Final figures released on deer feeding effort

[h2ofwlr]

ST Cloud Times staff report
1:38 p.m. CDT July 7, 2014

Deer hunters association volunteered for 1,728 total hours to distribute feed
Minnesota Deer Hunters Association paid for the feed and was reimbursed by DNR

A final report is available from the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association regarding the Emergency Winter Deer Feeding Program approved by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during March and April. The program was funded by the DNR through a taxpayer-based account funded by the 50-cent-per-deer-hunting-license allotment initiated in 1996.

The funds, paired with in-kind and/or monetary contributions from the MDHA, its chapters and volunteers, made the effort possible.

A total of 1,056,000 pounds of feed, or 528 tons, was purchased and distributed across a total of 12,190.95 square miles during the six-week initiative. There were a total of 969 people who obtained feed through the program. These volunteers put feed out to 1,123 documented sites across the 13 DNR-approved Deer Permit Areas in northeastern Minnesota.

A total of $200,225.69 was spent on feed procurement and shipping/handling. Under the terms of the grant, the deer hunters association paid the feed procurement expenses as they were incurred, and subsequently requested reimbursement from the DNR.

Volunteers helped with feed distribution. A minimum of 72 volunteers handed out feed on a weekly basis at the eight distribution points for a total of 1,728 total volunteer hours for the six week duration. Using the DNR's standard volunteer labor rate of $13 per hour, the total in-kind volunteer labor amount provided by MDHA is $22,464. A total of 885 hours of MDHA staff time was used to support the feeding program. The cost of this staff time was $32,990.48.

For more information and to see the complete report go to: http://mndeerhunters.com/en/wp-content/ ... Report.pdf .