Staff Reports
You and your family love to hunt deer. You're good at bagging those trophies, but you really don't need the meat.
Share the Harvest program offers a solution for the woodsmen and those who would benefit from having the high protein meat. The program is administered by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Last year, hunters donated 289,292 pounds of venison to food pantries and nutrition centers.
Meat processors must be licensed by the Conservation Department to process the deer. The federation suggests checking with local processors to see if funds are available to help cover the full cost.
At Elderland Meats it costs the hunter nothing to donate deer to Share the Harvest. Elderland Meats, located in southern Bollinger County, south of Zalma and 12 miles north of Puxico, is an approved site and accepts whatever reimbursement the Conservation Federation of Missouri provides as payment in full for processing the deer.
The deer are deboned, ground and packaged in one pound packages. A Missouri Department of Conservation officer picks up the meat and distributes it.
Deer processed by Elderland Meats is distributed in Bollinger, Stoddard and Wayne counties.
Ozark Meats in Grandin and Piedmont Processors in Piedmont also participate in Share the Harvest.
Elderland Meats will be open each day during the regular firearms season, from 8 a.m.- 7 p.m. Nov. 10-20, and the late youth season, Nov. 23-25. You can arrange to check deer in at other times during the rest of the deer seasons (archery, antlerless, alternative methods and managed deer hunts. If you like to hunt, but don't need the meat share the harvest.
Contributing funds to pay the expenses for Share the Harvest are Conservation Federation of Missouri, Shelton Insurance, Bass Pro, Missouri White Tails Unlimited, Drury Hotels, National Wild Turkey Federation, Midway USA and others.