In 2024, hunters donated almost 45,000 pounds of venison Processors accept the deer and produce ground vension The ground meat is distributed through qualiifed charitable organizations and food pantries To find a participating wildife processor, go to https://www.wildlifedepartment. com/hunting/processors/hah. Hunters can also offer venison through the department’s Deer Share Program which pairs hunters with those who will accept fresh meat and either pay the processing themselves or process it for their own use.
Oklahoma’s 2025 holiday antlerless deer gun season will open Dec. 18 and run through Dec. 31 across most of the state. Hunters are urged to get outdoors during the last two weeks of the year and harvest one or two antlerless white-tailed deer — if not for themselves then for the thousands of hungry people in need through the Hunters Against Hunger (HAH) program.
Deer taken during the holiday antlerless season are considered bonus deer, which are in addition to a hunter’s aggregate deer limit from the other regular deer seasons. Hunters holding the appropriate base hunting license and a deer gun season license (unless exempt) may participate in the holiday antlerless season, even if they have already harvested their combined season limit of deer.
The holiday antlerless season is a perfect way to help fellow Oklahomans struggling with food insecurity. Each year, thousands benefit from the generosity of the state’s deer hunters through HAH. In 2024, hunters donated almost 45,000 pounds of venison, said Executive Assistant Tammy St. Yves, administrator of HAH for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Hunters wishing to donate simply need to ensure their legally harvested deer has been reported via the Wildlife Department’s E-Check system at GoOutdoorsOklahoma.co m. Then, hunters take their carcass-tagged deer to a nearby participating meat processor. To help with processing costs, each hunter is asked to contribute an optional, tax-deductible $10 to assist with the processing.