A partnership between Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Montana Food Bank Network, allows hunters to donate a portion or all of their legally harvested big game animals to be processed free of charge. The meat is then provided directly to a local food pantry in the area.
Since its inception in 2014, over 373,464 pounds of meat has been donated through the program and distributed to Montanans experiencing food insecurity through 29 local food pantry sites. Meat is extremely expensive for food pantries to provide yet, a highly nutritious resource for their clients. “When people walk in and see that we have a freezer full of wild game, they light up.” Shared Susan and Jay Wood, Co-Founders of Southwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry and Services, about the impact of the program.
Participation by local meat processors and hunters are the keys to success for this growing program. Big game donations (deer, elk, antelope, moose and wild buffalo) can only be accepted as part of the program by authorized participating meat processors set up around the state. Only legally harvested or confiscated big game animals can be donated – no road kill can be donated. A full list of authorized processors can be found at Montana Food Bank Network website at mfbn.org/hunters-against-hunger/ and participating processors get reimbursed up to $3.00 per pound for finished product.
To offset the cost of processing, hunters purchasing a Montana hunting license are given the opportunity to make a monetary donation to this program. Additional donations to the program are being accepted by Montana Food Bank Network.
For further information on the Hunters Against Hunger program, contact MFBN’s Programs Coordinator, Cyrus Turbak at 406-215-1772, cturbak@mfbn.org
Author: Staff
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