hhh deer
Through support from our friends at the NJ Farm Bureau working with the NJ Dept. of Agriculture, we have been awarded a grant which will allow us to waive the hunters portion of the processing fees for hunter donated deer having a field dressed weight of 50 lbs or more for the entire 2024/2025 hunting season. The total fees butchers receive have been increased to $100/ deer.The fee to hunters for deer having a field dressed weight under 50 lbs will be at $50.00.

HHH originally started to assist hunters who could harvest more deer than they could use personally. Over the years our mission has been expanded. 1) we continue to pay butchering costs for hunters who are able to take more deer than they can use 2) we support various municipal/private property owners that pay for the butchering process directly while they attempt to reduce deer populations on their property and 3) we now are setting aside a portion of the Dept of Agriculture grant(s) to support and pay for butchering of deer taken by farmers and their agents during depredation hunts.

All of our efforts ultimately help the food bank system in New Jersey and those families less fortunate.

HHH Facts

The Hunters Helping the Hungry Program was developed by three hunters during the 1997-1998 hunting season to help provide needed protein for local food banks while addressing the overpopulation of deer in our community.  Ten deer (approximately 500 pounds of venison) were donated that first season. State Federation of Sportsmen Clubs, United Bowhunters of New Jersey, NRA and with the support of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and support of the New Jersey Health Department have kept the initial efforts moving forward.  Many individual hunting clubs also support this program. Hunters participate in the program by donating deer through an approved butcher to the NORWESCAP (Phillipsburg, NJ), Fulfill Food Bank (Monmouth/Ocean Counties), Food Bank of South Jersey, or Mercer Street Friends (Trenton).  Processing fees are paid to the butcher by HHH from a fund consisting of donations and grants.  Approved butchers are inspected by the State of New Jersey health department. Since the program’s inception, hunters have donated over 16,000 deer, which yielded over 612,000 pounds of venison to the HHH providing approximately 2,452,000 servings of protein to those in need.   Supplying venison to those with a protein deficient diet helps combat learning and health problems. After processing, donated venison is distributed by the Food Bank to over 400 needy feeding charities throughout New Jersey and to America’s Second Harvest Food Banks statewide. Donations to Hunters Helping the Hungry, Inc. can be mailed to HHH, P.O. Box 587, Lebanon, New Jersey 08833 or through Paypal on our website. HHH organizes fund raising fishing trip and sporting clay event.  HHH has been featured on CNN, NJN and many local newspapers.  Every State in America has a similar, but separate program.  Go to our Website to see many of these events, links and feature stories.  Only deer harvested in New Jersey are eligible for donation. Venison is low fat and low cholesterol and, of course, high in protein.  A very valuable food product for distribution in the food bank system. HHH is a non-profit 501-c3 organization.  A small group of volunteers set on the board of HHH and receive no compensation for their efforts.  All administrative duties are supplied by the volunteer board members.  Butcher processing fees are also discounted from normal retail fees by the approved butchers.  Everyone who is a part of HHH, helps through their donations, volunteerism and generosity. Funds from HHH only pay for venison donated by hunters!  HHH does not pay for any municipal depredation hunts or farmer depredation hunts.  Many farmers do support HHH through generous donations or allowing hunters to hunt their property or requiring hunters who hunt their property to donate deer through this program. Several municipalities, private organizations may organize hunters to harvest deer, however, they pay 100% of the butchers costs.