jamross65
Well-Known Member
The 2018 Deerstalking Fair will be back at the Border Union Agricultural Showground, Kelso in the Scottish Borders over the weekend of the 24th and 25th March, 2018.
Sadly our close friend Stevie, who was instrumental in getting the first fair started and one of the organisers of the event, passed away in September following a short battle with cancer. Understandably this has meant some of the planning and workload for next years fair has been delayed but we are now well on track with several new exhibitors already signed up, as well as the regular supporters of the event.
One of the things asked for more than anything else is more demonstrations and seminars around best practice, with one of the most popular being carcass handling, butchery and cooking with venison. So, to address this we have approached a Game Dealer and butchers to get them on board with a demonstration on carcass preparation and what game dealers require to ensure the best product for consumers, butchery of carcasses so deerstalkers can enjoy their own venison and also the cooking of the meat. In this past this has always been a very well attended demonstration. Full details of this proposal will be published well in advance of the fair, along with all the other plans for the instructional/learning demonstrations. We even have an award winning local butcher coming with his award winning venison products for sale, who will also offer handy tips to budding sausage and pie makers!
Because these seminars have proved popular in the past, we will be setting up a dedicated and segregated area within one of the halls to accommodate them, thus removing issues we have had previously with noise from the rest of the fair.
Dogs for deer is another area that we will be expanding on with the UKDTR (United Kingdom Deer Track and Recovery) in attendance and providing a more general overview to working dogs in this discipline. Rudi Van Kets, the chairman of the Flemish Tracking Society provided a very informative talk a few years ago to a large audience of deerstalkers wanting to learn about working their dogs on wounded or lost deer and he is planning on attending the 2018 event to offer advice and assistance in conjunction with the UKDTR, the organisation he is now affiliated with in providing training advice and as co-judge on test days for their members.
There is a lot more that will be announced shortly with regards to exhibitors and events being held and this will be done so on here, the fairs website The Deerstalking Fair 2017The Deerstalking Fair and the Facebook page, but the usual array of rifles, optics, reloading equipment, lardering and venison preparation equipment, clothing/footwear, thermal equipment, ATV and 4x4’s as well as the shooting organisations, SGA, BASC and BDS plus the CIC offering trophy assessment and scoring.
Over the next few weeks we will publish an extensive list of exhibitors and the brands they will be carrying. Costs for the event will remain the same as the previous years, under 16 free, £10 for 16’s and over which includes entry to the prize draw (details of which to be announced). Parking is also free.
Sadly our close friend Stevie, who was instrumental in getting the first fair started and one of the organisers of the event, passed away in September following a short battle with cancer. Understandably this has meant some of the planning and workload for next years fair has been delayed but we are now well on track with several new exhibitors already signed up, as well as the regular supporters of the event.
One of the things asked for more than anything else is more demonstrations and seminars around best practice, with one of the most popular being carcass handling, butchery and cooking with venison. So, to address this we have approached a Game Dealer and butchers to get them on board with a demonstration on carcass preparation and what game dealers require to ensure the best product for consumers, butchery of carcasses so deerstalkers can enjoy their own venison and also the cooking of the meat. In this past this has always been a very well attended demonstration. Full details of this proposal will be published well in advance of the fair, along with all the other plans for the instructional/learning demonstrations. We even have an award winning local butcher coming with his award winning venison products for sale, who will also offer handy tips to budding sausage and pie makers!
Because these seminars have proved popular in the past, we will be setting up a dedicated and segregated area within one of the halls to accommodate them, thus removing issues we have had previously with noise from the rest of the fair.
Dogs for deer is another area that we will be expanding on with the UKDTR (United Kingdom Deer Track and Recovery) in attendance and providing a more general overview to working dogs in this discipline. Rudi Van Kets, the chairman of the Flemish Tracking Society provided a very informative talk a few years ago to a large audience of deerstalkers wanting to learn about working their dogs on wounded or lost deer and he is planning on attending the 2018 event to offer advice and assistance in conjunction with the UKDTR, the organisation he is now affiliated with in providing training advice and as co-judge on test days for their members.
There is a lot more that will be announced shortly with regards to exhibitors and events being held and this will be done so on here, the fairs website The Deerstalking Fair 2017The Deerstalking Fair and the Facebook page, but the usual array of rifles, optics, reloading equipment, lardering and venison preparation equipment, clothing/footwear, thermal equipment, ATV and 4x4’s as well as the shooting organisations, SGA, BASC and BDS plus the CIC offering trophy assessment and scoring.
Over the next few weeks we will publish an extensive list of exhibitors and the brands they will be carrying. Costs for the event will remain the same as the previous years, under 16 free, £10 for 16’s and over which includes entry to the prize draw (details of which to be announced). Parking is also free.
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