Unless you are independently wealthy and are able to buy any manner of meat or other food items that strike your fancy, you are looking for a way to fill your freezer without emptying you wallet. One great way to do this to call your local law enforcement agency and get on their deer kill list.  Every day, across America, hundreds of police departments are forced to deal with deer that get hit by cars. They will give them away to anyone who wants them and it is completely legal, free venison.

Here’s the catch. Deer make it a habit to get hit by cars at the most inopportune of times, and if you are going to be a successful purveyor of free venison, you have to be one of those people who will answer the phone at 0300 in the morning, get out of bed, and go gut a deer by the side of the road. The cop will almost always hold the light for you and will keep you entertained with witty one-liners as the snow and sleet blow across your frozen bloody hands. The problems come when you are one of those people who won’t do that. Don’t come too many times, and police dispatchers will stop calling you altogether, favoring those whom they can depend on.

Often you will get the call to come take a deer that is too torn up to be of much value. At times like these, I smile, take the carcass anyway, and scrounge what I can for my dogs. I have an old meat grinder dedicated to Starling and Teeny, my two k9 friends. They love deer meat even if it is bruised or a little dirty, and a couple of deer will go a long way to supplementing those bags of dry dog food they seem to inhale.

Do yourself and your family a favor. Fill that freezer with venison that doesn’t cost you anything more than some time and a little sleep. It’s usually good, clean, fresh meat, and you’ll be performing a community service by getting that carcass off of the road.