How to Donate a Deer in Michigan (Free) — Participating Processors

Updated October 21, 2026

Michigan has two donation programs that pay participating processors so you can give a deer to food banks and pantries at no cost to you.

The rules (from the DNR)

• Take the deer to a participating processor — there is no cost to the donor. Call before drop-off to make sure they'll accept it.
• The deer must be legally harvested, harvest-reported and whole.
• Deer from these counties must be tested for CWD before donation: Allegan, Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Genesee, Gladwin, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Midland, Ogemaw and Washtenaw.
• Deer from these counties must be tested for TB before donation: Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Benzie, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Iosco, Mecosta, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon.
• Deer taken within 3 miles of Clark's Marsh (Oscoda Township, Iosco County) are not accepted, because of a PFAS "Do Not Eat" advisory.

All of the above is from the DNR's Where to donate deer page.

Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger

MSAH is a nonprofit that connects hunters, processors and charities. Its list is labelled 2025 and says to call processors before taking a deer in. For a whole-deer donation through a participating processor there is no processing cost to the hunter. ^[source]

Processors listed as taking donated deer

From the DNR donation list, the MSAH list, or the processor's own site. Always call first — participation can change season to season.

• Blue Star Meat Inc.

  Holland · Allegan County
  Call 616-392-4291Details Takes donated deer

• Doe Patrol

  Holland · Allegan County
  Call 231-571-3867Details Takes donated deer

• Clear Waer Meats

  Eau Claire · Berrien County
  Call 269-208-4970Details Takes donated deer

• Countryside Quality Meats

  Union City · Branch County
  Call 517-741-4275Details Takes donated deer

• Razorback Meats

  Albion · Calhoun County
  Call 517-257-6550Details Takes donated deer

• Maurer's Little Meat Shop

  Sault Ste Marie · Chippewa County
  Call 248-310-0122Details Takes donated deer

• Davis Meat Processing

  St. Johns · Clinton County
  Call 517-719-1039Details Takes donated deer

• Specialized Deer Processing Plus Inc.

  St. Johns · Clinton County
  Call 989-227-2825Details Takes donated deer

• Buried Stone Farms

  Escanaba · Delta County
  Call 906-261-1505Details Takes donated deer

• Soderman's Meat Processing

  Gladstone · Delta County
  Call 906-428-2487Details Takes donated deer

• County Line Deer Processing

  Millington · Genesee County
  Call 810-240-7878Details Takes donated deer

• Smith Meats Inc.

  Millington · Genesee County
  Call 989-871-2144Details Takes donated deer

• Lambert Meat Market

  Gladwin · Gladwin County
  Call 989-246-1850Details Takes donated deer

• T.C. Butchering

  Traverse City · Grand Traverse County
  Call 231-409-0027Details Takes donated deer

• The Buckstop Of Grawn

  Grawn · Grand Traverse County
  Call 231-276-6829Details Takes donated deer

• Jerome Country Market LLC

  Jerome · Hillsdale County
  Call 527-688-4941Details Takes donated deer

• Cutchers Cuts LLC

  Bay Port · Huron County
  Call 989-551-6328Details Takes donated deer

• Headwaters Farm LLC

  Webberville · Ingham County
  Call 248-794-7694Details Takes donated deer

• Hanna-Davis Fine Meats

  Sunfield · Ionia County
  Call 517-566-8003Details Takes donated deer

• Yes Deer Processing

  Orleans · Ionia County
  Call 616-761-2020Details Takes donated deer

• Heritage Harvest

  Lake · Isabella County
  Call 989-330-8038Details Takes donated deer

• Beef Barn

  Jackson · Jackson County
  Call 517-782-3000Details Takes donated deer

• JJ Meats

  Horton · Jackson County
  Call 517-563-2150Details Takes donated deer

• James Family Meat Processing, LLC

  Springport · Jackson County
  Call 517-554-1988Details Takes donated deer

• Barb's Deer Processing

  Comstock Park · Kent County
  Call 616-887-7876Details Takes donated deer

• Meat Shack

  Kent City · Kent County
  Call 616-318-3989Details Takes donated deer

• Courser Deer Processing

  Columbiaville · Lapeer County
  Call 517-462-8104Details Takes donated deer

• Buntings Market

  Cedar · Leelanau County
  Call 231-228-7460Details Takes donated deer

• Great Lakes Custom Meats and More

  Howell · Livingston County
  Call 810-360-8138Details Hours listed Takes donated deer

• Richardson Meat Processing

  Linden · Livingston County
  Call 810-735-7268Details Hours listed Takes donated deer

• Tabs Custom Cuts LLC

  Gregory · Livingston County
  Call 517-304-3102Details Takes donated deer

• Butcher Boy Food Products

  Warren · Macomb County
  Call 586-779-0600Details Takes donated deer

• Richmond Meat Packers

  Richmond · Macomb County
  Call 586-727-1450Details Takes donated deer

• Stephen's Custom Processing

  Armada · Macomb County
  Call 586-329-9233Details Takes donated deer

• Perry's Deer Processing

  Monroe · Monroe County
  Call 734-682-2224Details Takes donated deer

• Carson Village Market

  Carson City · Montcalm County
  Call 989-584-3167Details Takes donated deer

• Mac's Rustic Deer Processing

  Howard City · Montcalm County
  Call 231-937-4372Details Takes donated deer

• M-35 Processing

  Atlanta · Montmorency County
  Call 989-733-0058Details Takes donated deer

• Game Time Meats

  Holly · Oakland County
  Call 810-280-0580Details Hours listed Takes donated deer

• Uncle Henry's Gourmet Meats

  Troy · Oakland County
  Call 248-740-8755Details Hours listed Takes donated deer

• Community Cuts

  Prescott · Ogemaw County
  Call 989-387-2173Details Takes donated deer

• Community Cuts LLC

  Prescott · Ogemaw County
  Call 989-709-6259Details Takes donated deer

• Klemmer's Processing

  West Branch · Ogemaw County
  Call 989-387-0412Details Takes donated deer

• Tony's Processing

  West Branch · Ogemaw County
  Call 989-345-7454Details Takes donated deer

• Crosscut Meats

  Mio · Oscoda County
  Call 989-889-5769Details Takes donated deer

• Fisher's Game Processing

  Vanderbilt · Otsego County
  Call 231-313-3101Details Takes donated deer

• Deerdash Processing

  Holland · Ottawa County
  Call 616-326-6607Details Takes donated deer

• Martin's Meats LLC

  Sandusky · Sanilac County
  Call 810-648-2498Details Takes donated deer

• Outback Meat Processing

  Snover · Sanilac County
  Call 810-837-0677Details Takes donated deer

• Apex Custom Butchering

  Owosso · Shiawassee County
  Call 989-323-1187Details Takes donated deer

• Lennon Road Farms

  Corunna · Shiawassee County
  Call 989-277-6036Details Takes donated deer

• Ilowski's Sausage

  East China · St. Clair County
  Call 810-329-9117Details Takes donated deer

• Rocky River Deer Processing

  Marcellus · St. Joseph County
  Call 269-861-8810Details Takes donated deer

• Janks Deer Processing

  Caro · Tuscola County
  Call 989-553-2317Details Takes donated deer

• Three Farmers Meat LLC

  Belleville · Wayne County
  Call 313-334-0902Details Takes donated deer

Sources

• https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/get-involved/hunters-feeding-michigan/where-to-donate-deer
• https://sportsmenagainsthunger.org/hunters/find-a-processor/
• https://sportsmenagainsthunger.org/the-meat-shack-kent-city-michigan-deer-donation/