Minnesota venison donation program returns

Minnesota's venison donation program is returning as the deer gun-season begins this weekend.

Hunters have the option of donating their deer to help feed hungry Minnesotans under the program run by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. In 2010, hunters donated 556 deer and provided 19,725 pounds of processed venison to food shelves.

Note the following criteria:

- Only entire carcasses with the hide attached can be donated. Cut and wrapped meat cannot be accepted.

- Carcasses should have proper registration tags attached.

- The deer must be free of signs of illness with not visible decomposition or contamination.

- In addition, the carcass must be processed at state-registered meat processing plants that have agreed to be part of the Hunter-Harvested Venison Donation Program. A list of such plants is at the "In the Spotlight" section of the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us.