Metroparks Toledo donated 9,598 lbs. of ground venison from this winter’s deer management program to organizations that feed the hungry in our community. Most of the donation went to Cherry Street Mission, while a portion was also donated to Hoy Trinity Catholic Parish in Swanton.

The nonprofit organization Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry helped to cover the processing cost associated with the meat.

This year’s deer management was carried out by Metroparks staff and marksmen from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) at night when the parks were closed.

A total of 196 deer were culled from five parks (170 antlerless and 26 antlered). The majority, 71, were taken from Oak Openings Preserve. Deer were also harvested from Side Cut and the Fallen Timbers Battlefield (54 combined), Swan Creek Preserve (58) and Wildwood Preserve (13).

Another 35 deer were harvested during the archery hunting season by hunters whose names were drawn in a lottery for the opportunity to hunt in specified areas, mostly on property owned by Metroparks but not yet open to the public.