Hunters looking to donate a deer this season now have a convenient new option available to them. A refrigerated trailer has been set up at the Comfort Inn, located at 1801 W. Outer Road in Moberly, where hunters can drop off harvested deer. The Missouri Department of Conservation will then coordinate with participating meat processors to prepare the venison for distribution to families experiencing food insecurity.
The trailer became operational on Tuesday, just ahead of the Saturday opening of the November firearms deer season in Missouri. Moberly represents one of four designated sites across northern Missouri where the department is piloting a new initiative to determine whether establishing drop-off locations closer to hunters will result in increased participation in its Share the Harvest program.
Zachary Barnes, a conservation agent serving Randolph County, explained that hunters have traditionally delivered donated deer directly to participating meat processors. However, a number of processors have withdrawn from the program over time, leaving hunters with significantly fewer options for making donations.
“This new pilot program is an opportunity to fill in some gaps where we don’t have processors locally,” Barnes said.
Prior to dropping off a deer at the trailer, hunters are required to field-dress the animal and report the harvest through the state’s Telecheck system. The Department of Conservation also requires that the deer be left whole, with the head and neck intact, although hunters are permitted to remove the antlers and skull cap.
Detailed instructions are posted on the trailer, guiding hunters on what information must be recorded, including their name, the harvest date, and their Telecheck details. According to Barnes, hunters then attach a label to the deer before placing it inside the trailer.
“MDC will come pick it up and take it to a processor once we get enough to make a trip,” Barnes said.
The specific processing destination is determined by available capacity. Once a sufficient number of deer have been collected for a pickup, department staff contact processors throughout the region to identify who can accommodate them. There is no cost to hunters who wish to donate, as processing expenses are covered through program funding and sponsorships.
Since its founding in 1992, Share the Harvest has provided more than six million pounds of venison to Missouri residents in need. In recent years, the program has received approximately 5,000 donated deer annually, yielding roughly 250,000 pounds of meat each year.
The department has set a statewide goal of 6,500 donated deer for the current season, representing an increase of approximately 1,500 above the recent annual average. Looking further ahead, the program aims to achieve 10,000 donations per year by 2027. Barnes noted that the department makes every effort to direct donated meat to food banks located within the same counties where the deer were harvested.
The Moberly trailer will accept deer daily through December 14, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Hunters in the mid-Missouri region may also utilize the refrigerated drop-off facility at MFA, located at 1805 N. Missouri Street in Macon, during the same operating hours.
