Agriculture + Lifestyle
Public Policy Update Winter 24
by Adam Belflower
GFB Governmental Affairs Specialist
Posted on December 6, 2024 11:13 PM
iStock/GizmoPhoto
Wildlife nuisance plagues farmers across Georgia who daily fight the challenges of crop damage related to wildlife. The General Assembly looked at the growing impact whitetail deer have on farmers across most commodities and realized it was time to evaluate if farmers are equipped with the right tools to address the issue.
Georgia Farm Bureau worked with government agencies and elected officials to understand the cause of this growing impact and concluded hunters are harvesting fewer deer.
Hunters have become less concerned with filling their freezers with venison and now focus on managing trophy populations. This shift has led to a decrease in deer harvested and an increased focus on growing bigger deer. A solution was needed to increase hunters’ harvest rates statewide to balance the deer population.
To increase the number of deer harvested, the General Assembly wanted to provide an avenue for hunters to dispose of deer at no cost and the meat go towards feeding the hungry.
Hunters for the Hungry, administered by the Georgia Wildlife Federation, has been operating since 1993 to provide high quality protein to those in need. Hunters donate deer they harvest to participating processors at no charge. The processor packages the venison by the pound and distributes the meat to the needy in their community. Processors work with foodbanks, civic or religious organizations to coordinate dispersal.
This year the General Assembly appropriated $300,000 to bolster the existing Hunters for the Hungry program. The goal is to expand the program to 50 participating processors statewide and distribute 120,000 pounds of venison during the 2024-2025 hunting season.
For more information about the program visit www.gwf.org/ghfth/ or contact Adam Schiavone at aschiavone@gwf.org or 770-787-7887. If you are or know of a wild game processor, encourage them to participate by going to the website to sign up. Processors will be paid $2.50/lb. Hunters wanting to donate may visit the website for a map with all participating processors.
Producers can secure crop depredation permits from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to harvest deer from spring through the growing season.
GFB has worked with DNR to streamline the permitting process. Farmers can request permits before planting to begin managing nuisance as soon as crops are planted. Antlered deer can be added to permits upon request, and permittees can include up to six non-residents of their household to serve as assistants.
Visit www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com to apply for a deer depredation permit in the licenses/permits section. Applications must be made online because applicants must pin the fields they will hunt using a GPS feature. Call 1-800-366-2661 to request help with navigating the online application.
Adam Belflower is a GFB Governmental Affairs Specialist. He may be reached at acbelflower@gfb.org or 478-474-0679,ext, 5259.