Project Murihiku

Southland’s flagship venison donation programme

Project Murihiku is a uniquely New Zealand, purely Southland initiative that turns wild venison into food for Southland communities. Delivered by Deer to Care, the programme connects local funding, local hunters, local butchers, and local charities through a simple, practical, and ethical model.

Built in Southland, for Southland.

Why Project Murihiku exists

Southland has an abundant wild deer population, skilled hunters, experienced butchers, and community organisations supporting people facing food insecurity. What has often been missing is a practical way to connect these parts safely and at scale.

Project Murihiku was developed to solve that problem locally. By funding professional processing and coordinating delivery, the programme ensures wild venison becomes a reliable source of nutritious food for Southland charities.

Nothing leaves the region.

Everything stays local.

How Project Murihiku works

Project Murihiku operates as a Southland circular economy:

Community gaming proceeds are returned to Southland through grant funding. That funding supports processing capacity at participating local butcheries.

Local farmers provide access for ethical hunting. Local hunters harvest deer and donate venison.

Participating butchers inspect, process, and package the meat. Deer to Care representatives collect and deliver venison to local charities.

Charities distribute meals to people and families in need across Southland.

Hunter instructions — Project Murihiku

  • If you hunt, you can help

    Hunters are invited to donate boned-out venison to participating Project Murihiku butcher partners. Donated meat is professionally processed and provided to local charities through Deer to Care.

  • How to donate

    Hunters may drop off fresh or frozen, boned-out venison at a participating Project Murihiku butcher.
    A Wild Game Declaration processing form must be completed at the time of drop-off.

    All processing is funded through Project Murihiku at no cost to the hunter and no cost to the community.

  • Meat requirements

    Venison must be ethically harvested.
    Meat must be clean, uncontaminated, and fit for processing.
    Participating butchers carry out strict quality control checks.

    MPI regulations are fully followed, and MPI has been informed of this initiative.
    Any meat that does not meet required standards may be declined.

  • Why field care matters

    Good decisions in the field directly affect the quality of food on the plate for someone in need.
    Hunters are asked to go the extra mile to ensure only high-quality meat is donated.

    Your care makes a real difference.

Southland butcher partners

Project Murihiku operates exclusively through local Southland butcheries that provide professional processing for donated venison.

  • Mataura

    Mataura Butcher Shop Ltd

    A long-standing, locally owned butcher serving Mataura and surrounding communities. Mataura Butcher Shop provides homekill and recreational catch processing and supports Project Murihiku by turning donated venison into high-quality packaged meat for community distribution.

  • Winton

    Uppercuts Butchery

    A well-established Southland butcher offering fresh meats, smallgoods, and homekill services. Uppercuts Butchery supports Project Murihiku by processing donated deer into mince and cuts suitable for charitable distribution across Central Southland.

  • Invercargill

    Mighty Meats

    Mighty Meats is Project Murihiku’s sole Invercargill butchery partner. The team provides professional processing of donated venison, ensuring urban processing capacity for deer sourced across the wider Southland region.

  • Te Anau

    Fiordland Meat Wholesalers

    Serving the Te Anau and Fiordland area, Fiordland Meat Wholesalers supports Project Murihiku by processing donated venison for local distribution, helping ensure food harvested in Fiordland remains in the region.

  • Riverton

    Riverton Butchery Ltd

    A trusted local butcher serving Riverton and the western Southland community. Riverton Butchery supports Project Murihiku by processing donated venison into packaged product for delivery to local charities.

Food Safety and Standards

All venison donated through Project Murihiku is processed by registered butcheries.
MPI requirements are followed, and the programme operates in line with New Zealand food safety standards.

All meat is donated.
No venison is sold or traded.

Acknowledgement

Project Murihiku is delivered by Deer to Care and supported through community grant funding. The programme exists because of the combined efforts of Southland hunters, farmers, butchers, charities, and funders working together to feed their own communities.