Coldwater Noon Club Partners with Branch Area Food Pantry to Donate Venison this Deer Season
The Coldwater Noon Club has joined forces with the Branch Area Food Pantry to provide venison to those facing food insecurity during the current deer hunting season.
Volunteers from the Branch Area Food Pantry collect and distribute food from their location at 22 Pierson St., Coldwater, every Tuesday. Recently, students from Legg Middle School participated in a 2024 collection drive supporting this effort.
Hunters participating in the program are asked only to field-dress their deer before delivering it to one of four designated processors in Branch and Hillsdale counties. The Coldwater Noon Club covers all processing expenses, ensuring the resulting venison is donated directly to the food pantry.
According to Tim Hart, a representative of both the Food Pantry Board and the Coldwater Noon Club Foundation, the organizers hope to collect approximately 15 deer this season, though the total could reach up to 20.
Processing Locations Accepting Donated Deer
- Thompson’s Deer Processing, 252 W. Pearl Road, Coldwater, 517-462-5697
- Wonders Deer Processing, 748 Slisher Road, Bronson, 517-736-4609
- Finley’s Deer Processing, 234 Ridge Road, Quincy, 260-343-1100
- M&M Smokehouse, 4880 Hudson Road, Osseo, 517-523-2121
Hunters need only inform the processor that the deer is a donation for the food pantry. Processors will then prepare the venison primarily as ground meat, optimizing the yield to best serve the pantry’s freezer stock.
Hart emphasized coordination between processors, the food pantry, and the Noon Club is critical to this program’s smooth operation, maintaining efficiency during the hunting season.
Hunting Regulations and Deer Management in Branch County
Hunters in Branch County follow Michigan’s statewide rules allowing for a maximum harvest of two antlered deer with a deer combo license, which includes two kill tags. Additionally, hunters may obtain up to 10 antlerless deer tags through separate licenses.
For the 2025 hunting year, Michigan’s license costs are:
- Basic License: Residents $11, Nonresidents $151, Seniors (65+) $5, Juniors (17 and under) $6
- Each Deer Tag: Resident $20; Nonresident $20; Senior Resident $8
- Deer Combo Tag (two-tag license): Resident $40; Nonresident $190; Senior Resident $28
- Antlerless Tag: $20
The restricted antlered deer tag permits harvest only of bucks with at least four points on one antler, each at least one inch long, reflecting efforts to encourage sustainable herd structures.
Michigan hunters are required to report deer kills to the Department of Natural Resources within 72 hours or before transferring possession, with options for online or mobile app reporting.
While hunters may purchase up to 20 antlerless deer tags per basic license, availability is limited. The Deer Management Unit (DMU) covering Branch, St. Joseph, and Kalamazoo counties must remove an estimated 16,000 deer to stabilize the local population, according to the Michigan DNR.
Wildlife and Community Impact
White-tailed deer populations can exert considerable pressure on ecosystems and agriculture. Programs such as this venison donation initiative not only support community nutrition but also contribute to wildlife management goals by helping regulate herd density.
Effective deer management requires balancing harvest regulations with population control. Venison donation programs utilize surplus game to benefit people in need, thereby linking wildlife conservation goals with public health efforts.
Additional reporting and sources from: Donate your deer as Coldwater Noon Club and Branch Area Food Pantry team up for the hungry
