Indiana Deer Hunters provide hunger relief

Friday, July 15, 2016

Indiana Conservation Officers have received the 2015-16 final tally of meals provided by Indiana Deer Hunters for hunger relief through the Sportsmen's Benevolent Fund.

During the 2015-16 Indiana deer season, hunters donated 1,333 deer to assist hungry Hoosiers.

Those donations were coordinated through an effort of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, Indiana Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry and the Dubois County Sportsmen's Club. Each of the organizations was provided a DNR Law Enforcement Division grant that permitted them to coordinate with licensed deer processors.

The venison was ground by the processors into two-pound packages of burger. The burger was then collected by food banks and distributed as needed to feed families across the state.

Some 67,339 pounds of venison was distributed at a cost of $1.27 per pound. An estimated 269,356 meals were provided at the cost of 31.7 cents per meal.

"The Sportsmen's Benevolent Fund is one of many DNR Law Enforcement programs that I am proud to be a part of," Danny L. East, DNR Law Enforcement director, said. "The Law Enforcement Division continues to work on ways to assist our citizens across our state and we say thank you to all the deer hunters who contributed to this effort."

The Sportsmen Benevolent Fund was begun by State Sen. Mike Crider in 2008 when he sat as the Law Enforcement Division director. The program became publicly funded in 2013 through a bill that was introduced by Sens. Crider and Brent Steele.

"This program gives our Indiana deer hunters additional purpose to enjoy the outdoors and harvest a deer to assist our citizens in need," Sen. Crider said. "Our deer population is managed well, our hunters are provided with more opportunity and our citizens are provided very high-protein meals for nourishment, it seems like a win-win-win situation for all of us."

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