Organizations Help Give Deer Hunters Opportunities to Help Those in Need

Two efforts in the Lakes Region allow Deer Hunters the opportunities to use their harvested deer to help those in need.

Quenten Fronterhouse, one of the Taney County Agents for the Missouri Department of Conservation, says during a recent Conservation Report Podcast that the "Share the Harvest" drive is once again offering to take unwanted deer meat and have it processed then donated to food pantries throughout the Lakes Region. The process fees for the meat is paid for by the Missouri Conservation Federation and by White River Valley Electric Cooperative.

Another effort is undertaken by the Lake Taneycomo Elks Lodge, who are taking part in their national organization's National Veterans Service Commission Veterans Leather Program.  According to a release from the local lodge, the hides will be used to make leather gloves for handicapped veterans and provide tanned leather to make occupational therapy kits to be distributed to Veterans Homes and Hospitals throughout the country at no cost to veterans.

More information on the "Share the Harvest" program can be heard below with more information on the hide donation program from a release from the Lake Taneycomo Elks below that:

It is deer season and Lake Taneycomo Elks Lodge 2597 in Forsyth is again collecting deer hides for our National Veterans Service Commission Veterans leather program.
Your hides will be used to make leather gloves for handicapped veterans and provide tanned leather to make occupational therapy kits to be distributed to Veterans Homes and Hospitals throughout the country at no cost to veterans 
Last year the Elks National Veterans Service Commission reported the leather program collected 19,808 deer hides, which was an increase of 3825 hides from 2017. The top three states in donation of deer and elk hides: Missouri ( 9648), Iowa ( 4350) and Arkansas ( 2437).
The value of the leather produced by the deer hides was$677, 081.31. Through the leather program in 2018, over 4,360veterans received free leather wheelchair gloves and over 8378 leather kits and 68,429 square feet of leather were distributed veterans homes and hospitals for occupational therapy.
Call Nathan Brooks 417-263-6283 for pickup or drop off locations.