CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officers donated 250 pounds of moose and deer meat to the Fall Mountain Food Shelf in Alstead earlier this month. The meat had been confiscated during the fall 2005 hunting season in situations where moose and deer had been illegally taken. Conservation Officers had the meat butchered, deboned, packaged and frozen after it was seized. The pending court cases recently were resolved, allowing the donation.
“The Alstead area was in such great need after last fall’s flooding, so Conservation Officers decided to send the donation to them,” said Officer Jeremy Hawkes, who transported the meat to the food pantry. The donation was a joint effort by Hawkes, other Conservation Officers in District 3, and CO Claude Dumont of District 4 in southwestern New Hampshire.
The donation was received with great appreciation from the Fall Mountain Food Shelf, which has seen the number of clients seeking assistance quadruple since the floods of fall 2005, according to coordinator Mary Lou Huffling. The Food Shelf is currently serving 60 to 70 families per week in Alstead and 15 each week in Charlestown. “Being a rural area, many people either hunt or know people who give them moose or deer meat, so they were really excited,” said Huffling. “A lot of people are still displaced and will be for quite awhile. When times are hard, it’s good to have a treat; it’s good for the spirit.”
Tom Remington
