Brownwood News – The 2017 deer season marks Good Samaritan Ministry’s ninth year hosting The Deer Project, where the love of hunting meets with a heart for helping the community. It’s a simple premise, really. White tail deer are abundant in Central Texas. Hunters have tags they need to fill.

Through The Deer Project, donating a legally harvested, tagged and field-dressed deer is free for the hunter. Participating processors work with Good Samaritan Ministries, offering a discounted price for processing. This year’s processors are: Perk’s Processing in Brownwood, Lone Star Taxidermy & Wild Game Processing in Owens, M&M Processing in Zephyr, Santa Anna Custom Processing in Santa Anna, and Fulldraw Wild Game Processing in Rising Star.

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Last year, hunters donated more than 13,000 pounds of venison, which provided 52,800 servings of lean protein for families in need in Brown County. This year Good Samaritan Ministries is hoping to see 15,000 pounds donated.

Hunters can register at Good Samaritan Ministries for a chance to win one of the following prizes for each deer donated:

• Ruger American 30-06 Deer Rifle ($400 value) sponsored by Johnson Gun Works
• A family Aoudad/Hog hunt at Wheeler Ranch in Medina sponsored by Wheeler Ranch
• 2 -$250 Gift Cards to Weakley Watson Sporting Goods sponsored by an anonymous supporter
• A $450 full shoulder mount redeemable at Santa Anna Custom Processing sponsored by Santa Anna Custom Processing
• Hunting Package ($500 value) that includes a feeder, game camera & pop-up blind sponsored by Bishop Distributing
• Catered Catfish dinner for 25 people ($300 value) sponsored by Diamond R in Zephyr  (doe entries only)
• Pink Camo Gift Set ($200 value) with hoodie, blanket, sunglasses sponsored by an anonymous supporter

The drawing will be held January 19th at Good Samaritan Ministries. You do not have to be present to win.

The Deer Project allows hunters to use up the rest of their tags after they’ve filled their freezer or mounted that prize buck on their wall. They simply take their legally harvested and tagged deer to one of the participating processors.

At a rate of $1.30 per pound, the processors will then grind the meat into two-pound chub packs ready to be picked up and put in the freezers at Good Samaritan Ministries. It costs the hunters nothing. The hunter tells the processor he wants to donate the deer or any portion thereof to The Deer Project. The hunters donation will become food on the table for Brown County families at risk of hunger. One deer provides approximately 100 servings of lean, healthy protein.

Monetary donations help cover the operational costs which include the processing. Every $100 donation provides approximately 500 meals. To learn more, visit: goodsambwd.org/what-we-do/the-deer-project