Have a successful hunting season? Why not donate some meat to Hunters for the Hungry?

At some point Thursday, most of us will gather with family or friends to share a meal and give thanks for any number of blessings.

A moose is weighed at the Gateway Variety store in Ashland on the first day of the 2017 moose season in Maine. (BDN file photo)

Some, however, just aren’t that fortunate. Getting enough food to put on the table can be a problem year-round, and many of our neighbors struggle in silence.

On Monday, I received a press release from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife that reminded of an important reality: Us hunters often have the ability to help. And there’s a program in place to do just that.

If you’ve had a successful hunt and have more meat than you think you’ll need, why not consider donating a portion of that meat (or all of it, if you’re feeling especially generous) to Hunters for the Hungry?

Through that program, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry makes sure the game meat ends up at food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters affiliated with The Emergency Food Assistance Program, according to the press release.

And think about this: How many times have you gone rummaging through the freezer and found packages of wild game that you’d forgotten even existed? If you’re like me, that’s happened more times than you’d care to admit.

Specifically, Hunters for the Hungry is looking for donations of bear, deer and moose. Road kill donations are also acceptable. The cost of processing the meat are covered by the DACF or the charity that receives the food, and the amount of meat — some, most or all — donated is entirely up to the hunter.

If you’d like to learn more, or find a participating meat cutter near you, call 287-7513. You can also get more information at the Hunters for the Hungry Facebook page.

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.