Unconventional holiday hampers filled with moose meat in Thunder Bay, Ont.

While holiday hampers are usually filled with canned items and non-perishable food, here in northwestern Ontario for just one day a year, families and individuals get a chance to get their hands on some wild moose and deer meat.

For thepast five years, the Regional Food Distribution Association(RFDA) in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry have hosted the annual Moose on the Loose Giveaway.

• Illegally hunted moose, deer to feed hungry families in Thunder Bay

"This is meat that comes from hunters that had made poordecisions," said RFDA Executive Director Volker Kromm, "so every year they confiscate meat from these hunters and they have it processed and packaged according to standards."

Kromm said they never know exactly how much meat they'll be able to giveaway, as the amount is determined on the day of delivery and provided to families and individuals on a first come, first served bases.

On Wednesday, Kromm said approximately 120 people waited in-line outside of the RFDA, well before the 9:30 a.m. opening time.

"I thought I would be coming here at 7:30 a.m. and [it would be] lots of time to prepare [but] people were already outside, wandering and getting ready for this event," Kromm said.

Ken Fisher, one of the individuals who lined-up for the moose giveaway for the first time this year, said he waited outside the RFDAfor about an hour on Wednesday morning.

"I have some elderly friends that I like to share with," Fisher said, "because they can't go out and get their own moose meat, so I figured this is a good chance to share."

One by one, people got to take home a bag of much-needed protein that only a few can really get their hands on.

Moose on the Loose Giveaway 2017

7 years ago

Duration 1:04

Moose on the Loose Giveaway 2017

"This is the only time throughout the year that I can obtain this meat," Kyle Tienhaarasaid.

"You can't buy it from a store, so I enjoy this a lot."

He said although him and his friends waited outside the RFDAfor almost two hours on Wednesday,he feelslucky to havebeen able to get this hands on some deer or moose meat for the past three years.

"Local indigenous foodis hard to come by, and some of these people may not have hunted for years and years and when they've left their home community [and]they come to Thunder Bay, this is their one and only chance to get moose," Krommexplained.

He said approximately 2000 pounds of fresh wild meat was distributed for this year's Moose on the Loose Giveaway, with everyone taking about 16 pounds of meat home.