Daily Mail - Too many wild deer are roaming England's forests. Can promoting venison to consumers help?

[Conor O'Gorman]

An article supported by over a dozen photos about the importance of deer management and promoting venison has been published by Mail Online and other international news outlets. BASC, The Country Food Trust and Ben Rigby Game provided quotes and BASC's Martin Edwards featured in the photos detailing a stalking trip in Hampshire.

Too many wild deer are roaming England's forests. Can promoting...

WINCHESTER, England (AP) - In the half-light of dusk, Martin Edwards surveys the shadows of the ancient woodland from a high seat and waits. He sits still,...

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[timbrayford]

Too many deer? In many areas maybe but here on the Isle of Wight biodiversity is suffering from too few deer, with knock on negative impacts on those species such as tawny owls and pearl bordered fritillary butterflies that thrive in the presence of them. Sweeping statements demonising deer serve no useful purpose whatsoever.

 

[maximus otter]

Too many deer? In many areas maybe but here on the Isle of Wight biodiversity is suffering from too few deer, with knock on negative impacts on those species such as tawny owls and pearl bordered fritillary butterflies that thrive in the presence of them. Sweeping statements demonising deer serve no useful purpose whatsoever.

Let’s not complain about good publicity for once.

maximus otter

 

[Apthorpe]

My answer would be "no". People not eating venison isn't the problem. People's attitudes about guns, public access and the countryside are the problem. Ultimately, if there's a genuinely pressing environmental problem of deer overpopulation, then they could be shot in larger numbers, and left to rot as carrion, as other pest species are. It is not plausible that while we are apparently capable of rendering thousands of other species accidentally extinct, that we can't reduce the population of deer if we wanted to and accepted the risks, costs, incidental damage and other consequences of it.

Food isn't the issue. A lack of societal will is the issue.

 

[palmer_mike]

As I see it one of the major factors in the over population of deer is the pitiful price that game dealers offer for carcasses. I know there are other routes to market that may offer better revenues (notice I don’t say profitable ) but they tend to be more labour intensive and less volume in terms of number of deer.

 

[VSS]

As I see it one of the major factors in the over population of deer is the pitiful price that game dealers offer for carcasses. I know there are other routes to market that may offer better revenues (notice I don’t say profitable ) but they tend to be more labour intensive and less volume in terms of number of deer.

And one of the major factors in the pitiful price game dealers offer is poor carcass presentation by stalkers.
Not only do we need to up the cull in some (not all) areas, stalkers also need to up their game re: presenting tidy carcasses.
It's no good promoting and raising awareness of venison as a healthy and sustainable eating choice of the quality of the product doesn't support that.
The only way we'll ever realistically be able to negotiate better prices at game dealer level is if stalkers make a real concerted effort to raise the quality of what they're submitting.

 

[big ears]

And one of the major factors in the pitiful price game dealers offer is poor carcass presentation by stalkers.
Not only do we need to up the cull in some (not all) areas, stalkers also need to up their game re: presenting tidy carcasses.
It's no good promoting and raising awareness of venison as a healthy and sustainable eating choice of the quality of the product doesn't support that.
The only way we'll ever realistically be able to negotiate better prices at game dealer level is if stalkers make a real concerted effort to raise the quality of what they're submitting.

Absolutely, seen some shocking animals hanging in the local chiller

But then when the DDC2 only needs one cull what do you expect.
Lower the training standards to raise profit means lower standards from stalkers it’s simple

 

[nun_hunter]

Absolutely, seen some shocking animals hanging in the local chiller

But then when the DDC2 only needs one cull what do you expect.
Lower the training standards to raise profit means lower standards from stalkers it’s simple

Just because people know what they should do doesn't mean it's what they will do.

If game dealers are paying one price per kg no matter whether someone drops off a deer that's been headshot and gralloched in a clean tidy larder or a deer shot through both shoulders, gralloch it on the ground, strap it to a quad and fling mud all over and inside it then there is little incentive to put the extra time and effort in.

Some people will always take pride in what they do and produce but others will do the minimum.

 

[VSS]

Absolutely, seen some shocking animals hanging in the local chiller

But then when the DDC2 only needs one cull what do you expect.
Lower the training standards to raise profit means lower standards from stalkers it’s simple

It's nothing to do with the DSC2, I don't think.
I doubt the standard of carcass presentation has dropped since the change in requirements for witnessed stalks.
I think it would be a good thing if more stalkers saw more deer with their skins off, and saw large numbers of carcasses being broken down in a professional cutting plant, to get an idea of just how much has to go in the bin as a result of lack of care on the part of stalkers. It would be a real eye opener for many.

