Deer hunters donate 72,000 pounds of venison to food banks, charities during 2006-07 Deer Season

SPRINGFIELD - Deer hunters in Illinois donated more than 72,000 pounds of venison to the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger (ISAH) Program during the 2006-07 deer season, providing more than 280,000 meals to needy people in the state. 

Since its inception in 1989, ISAH has received donations of more than 359,000 pounds of venison thanks to the generosity of deer hunters in the state.  The program allows hunters to donate deer they harvest to provide venison for distribution to food banks, food pantries and charitable organizations during the autumn and early winter deer seasons each year.

"We salute the hunters and meat processors in the state who participate in the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger program for their generosity and their commitment to helping needy families," said Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Acting Director Sam Flood.  "Nearly 1.4 million meals have been provided over the years because hunters and other donors to the program have been willing to help."

The IDNR and the Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) allow hunters to donate deer through participating meat processors and encourage hunters and others to make tax-deductible $50 contributions through the ICF to help cover the cost of processing the deer meat.

Monetary donations to Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger can be made to the Illinois Conservation Foundation, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271. The funds help cover the costs of processing venison by nearly 50 participating meat processors throughout the state.

A list of meat processors handling venison for the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger Program is available on the IDNR web site at http://dnr.state.il.us/legislation/isah/.

For further information about Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger, contact Tracy Shafer, Program Coordinator, at 217/785-5091 or by e-mail at Tracy.Shafer@Illinois.gov.