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Wisconsin's Deer Donation Program

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Deer Donation Program

Are you looking for a place to donate a deer near you? This list gets updated throughout the season, so check out the Processor and Pantry list to see if a drop-off location is available in your area. 

Hunters can help Wisconsinites in need by donating deer harvested in Wisconsin through the DNR's deer donation program.

Venison from donated deer is processed and distributed to food pantries across the state. Since the program began in 2000, hunters have donated over 100,000 deer, which were processed into over four million pounds of ground venison.

Wisconsin has a network of venison donation partners, including county land and water conservation departments, food pantries, charitable organizations, Hunt for the Hungry, USDA - Wildlife Services and participating processors, who help implement and administer the program.

HOW TO DONATE YOUR WISCONSIN DEER

Hunters can donate any deer harvested legally in Wisconsin. Deer harvested outside Wisconsin cannot be donated. Deer harvested in a listed county affected by chronic wasting disease (CWD) must be tested for CWD before or at the time of donation (see below). 

  1. Field dress your deer. Please handle the carcass as if it were destined for your table. A couple of bags of ice placed in the cavity will help preserve the carcass in warm weather.
  2. Register your deer. Make a note of your registration confirmation number, which you'll need later. If your deer was harvested from one of the CWD-affected counties, please ensure you completed the required CWD testing before donating.
  3. Call ahead! Contact one of the participating processors before dropping off your deer to ensure they have space to accept it. More processors may be added later in the season, so check back if you don't see one currently in your area.
  4. Drop off your deer at a participating processor.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN DROPPING OFF YOUR DEER

Hunters can donate the entire deer free of charge and retain the head and antlers for mounting if desired.

When dropping your deer off at a processor, you will be asked to complete the log sheet indicating your desire to donate the deer. We'll do the rest. The donated deer will be processed, and the venison will be distributed to charitable organizations to help feed those Wisconsinites in need of food assistance.

CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE-AFFECTED COUNTIES

Deer harvested in any of the CWD-affected counties listed below must be tested for CWD either before or at the time of donation. The processor will hold the processed venison until the results are known.

  • All adult deer harvested in the following counties are required to be tested for CWD: Buffalo, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond Du Lac, Green Lake, Jackson, Kenosha, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Shawano, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vilas, Waupaca, Winnebago, Waushara, Washington, and Wood.
  • All adult deer and fawns harvested from the following counties are required to be tested for CWD: Adams, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Lafayette, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, Walworth, and Waukesha.

DEER DONATION PARTNERS PROGRAM

The DNR is partnering with individuals and organizations to provide convenient deer donation drop-off locations through the Deer Donation Partners Program during the open deer hunting seasons. Volunteers will host a deer donation drop-off site so hunters can donate their legally harvested deer to help feed those in need, but where there are no locally participating processors. Partners will donate the cost of a refrigerated trailer to collect and transport donated deer to neighboring participating processors. Drop-off locations will be listed on the Deer Donation Program's Processor and Pantry list. Check out the list under "How to Donate Your Wisconsin Deer" to see if any deer drop-off sites are listed in your county. Contact Marcus Rufledt, Wildlife Program Specialist, for more information on this new program.

MAKE A FINANCIAL DONATION TO THE DEER DONATION PROGRAM

Hunters and the public can voluntarily donate $1 or more to the Deer Donation Program to help cover meat processing fees. You can donate at any DNR license sales location or online through your Go Wild account.

LEAD BULLETS AND VENISON

Deer harvested with lead bullets have been shown to have tiny lead pieces or fragments remaining in a portion of the processed meat. This is especially true for ground venison. Lead is toxic to humans, even in very low amounts. Children under six years old and pregnant women are at the greatest risk from lead exposure. Consider switching to non-toxic, lead-free ammunition, such as copper, or to bowhunting, to reduce exposure to lead for venison recipients. Visit the safely eating venison page for recommendations on reducing the risk of lead in venison.