Donate deer this season

The Iowa Deer Exchange provides a way for deer hunters and residents looking for venison to connect through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Selling wild fish and game is illegal in Iowa. Donating the fish and meat gets it into the hands of those who need and want it.

The database creates a map and table with information deer donors and deer recipients can use to get connected.

Hunters may sign up as deer donors or recipients with the Iowa Deer Exchange at iowadnr.gov/deer. Scroll down to Iowa’s Deer Exchange Program link and enter information the donor and what is being donated.

Hunters and recipients who had previously registered for the Deer Exchange Program should review their information to make sure it is still accurate and active. There is no cost to participate.

The Iowa DNR, the Food Bank of Iowa and 32 meat lockers also participate in the Help Us Stop Hunger program for 2025. Hunters are encouraged to contact a participating locker before they harvest a deer to see if the locker has any additional drop off instructions.

Hunters may also donate their deer hides benefit disabled veterans.

Hunters donated nearly 3,500 deer hides to Elks Lodges across Iowa last year, which was a decrease from the year before but still very beneficial to the program.

The deer hides are used by the Elks Veterans Leather Program to make professionally crafted leather gloves for veterans in wheelchairs. The hide is also turned into leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans.

Hunters willing to donate their hides are encouraged to contact the local Elks Lodge for drop off locations or visit elks.org/lodges to find the nearest lodge.

The therapeutic kits and gloves are distributed at no cost to the veterans. Contact Curtis Blystone at 712-621-2823 or blystonecurtis@gmail.com for more information.