Michigan hunters donate deer parts to schools and shelters

Michigan’s Hunters Feeding Michigan program donated more than 560,000 servings of venison to food banks last year and has expanded to provide deer hearts for anatomy classes and deerskin gloves to shelters.

Michigan hunters are donating harvested deer through the state’s Hunters Feeding Michigan program to support food banks, hands-on education and shelter supplies. The program, run through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, connects hunters with processors so donated animals can be fully used. The program reached a recent milestone and is expanding to use all parts of the animal for community benefit. Key facts: - Hunters Feeding Michigan reported more than 560,000 servings of venison were donated to Michigan food banks last year. - Since 2007 the program has contributed more than 3.4 million servings of ground venison statewide. - The program is expanding beyond ground meat to provide deer hearts for anatomy lessons at the Potter Park Zoo Animal Science and Zoo Management program, which serves students from 15 schools across four counties. - Select processors worked with hunters to collect hearts for classroom dissections, and the DNR plans to expand the project to other classrooms in the state. - Hunters Feeding Michigan partnered with Grand Rapids Hide Co. to make insulated deerskin gloves; five dozen pairs were delivered to the Shelter of Flint and the DNR received 12 dozen pairs, with seven dozen earmarked for shelters elsewhere. Summary: The program’s expanded use of donated deer supports food assistance, educational experiences and shelter supplies across Michigan. The Department of Natural Resources says it will expand the classroom heart program and finalize distribution plans for remaining gloves, with further allocations undetermined at this time.