(INDIANAPOLIS) – Indiana deer hunters are being encouraged to donate the deer they harvest to help feed Hoosiers in need.

Colonel Steve Hunter, Director of Indiana DNR Law Enforcement says venison harvested through hunting is an important source of nourishment for Hoosier families. He says through Hunt for Hunger, hunters can donate a deer and expand that generous impact to even more Hoosiers in need across the state.

Hunt for Hunger, a program administered by the DNR Division of Law Enforcement, provides grants to the division’s nonprofit partners, including Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, the Dubois County Sportsmen Club, and Hunters and Farmers Feeding the Hungry, to pay for meat processing fees when hunters donate legally harvested deer.

Hunters can enjoy the deer hunting experience, and if they harvest a deer they can drop off the field dressed deer at a local participating processer. The processing fees are paid for by Hunt for Hunger.

The processor then creates healthy venison burger to distribute to food banks.

More than 500,000 pounds of venison have been donated by Hoosier hunters since the program’s inception in 2008.

To find a participating processor near you, simply go to the Indiana DNR website and search for Hunt For Hunger.