Sponsored statewide by Bass Pro Shops, Shelter Insurance, The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, the Safari Club International, Whitetails Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation and the JB Reynolds Foundation of Kansas City Conservation Federation of Missouri, the program has distributed tons of donated venison to thousands of people all over Missouri during the past 16 years. Last year, charities in Missouri received more than 260,000 pounds of venison to feed hungry people.

“The benefits of this program are almost incalculable," said Conservation Federation Director Dave Murphy. “The obvious benefit is putting more than a million servings of high-protein, low-fat meet on needy people’s plates. What is not as obvious is all the crop damage, traffic accidents and human injuries that have been prevented by keeping growth of our state’s deer herd in check.”

Bass Pro Shops is the Greene County sponsor also and works with J&L Custom Processing in Walnut Grove and Turner Meat Processing in Fair Grove for the processing of deer in the local Share the Harvest program. Bass Pro Shops then picks up the processed venison and delivers it to Crosslines who allocates it to those in need according to supply.

Hunters can donate as much of their deer as they like at approved processing plants.  They have to pay any processing fees. If they donate the entire deer to the program, the hunter’s bill is automatically reduced by $40.  Information on the program is available at each processing plant, online at www.missouriconservation.org/hunt/deer/share/, or contacting the Conservation Federation at (573) 634-2322.

 “This great program would not be possible without the generosity of Ozarks deer hunters,” said Bass Pro Shops Corporate Public Relations Manager and local coordinator Larry Whiteley. “They spend a lot of time and money in pursuit of the Ozarks whitetail deer and then to turn around and donate all or part of their venison to those less fortunate than themselves is truly exceptional.”

Deer hunting seasons and regulations are available at http://www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/deer/