Hunters can help out the hungry again this year.
The Share the Harvest program is underway, offering hunters the opportunity to donate their harvested deer to feed the needy. When venison is donated in Callaway, most of the time it will go to SERVE, Inc. Other area charities also may benefit.
Joel LeMaster volunteers during deer season to take processed deer meat to SERVE. He also solicits hunters to donate to the cause.
LeMaster, board of directors member for the Central Missouri Chapter of Safari Club International, said he asks hunters who harvest more than one deer to donate a whole deer to Share the Harvest. If they harvest only a single deer, then he asks them to donate a part of it. LeMaster said donating is easy. Hunters bring their deer to a processor who participates in the Share the Harvest program and let the processor know how much of it is to be donated toward the program. LeMaster explained that the processing fee is paid in part by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation. The Safari Club donates locally toward the fees as well.