(Area) Hunters that harvest a deer this fall have multiple options on how or where to donate the meat.
The Iowa Deer Exchange is a new program to help connect hunters with those in need. Bryan Hays with the Iowa DNR explains, “It hooks up hunters willing to provide venison to Iowans who indicate they are interested in receiving venison. So the Iowa Deer exchange is new. We have 60 signed up that are willing to provide deer and 350 Iowans that have indicated they are interested in receiving deer.”
To sign up for the Iowa Deer Exchange, log on to IowaDNR.gov. Still in existence is the HUSH program which stands for help us stop hunger. “It allows hunters to donate the deer that they’ve harvested to that program. The HUSH Program is a partnership between the Iowa DNR, the Food Bank of Iowa, and then participating lockers.”
Some of the participating lockers include: Zeb’s Smokehouse (Bedford), Yetter Locker (Yetter), Mike’s (Carroll), and Dahl’s Custom Meat Locker (Bagley).
