Hunt to Feed - Hunters Helping the Hungry Benefit

Hunt To Feed: Hunters Helping the Hungry announces their annual fundraiser and awareness banquet for Friday, September 9, 2011 at the Inn at Villa Bianca, 312 Roosevelt Dr, (RT 34), Seymour, CT.  

Hunt to Feed is a program designed to raise funds for Connecticut State hunters who wish to donate their harvest to feed the needy.  They do this by absorbing all processing and distribution costs. Since 2006 Hunt to Feed has extended itself from the discussion tables on proper herd management to supplying protein for the hungry at local Connecticut soup kitchens. 

According to USDA statistics there are approximately 283,000 Connecticut residents that are food insecure. With the state’s growing economic crisis, more and more families are turning to local food pantries for assistance. Since the inception of Hunt to Feed in 2006, there has been a total of 275 deer donated equating to over 34,000 meals for the CT Food Bank. In 2010 Hunt to Feed had another record year with 66 deer donated; this lead to more than 10,000 meals being donated to local food banks and other non-profit organizations throughout the state. 
Over-population of deer in Connecticut is a serious problem; for humans, the obvious dangers are the 18,000 deer/car collisions per year, and the 29,000 cases of tick born diseases since 1996.  Other implications are poor deer herd health due to competition for food, and deforestation.  According to the CT DEP, deer can eat 5-10 lbs of forage per day. Overabundant deer herds can eliminate native plant species leading to changes in habitat which affect the abundance of other wildlife species such as mammals and birds.

As hunters in a state with areas of deer over-population, the state promotes deer management through Connecticut’s “Replacement Antlerless Tag” and “Earn-A-Buck” programs. Couple this program with Hunt To Feed and Connecticut hunters are presented with an opportunity to both recreate and give back to the community with no out of pocket expense.

Hunt To Feed invites all Connecticut residents to help feed the hungry by attending their banquet on Friday, September 9, 2011.  Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased at their website www.hunttofeed.com. 

For sponsorship information or to make a monetary contribution, please contact Peter Aldrich at 203-215-2583.