WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- For a long time, the Smith Reynolds Airport had a problem with deer inside the property.

• In September the U.S.D.A began harvesting the deer, and taking the meat down to Craven Deer Processing in Asheboro
• The owner, Phillip Craven, has long worked to turn deer meet into food for those in need
• All the meat from the 21 deer, over 500 pounds at this point, has gone to Winston-Salem charities

"We've had some instances with deer on the runway. We've had some near misses where an aircraft has either had to take off or abort landing," Airport Director Mark Davidson says.

In September the U.S.D.A began harvesting the deer, and taking the meat down to Craven Deer Processing in Asheboro.

The owner, Phillip Craven, has long worked to turn deer meet into food for those in need, and jumped at the chance to be a part of this operation.

"The U.S.D.A. goes out to harvest them. They dress them. They bring them to us. We skin them, quarter them up, cut them all into hamburger and roughly one pound packs, and we freeze them and they come pick them up and take them back," Craven says. They do the work at cost.

All the meat from the 21 deer, over 500 pounds at this point, has gone to Winston-Salem charities.