Hunters share their harvest with local food shelters
DALLAS, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It’s officially open season for deer in Pennsylvania as Saturday, November 25 marked the start of rifle deer season.
As local hunters take their annual trek into the woods, there’s a way they can give back to those in need.
For many, the season is finally here to get their first taste of venison, but for those hunters out there who don’t like to eat their kill or have more than enough to go around, they have the option to donate it to local food shelters.
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It’s go time at Wren’s Taxidermy and Deer Processing in Dallas as workers are busy skinning, butchering, and processing wild game with Saturday’s start of rifle deer season.
Many hunters come to taxidermies like wrens to turn their kill into kielbasa, jerky, and deerketta.
But there’s also the option of donating it through Pennsylvania’s Venison Donation Program called “Hunters Sharing the Harvest.”
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“There’s a lot of guys that could only eat one deer a year. It’s all that their family wants. So they go out and hunt and they are going to donate it and that’s a great thing to do,” said Lance Wren, the owner of Wren’s Taxidermy and Deer Processing.
The process is easy and free.
When you come in with your deer, you fill out a slip with your information, and if you would like to donate the whole deer or a portion of it.
Wren then processes the meat, freezes it until the end of the season, and donates it to Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank and local soup kitchens.
One hunter made a first-time donation of deer steaks on Saturday.
“It’s very awesome. When I found out about it I was just like it’s great. It’s a great opportunity and I decided hey let’s do it. Let’s donate a portion of the meat, something for a good cause,” said Marcus Floro, a hunter from Maryland.
Over the past few years, Wrens has seen an increase in donations from eight to 10 to now 50.
One reason may be hunters are able to make multiple kills a season in some parts of Pennsylvania.
“Some areas you are allowed to get up to six doe tags and that’s a lot of meat for one family and what better to do with it than donate it, said Andrew Christman of Wren’s Taxidermy and Deer Processing.
If you do plan to donate, make sure you have an ethical kill.
“You want to shoot them behind the front shoulder, you know aim for the heart and the lungs and do a good job at gutting it. I would just prepare it like you are preparing your own deer,” Christman added.
Even though the season has just begun, it’s already inspiring hunters to become donors.
“You get a good feeling when you do stuff for people. I might go shoot a doe just to donate it,” said Drew Mamry of Wilkes-Barre.
Wren says he expects hunters will donate more than 1,000 pounds of deer meat through his business this season. Wren also advises hunters if they decide to donate through his taxidermy, just show up and bring their deer.
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