Make room in your freezer for deer season and help beat hunger in Arkansas

Sept. 19, 2018

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry will hold a special “freezer cleanout day” at the Bass Pro Shops in Little Rock, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sept. 22. 

It may seem a bit early to be thinking of freezer space, but archery season opens Saturday, and many hunters will be in the woods looking for their first chance at this year’s trophy. Most hunters will admit to having had to throw out a package or two of freezer-burned venison after it went unused for a few seasons. When this year’s deer begin filling the freezer, it’s easy for last year’s meat to get misplaced or lost in the shuffle. Instead of throwing out meat after it has gone bad, you can clean out the freezer and donate that venison while it’s still good to people who are in need.

“Those leftovers go a long way in helping provide meat to food pantries around the state, which is one of the hardest things for these places to gather,” said Ronnie Ritter, executive director for AHFH. “The freezer cleanout has become a big event to help us start the deer season off on the right foot.”

Anyone who donates meat or gives a cash donation at the event will be entered in hourly drawings for $25 gift cards from Bass Pro Shops. They also will be eligible for a grand prize drawing for a new Savage .22 rifle at the end of the event. 

Ritter says the drawing also will include people who purchase a license at the store that day and elect to make a donation to AHFH through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s license system.

“Hunters have been able to donate $1, $5 or $10 to us when they buy their hunting license for years, and we really appreciate all the help that option has given us in our mission,” Ritter said.

In addition to the freezer cleanout and drawings, Kruse Meat Products of Saline County will have samples of summer sausage available to try, and the Dutch Oven Society will be preparing Dutch oven cobbler for people interested in sweet treats made the old-fashioned way.

Visit www.arkansashunters.org for more information about Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry.