Minnesota food shelves are eager for donations as the firearms deer hunting season opens on Saturday.

They’re happy to take venison.

A state venison donation program accepts whole deer carcasses, complete with the hide and registration tag. Donated deer must show no signs of illness, decomposition or contamination.

Newell Searle of Second Harvest Heartland says demand at food shelves is up 50 percent since the recession set in last year. Donations are up, too, but not enough to match the demand.

State Rep. Rick Hansen pushed legislation two years ago to relieve hunters of paying to process donated deer. The Democrat from South St. Paul says the program makes it easy for hunters to help the hungry.