"Venison Processors Seek Assistance to Meet Donation Demands"
Deer processors in Michigan participating in the Michigan Sportsman Against Hunger program are facing challenges due to new donation requirements. Processors must now wait for negative test results for chronic wasting disease, bovine tuberculosis, and lead before donating venison to local charities. This requirement, not applicable to typical hunters, is causing delays and storage issues for processors who lack freezer space. As a result, some processors are donating the meat outside of the program. The processors are concerned about the changes and the lack of reimbursement for their work. Without more infrastructure and support, the sustainability of this charity effort is uncertain.