WHEREAS, Alaska’s Native people have practiced subsistence harvests and community sharing for thousands of years and Alaskans of all backgrounds have embraced these traditions of filling their freezers with bountiful wild game harvested under sustainable management; and
WHEREAS, community-based Hunters for the Hungry (HFH) programs offer Alaskans opportunities to not only connect with nature and provide food security and nutrition to their families, but to provide for the less fortunate as well; and
WHEREAS, Alaska’s HFH program represents a commonsense answer to fighting hunger that taps into hunting’s role as an integral cultural component of Alaska communities; and
WHEREAS, the contributions of hunters to Alaska are seen at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which is funded largely by hunters through the “user pays, public benefits” system known as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, resulting in $37,471,191 in Pittman-Robertson funding going back to the state in 2025 alone for wildlife conservation initiatives; and
WHEREAS, recent National Rifle Association (NRA) Hunters’ Leadership Forum research shows that while American hunters share 119 million pounds of harvested game meat with others outside their households annually, many meat processors are not receiving enough donated game meat to fulfill their HFH missions; and
WHEREAS, supporting Alaska hunters’ tradition of sharing their wild game harvests takes on even greater significance as we strive to promote hunting’s cultural history as a food source, a right and a vital wildlife management tool; and
WHEREAS, the NRA and its millions of members recognize November as National Wild Game Meat Donation Month and encourage all hunters to donate surplus game meat and financially support local HFH programs as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving and the season of giving.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Mike Dunleavy, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, do hereby proclaim November 2025 as:
Wild Game Meat Donation Month
in Alaska and encourage all Alaskans to increase their understanding and awareness of food insecurity and how it impacts our nation, state, and communities.
Dated: November 1, 2025
