Local Meat Processor Helping the Hungry

ZANESVILLE, OH – Deer Gun Season is here and a local business has been helping many hunters prepare their deer for the winter for years.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, during the 2022 deer gun season hunters harvested 96,610 deer. Of those deer, 2,326 were harvested here in Muskingum County.

“Muskingum County is one of the best counties for deer,” Dale Phillips, Owner of Phillips Meats said. “There’s a lot of businesses here and processors for the hunters.”

The weeklong gun season, open to all hunters, kicks off Monday, Nov. 27 and runs until Sunday, Dec. 3. The deer gun weekend is Dec. 16-17. Phillips Meat is planning to help out a local food pantry this deer season.

“We have partnered with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry and it’s just a really great program,” Phillips said. “All the hunter does is bring in a legally tagged and field dressed deer, and then we will process it.”

The ODNR said every 50 pounds of venison donated could feed up to 200 people.

Phillips said they plan to donate the venison they collect this year to Christ’s Table.