Macon County hunters can leave a whole field-dressed deer for Share the Harvest at a refrigerated drop-off at the MFA store in Macon from Nov. 10 through Dec. 14, the Missouri Department of Conservation said.
The temporary freezer unit is at MFA, 1805 N. Missouri St., and will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to an MDC news release dated Nov. 5 and the department’s Share the Harvest location lookup for Macon County. The listing marks the site as a drop-off location only, not a meat processor, and shows after-hours drop-off as available.
The Macon stop is one of four refrigerated pilot sites MDC is testing in northern Missouri where access to participating Share the Harvest processors may be limited. The others are the MFA at 116 Main St. in Hale in Carroll County, the Putnam County Fairgrounds at 615 N. 22nd St. in Unionville, and the Comfort Inn at 1801 W. Outer Road in Moberly in Randolph County, the release said.
"We know convenience plays a major role in a hunter’s decision to donate a deer," Jake Hindman, MDC’s Share the Harvest expansion coordinator, said in the release. "These pilot deer drop-off locations are designed to make donating easier by bringing additional donation opportunities closer to hunters. We’re excited to test this approach this fall as we work toward our goal of doubling deer donations and helping feed more Missouri families."
Hunters must field-dress and Telecheck the deer before dropping it off, MDC said. The deer must remain whole with the head and neck intact, though hunters may remove the antlers and skull cap first. Donors are to follow the instructions on the unit door and document their name, harvest date, Telecheck information, and other details the site asks for, according to the release and the Macon County lookup listing.
Donating costs hunters nothing, MDC said. The department will arrange transport from the drop-off sites to participating Share the Harvest meat processors, which process the venison for food banks and pantries. The program page at mdc.mo.gov/share says hunters fill out a simple form at the donation location and that donated meat stays local for area pantries.
The Chronicle reported Oct. 26 that MDC’s processor lookup showed no Share the Harvest meat processor in Macon County. The new MFA unit is a refrigerated drop-off, not a processor, the Nov. 6 lookup listing says. Hunters who need more information can call the MDC Northeast Regional Office at 660-785-2420 during regular business hours, according to that listing.
Share the Harvest has averaged about 5,000 donated deer a year in recent seasons, about 250,000 pounds of venison, the Nov. 5 release said. The program aims to reach 10,000 donated deer a year by 2027. The department’s Share the Harvest page separately puts this season’s goal at 6,500 deer and says one deer can provide roughly 160 meals. Nearly 800,000 Missourians faced food insecurity last year, according to that page.
Missouri hunters started the program in 1992. It has provided more than 6 million pounds of venison, MDC said. MDC runs it with the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the Missouri Association of Meat Processors, and Feeding Missouri.
More information is at mdc.mo.gov/share and confedmo.org/share-the-harvest.