is entering it's 8th season in 2007. The Hunt For The Hungry program was used as a model to help establish the statewide program.

During the first 7 years of the statewide program, nearly 54,000 deer were donated, producing close to 2,400,000 pounds of ground venison for needy families. The Wisconsin program ranks as one of the largest deer donation programs in the country.

If you are looking for additional drop off sites and venison processors in other parts of Wisconsin, or would like to learn more about the history and progress of the statewide deer donation program, go to the following website for more details;

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/damage/donation/mainindex.htm

For a complete list of deer donation drop off sites in Northeast Wisconsin, CLICK HERE

2006 Report

Hello all,

We've finally got all the numbers in and I'm proud to announce we have a new record for deer donation in Wisconsin!

In 2006 hunters donated 11,845 deer to food pantries and 143 processors in 59 counties processed and packaged these deer into over 533,000 pounds of ground venison for needy people across the state!

This record year again reflects the tremendous efforts of thousands of hunters who harvested extra deer to help feed hungry people and help reduce the deer herd. Our hats are off to these caring hunters!

Since the fall hunting season of 2000, hunters have donated over 54,000 deer which have provided over 2.4 million pounds of ground venison to needy families. A large network of volunteers including sports groups, church groups, civic organizations and food pantry staff work together to distribute the meat from the processor to the food pantries. USDA – Wildlife Services staff, Dept. of Natural Resources staff and county wildlife damage staff also help administer the program. Hunt For The Hungry, headed by Lee Dudek of northeast Wisconsin is also a strong partner in the Wisconsin Deer Donation 2006 program. Many, many thanks to all of these folks too! We couldn't run a program on this scale without you!

Special thanks also go to our great frontline staff who spent countless hours answering questions and directing hunters to their nearest processor.

Thank you all for a job well done!

<<WDD06NRT011907.xls>>

Laurie Fike
Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program WM/6
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921 Madison WI 53707-7921
(() phone:      (608) 267-7974
(() fax:        (608) 267-7857
(+) e-mail:     laurie.fike@wisconsin.gov
Please note change in email address -^

2005 Report

Hello all,

All the final numbers are in and the Wisconsin Deer Donation 2005 program netted 7,201 deer, about one third less than our 2004 record year of 10,938. Johnson's Sausage Shoppe in Rio led the processing effort with 310 deer. Pat's Country Market of Arcadia followed with 243 deer and Cedar Creek Meats of Appleton handled 195 deer.

All told, 130 processors in 58 counties boned, ground and packaged over 324,000 pounds of venison to help feed needy people across the state. In 6 years of the statewide deer donation program hunters have donated over 1,900,000 pounds of venison.

Thanks to all of you, who helped make this program a continuing success!

<<WDD05ProcessorTally3.doc>>

Laurie Fike
Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program WM/6
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921 Madison WI 53707-7921
(() phone:      (608) 267-7974
(() fax:        (608) 267-7857
(+) e-mail:     laurie.fike@dnr.state.wi.us

2004 Reports

THE REPORT FROM THE STATEWIDE WISCONSIN DEER DONATION PROGRAM AS OF 12-7-04;

Hello,

Wisconsin hunters have set a new record for the Wisconsin Deer Donation 2004 program! To date, hunters have generously donated 10,152 deer to help needy families and reduce the deer herd. This means over 450,000 pounds of ground venison will help feed hungry people in Wisconsin this winter. And it's not over yet. With a little over 3 weeks to go hunters may still enjoy the late season archery hunt and the T Zone and Earn-A-Buck antlerless only gun hunt in deer management units south of Highway 8. The late season antlerless only gun hunt starts Thursday, November 9 and runs through the end of shooting hours on Sunday, November 12. Processors will continue to accept donated deer through December 31.

This season 53 counties and 119 processors combined efforts to turn hunter donations into ground venison and deliver it to food pantries. Countless volunteers from civic and church groups, sports clubs and northeast Wisconsin's Hunt For The Hungry spent many hours picking up meat from processors and dropping it off at local food pantries. Staff from many county wildlife damage programs and Laurie Koeck and Pam Engstrom of USDA Wildlife Services also helped keep the growing program running smoothly.

Andy Birch, Marinette County Wildlife Damage Technician, said, "I can't stress enough the positive feedback I receive from pantries, hunters, and especially WDACP Crop Damage tag holders. The farmers here, with a few exceptions, are very, very pleased that they have facilities available to them to drop off damage permit deer." Marinette County hunters have already donated 361 deer.

The two Columbia County processors, D & G Custom Meats of Poynette and Johnson's Sausage Shoppe of Rio have been scrambling to cut up and grind the nearly 1,000 deer that have come in between the two. Trempealeau County hunters have also been keeping 3 processors there very busy with 645 deer.

It's been a tremendous season for hunters and hungry people. Thank you all for your help!

Laurie Fike
Wildlife Damage Abatement & Claims Program WM/6
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
101 S Webster St
PO Box 7921
Madison WI 53707-7921
608-267-7974 fax 608-267-7857
web: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/damage/

THE FINAL REPORT ON THE STATEWIDE DEER DONATION PROGRAM AS OF 1-11-05;

Hello all,

We have a new record for deer donation in Wisconsin for 2004! Hunters provided nearly 500,000 pounds of venison for food pantries by donating 10,938 deer to feed needy people across the state. A huge network of volunteers partnered with DNR, USDA Wildlife Services, Hunt For The Hungry, 53 participating counties and 121 processors to make this program a big success.

The record number of donated deer means many food pantries will be distributing venison throughout winter and into the spring. Pantries around the state continue to report high demand for the ground venison and were very pleased with hunters' efforts in 2004.

Chris Johnson and his crew at Johnson's Sausage Shoppe in Rio led the state by processing 639 deer. Al Feucht and staff at Brandon Meats & Sausage in Brandon handled 426 deer and Bill Stuesser and staff at Cedar Creek Meats in Appleton handled 366 deer. There were many processors who processed 100 to 200 deer for the program.

Thank you all for helping make the 2004 program such a success!

<<WDD04ProcessorTableFinalTally.doc>>

THANK YOU and GOOD HUNTING!