What to do with the carcasses?

[Tommy_gun]

Hello all, I’m after some advice if possible.

It’s been a few years since I’ve been stalking and when I did go, it was always accompanied. Now I’ve got the opportunity to stalk on my in-laws farm as they’ve got some reds causing damage to their crops.

My issue now is what to do with the carcasses, as once I’ve shot one or two my chest freezer will be full and I can’t see me eating enough of it to empty it very quickly.

My other thought was to take it to a game dealer, I spoke to a local one who would be happy for me to supply to them as long as I have a DSC1, which I do. But if I take it to a game dealer would I have to register as self employed and declare the income? I imagine I’ll be shooting fairly modest numbers so seems like it could be more hassle than it’s worth.

What’s other people’s experience in a similar position to me? Am I better off trying to give them away to family or friends or, would it be simpler to just register as self employed and drop the carcasses off at the game dealer?

Thanks.

Tom.

 

[Tom102938]

Game dealer - ask for cash

 

[VSS]

Hello all, I’m after some advice if possible.

It’s been a few years since I’ve been stalking and when I did go, it was always accompanied. Now I’ve got the opportunity to stalk on my in-laws farm as they’ve got some reds causing damage to their crops.

My issue now is what to do with the carcasses, as once I’ve shot one or two my chest freezer will be full and I can’t see me eating enough of it to empty it very quickly.

My other thought was to take it to a game dealer, I spoke to a local one who would be happy for me to supply to them as long as I have a DSC1, which I do. But if I take it to a game dealer would I have to register as self employed and declare the income? I imagine I’ll be shooting fairly modest numbers so seems like it could be more hassle than it’s worth.

What’s other people’s experience in a similar position to me? Am I better off trying to give them away to family or friends or, would it be simpler to just register as self employed and drop the carcasses off at the game dealer?

Thanks.

Tom.

What type of monster deer are you talking about, if one or two are going to fill a chest freezer???
Even a fair sized fallow only fills two drawers of a domestic upright freezer (or 1-2 of the hanging baskets in a chest freezer) once it's all properly butchered, boned out, processed and vac-packed. A red takes up a bit more space obviously, but not a significant amount more.
And you'll eat it surprisingly quickly.


Surplus carcasses can be given away to family and friends, sold in-skin to the final consumer or a local retailer who supplies the final consumer, sold in-skin to a game dealer if you have your LGMH certificate and are registered with your LA as a food business, or processed for sale as venison if you are registered as a food premises with your LA.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Game dealer - ask for cash

Those days are long gone!

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Hello all, I’m after some advice if possible.

It’s been a few years since I’ve been stalking and when I did go, it was always accompanied. Now I’ve got the opportunity to stalk on my in-laws farm as they’ve got some reds causing damage to their crops.

My issue now is what to do with the carcasses, as once I’ve shot one or two my chest freezer will be full and I can’t see me eating enough of it to empty it very quickly.

My other thought was to take it to a game dealer, I spoke to a local one who would be happy for me to supply to them as long as I have a DSC1, which I do. But if I take it to a game dealer would I have to register as self employed and declare the income? I imagine I’ll be shooting fairly modest numbers so seems like it could be more hassle than it’s worth.

What’s other people’s experience in a similar position to me? Am I better off trying to give them away to family or friends or, would it be simpler to just register as self employed and drop the carcasses off at the game dealer?

Thanks.

Tom.

Reds - DONT EVEN BOTHER PROCESSING YOURSELF!

Not worth the hassle and ball ache to do it, do your large game meat hygiene that’s if you DMQ level 1 doesn’t cover it and run them in!

Use the money to have a nice dinner in the pub with the wife and outlaws.

 

[Tom102938]

Those days are long gone!

Ours has only ever paid cash, and that includes putting double figures in!

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Ours has only ever paid cash, and that includes putting double figures in!

Nope not down here, cash is a naughty word!

 

[Jim Hutton]

HMRC give a £1000 per annum allowance. Called a trading allowance which isn’t taxable and doesn’t need to be declared. Keep it under £1,000 and you are good.

Make sure you have the hunters number if you supply to a game dealer.

