FREDERICK COUNTY, MD - As food banks across the state empty their shelves to help people this holiday season, hunters in Maryland are doing their part to fill them back up.

The Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry Program has butchers across the state that will clean the deer, and then send them off to food banks and soup kitchens.

However, cleaning a deer doesn't come cheap.  At Shuff's Meat Market, it costs $60 to clean it and box it up.   Thanks to the Patty Pollatos Fund, hunters in Frederick County can donate free of charge.

Brian Bowman of Shuff’s Meat Market said, "The hunters don't have to.  The only thing they have to do is drop the deer off, and there's no initial cost to them."

"We're just asking them to bring just one deer, but bring their best,” said Debbie Williams of the Patty Pollatos Fund.

Employees at Shuff's Meat Market say their numbers were down for the first day of deer hunting season.  By noon, they usually have about 50 deer, but only had 30 on Saturday.