Venison program helps fight hunger

Today marks the beginning of the 2007 open firearms season for deer in Illinois, and a state program allows hunters to make a difference in the lives of others with their hobby.

The Sportsmen Against Hunger program, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, provides deer hunters with an outlet to donate venison to food pantries, shelters and churches for use in the holiday season.

Hunters can bring deer to a participating meat processor, where it will be turned into one- or two-pound packages of ground venison and distributed to area services, said Tracy Shafer, the program's director.

Mark Shirley, owner of Shirley Farms in De Soto, has participated in the program since 1997. He said processors ask hunters to pay an optional, tax deductible $35. If the hunter pays, the processor will receive $15 from the state, and if they opt out of paying, the state will pay $50.

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While most deer hunters are on the watch for signs of chronic wasting disease, another suspected illness is taking its toll on whitetails around the state.

It’s call “blue tongue” — technically epizootic hemorrhagic disease — which is affecting whitetail herds in several states including Illinois.