Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Chief Washakie Advisor Grace Godfrey and members Kyston Rollema, Zane Lentsch, Dash Hart, Beckett Tharp, Chance Hart donated antelope meat they shot and processed to the Washakie County Ministerial Food Pantry. Not pictured are Logan Anderson and Nolan Lynema.
Logan Anderson and Zane Lentsch work on grinding antelope meat for burger as part of the Young Hunters Care Project.
Seven Chief Washakie FFA members teamed up with the Paintrock Hunter Mentor Program on a Young Hunters Care Project that benefited the farming and food insecurity communities.
Wyoming Game Warden Matt Lentsch said the Wyoming Game Warden's Association purchased 15 doe antelope licenses for an hunt on private property.
Lentsch said, "Since its inception 2007, the Young Hunters Care Project has donated nearly three tons of processed venison to families in the Big Horn Basin. This was the first year the Chief Washakie FFA Chapter took on this community service project and it was a natural fit."
The youth hunters took on two objectives, Lentsch said - "first, to harvest enough antelope on a specific Washakie County ranch experiencing high antelope numbers to mitigate damage issues; second, to help out families that need a little help up."
"It was a bonus to accomplish these objectives by doing something they are passionate about. By processing the carcasses themselves, the youth took full ownership of providing a key ingredient of nutritional meal."
FFA members Kyston Rollema, Dash Hart, Chase Hart, Zane Lentsch, Logan Anderson and Beckett Tharp shot 10 antelope on the landowner's field, which happened to be Dash and Chase Hart's grandfather's property.
Dash Hart said he wanted to help out his grandfather as "it's also kind of my ranch. We needed to try and keep antelope off the property so we would have a good crop for the cattle."
The added bonus, he said, was being able to help out the community, providing some meat for those in need this fall.
The hunts occurred in early October and then the six hunters, along with Nolan Lynema processed the antelope meat themselves, saving the program about $1,800 in processing fees.
At the end of processing they had 220 pounds of meat, packaged in burger and loin steaks.
The meat was delivered to the Washakie County Ministerial Association Food Pantry on Tuesday, Nov. 19. About 30 pounds of meat were delivered to specific families that the FFA Chapter knew could use it this fall.
Zane Lentsch also accompanied a disabled hunter who donated his antelope to the project.
Matt Lentsch founded the Paintrock Hunter Mentor Program in 2000 and coordinated this year's project. The Wyoming Game Wardens Association provided the necessary funds for the doe/fawn antelope licenses and the processing supplies.
