The mission of South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger is to encourage and facilitate donation of wild game meat to needy people in South Dakota.
One out of every seven persons in South Dakota (or over 100,000 people) live at or below the poverty level according to Feeding South Dakota. About one-half of these people are children and infants. A primary food shortage is fresh meat which is in high demand and difficult to obtain. Of particular demand is game meat because of its nutritional value in having low fat and high protein content.
At the same time, the deer and antelope populations in most areas of the state exceed population goals. Each year, many deer and antelope hunting licenses remain unsold, which results in a deer and antelope harvest that is too low for controlling the populations. If hunters purchase additional deer and antelope licenses and donate more harvested deer and antelope to needy families through South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger (SDSAH), the result would be a win-win situation!
Hunters have been responding to these needs for increased deer and antelope harvest, and have increased meat donation especially in recent years. In 2010, 104,178 pounds of game meat were provided to needy families through SDSAH and local food relief agencies. This meat was primarily a result of hunters donating 2,560 deer, 140 antelope, 1 buffalo and 3,646 pheasants. Other game meat came from community game meat food drives, hunter direct donations of processed meat to food relief agencies, and salvage processing of confiscated or non-hunter killed game.
South Dakota hunters have now donated nearly 554,800 pounds of venison to needy families. That's 2,219,000 meals of meat for the hungry! However, we need even more help!
New in 2011
Because of over-abundant Canada goose populations in the eastern one-fourth of the state, a special Management Take season has been established by the Department of Game Fish and Parks for August 13 - 28, 2011. (See South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks under "Links") Hunters are encouraged to take Canada geese as allowed and, if surplus to the hunter's own use, to donate the extra birds to SAH through designated goose processors
where the processing costs will be paid by SAH through use of goose processing certificates available from the processors.
Click here to learn more about how you can help feed more families!