Recyclable Hunting

Big-game hunters, this year don’t toss your hides, antlers, or excess meat in the trash. Here are some tips to make sure Bambi doesn’t go to waste.

Under all that hide is the meat you seek. Don’t want the hide? Pacific Steel (587-0662) will gladly take any hides off your hands. In fact, they’ll pay your for them—$5 for elk and moose hides and $2 for deer hides.

Next come the antlers. If you don’t want to mount your trophy, artists can use moose, elk, and deer antlers for knives, lighting, and much more. The going rate is $5 a pound for elk antlers and $8 a pound for deer antlers. Call Frank Long (587-5255) or Antler Creek’s Bryan Mackie (587-7213) to unload your antlers. Pacific Steel will also throw you some cash for your rack.

Finally, what about all that meat? If you can’t eat it, don’t have the freezer space, or your redneck cousin came to visit, bagged a trophy, and left it hanging in your backyard—then donate it. Last year, the Montana Food Bank started a program called Hunters Against Hunger. Just drop off your harvest at a participating processors and they’ll do the rest.

Here are three options:

Yellowstone Processing (587-9385)
Happel’s Clean-Cut Meat Service (587-8972)
Budget Game Processing (587-8972)

If you’re the kind of hunter who butchers his own meat but still wants to donate—you’re in luck. Just drop your unwanted meat (and tag) off at your local food pantry.

Gallatin Valley Food Bank (586-7600)
Livingston Food Pantry (222-5335)
Gardiner Food Pantry (344-9006)