Excess venison

[Boghossian]

Both Hampshire Game and Wiltshire Game are saying they have a huge backlog of venison (from last season) and are not taking fallow carcasses 'for the foreseeable future' - does anyone know of any other New Forest/Hampshire based dealers?

Alternatively can bring carcasses to London if anyone knows of game dealers in the capital.

Thanks

 

[TomT3]

Ben Rigby is in Maldon Essex near me although will prob be to far for you unfortunately-don’t know what he’s paying either. It is a respected game dealer though.

 

[S&L7x57]

I find it alarming that there is such a small market for venison that we are having difficulty finding a home for it. Hints of the game meat problem and we really don't want to go there. If there is no 'clearing house' for excess venison, there jolly well should be.

 

[User00003]

well my dealer ships it all to belgium, germany, poland, etc. no lack of appetite there..no pun intended..

 

[Heym SR20]

Not at all surprising. The UK venison trade is highly reliant upon the export trade to Europe. European buyers will have stopped placing orders for delivery post 31st December because they would not have a clue as to what tarriffs would be imposed.

Unless and until we get clarity many cross border trades will be affected with knock on effects to all.

There has also been a lot of contract culling in the large forestry areas in especially Scotland and that will rather have flooded the market as well.

 

[VSS]

Not at all surprising. The UK venison trade is highly reliant upon the export trade to Europe.

How so? We're not even producing enough venison in the UK to satisfy domestic demand.

 

[Highlandsjohn]

How so? We're not even producing enough venison in the UK to satisfy domestic demand.

Given the choice,we will keep the venison and leave the horse meat to the eu..

 

[norma 308]

Smacks of , if the game dealers lower and lower the price because of so called lack of demand they think they’ll eventually get it for next to or actually NOTHING NIL £
It happened to game birds and many still take them FREE obviously or we’ll take them for a small fee !!
Personally not having trouble shifting the small numbers of deer I shoot or the small numbers of game birds we shoot here

 

[Erik Hamburger]

I am only a small-scale supplier working on an amateur basis to cover the cost of my hobby, but supply a few butchers in farm shops and a restaurant - they are screaming for MORE, MORE! and I can't drag sufficient carcasses in to satisfy the demand. Private customers are placing orders for specific joints and cuts before I have shot them. My suggestion to those who can't shift their carcasses through Game Dealers is to cut out that middleman and develop direct relationships with local retailers and private customers. A bit more work, I get that, but at a hugely improved margin.

 

[Highlandsjohn]

Smacks of , if the game dealers lower and lower the price because of so called lack of demand they think they’ll eventually get it for next to or actually NOTHING NIL £
It happened to game birds and many still take them FREE obviously or we’ll take them for a small fee !!
Personally not having trouble shifting the small numbers of deer I shoot or the small numbers of game birds we shoot here

Reminds me of the eu butter mountains..

 

[stratts]

I am only a small-scale supplier working on an amateur basis to cover the cost of my hobby, but supply a few butchers in farm shops and a restaurant - they are screaming for MORE, MORE! and I can't drag sufficient carcasses in to satisfy the demand. Private customers are placing orders for specific joints and cuts before I have shot them. My suggestion to those who can't shift their carcasses through Game Dealers is to cut out that middleman and develop direct relationships with local retailers and private customers. A bit more work, I get that, but at a hugely improved margin.

Exactly what I was going to say and have said a few times before.

I do not understand why so many stalkers rely on game dealers to take their carcasses for bottom end prices when, with a little work skinning and a bit of form filling to get food registered with their local council, they will have more outlets & maximise their income by other avenues. I have only approached two butchers near me and they are also screaming out for carcasses. It's just a shame I am not stalking as much as I'd like at the moment but when I get a carcass I know it'll be snapped up if I don't need it!!

 

[User00003]

Not at all surprising. The UK venison trade is highly reliant upon the export trade to Europe. European buyers will have stopped placing orders for delivery post 31st December because they would not have a clue as to what tarriffs would be imposed.

Unless and until we get clarity many cross border trades will be affected with knock on effects to all.

There has also been a lot of contract culling in the large forestry areas in especially Scotland and that will rather have flooded the market as well.

Saw the books from a dealer in the highlands
2018/19 season - 80% out of season, 96% shot under night license. 30,000 reds

they expect to go out of business as there’s simply not enough deer left for staying commercially viable after the last 3 years slaughtering.

business seemingly boomed during the summer months as red hinds and their spotted calves were shot in the hundreds weekly given the pleasant stalking weather....well done SNH, really succeeding in protecting our biodiversity in big old dark Sitka spruce blocks...oh, and don’t worry about efforts on boar, no, they’re not the ones who will spread Like wildfire and ruin biodiversity with zero chance of managing them under the protective canopy of Sitka blocks...ridiculous and farcical

 

[rem284]

Saw the books from a dealer in the highlands
2018/19 season - 80% out of season, 96% shot under night license. 30,000 reds

they expect to go out of business as there’s simply not enough deer left for staying commercially viable after the last 3 years slaughtering.

business seemingly boomed during the summer months as red hinds and their spotted calves were shot in the hundreds weekly given the pleasant stalking weather....well done SNH, really succeeding in protecting our biodiversity in big old dark Sitka spruce blocks...oh, and don’t worry about efforts on boar, no, they’re not the ones who will spread Like wildfire and ruin biodiversity with zero chance of managing them under the protective canopy of Sitka blocks...ridiculous and farcical

red hinds and their calves would not be shot during summer months. Even out of season license have time of the year restrictions. If I was instructed(which I have never been ask) to shoot hinds during the summer then I would refuse.

