Hunters are being encouraged to help out Mountain View food bank clients this hunting season through the Alberta Hunters Who Care Wild Game Foodbank Donation program.
“We are absolutely pleased with the program,” said Pat Graham, a director at the food bank. “People are very happy to receive wild meat. Everybody is very, very happy to receive these donations and we are all very happy that hunters take part.”
Under the program, hunters in the Sundre area are encouraged to donate some or all of the elk, deer or moose they harvest in the district this season.
The program runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 20 this year and there is no charge for the hunters who participate.
The program is administered by the Hunting for Tomorrow organization, and Sundre Fish and Wildlife is participating in the program again this year.
Officer Adam Mirus says he hopes to increase the number of participants this year. In its first year in 2013, the program saw 20 local hunters make donations.
“They can give a portion or all the game that they harvest and it doesn't cost them anything. The program looks after the cost of the butchering. It will go to the food bank in Mountain View County,” said Mirus.
“Last year we had about 20 participants and I'm hoping that this year, because it's the second year in the program, that we can get more.
“For example, in wildlife management unit 314, which is south of Sundre, there is a supplement whitetail tag so you get two tags. So if you are going out for one day, maybe you can harvest one for yourself and one for the food bank.”
This year two area butchers – First Choice Sausage and Meats in Sundre and Kerik's Meat Market in Olds – are taking part in the program.
Since starting up in the province in 1996 the program has brought in about 20,000 pounds of wild game annually for area food banks.
“Talking to the food bank here, one of the hardest things to get is fresh meat,” he said.
There are a number of requirements that hunters need to meet when participating in the program:
• Deer, elk or moose are the only game eligible to be donated.
• Animals must be field dressed immediately after harvest. The heart, lungs, and liver must be brought in with the carcass in an appropriate container with the hunter's tag number. Any abnormal tissues found must also be noted and brought in to the meat processor for examination.
• If the animal is skinned it must be wrapped in a clean, porous covering during transportation to a meat processing facility.
• The carcasses must be transported to a participating meat processing plant within 24 hours of harvest. No completely frozen carcasses will be accepted.
The program runs until Dec. 20.
“Even after that, when the program stops paying for the butchering, the public can still make donations. We have an elk season that goes through to January 20, so from December 20 to January 20 they will be looking for public funds and donations to butcher the game that may be donated then,” said Mirus.
Hunters wishing to participate in the program should call the 24-hour information line at 1-780-443-6006.
