Hunters can share their harvest this year — with no cost to themselves.

The Hunters Sharing the Harvest program recently announced that the previous $15 contribution required of each donating hunter — toward the cost of having the deer butchered — has been waived this year.

“The approximate cost of having the deer meat processed is $70 per animal,” said Tom Rossman, the HSTH coordinator for Butler County. “We had to charge the hunters a little bit so we could cover that cost.

“Consol Energy stepped up this year and will cover the difference. We’re hoping the result is more hunters participating in our program.”

Consol Energy is covering the cost of donated deer in Butler, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Westmoreland, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties this year.

Last year, 86,000 pounds of venison were donated to HSTH statewide. The goal this year is 100,000 pounds.

Approximately 200 Butler County hunters donated their deer to the program last year.

“One deer produces about 40 pounds of meat,” Rossman said. “That kind of impact is huge to local food pantries and other organizations that feed the hungry.”

Hunters Sharing the Harvest contribute venison to 20 regional food banks that distribute the meat to food pantries, missions, homeless shelters, churches and Salvation Army facilities.

“We’re the largest program of our kind in the country,” HSTH executive director John Plowman said. “Our goal is always 100,000 pounds of meat. We hit that goal in 2007 and 2008 and we want to get back there.

“A lot of that success depends on the weather. Last year, the weather turned sour during the second week of deer season and that affected our objective.”

Plowman said Butler County is among the leading contributors to the program in the state.

“Tom Rossman is our best coordinator in the state, hands down,” he said. “He’s always promoting the program, working with the deer processors, helps to distribute the meat, whatever it takes.”

Vim Slater’s near Eau Claire, McKruit’s Processing in Cabot, Ron Rome in Herman and Tom Giger in Valencia are county deer processors who work with HSTH.

The program will accept deer throughout the fall archery season, deer gun season and straight through the late archery and muzzleloader seasons.

The venison donations account for approximately 750,000 meals annually. There are 1.8 million Pennsylvania residents classified as food insecure.

“The impact our hunters have on feeding the hungry is incredible,” Plowman said. “They’re out there in the woods making it happen. They make it go.”

Visit sharedeer.org or call 1-866-474-2141 for more information on HSTH.