If you are a bow hunter and are in for the thrill of the hunt, or still have lots of venison leftover from last year and are able to donate the meat to the hungry, then read on to benefit the Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank.  Your compassion and donation of venison is greatly appreciated!

As part of a new “Hunters Against Hunger” program if hunter donate the deer they harvest, they will have their processing fees covered by the State of Minnesota and receive a reimbursement for their next $15.00 tag.

The hope, according to Phil Lockett, President of the Arrowhead Bowhunters Alliance, is to make sure the number of venison donated from last year, increases for the needy.

The idea came to life at a meeting in June.  Since there was the need to remove the high number of deer from Duluth neighborhoods and streets, it was thought that it would create an increased hunting opportunity for area hunters.  Since the harvest would provide additional venison, it could surely help families in the area and Second Harvest could meet more of the demand

It's called, “Hunters Against Hunger” program.  From Saturday, September 15 through Sunday, September 30, 2012, participants of the City of Duluth Bow Hunt will have the opportunity to donate their field-dressed deer to Gamache and Sons, 10 Farmstead Road, Esko, MN – the only state registered processor participating in the program.

When hunters drop off their deer they will receive an immediate $15.00 reimbursement to purchase a second tag to harvest another deer. This reimbursement is made possible by an anonymous donor who provided $500 to Second Harvest to assist with the program. Gamache and Sons will receive their $70 processing fee directly from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for their part in the program. Once processed, Second Harvest will pick up the donations at Gamache and Sons and distribute to area food shelves, soup kitchens, and shelters.

Shaye Moris, Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank Executive Director says that protein is in high demand and that the "Hunters Against Hunger" program will that families will have access to it.  She also encouraged hunters to participate and thanked them in advance for their efforts.

Organizers of the program are hopeful that this year’s hunt will result in 14,000 servings of meat for those in need.

For more information about Second Harvest visit www.northernlakesfoodbank.org

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