 

[Stalker62]

But then when the DDC2 only needs one cull what do you expect.

Whilst I feel this is absolutely the case...

Some people will always take pride in what they do and produce but others will do the minimum.

...so is this.

 

[Jon P]

And one of the major factors in the pitiful price game dealers offer is poor carcass presentation by stalkers.
Not only do we need to up the cull in some (not all) areas, stalkers also need to up their game re: presenting tidy carcasses.
It's no good promoting and raising awareness of venison as a healthy and sustainable eating choice of the quality of the product doesn't support that.
The only way we'll ever realistically be able to negotiate better prices at game dealer level is if stalkers make a real concerted effort to raise the quality of what they're submitting.

Definitely agree, animals need to be going in to dealers in good condition.
However I have been told this week that lots of dealer are not wanting deer carcasses at present as can’t process and move on what they have at present since doe season started. So good prices at dealers can never be reliable when they don’t want them.

 

[Selous]

We need a bigger domestic market for venison. Hopefully if this occurs then the price will rise once again. Any good publicity should be welcomed with open arms!!

 

[AGR]

As I see it one of the major factors in the over population of deer is the pitiful price that game dealers offer for carcasses. I know there are other routes to market that may offer better revenues (notice I don’t say profitable ) but they tend to be more labour intensive and less volume in terms of number of deer.

£3 a kilo in Holland, but the wolves haven't left so many.

 

[Klenchblaize]

I think you guys are overlooking the reality (in the Southeast) that simply finding a Game Dealer willing to take beasts, of any quality/condition, is all but impossible in certain parts of Kent and Surrey.

As stated elsewhere, not every stalker wants to also be a butcher, and even if they did we are now seeing real obstacles and costs to COMPLIANT operation in this field - even with full Small Food Business accreditation: Are you insured to sell venison?

K

 

[chriswjx]

Absolutely, seen some shocking animals hanging in the local chiller

But then when the DDC2 only needs one cull what do you expect.
Lower the training standards to raise profit means lower standards from stalkers it’s simple

Didn't realise you needed DSC2 to sell a carcass to a game dealer...

Thought DSC1 under the old system and DSC1+Lantra hygiene paper got you your tag?

 

[Bugsy]

The price of venison from dealers is a big contributor to the lack of deer being culled .. estates are culling fewer animals hoping and preying the price is going to go up . New Zealand lamb and cattle prices aren’t going well at the moment because of the extra cost of shipping around the Cape so hopefully the import of venison will decrease and the price might increase here if the dealers are put in a corner . We are getting constantly stung by the dealers who aren’t lowering there price to the consumers .. but our prices are sh..te . And please don’t give me the “ if your not happy then don’t shoot it attitude “ because I’ve been at it 45 years . As for the “gralloched on the ground “ they’ve being doing it all over for hundreds of years and I’ve never heard of anybody dying of grass or heather poisoning .. for gods sake get real .If I appeared out on the hill with a deer hoist I would be a laughing stock and kicked up the arse . Rant over

 

[Druid]

‘Stalkers’ having/ buying the shooting rights and only shooting very few deer whilst those who would take far more are denied access to the land are a big part.

There’s plenty of shooters who would love to have a bit of stalking land and spend time on it but Money talks.

 

[AGR]

To be fair to the dealers, what are they supposed to do with all those smelly stags that none of us want to eat? Costs are the same but the profits won't be.
That said, £1kg for hinds IS outrageous!

 

[Klenchblaize]

As for the “gralloched on the ground “ they’ve being doing it all over for hundreds of years and I’ve never heard of anybody dying of grass or heather poisoning .. for gods sake get real .If I appeared out on the hill with a deer hoist I would be a laughing stock and kicked up the arse . Rant over

I've always thought dragging a beast through a Highland burn aided presentation of a clean carcass and meant less use of the larder hose!
Sorry
K

 

[VSS]

. As for the “gralloched on the ground “ they’ve being doing it all over for hundreds of years and I’ve never heard of anybody dying of grass or heather poisoning .. for gods sake get real .If I appeared out on the hill with a deer hoist I would be a laughing stock and kicked up the arse . Rant over

Just because something's been done in a certain way for hundreds of years, doesn't mean it's the right way going forward. And perhaps it hasn't worked as well as you'd like to think it has over the centuries, otherwise venison would have a better reputation than it currently does.
If there are changes that stalkers can make to the way that they do things that would result in better presented carcasses then they should be looking for practical ways to incorporate some of those changes into their routine.
Not wanting to try to improve carcass quality for fear of being "a laughing stock" is just the sort of attitude that's holding the carcass price down.