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Local Hunters Feeding program successful

Monday, February 2, 2026 at 1:30 PM

By Steve Anderson

Illinois Extension serving Lawrence, Edwards, Richland, Wabash and Wayne counties in southeastern Illinois marked the end of the 2025-26 deer hunting season with a successful local Hunters Feeding Illinois program.

Hunters Feeding Illinois provides food pantries with ground venison from hunters who have donated their legally harvested deer in partnership with participating meat processors. The local processors, Charlie's Deer Processing and Smokehouse in Bridgeport and Legacy Meats in Sumner, processed a total of 83 deer donations during the hunting seasons.

In total, 2,698 pounds of ground venison were delivered for five food pantries within the Feeding Illinois network in Lawrence, Richland, and Wabash counties. Illinois Extension also provided additional resources to the food pantries to help their patrons incorporate venison into their meals.

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