Hunters Can Donate Deer to Help Others Give Thanks

TENNESSEE (November 2) – Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Hunters for the Hungry program is encouraging hunters to donate their deer to help feed those in need this Thanksgiving season.

Hunters can find a participating processor near them at tnwf.org/processors.

When hunters donate their harvest, the venison is processed and then provided to local hunger-relief organizations. One deer provides 168 meals.

Hunters for the Hungry relies on more than 60 processors statewide to process donations from generous hunters.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services awarded Hunters for the Hungry $160,000 through the Tennessee Community CARES Program for our work to aid food insecure populations who have been particularly vulnerable because of Covid-19. This project is funded under a grant contract with the State of Tennessee and funds are being used to cover processing fees for hunters, provide extra freezer space so processors can store all of the donations they receive, and more.

Currently, hunters can drop off a whole deer donation at no cost to them. Each year, Hunters for the Hungry covers tens of thousands of dollars in processing fees for donations. If deer donations surpass available funding for this season, hunters can pay a reduced, $50 processing fee or redeem a Deer Coin.

Locally, deer hunters can drop off a donation to be processed at the following locations:

Birdwell Deer Processing, 393 Airport Rd., Greenfield, 731-235-0320;

Kauffman's Processing, 2010 Hwy. 140 N, Cottage Grove, 731-782-3368;

Fisher Bros., 205 Shiloh Rd., Bradford, 731-742-6328 and

Henry County Sheriff's Department, 210 Forrest Heights, Paris, 731-642-1672.

For more information about Hunters for the Hungry, visit tnwf.org/HuntersForTheHungry.