Processing Certificates Make Deer Meat Donations Easier
SD Game, Fish & Parks News Release
August 28, 2006

A new program instituted this year will make it easier for South Dakota hunters to donate game to the needy.

Deer hunters will be eligible for a $30 certificate to assist in paying the costs of processing a donated antlerless deer. Funding for the certificates has been made available through a combination of donations and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department license revenue.

“Everyone wins with this program,” said Jeff Olson, Rapid City, president of South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger and a member of the GFP Commission. “Hunters win because they don’t have to bear the full cost of processing. Landowners win because of the likelihood of fewer depredation problems from a smaller deer population. And, best of all, more hungry people in South Dakota are going to get nutritious meals of venison.”

The processing certificates are available to hunters with Black Hills, West River and East River deer licenses. Certificates can be ordered online at http://apps.sd.gove/applications/GF79SAHEntryForm.aspx. Hunters without Internet access can order the certificates through a friend or relative who has Internet access or get help with the process at a GFP office.

Each hunter may have and use up to four certificates. Only one certificate can be used for the processing of each donated antlerless deer. Hunters should note that the cost of processing may be more than $30 and they should contact processors directly to learn the total cost of donating deer to the program.

A list of processors who will accept the certificates is available on the GFP Web site. As more processors commit to participate in the program, they will be added to the list. This information is also available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 456-2758.

Last year hunters in South Dakota donated almost 39,000 pounds of meat to the program, providing meat to families in need for 156,000 meals. “Hunting is a sport steeped in tradition,” Olson said, “and giving to the less fortunate is one of the most noble of those traditions.”

Tax-deductible donations to the program may be made to South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger, P.O. Box 1172, Pierre, SD 57501. Hunters can also make tax-deductible donations by using a check-off provision available on both online and paper applications for hunting licenses.

To learn more about Sportsmen Against Hunger, go to the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info, hold the cursor over the subhead “Get Involved” and click on the link to “Sportsmen Against Hunger.”