Arby’s recently began serving deer meat nationwide, and a hunting conservation group is objecting.
As Colorado Public Radio reports, the Montana Wildlife Federation, which was founded by hunters, anglers and other conservationists, sent a letter to Arby’s earlier this month asking the company to reconsider serving venison and elk steak sandwiches because of concerns that marketing meat from bison, elk and other wildlife could potentially lead to extinction of those species.
Arby's isn't sending hunters into the woods to kill thousands of elk and deer. That would be illegal. Instead, the fast-food company is sourcing their venison from game farms in New Zealand – red deer, which according to Arby’s President Rob Lynch is the same venison served at high-end restaurants across the U.S.
Lynch said he respects where the Montana Wildlife Federation is coming from.
And the company said many of their locations sold out on the first day the sandwiches were offered.