(WKYT) – Boone Brothers, a Lexington-based hunting ministry has partnered with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife to convert harvested deer meat into ready-to-eat jerky for children in central Kentucky school districts.
Boone Brothers, founded by former Southland Christian Church pastor Jon Weece takes donated deer meat and turns it into jerky called Boone Bites. Deer meat donated by hunters is processed into jerky and distributed to school districts for their take-home snack pack programs.
“The feedback we’ve gotten from children has been outstanding. Kids love them, the taste of it and they love how accessible it is,” Weece said.
From a bible study to a ministry
Weece stepped away from his congregation in January after leading Southland for more than two decades. He had previously created a bible study for hunters, that became quite popular and it eventually led him to create Boone Brothers.
“It took off and I saw all the excitement around the subject of hunting and conservation,” Weece said.
The ministry is named after Daniel Boone and operates out of a restored warehouse in Lexington.
“Not only is he Kentucky’s native son in terms of hunting and outdoors activity, he had a wonderful desire to help,” Weece said.
How the program works
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife approached Weece about the partnership.
“Fish and Wildlife contacted me and said we have a unique opportunity to take care of kids in the school system,” Weece said.
Through the program, hunters are encouraged to harvest as many does as possible each season. The deer are dropped off at a processor in the hunter’s surrounding area, and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife covers the cost of processing.
“That eliminates any excuse for a hunter not to donate deer,” Weece said.
One deer can generate nearly 200 packages of jerky.
Managing Kentucky’s deer population
Ben Robinson, Director of Wildlife with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, said deer management is a core part of the agency’s mission.
“We are tasked with managing the state’s wildlife resources, natural resources — specifically deer — and that’s challenging,” Robinson said.
More than 145,000 deer were harvested by Kentucky hunters in 2025.
“One of the biggest challenges though is hunters only need so many deer. They will go out and harvest one, two or three deer, but they don’t need many more than that,” Robinson said.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife already partners with Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry, which donates more than 70,000 pounds of venison to food banks each year. Robinson said the addition of Boone Brothers expands that reach.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for hunters who may not be accustomed to service projects helping others. This is a great opportunity to dip your toe in the water,” Robinson said.
Teaching the next generation
The Boone Brothers facility also plans to use the space to teach children how to hunt, including a bow shooting lane, with youth safety programs planned for spring and summer months.
Weece said the program’s impact on children is central to the ministry’s mission.
“Kids are kids, and for us to be able to serve a demographic of people that don’t often get to choose their circumstances they are born into — that brings a lot of joy to us,” Weece said.
Weece said he has been approached by several other states about setting up similar programs. Boone Brothers also has an app available for those who want to get involved.