Why don’t we have more deer meat donation programs like FHFH (Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry) in SC?
I’ve often wondered this for years but the topic came up in a discussion yesterday and know one could figure out why we don’t have more of these types of programs in SC. Like many of you, I love a full freezer of deer meat and I have friends and family that I give meat to every year, but even with that, our limits allow us to kill far more deer than any one family can consume. Ok, that may a bit too general. For me, my wife and my son, 3 deer will get me from deer season to deer season and that’s with me giving some meat to my in-laws. If I kill 4, I can spread it around between friends and family. I’ve never killed more than 4 deer since I started hunting in SC because, well, I never needed more than that.
Point being, we can kill more deer than we need so why not have more of these “donation programs” available to hunters in SC? I’m familiar with FHFH because they are very prevalent around where I’m from. To my knowledge, they only have two chapters in the state (Midland’s FHFH and Lowcountry FHFH) and there are only two FHFH processors in the state (601 Deer and Hog Processors and Cordray’s). Are there are other organizations I’m not aware of or are there other processors with these types of programs?
The FHFH in Charleston donated 3000+ pounds of meat last year. A friend of mine runs it, and they are doing great things. The response has been great, and I encourage all of you to participate if you can.
That’s awesome!! I wish there were more FHFH or other donation programs throughout the state. Maybe you could ask your friend what it would take to get more FHFH donation sites in SC. There are plenty of processors around where I hunt in the midlands but neither of the FHFH processors in SC are anywhere near me.
I already do that but processors involved in meat donation programs have a much broader reach. Like leadenwahboy said, Charleston area FHFH processors donated over 3000 lbs of deer meat last year alone. An individual hunter or even a hunt club or group of hunters, while every little bit counts, couldn’t come close to reaching that many people in one season.
To have more processors involved in these programs would benefit that many more people, and in this case, more is definitely better.
I kill a truck load every year and give them to people in the community. Ask around, its easy to find a someone who may have a need.
Are you paying the processing fees? Or passing that along to the folks in need?
Reason I ask, is that the FHFH provides meat to those who can’t afford ANYTHING, much less ~$100 processing fee for a deer.
What you’re doing is excellent, but we’re talking two different groups of people here.
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
Actually we are talking about the same people. A few I will cover the cost of basic processing. Very situational but most are older folks want the deer fresh out of the field and it gets split within the neighborhood.
I usually give away a few deer myself but with the new tag system I won’t be able to.Salty,are you going to be able to kill a truckload this year?Maybe you have tags for a piece of land and can kill more than the common man.Do you know if DNR even issues tags for pieces of land anymore?If so ,are you required to own the land or can you be a renter?
I usually give away a few deer myself but with the new tag system I won’t be able to.Salty,are you going to be able to kill a truckload this year?Maybe you have tags for a piece of land and can kill more than the common man.Do you know if DNR even issues tags for pieces of land anymore?If so ,are you required to own the land or can you be a renter?
With my one set of tags I can shoot 17, and that’s before you factor in my quota tags on 2 pieces of property so I don’t see it slowing me down a lick.
I usually give away a few deer myself but with the new tag system I won’t be able to.Salty,are you going to be able to kill a truckload this year?Maybe you have tags for a piece of land and can kill more than the common man.Do you know if DNR even issues tags for pieces of land anymore?If so ,are you required to own the land or can you be a renter?
With my one set of tags I can shoot 17, and that’s before you factor in my quota tags on 2 pieces of property so I don’t see it slowing me down a lick.
Out of curiosity, which “set of tags” (aside from depredation tags or ADQP tags) allows a hunter to kill 17 deer?
I ask because with the new tag system, when you purchase your hunting license and your big game permit, you are issues eight (8) date specific antlerless tags and three (3) unrestricted antlered tags. Then, if you purchase the full compliment of additional tags, you get four (4) antlerless tags (non-date specific) and two (2) restricted (4 points of one side or minimum of 12" inside spread) antlered tags. While that does add up to 17 tags, that does not mean hunters can kill 17 deer. Hunters still have to adhere to Game Zone limits (daily and season).
I usually give away a few deer myself but with the new tag system I won’t be able to.Salty,are you going to be able to kill a truckload this year?Maybe you have tags for a piece of land and can kill more than the common man.Do you know if DNR even issues tags for pieces of land anymore?If so ,are you required to own the land or can you be a renter?
With my one set of tags I can shoot 17, and that’s before you factor in my quota tags on 2 pieces of property so I don’t see it slowing me down a lick.
Out of curiosity, which “set of tags” (aside from depredation tags or ADQP tags) allows a hunter to kill 17 deer?
I ask because with the new tag system, when you purchase your hunting license and your big game permit, you are issues eight (8) date specific antlerless tags and three (3) unrestricted antlered tags. Then, if you purchase the full compliment of additional tags, you get four (4) antlerless tags (non-date specific) and two (2) restricted (4 points of one side or minimum of 12" inside spread) antlered tags. While that does add up to 17 tags, that does not mean hunters can kill 17 deer. Hunters still have to adhere to Game Zone limits (daily and season).
God bless the “ignore” function.
It absolutely means hunters can kill, legally, 17 deer.
The state wide limit on antlered deer is 5, regardless of GZ. I hunt in GZ 2 and the season bag limit for antlerless deer is 5. This means I can kill, legally, 10 deer.
In GZ 1, the season bag limit for antlerless deer is 4. Meaning hunters in GZ 1 can kill, legally, 9 deer.
In game zones 3 and 4, the number of antlerless deer you can kill, legally, depends on how many antlerless tags you have. Obviously you get the eight (8) date specific antlerless tags when you purchase your license and big game permit. Plus, you can purchase up to four (4) antlerless tags (non-date specific). If you buy the additional four antlerless tags and the two restricted antlered tags, you can kill, legally, 17 deer in game zones 3 and 4.
As I stated, hunters have to adhere to individual game zone limits. The new tag system does not alter the individual Game Zone bag limits.