Governor Mike Braun is encouraging hunters to consider donating deer this season to help feed families in need.

Indiana’s Hunt for Hunger program covers processing costs when hunters donate legally harvested deer through participating processors.

The venison is then made into ground meat and distributed to food banks, food pantries and free-meal programs around the state.

State officials say Hoosier hunters have donated more than 500-thousand pounds of venison since the program began in 2008.

Information on participating processors is available through the Indiana DNR’s Hunt for Hunger website.