Hunters, Fish and Wildlife officers and local meat processors are teaming up to support the food bank.
From Oct. 15 to Dec. 15, the Alberta Hunters Sharing the Harvest program is requesting donations of big game meat.
All useable meat dropped off at Savoury Meats and Sausage in Sundre and Kerik’s Meat Market in Olds will go to the Mountain View Food Bank.
Hunters are not charged for processing the meat. All costs are covered by the Alberta Hunters Sharing the Harvest Association.
Monetary donations are also accepted for processing costs.
This will be the sixth year for the program in the Sundre and Olds area, and the 22nd year in Alberta.
Over those two decades, 280,000 pounds of wild game have been accepted by food banks throughout the province.
All donations are inspected by a Fish and Wildlife officer to ensure overall animal health.
Requirements for donating meat are as follows:
- Deer, elk or moose are the only game that can be donated.
- Animals must be field dressed immediately after harvest. The heart, lungs and liver must accompany the carcass in a separate, appropriate container including 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 transport 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.
Those wishing to participate in the program can call the 24-hour information line at 1-780-443-6006 for more information. Additional details can also be found in the Alberta Hunting Regulations.
- Darren McInnes is a Fish and Wildlife officer in the Sundre-Olds district.
