Game tips

Many local food banks accept game and fish as donations. However, they ask you do the following when packaging food that you intend to donate:
• Seal tightly to prevent freezer burn. Vacuum sealing works best to preserve the food properly.
• Label your contents. The more specific the better.
• Date your package. It is extremely important to date the package with the day the contents were placed into the freezer. Food banks will generally not take food that is more than one year old.
Many Louisiana processors also participate in Hunter for the Hungry’s program wherein the hunter can drop off their deer to be processed at no cost to the hunter. The Food Bank or other local agencies collect the meat from the processor for distribution, and the invoice from the processors is sent to Hunters for the Hungry. Additionally, hunters may choose to keep the backstrap. Hunters for the Hungry encourage donations of freshly harvested game throughout the hunting season.
Some processors require the deer to be field dressed while others will do the skinning for you. Hunters for the Hungry recommends that you call the processor beforehand and ask about their requirements.
Participating processors here in Evangeline Parish are Deville’s Grocery and Landreneau’s Grocery in Pine Prairie.
Other area participators are:
Elliott’s Slaughter House in Morse.
Juneau’s Cajun Meats in Mansura.
Daigle’s Sausage Kitchen in Welsh.
Acadiana Wild Game in Carencro.
Chops Specialty Meats in Broussard.
Southern Deer Processing in Lafayette.
Brent’s Deer Processing in Washington.
Kartchners in Krotz Springs.