Hunters Feeding Illinois
One in 10 people in Illinois experience hunger every day, including one in eight children. Hunters Feeding Illinois connects hunters, meat processors, and food pantries to bring lean protein to Illinois residents and families — providing a unique pathway to address and improve food insecurity.
The process is simple. Hunters donate their harvested deer during hunting season. Partnering meat processors turn harvested deer into ground meat. Food pantries receive ground venison to share with their guests. Along with access to this meat, food pantry guests receive support from the staff of Eat. Move. Save. through recipe tastings, cooking and storage information, and more!
Hunting supports food security, and donating supports local businesses.
Hunters Feeding Illinois, previously known as the Illinois Deer Donation Program, reflects an expanded partnership between Feeding Illinois, Southern Illinois Food Pantry Network, Access Illinois Outdoors, and University of Illinois Extension.
Support Our Program
Hunters Feeding Illinois currently supports food pantries in 48 Illinois counties.
Counties Reached
Alexander, Bond, Brown, Champaign, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Macon, Marion, Massac, Moultrie, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, Sangamon, Schulyer, Tazewell, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, Williamson, and Woodford
Partnering Meat Processors
Support local businesses! Take your harvested, whole deer to a partnering meat processor. Let them know it's for Hunters Feeding Illinois and they'll take care of the rest. We recommend contacting processors before dropping off deer to ensure they have space.
Participating meat processors
- Birkner's Processing | McLeansboro
- Bittners Meat Company | Eureka
- Blair's Slaughtering and Processing | Louisville
- Charlie's Deer Processing and Smokehouse | Bridgeport
- Connelly Locker | Martinsville
- Dawning Day Deer Processing | Clayton
- Farmhouse Meat Co | Carthage
- Fred's Meat and Processing | Ashley
- Hilltop Custom Meat | Pittsfield
- Houser Meats | Rushville
- Howe's Custom Deer Processing | Cowden
- Lambdin Farms Processing | Sullivan
- Legacy Meats | Sumner
- Midstate Meat Co | Springfield
- Moweaqua Packing Plant | Moweaqua
- Oconee Chop Shop | Oconee
- Pike County Custom Meats | Pittsfield
- R & M Meat Processing | Ellis Grove
- River Bend Wild Game & Sausage Company | St. Joseph
- Salt and Strings | Louisville
- Sanchez Meat Processing | DuQuoin
- Shirley Farms Deer Processing | DeSoto
- Triple C Meats | Anna
- Turasky Meats | Springfield
- Windy Ridge Processing | Shobonier
Venison Cooking Resources
Cooking With Venision
Ground venison is a healthy source of lean protein that can be an easy substitute for ground beef in many recipes.
Watch Us Make Recipes
Get step-by-step instructions for preparing tasty recipes using ground venison.
Venison Food Safety [PDF]
Follow best practices for safely handling, preparing, and storing ground venison.
Need Inspiration?
Frequently Asked Questions
When is deer season?
Illinois Department of Natural Resources coordinates dates for deer hunting season.
I'm a hunter and would like to donate a deer. What's next?
Well...it's free to donate your deer - or multiple deer!
- Where do I donate? Donate at a partnering meat processor. During drop-off, tell the processor you want the deer to go to Hunters Feeding Illinois. We recommend checking with the processor before drop-off, as sometimes processors run out of space and stop accepting deer for a few weeks or maybe for the rest of the season.
- Do I need to live in a certain Illinois county to donate? No. Anyone can donate, no matter where they live in Illinois. However, you must transport your deer to one of our partnering meat processors within a reasonable time to prevent spoilage.
- Do I have to donate a whole deer? Yes. For food safety reasons, we required whole deer be brought to meat processors. Deboned or partial deer will not be accepted.
- Can I donate old meat in my freezer? No. Previously frozen or processed meat will not be accepted.
- What if I want to keep certain cuts and donate the rest? The hunter is responsible for paying the entire cost of processing if they would like to keep any portion of the deer (such as backstraps, tenderloins, or snack sticks). Any remaining meat can still be donated through our program, but we are unable to split processing costs on a single deer.
- Can I keep the antlers or cape? Yes! Headhunters are welcome. Just let the processor know at drop-off, and you can retrieve the antlers or cape after processing.
I'd like to participate in the program as a meat processor. What's next?
See the "Contact Us" section on this page and send us a note. We will contact you about next steps. Partnering processors must be located inside the current multi-county territory, process whole deer, and be inspected by a county, state, or federal agency.
What if my business is outside the current territory? We hear from meat processors all over the state that would like to process meat for the program. We appreciate your excitement to bring more venison to Illinois residents! At this time, we ask for your patience. The goal is to get this program statewide.
I'd like to participate in the program as a local food pantry. What's next?
See the "Contact Us" section on this page and email the Extension staff member closest to you. We will contact you about next steps. Partnering food pantries must be located inside the current multi-county territory.
Does the meat stay local?
Yes. All donated meat goes to food pantries in the program counties.
Are you feeding road kill?
No. All donated deer must be hunted. Hunters will have to present their deer with tags.
I'd like to donate money.
We appreciate your support. Thanks to a partnership with Feeding Illinois, donate online at donorbox.org/hunters-feeding-illinois.
Contact Us
Email us at Huntersfeeding-IL@illinois.edu or call (217) 300-0781