Hides for Habitat program recycles deer hides while raising money for wildlife areas
MINNEAPOLIS — Camo clothing covered in bright orange vests and hats — we know a hunter's outfit when we see it.
But what about the orange bins scattered across Minnesota outside gas stations, bait shops and taverns? The organization behind them is hoping hunters in particular take notice.
"We've got billboards all around the state right now really to promote this program and let folks know that it's available," said Jared Mazurek, the executive director of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA).
Mazurek says first and foremost, Hides for Habitat is a recycling program. When hunters drop a deer hide in the orange bins, that means it won't go to a landfill.
Instead, the MDHA sells them to fur traders who turn them into leather products. The money raised from selling the hides goes right back into the land deer call home.
"If you have a piece of public land close to you, whether that's a WMA (wildlife management area) an aquatic management area, state forest of national forest, there is a very good chance that Hides for Habitat funding has helped to enhance, preserve, or even expand that piece of land," he said.
For example, the program gave $75,000 to a project at the Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area north of the Twin Cities to establish more woods.
The trees were planted across 50 acres, specifically to produce food. A variety of nuts and fruit to support animals like deer, bears, wild turkeys and even pollinators. It also meant plenty of new habitats for birds to nest and navigate.
The MDHA also uses the money raised to buy land from private owners, like farmers, then donates it back to the county, state or national forestry so it can become wild habitat.
The MDHA is split into 60 chapters. Hides collected in a chapter will fund projects in that specific chapter. A small portion of the money collected is set aside to help fund larger, statewide projects.
"It could be their local WMA doing anything from buckthorn removal to bud capping, or thermal cover for deer. All of those dollars go right back into the local community," said Mazurek.
On average, MDHA gets around 20% of the total statewide harvest every year.
Last year, about 158,678 deer were harvested across Minnesota using firearms, archery and muzzleloaders. Mazurek said hunters donated around 30,000 hides.
This year, Mazurek said hides are fetching $6 each. The deer tail is worth $2.50. That means last year, the program earned roughly $255,000.
"Extrapolate that across 400,000 licensed hunters in the state of Minnesota, it's a lot of money if people participate in this program," he said.
The program has raised $6.5 million since it started in 1985.
Hides for Habitat program only accepts deer hides and tails. Do not put deer heads, limbs or other scraps in the bins. There are close to 500 bins across the state. To find one near you, click here.
