WORLAND - Hunters with the Paintrock Hunter Mentor Program's Young Hunters Care Project (PHMPYHC) again showed their generosity and donated meat from hunts this season for the Food from the Field Program.

In its third year, Food from the Field Program is a program under Wyoming first lady Jennie Gordon's Hunger Initiative. Under the program, Wyoming Hunger Initiative, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, and participating processors work together to streamline game meat donation to food pantries statewide. They invite hunters to make a financial contribution to cover the cost of processing if they're able; Wyoming Hunger Initiative covers the remaining cost.

Wyoming Game and Fish Game Warden Matt Lentsch, who organizes the PHMPYHC, said that on Dec. 14, the Washakie County Road Runners 4-H Club and PHMPYHC youth hunters delivered 10 boxes of deer burger that has been processed to food banks in Worland including the Worland food pantry administered by the Worland Ministerial Association, and the food bank at Wyo Help, and Thermopolis.

Venison will be delivered to food banks in Basin and Greybull as soon as it is ready, he said.

Washakie County Extension Educator and Wyoming Hunger Initiative Northwest Regional Director Caitlin Youngquist said some of the donated deer meat will remain at the Extension office to be distributed to Crisis Prevention and Response when they need it as well as a few other organizations who come to the Extension office.

According to the Extension Office records, meat through this year's program will go to Messiah's Mall and River of Life in Thermopolis, Basin Food Pantry, The Shack in Greybull, Worland Food Pantry, Wyo Help, Worland school district and Ten Sleep school district.

HUNTERS

This year, Lentsch said 21 people participated in the hunter mentor program in harvesting deer, 16 kids and five adults, 10 kids were first time participants and six had participated previously. Kids ranged from 12 to 15.

The Thomas sisters, Ariana, Selah and Rebekah said that Lentsch told them about the program and they wanted to participate. This was their first year and they each donated a doe deer.

Krew Neighbors was also on hand last week to help deliver some of the meat he donated. This was his second year participating in the program. He donated two does and participates because he feels it is nice to be able to help others.

Of the five adults, Lentsch said, one was a first-time hunter, one a handicap hunter and three other were mentors of the PHMPYHC.

As of Friday, Dec. 16, PHMPYHC hunters have harvested and donated 26 animals, mostly whitetail deer. Three of those deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease and some are still in the process of being tested, Lentsch said. Only meat from deer testing negative for CWD are donated to the Food From the Field program.

Lentsch said there are still hunters with 10 unfilled licenses with the season ending on Dec. 31.

"We should get five-plus more deer over Christmas break," Lentsch said.

He said the goal of PHMPYHC project was to harvest 30 deer for donation.

Lentsch said that most deer were taken on properties south of Worland experiencing significant crop damage by deer, "a win-win-win situation for all involved."

He said the bulk of the funds for doe/fawn deer license fees were provided by Wyoming Game Wardens Association and himself. He said some parents declined reimbursement for licenses.

Lentsch said that as of last week Paintrock Processing had received 39 carcasses for Food from the Field donation, which includes hunter donations and Game and Fish seizure and forfeiture animals.

"A deer carcass averages 25-40 pounds of processed burger so the Food from the Field Program should donate around 1,000 pounds of processed meat in Worland, Thermopolis, Basin and Greybull in 2022," Lentsch said.