Even though the regular deer season is over, if you still have tags left, all is not lost. With a special late season through Sunday, January 20, you can still go hunting and donate the deer to The Deer Project of Good Samaritan Ministries.
The special season is for antlerless and spike deer only.
“Our donations of deer meat are way down over last year,” said Angelia Bostick, Executive Director of Good Samaritan Ministries. “We’ve heard that it’s been a rough season all the way around but we want to encourage hunters to keep trying.”
Last year’s season brought in 11,421 pounds of venison but at the end of the regular season this year only 7,261 pounds had been donated.
“We know our hunters have been out there trying, but with the cold weather, maybe the extended season will be the key,” Bostick said.
In the five seasons that The Deer Project has been in existence, the number of venison brought in each year has increased as well as the monetary donations to the project. This is the first year in five that the numbers have actually decreased and is the lowest seen in two years.
“We know we can’t control the season or whether or not the deer come out of hiding,” Bostick said. “This may just be a down year, but we just want to make sure our hunters know that there is still an opportunity to be a part of The Deer Project this year.”
Obviously hunters are a vital part of the program, but there are other opportunities for someone to be physically involved in The Deer Project, a program of Good Samaritan Ministries that pairs hunters, processors and donors together to provide food for our friends and neighbors in Brown County who have fallen on hard times.
The program certainly wouldn’t be possible without our processors: M&M Processing in Zephyr, Perk’s Processing in Brownwood, Lone Star Taxidermy and Processing in Owens and Santa Anna Custom Processing.
“Our processors have come on board with the project – promoting it, believing in it – and we couldn’t ask for a better group of supporters and participants,” Bostick said.
Then there are donors. Sometimes donors are hunters who believe in the program and want to help support it monetarily by helping to cover the cost of processing. More often than not, donors are people who may not hunt but still believe in The Deer Project.
“We couldn’t pay our processors ? making the project free for the hunters ? without the donors who each year provide funds to cover the cost of the processing,” said Bostick. “They are just as much a part of the program as anyone else.”
But, there is still another way to be a part of the program!
There is much room for expanding and growing The Deer Project but we need workers on the ground to share ideas and work toward a goal.
“There are so many opportunities to be a part of The Deer Project planning team, we’re sure there’s a spot for anyone with a serious interest,” Bostick said. “If you like the sound of the project and would like to be an active part in the process to ensure its continued success, please give us a call.”
There is a scripture that says, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.” And also, “Many hands make a light load.”
If you would like to labor together with us and help lighten the load, please give us a call at 643-2273 or 203-2489. We’d love to visit with you about what your role in The Deer Project could be! After all, it may be some work on your part but ultimately, it’s the load of our friends and neighbors in Brown County who have fallen on hard times that is lightened.
