Into the Wild Launches "Hunt. Donate. Feed Local." — A Regional Venison Donation Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2026
Media Contact: Ashley Leavitt | 845-650-1354 | ashley@allthingsaccuracy.com

INTO THE WILD LAUNCHES "HUNT. DONATE. FEED LOCAL."

Regional venison donation initiative supports New York's new deer-management strategy while providing locally sourced protein to families in need

LIBERTY, N.Y. — In response to New York State's new regulations designed to increase antlerless harvest, Into the Wild, founded by All Things Accuracy, is launching Hunt. Donate. Feed Local.—a regional venison donation initiative that connects responsible wildlife management with local food assistance.

For the 2026 hunting season, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation expanded antlerless hunting opportunities and established a statewide Earn-a-2nd-Buck system. Under the new system, hunters who legally harvest and report an antlerless deer using an eligible tag can receive a second Antlered Deer Tag. These changes are intended to provide hunters with greater opportunity and incentive to harvest antlerless deer in areas where growing deer populations require more active management.

Antlerless deer—primarily female deer—are the part of the population that most directly influences future herd growth. When deer populations grow beyond what the surrounding habitat can sustainably support, the effects extend well beyond the number of deer on the landscape. Overabundant deer can place increased pressure on natural food sources, forest regeneration and other wildlife habitat while contributing to agricultural damage, vehicle collisions and conflicts within surrounding communities. High deer densities can also create greater competition for available food and cover, ultimately affecting the health and quality of the herd itself.

Responsible antlerless harvest helps bring deer populations into better balance with the habitat available to support them. This creates a healthier, more sustainable deer herd, allows forests and native vegetation to recover, protects farms and roadways, and helps preserve the land for future generations of wildlife, hunters and outdoor recreationists.

ONE DONATED DEER  •  APPROXIMATELY 40 LBS. OF VENISON  •  AN ESTIMATED 150 MEALS

"Hunters are being asked to increase antlerless harvest, and we saw an opportunity to build the network needed to make that harvest count. This program allows hunters to support responsible wildlife management while turning their success into healthy meals for their neighbors."

— Ashley Leavitt, Into the Wild / All Things Accuracy

Hunt. Donate. Feed Local. completes that conservation circle. By creating an organized network of hunters and participating venison processors, the program gives hunters a practical option when they have the opportunity to harvest an eligible deer but may not need the additional meat for their own household. Instead of allowing a valuable local food source to go unused, donated deer are professionally processed into ground venison and distributed through established community feeding programs.

The result is a full-circle community benefit: hunters help meet New York's wildlife-management goals, local processors become part of a growing regional network, natural habitats are better protected, and healthy, locally harvested venison reaches families who can use it.

Beginning September 12, 2026, hunters may donate legally harvested, eligible deer directly to participating processors throughout the season:

SULLIVAN COUNTY
Spring Brook Farm
219 Rockland Road, Roscoe, NY 12776

ORANGE COUNTY
Deerserto's Butcher
170 Gillen Road, Middletown, NY 10940

Donated deer will be professionally processed into bulk ground venison. From there, food-distribution partners A Single Bite and the Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless will coordinate pickup, safely store and prepare the venison, incorporate it into nutritious meals, and distribute those meals to local families through their established community feeding programs.

“Access to locally donated venison gives A Single Bite another opportunity to turn a local resource into nutritious meals for our neighbors. We’re grateful to be part of a partnership that brings hunters, processors, and community organizations together to make good food available to families throughout our region.”

— Jennifer Bitetto, Real Food Logistics Manager at A Single Bite

Into the Wild is building a regional, county-by-county network of participating venison processors so hunters have clear, reliable donation locations throughout the region. Licensed processors interested in joining the network—or hunters who know a processor that may be interested—are encouraged to contact Ashley Leavitt at ashley@allthingsaccuracy.com.

Hunters must follow all current DEC season, tagging, reporting, and Wildlife Management Unit requirements. Participants should verify the regulations and legal hunting implements applicable to their area before participating.