A local group is again offering to pay for donated deer to be  processed and donated to the Panola County Food Pantry for distribution, according to Adrian Smith who has assisted in putting the program together.
The local “Help the Herd” group offers Panola County hunters the opportunity to donate does and cull bucks to the program at no cost to the hunter.

Smith said hunters can simply drop off their fresh kill at Pitcock’s Meat Processing at 483 Liberty Hill Road near Pope during regular business hours and tell them you would like to  donate all or part to “Help the Herd.”

An over abundance of deer in a large part of the county has become a nuisance to some of Panola’s farmers, not to mention gardeners, both vegetable and ornamental, and home owners who have plants eaten or stripped by deer.

Also landowners and hunting club members attempting to produce healthier herds often need to thin more deer than they can use are now offered an alternative that allows the deer to be used for a good cause.

Panola County Food Pantry Manager Marie Leland said the program was well received by recipients last year.

“Lord yeah, they were asking for deer all the way into the spring of the year,” she said of last year’s donation saying that there were more request than deer.

She explained the donated venison is delivered packaged and frozen made into ground venison and sausage.

Pitcock’s hours expand during hunting season. They can be contacted at 563-7595.