“Since launching on Thanksgiving Day in 2022, our Hunters Share the Harvest Program has distributed over 60,000 nutritious meals of venison to Massachusetts residents facing food insecurity.
This impactful program allows licensed hunters to donate venison to those in need, while supporting forest conservation by utilizing hunting to manage deer populations.Fittingly, the Share the Harvest Program first launched on Thanksgiving Day 2022.
In its pilot year, more than 3,000 meals were distributed to 378 families through the Food4Vets program. Since then, over 60,000 nutritious meals have been donated to food insecure Massachusetts households. For the 2025 deer hunting season, we’re happy to share that there are now 18 participating processors, making the opportunity for hunters to donate deer more accessible than ever. We’ve also expanded to over 25 food distribution partners across the state.
MassWildlife’s Connecticut Valley Stewardship Specialist, Jen, dropping off donated venison to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Mass.gov photo.…