URBANA, Ill. – A popular program returns for its fifth season to help feed neighbors in need. Hunters Feeding Illinois connects hunters, meat processors, and food pantries to bring lean protein to local residents and families, providing a unique pathway to address and improve food insecurity.
In partnership with Feeding Illinois, Access Illinois Outdoors, Southern Illinois Food Pantry Network, and University of Illinois Extension, the program allows hunters to donate harvested deer to partnering meat processors who turn it into ground meat. Food pantries receive ground venison to share with their guests.
“Food insecurity affects about one in eight Illinois residents, and the challenge is even greater across much of our program area,” said Michelle Fombelle, food and health systems educator. “With the rising cost of protein, Hunters Feeding Illinois helps ensure families can put nutritious meals on the table while making their food dollars go further.”
Hunters donate for free
Like previous years, hunters can donate whole harvested deer at no cost. Partnering meat processors are prepared to accept donated deer with the start of deer hunting season in October. Because processing volume increases throughout the season, hunters are encouraged to call processors in advance to confirm they have slots to accept deer. Processors have a select number of slots for donated deer, which become more limited as the season continues.
Partnering processors for the 2026-2027 hunting season include:
- Birkner's Processing | McLeansboro
- Bittners Meat Company | Eureka
- Blair's Slaughtering and Processing | Louisville
- Charlie's Deer Processing and Smokehouse | Bridgeport
- Cribelar Custom Processing | Martinsville
- Dawning Day Deer Processing | Clayton
- Fred's Meat and Processing | Ashley
- Houser Meats | Rushville
- Howe's Custom Deer Processing | Cowden
- Lambdin Farms Processing | Sullivan
- Legacy Meats | Sumner
- Moweaqua Packing Plant | Moweaqua
- Oconee Chop Shop | Oconee
- One Stop Butcher Shop | Bowen
- 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
- The Flock Farm | Anna
- Triple C Meats | Anna
- Turasky Meats | Springfield
- Windy Ridge Processing | Shobonier
Join the match
Thanks to our collaboration with Feeding Illinois, donations are doubled dollar for dollar. A $50 donation becomes $100, which covers the processing of one deer. Donate online at go.illinois.edu/deerdonation.
During the 2025-2026 hunting season, Hunters Feeding Illinois distributed 40,712 pounds of ground venison to 43 food pantries across east-central and southern Illinois.
To learn more, connect on Facebook, join the email list, or email Huntersfeeding-IL@illinois.edu. Visit the website at go.illinois.edu/deerdonation for recipes, videos, and more program information.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.