More than four tons of venison from deer culled at Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisehower National Historic Site have been donated to Pennsylvania food banks/NPS

Nearly 8,500 pounds of venison have been donated to central Pennsylvania food banks as the result of a deer culling program at Gettysburg National Military Park and the Eisenhower National Historic Site.

The National Park Service at the two parks has donated 8,436 pounds of venison to the hungry since October 2016 through the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reduce hunger in 27 counties across Pennsylvania. The venison is from 246 deer taken this winter as part of a deer management program at Gettysburg and neighboring Eisenhower National Historic Site. Butcher Block of Biglerville, Pennsylvania, processed the venison.

The deer management program provides for the long-term protection, conservation, and restoration of native species and cultural landscapes at the Gettysburg and Eisenhower parks. Hunting is not permitted inside the two parks--only qualified federal employees take part in the effort.

The annual deer management program at Gettysburg and Eisenhower has been providing venison for more than 36,000 meals each winter through donations to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.