MORGANTOWN, W.Va. –– Since 2011, the City of Morgantown Urban Archery Deer Hunt has provided hundreds of pounds of ground venison to area churches and organizations that support feeding programs in the county.
Last week, the group of volunteer hunters made a donation of 776 pounds of ground venison just as the government shutdown claimed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments as a casualty.
Data from the United Way of Monongalia and Preston County shows more than 55,000 households receive SNAP benefits each month, and the percentage of households living in poverty is more than 15 percent.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” program coordinator Rick Bebout said the first donation of 2025 set a milestone in donations over the life of the program. The first donation was shared by the First Episcopal Church, which feeds about 150 people lunch five days a week, and Pantry Plus More, which operates in Monongalia County Schools and serves hundreds of households each month.
“It’s been a well-oiled machine; we have a great group of volunteers and a fantastic group of supporters—landowners and other folks in the community,” Bebout said. “With our first donation last week we topped the 15,000-pound mark.”
The donations were split between the two organizations, and Bebout said there will be additional distributions in the coming weeks.
“We actually filled it to the rim so much that we had to take some out to get the door shut, and that’s a good feeling,” Bebout said. “The remainder of the 776 pounds went over to Pantry, Plus More.”
As many as 90 hunters meet the requirements and are participating this year. The hunters have harvested nearly 1,500 deer over the life of the program, and experts believe the program reduces car-deer crashes and the extensive damage to landscaping and gardens reported by property owners.
“We had some attrition at the beginning of the year—some people moved to take other jobs, but we have about 90 active hunters that participate in our program,” Bebout said.
Bebout is a National Bowhunter Education Foundation certified instructor and provides the training for the hunters that will typically begin in July. The hunting season runs from September through the end of the year, with a second portion of the season during the final two weeks of January.
“In the classroom and in the field,” Bebout said. “They have to take a shooting proficiency test, they get their property assignments, and in the first week of September we’re ready to roll.”
The program is closed to donations of venison from outside the program. But, Bebout said, West Virginia Hunters Helping the Hungry is open to all hunters and makes donations to local food pantries as well.
“There is one in Marion County, Harrison County, and then scattered throughout the state,” Bebout said. “I would encourage folks that are interested in this to look up West Virginia Hunters Feeding the Hungry and donate a couple of deer this fall.”