Stoddard County deer hunters encouraged to 'Share the Harvest'

DEXTER, Mo. -- Hunters around Southeast Missouri were out in droves during the opening weekend of deer season, each in hopes of nailing a trophy deer.

While most successful hunters take their harvest to local meat shops for processing, many choose not to eat the meat themselves, giving away much of the venison to friends, family and neighbors.

The Stoddard County Share the Harvest Program offers an alternative to hunters who don't have a preference for venison or want to help those less fortunate.

According to Missouri Department of Conservation agent Mark Reed, it's easy to participate in the local program that benefits the Stoddard County Gospel Mission.

"The program pays the entire processing fee for a deer that is being entirely donated to the mission," Reed said.

"The Share the Harvest Program has been a wonderful asset for the Stoddard County Mission," program director Betty Lemons said. "The donations are of tremendous help to us, and go a long way in assisting families within the county throughout the winter months."

Not all processing plants participate in the Share the Harvest campaign. The Meat Shop, on County Road 236 in Advance, Mo., is one facility that does.

"The state reimburses us for each deer we harvest as a donation," shop owner Ed Stoll said. "This year, the amount of reimbursement has been cut, but knowing that the meat is being put to good use is payment in itself for me."

In the past, the Meat Shop offered to process a small portion of the deer for the hunter, if he wished. This year, Stoll said, the shop is not set up to accommodate that and prefers to process deer in its entirety for the mission's use.

Reed said residents who wish to contribute to Share the Harvest are encouraged to do so by contacting Lemons at the Stoddard County Gospel Mission at 573-624-7989 or Stoll at The Meat Shop at 573-421-7903.

"It's a worthwhile program," Reed said, "and one with a very worthy cause, helping people right here in Stoddard County."