 

[Tommy_gun]

What type of monster deer are you talking about, if one or two are going to fill a chest freezer???
Even a fair sized fallow only fills two drawers of a domestic upright freezer (or 1-2 of the hanging baskets in a chest freezer) once it's all properly butchered, boned out, processed and vac-packed. A red takes up a bit more space obviously, but not a significant amount more.
And you'll eat it surprisingly quickly.


Surplus carcasses can be given away to family and friends, sold in-skin to the final consumer or a local retailer who supplies the final consumer, sold in-skin to a game dealer if you have your LGMH certificate and are registered with your LA as a food business, or processed for sale as venison if you are registered as a food premises with your LA.

Fair point, I’ve never processed a whole deer myself, I just know the size of a red deer and looking at my freezer I thought I wouldn’t fit many in. But yeah, by the time it’s in sausages and burgers I may fit one or two more in.

I’m happy to to try and process as many as I can myself, it’s just the time and effort to do it when it’ll just be me eating it, I can’t imagine the missus or kids will touch it but you never know.

 

[Chris Richardson]

Ours has only ever paid cash, and that includes putting double figures in!

same here

 

[Tommy_gun]

HMRC give a £1000 per annum allowance. Called a trading allowance which isn’t taxable and doesn’t need to be declared. Keep it under £1,000 and you are good.

Make sure you have the hunters number if you supply to a game dealer.

Ah, that’s good to know. What’s the hunters number? I’ve checked my dsc1 and it does state I have large game handling.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Fair point, I’ve never processed a whole deer myself, I just know the size of a red deer and looking at my freezer I thought I wouldn’t fit many in. But yeah, by the time it’s in sausages and burgers I may fit one or two more in.

I’m happy to to try and process as many as I can myself, it’s just the time and effort to do it when it’ll just be me eating it, I can’t imagine the missus or kids will touch it but you never know.

Good luck to you!

If you don’t have a quad / trailer / loader you are going to struggle!

Average hind 65-75kg upwards larder weight , spiker 60-90kg and the bigger the stag more ball ache, biggest I’ve personally shot was 176kg larder weight, so before that was gralloched probably weights 210kg plus.

To deal with and to handle reds you’ve got to be kitted out properly, if you not be prepared for a bad back!

That’s how I knackered my back!

 

[paulst]

Those days are long gone!

Yes indeed, back in the day as they say, a friend of mine, long dead now, paid his mortgage with deer. Worked full time as well.

 

[VSS]

Fair point, I’ve never processed a whole deer myself, I just know the size of a red deer and looking at my freezer I thought I wouldn’t fit many in. But yeah, by the time it’s in sausages and burgers I may fit one or two more in.

Boning out everything, and vac-packing, are two things that'll save you loads of freezer space. As will mincing.

I’m happy to to try and process as many as I can myself, it’s just the time and effort to do it when it’ll just be me eating it, I can’t imagine the missus or kids will touch it but you never know.

Why do you suppose they won't touch it? Kids generally love venison, and your kids will be super-keen to try it once they've helped you with the butchery side of things.
And there's no point cooking two meals for one household. That would be daft.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Boning out everything, and vac-packing, are two things that'll save you loads of freezer space. As will mincing.

Why do you suppose they won't touch it? Kids generally love venison, and your kids will be super-keen to try it once they've helped you with the butchery side of things.

Reds and fallow are 2 very different things, having done both on more than 1 occasion, fallow is a damn site easier!

Or even easier game dealer

Or

Even better ideas get rope bangers and a 45gallon steel drum to scare them off and shoot the muntjac easier and much less hassle!

 

[Cyres]

In the old days your DSC number was the number you put on the carcass label so I was told.
D

 

[Jim Hutton]

Ah, that’s good to know. What’s the hunters number? I’ve checked my dsc1 and it does state I have large game handling.

I got mine at the large and small game hygiene course I attended. If yours is an earlier dsc1 I would have assumed you would have got it then but maybe those with an early dcs1 can confirm?

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

In the old days your DSC number was the number you put on the carcass label so I was told.
D

Yep grand father rights, that’s what I do.

 

[Norfolk Muntjac]

If you can keep them somewhere appropriate stick them on giving up the game and get cash from them that way.

 

[VSS]

Reds and fallow are 2 very different things, having done both on more than 1 occasion, fallow is a damn site easier!

Yes, I have done enough reds to know that a fallow is easier. But you can still cut them up in exactly the same way, and save a lot of freezer space by good butchery and packaging.