Why Venison is on Luxury Plates and Food Pantry Shelves

In Washington, D.C., you can find venison on wild game menus and in specialty food shops selling for up to $40 per pound. Yet, less than a two-hour drive away, hunters in Central Virginia look forward to stocking their freezers full of venison for little to no cost at all.

Since venison hasn’t officially been approved by meat inspectors, and the government doesn’t permit hunters to sell the meat to prevent poaching, many hunters have chosen to donate excess meat to food pantries. Organizations like Hunters Sharing the Harvest are helping hunters facilitate venison donations that are distributed to food pantries throughout the country.

Read more about how venison has become both scarce and abundant throughout the country in this article featured in NPR.