Hunters have always shared meat with family and friends. Since 2024 the branch has had a proper way to share it wider — venison, goat, chamois and tahr donated to people across the district who need it.
We work with the Game Animal Council's Hunt and Share system so every donation is recorded and traceable, and with Kiwi Harvest, who get the meat to community food programmes across Queenstown, Wanaka and Cromwell — programmes that support an average of 825 people a week.
Where the meat goes
Kiwi Harvest's charity partners in the region include Baskets of Blessings, Te Whare Hauora Ki Tahuna, Happiness House, Salvation Army Queenstown, Wakatipu Youth Trust, Plunket Queenstown, Community Networks Wanaka, Food For Love, Kahu Youth Trust, Cromwell Foodbank and Cromwell Youth Trust — among others.
Got meat to donate?
If you've got venison, goat, chamois or tahr you'd like to donate, here's how it works — sign up to Better Hunting, do the short knowledge check, drop the boned meat to the Kiwi Harvest chiller, and log the donation. We've written it up step by step.
Behind the programme
The programme is funded by grants and donations. A $5,000 grant from the Queenstown Airport Community Fund and $5,000 from Queenstown Lakes District Council got it off the ground; donations cover the mincing and packing.
Questions
Email huts@southernlakesnzda.org.nz, or come to a club night and ask in person.