LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: Kentucky Farm Bureau has donated $10,000 to Hunters for the Hungry to offset costs associated with processing venison that will be used in meals for low-income Kentuckians.
   The check was presented to Hunters for the Hungry board member Ivan Schell by Kentucky Farm Bureau President Marshall Coyle.
   Coyle said the processing services provided by Hunters for the Hungry helps keep deer harvest numbers high and promotes the maintenance of a healthy herd population, both of which are goals of Farm Bureau.
   “Excessive deer numbers across Kentucky constitute a threat to many farm crops, and pose significant safety issues for drivers,” Coyle said. “It’s in everyone’s best interest, from farmers to drivers as well as sportsmen that the deer herd be kept at a size that limits these threats.”
   Schell said the donation would provide a boost to the programs of Hunters for the Hungry. He noted that the organization has provided more than 247,000 pounds of venison to food banks and missions during the past six hunting seasons. That total represents nearly 2 million high-protein meals for hungry adults and children, he said.
   Farm Bureau’s check presentation also served to highlight the state’s new law allowing Kentuckians to make voluntary $2 donations to Hunters for the Hungry when they register vehicles at county clerks’ offices.
   Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw said her office, as well as county clerks across the state, would be actively promoting the donations.
   “Our staff will ask everyone to consider making that donation when they register their cars and trucks. It’s a great program and we’ll do our part to encourage participation.”
   The head of Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources praised the Hunters for the Hungry activities. Dr. Jon Gassett said game processors typically charge $60 to $80 per deer for their services.
   “Deer hunters are more likely to harvest additional deer if they have an outlet for the meat,” he said. “This is a great program for the hunters and it has even more value for those in need of the food.”
   Coyle stressed that the deer-related safety and cost issues for drivers are significant. Last year Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance paid out more than $12 million to cover damage in some 5,500 deer-auto claims.
   “Those figures don’t even cover the costs of treating drivers’ and passengers’ injuries, which are substantial as well,” he noted. “It’s important that all of us work to improve safety and reduce the number of deer-related accidents on Kentucky roadways.”