ODNR’s Deer Donation Program Aids Ohio Food Pantries in December ��

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is running a Deer Donation Program this December, accepting harvested white-tailed deer at select locations to support local food pantries. The program runs on specific donation days—December 1, 2, 6, and 7—with staff available at drop-off sites to assist hunters. Donated deer are processed and the venison is distributed to food pantries in the donors’ communities to help feed families in need.

The donated deer must be properly tagged and game-checked, and donations count toward hunters’ bag limits. ODNR partners with the Ohio Penal Industries’ meat processing facility at the Pickaway Correctional Institution to handle processing and packaging. The Mid-Ohio Food Collective and the Ohio Association of Foodbanks then distribute the venison, with one deer providing up to 200 meals. Drop-off locations include Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area, Delaware Wildlife Area Shooting Range, Big Island Wildlife Area, Hebron State Fish Hatchery, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

This initiative aligns with ongoing harvest seasons, including youth deer hunting and statewide gun seasons, encouraging hunters to contribute to their local communities. The program exemplifies a practical way hunters can support food security by turning their harvest into vital nutrition for those facing food shortages in Ohio.

ODNR’s Deer Donation Program provides an effective and well-organized avenue for community support through sustainable hunting practices and charitable distribution of venison to local food pantries.