Why is Ohio spending $200,000 on refrigerated trailers for deer? The surprising plan could solve 3 growing problems at once

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is rolling out a new deer management strategy aimed at tackling several problems at once: rising deer numbers, crop damage, fewer hunters and growing demand for food assistance. The new program will use five refrigerated trailers to collect donated deer during the hunting season and help turn the venison into protein for Ohio residents facing food insecurity.

The initiative is modeled partly on a similar effort in Michigan, where refrigerated trailers are being used to make it easier for hunters, farmers and landowners to donate deer.

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Ohio will deploy five refrigerated deer trailers

Ohio is expected to receive five specialized refrigerated trailers costing about $200,000 in mid-September. The trailers are scheduled to be deployed during key hunting weekends beginning in mid-October.