Barnes County Wildlife Federation Vice President John Kopp says the organization has received more than enough deer donations this year. (Jay Stephenson/VCTR) 

By Jay Stephenson
Valley City Times-Record

  It’s been an overdose of donations for this year’s deer giveaway to the Barnes County Food Pantry.
  The Barnes County Venison for Food Pantry Project is out of cash for processing the deer at Valley Meat Supply, and organizers say they won’t be able to take more deer unless they get an increased cash supply.
  “We’re pretty limited to what we got left unless we get some more monetary donations to process them,” said John Kopp, vice president of Barnes County Wildlife. “We’re about booked up as to what we have to process.”
  Kopp says the Wildlife Federation mentioned the deer donation opportunity at previous meetings and people put their name in early enough to fill enough deer quotas using the money available. He estimates the cost at $70 for processing one deer at Valley Meat.  
  “There’s been years we’ve had more money to process deer, and there’s been other years we’ve had less,” Kopp said.
  Kopp believes they’ve received 35 to 40 deer this year, which is more than last year.
  “People can still call us if they have a deer to donate,” Kopp said. “There may be a few openings for deer, but it is pretty limited, unless we get more funds.”
  Workers at Valley Meat say the increased donations hasn’t affected business or created a heavy workload.
 “They tend to trickle in instead of showing up all at once,” said Valley Meat owner Rod Haugtvedt.
  Haugtvedt says they receive the deer all in one piece, and from there the deer gets processed into basic cuts, such as steaks and hamburgers.
  Kopp says those interested in making cash donations can call 845-0812.