Lions Marty Osinski, Jim Hauser, Al Lueck, Ed Carpenter and Bud Green Collecting Deer Hides

WANTED -- MORE DEER HIDES

(an interview with Lion Bud Green)

It is hard to realize that we started the deer hide project 11 years ago when Lion Art Marson asked me to take the environmental cabinet position.  I agreed to try to set up the deer hide program.

The first year was slow; we only collected 96 deer hides.  But, with the help of a good many Lions in 8 years we raised that total to 926 deer hides.  Then, even with the low deer kill in the past two years, we were able to collect a little over 700 deer hides.  I am hoping that this year will be better, allowing us to get back up to the numbers we had a few years ago.

Some people I ran into this year asked a lot questions about what happens to the deer hides after they are collected.  When we get deer hides at the collection stations we take them to local Lions who salt them and store them.  The deer hides have to lay flat and the legs and neck have to be cut so they are able to be salted.  Then the deer hides are stacked on wooden pallets - around 50 deer hides per pallet.  At that point the hides are stored until the hide buyer picks them up.  

We have two pick up sites: one at Lion Jim Friskies house in Oakdale and one at my house in West Salem.  The buyer counts and grades the hides to determine a price.  The deer hides are then shipped to China where they make gloves to be sold throughout the world.

You now know that this is just not a one man or a one club effort.  To make the deer hide project a success takes many clubs.  In recent years we have raised between $45,000 and $52,000 a year state wide.  This money goes to improve and upgrade the Wisconsin Lions Foundation Lion's Camp. So you can see how important it is to get the word out about the deer hide project.  

Lion's of District 27D2 can help make this year even better than last year.  A list of collection sites and Lions contacts are on the web page. If you have any questions about the deer hide project just contact me, Bud Greene (608)786-1264