INDIANAPOLIS (AP): The state Department of Natural Resources says Indiana hunters donated nearly 67,000 pounds of venison to food pantries during the 2013-2014 hunting season.
 
The DNR says that's the equivalent of nearly to 267,000 meals donated through the Sportsman's Benevolence Fund, which was created in 2008. 
 
State Sen. Brent Steele co-authored the bill that secured state funding to handle processing fees for the donated venison. The Bedford Republican says the program allows  hunters to continue hunting while providing much-needed meals to Indiana families.
 
Republican state Sen. Michael Crider of Greenfield co-authored the bill. He says partnerships between meat processors, food pantries and the DNR are essential to the success of the Sportsman's Benevolence Fund.