 

[howa243]

Exactly what I was going to say and have said a few times before.

I do not understand why so many stalkers rely on game dealers to take their carcasses for bottom end prices when, with a little work skinning and a bit of form filling to get food registered with their local council, they will have more outlets & maximise their income by other avenues. I have only approached two butchers near me and they are also screaming out for carcasses. It's just a shame I am not stalking as much as I'd like at the moment but when I get a carcass I know it'll be snapped up if I don't need it!!

Simple answer. The cost in terms of time and transport makes it uneconomic.

 

[User00003]

red hinds and their calves would not be shot during summer months. Even out of season license have time of the year restrictions. If I was instructed(which I have never been ask) to shoot hinds during the summer then I would refuse.

trust me, in scotland they've been culling hinds and new born calves as a shoot on sight policy, any day, any time of day, any time of year...The SNH has opened the door to all this, and as soon as the media gets wiff, it will be the next scandal that us stalkers will have to take responsibility for

 

[rem284]

trust me, in scotland they've been culling hinds and new born calves as a shoot on sight policy, any day, any time of day, any time of year...The SNH has opened the door to all this, and as soon as the media gets wiff, it will be the next scandal that us stalkers will have to take responsibility for

That's the thing, I dont trust you. What you are saying is simply not true. I have worked with SNH personnel and former Deer Commission staff, they are very professional. They are not above the law and they will make sure everything is in place legally to enable them to carry out operations to meet objectives. This may include the use of shooting out of season licenses and/or night shooting license but the restrictions within these licenses will be adhered to. What you are saying can be very damaging to all of us and it is this that is scandalous.

 

[User00003]

That's the thing, I dont trust you. What you are saying is simply not true. I have worked with SNH personnel and former Deer Commission staff, they are very professional. They are not above the law and they will make sure everything is in place legally to enable them to carry out operations to meet objectives. This may include the use of shooting out of season licenses and/or night shooting license but the restrictions within these licenses will be adhered to. What you are saying can be very damaging to all of us and it is this that is scandalous.

Sorry, but I’m very close to game dealers who have the facts down in the books and are not afraid to express their concerns.

it’s not necessarily the SNH, but the contractors and cullers working under them, they operate based on their own free will and it goes unchecked.

additionally, two separate blocks next to my land are syndicated via xyz person, one has an SNH license and the other does not. I know factually that he instructs his stalkers and cullers to Mark all deer shot out of season and at night as coming from one specific block only, despite the culling happening in the other.

should I keep going? I can!!!

the SNH is scandalous, and to be honest, I hope it’s damaging like you say, because it’s bloody unaccetable!

did I forget to mention my friend who works for the FC, he tells stories of OOS night shooting where they shoot up to 45-50 reds per night, but only recover around 25-30, the rest are lost and wounded and are not followed up.

 

[jimbo1984]

That's the thing, I dont trust you. What you are saying is simply not true. I have worked with SNH personnel and former Deer Commission staff, they are very professional. They are not above the law and they will make sure everything is in place legally to enable them to carry out operations to meet objectives. This may include the use of shooting out of season licenses and/or night shooting license but the restrictions within these licenses will be adhered to. What you are saying can be very damaging to all of us and it is this that is scandalous.

Brilliant Answer me this then .... have you ever seen an fc truck without a lamp attached ?.........because I sure as hell haven’t, but surely they don’t need a lamp in England as they don’t issue night licences here ....... have a think and get back to me

 

[jimbo1984]

Sorry, but I’m very close to game dealers who have the facts down in the books and are not afraid to express their concerns.

it’s not necessarily the SNH, but the contractors and cullers working under them, they operate based on their own free will and it goes unchecked.

additionally, two separate blocks next to my land are syndicated via xyz person, one has an SNH license and the other does not. I know factually that he instructs his stalkers and cullers to Mark all deer shot out of season and at night as coming from one specific block only, despite the culling happening in the other.

should I keep going? I can!!!

the SNH is scandalous, and to be honest, I hope it’s damaging like you say, because it’s bloody unaccetable!

did I forget to mention my friend who works for the FC, he tells stories of OOS night shooting where they shoot up to 45-50 reds per night, but only recover around 25-30, the rest are lost and wounded and are not followed up.

I admire your honesty sir , we all know it happens just some of us prefer to bury our heads in the sand

 

[Matt Roberts]

Without wanting to hijack this if anyone is around the North Somerset/ Bristol area I may be able to take a carcass or now and again. Most of the time I can shoot what I need myself but this weather is buggering me about.

I can’t promise I can take them but by all means drop me a pm, we’ll swap numbers and will hopefully be able to help each other out sometime.

I pay cash or bank transfer same day but you’ll need a Hunter ID. If local I might be able to collect.

I pay £2.20/kg chest shot & £2.50/kg head/neck.

This is only a hobby (now a second job) for me that helps to pay the bills and also to tuck a bit away for my kids when they’re older.