Suburban deer hunters donate 700 lbs. of venison to metro Atlanta Salvation Army

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Two local suburban deer hunters with large YouTube followings just donated 700 pounds of venison to the Salvation Army, which organizers say will feed 600 people daily for three months.

For years, FOX5 has covered stories about the booming deer population and how dangerous both these large animals, and hunting them, can be.

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Hunters Michael Cochran and Lee Ellis say their work in Fulton, Forsyth and Hall counties helps the Atlanta area three-fold by preserving the environment, improving living conditions, and feeding the hungry.

"I love the deer too, but I don't want to see 20 unhealthy looking deer, I want to see 10 healthy looking deer," Ellis said.

Suburban deer hunting has been a contentious topic across metro Atlanta, but it is popular and legal, so long as hunters use certain tools and ask homeowners for permission to hunt on their property.

"Here in the suburbs, you have to hunt with bow and arrow only," Cochran said. For safety, Cochran said, it's best to hunt from an elevated position downward.

Since 2015, the two hunters have leaned in to suburban deer hunting for several reasons.

"The population has grown out of control in suburban areas," Cochran said.

"I like to explain it like this: If you have 10 people living in a 2-bedroom apartment, you have unhealthy living conditions," Ellis said.

State biologists say annually Georgia averages around 50,000 deer and car accidents.

"That's the worst way for deer to go. They're suffering, and often the deer will rot," Ellis said.

 Cochran and Ellis have partnered with fellow hunters, select homeowners and the Salvation Army.

"We’re doing two for one. Managing the deer herd and feeding a lot of needy families," Cochran said.

"We serve about 600 meals daily. This helps us offset the food budget, which as you know is helpful as food costs rise," the Salvation Army's Thomas Thompson said.

That venison will become breakfast sausage, meat for spaghetti, burgers, etc.  

Cochran and Ellis say they got the idea of donating venison from knocking on someone's door and asking if they could hunt on their property. The answer was no, but that homeowner recommended the hunters partner with the Salvation Army. That suggestion has led to thousands of free meals to come.