Officials with Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry urge hunters to donate any deer they harvest to local food banks this season. In Rowan County, two meat processors participate in the program, Sugarloaf Mountain Meats & Processing and Whitetail Deer Processing. Deer hunting season with modern guns is from November 11 to 26. Bow and archery season lasts until mid-January of 2024.
Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry is a non-profit statewide hunger relief organization focused on providing healthy protein to needy Kentuckians. Roger LaPointe is the Executive Director of Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry, he said 2,316 deer were donated last year.
“It’s really, really been growing, and we hope to grow it more. The needs there and the deer are there. We’re very well blessed with deer in Kentucky, so we’ve got the funding we just need hunters to donate deer,” said LaPointe.
Lapointe added that a lot of vegetables and junk food get donated to food banks, but the highest need is for protein.
“Protein is one thing that’s hard to come by, and we fit that need. That little niche there, we’re able to provide protein to the food banks,” said LaPointe.
More than 60 meat processors across the state participate in the program. LaPointe said processors can get busy, so it’s best to call ahead and make sure they can take the animal. Donation sites can be found at kyhuntersforthehungry.info