Fill one more tag. Feed your neighbors.
Share the Harvest turns a successful hunt into a meal for a Missouri family in need.
Each year, thousands of Missouri hunters donate surplus venison through the program — and it couldn’t be simpler. Just bring your deer to any approved meat processor and tell them how much you’d like to give. From there, the venison goes straight to local food banks and pantries, helping feed hungry Missourians in communities across the state.
Looking to receive Share the Harvest venison? Contact your local food bank or food pantry to find out what’s available near you.
Food insecurity is a growing problem.
Nearly 800,000 Missourians faced food insecurity last year.
Kids need protein to grow, and adults need it to stay healthy. Lean, high-quality protein is often the hardest thing for food-insecure families to access.
Missouri hunters have been solving this problem since 1992 — one deer at a time.
Your impact
One deer can provide roughly 160 meals for Missouri families.
Share the Harvest has been helping hunters manage deer and feed families for 30-plus years, with hunters donating roughly 5,000 deer per year. The goal is to grow that to 6,500 this deer season.
Cost to donate: $0
All you need to do is harvest a deer, field dress it, and drop it off.
How it works
- Harvest your deer during the regular season, following normal tagging/telecheck rules.
- Check the map for your nearest participating processor or drop-off location.
- Tell the processor how much you want to donate — all of it or just what you don't need.
- Drop it off — that’s it: a simple form and no fees.
FAQs
Is it really free to donate? Yes.
Can I donate just part of my deer? Yes.
What if my county is in the CWD Management Zone? We no longer have CWD zones.
Do I need to fill out paperwork? Yes, the hunter fills out a simple form at the donation location.
Where does my meat actually go? Your donated meat stays local and goes to area food pantries.
Can I donate more than one deer? Absolutely.
No deer to donate?
- When purchasing your permits, hunters now have an option to donate in $5 increments to Share the Harvest.
- You can support Share the Harvest with a monetary donation to the Conservation Federation of Missouri.
- Mention Share the Harvest to another hunter.
Program administrator network
Missouri Department of Conservation
Conservation Federation of Missouri