On a possible positive....?

[deerstalker.308]

Got to thinking about the venison market and game dealers generally shafting their suppliers long before any of this recent stuff kicked off (rewind to before Christmas when prices plummeted).
Now we are facing a period of absolute starvation to the market, ok, there’s no outlet currently but I’m pretty sure most of what’s been stockpiled and frozen won’t last indefinitely. FC are in the same boat, and the game dealers will doubtless be bricking it a bit about the knock on impacts this current situation is having on pheasants and partridge for later in the year. They could be in for a real struggle?
Putting everything else aside (I appreciate the severity of the current pandemic and am not trivialising it....) but....Perhaps this was the Control-Alt-Delete we as stalkers needed? Perhaps following this when we can all get back out, we should be careful not to flood them with too much stock, remind them of the supply chain and where their income comes from? Demand a fair price? I could well see some of these business going under as a result of of recent events and I’m certainly not suggesting profiteering at their expense on this but I do feel that venison has a real value, at least that’s what consumers dictate, and that should be reflected in the price paid to us as suppliers. I for one will not shoot reds for £1/kg, I value them far higher than that simply as another living entity.
Just a thought.

 

[VSS]

Be lucky if eating wild animals is allowed after this.

 

[deerstalker.308]

Someone cheerful this morning VSS.....? Was there a reason behind that response? Have I missed something...?

 

[finnbear270]

 

[markyw]

They say one man can’t change the world. Tell that to the guy who ate the undercooked bat!

Stolen from somewhere else, but contains the sentiment. China have also started banning the consumption of cats and dogs in some areas as a result of this.

Regards

Mark

 

[LostJock]

Hi @deerstalker.308, hope you’re well.

I wonder if people’s concerns over food availability and stockpiling might play into the shooting community’s hands. Around here I’ve seen plenty of people starting to (try to) grow their own veg, and the stalkers have been asked if they have any spare. Equally people are questioning the source of their food.

It would be unwise of the field sports organisations to jump on this opportunity too overtly, but an opportunity it certainly is.

@VSS that’s certainly a huge concern. Perhaps this again falls to the organisations to push the Trained Hunter/meat hygiene courses that are out there. If the public believe we’re all qualified up the proverbial that issue may be nipped in the bud.

A gentle, well-timed ‘information campaign’ (propaganda? certainly not!) could do wonders for the sport. Responsible, ethical, healthy, necessary, local, natural resource, all that good stuff. The key as ever is timing, and engagement at a local level.

Also people need to stop eating pangolins and bats, that’d probably help. The videos from that Wuhan meat market are truly horrendous.

LJ

 

[Norfolk Horn]

Someone cheerful this morning VSS.....? Was there a reason behind that response? Have I missed something...?

He couldn't catch his favourite ewe this morning

 

[finnbear270]

Also people need to stop eating pangolins and bats, that’d probably help. The videos from that Wuhan meat market are truly horrendous.

HHMnn, Just hope that Alabama rot is not prevalent in these parts of the world, eating dogs could be the next problem.

 

[Sika-Hunter]

Be lucky if eating wild animals is allowed after this.

I don't shoot bats I'd rather eat a wild animal than an intensively reared one

 

[VSS]

They say one man can’t change the world. Tell that to the guy who ate the undercooked bat!

Stolen from somewhere else, but contains the sentiment. China have also started banning the consumption of cats and dogs in some areas as a result of this.

Regards

Mark

Yes, some areas in China are banning the eating of cats and dogs and wild animals.
Food scares have a massive impact on peoples' eating habits. Remember the UK beef industry brought to its knees by claims that BSE was linked to nvCJD? We don't hear much about that these days, but believe me the effects are still being felt.
So, if the tide of public opinion starts to run with the idea that wild meat has caused this disease then we can expect to see an effect. Coupled with the fact that governments will want to be seen to be doing something to prevent a reoccurrence. Banning the eating of wild animals would be a very easy thing to do. I think that the risk to our way of life is very real.

 

[Dunwaters]

I don't shoot bats

Neither do I, I knock them down with a stick.

 

[VSS]

I don't shoot bats

Pure chance that it was (possibly) bats in China. Could so easily have been deer in the UK responsible for some kind of disease outbreak. Or believed to be.

 

[VSS]

I don't shoot bats I'd rather eat a wild animal than an intensively reared one

So would I, but at the end of the day your choice is limited to what hasn't been banned.

 

[deerstalker.308]

Yes, some areas in China are banning the eating of cats and dogs and wild animals.
Food scares have a massive impact on peoples' eating habits. Remember the UK beef industry brought to its knees by claims that BSE was linked to nvCJD? We don't hear much about that these days, but believe me the effects are still being felt.
So, if the tide of public opinion starts to run with the idea that wild meat has caused this disease then we can expect to see an effect. Coupled with the fact that governments will want to be seen to be doing something to prevent a reoccurrence. Banning the eating of wild animals would be a very easy thing to do. I think that the risk to our way of life is very real.

Woooooow!!! No one caught this disease from eating anything in the U.K. it was entirely airborne. Chinese wild meat markets bear no resemblance to the way the U.K. operates (mercifully) Let’s not start scaremongering and providing google with answers to questions that aren’t there, when the misinformed ask it that stupid question. Let’s not provide fuel to that fire.
Jeez.

 

[Freeforester]

News today suggests that a large swing toward buying locally sourced goods including foodstuffs, an opportunity for any one willing to rise in the morning and roll up their sleeves, as ever, so no real change.

It's unrealistic to compete against the game dealers by trying to dictate terms, but it's perfectly possible to add value to the basic raw material and in so doing, you'd become aware of the virtues and otherwise of shot placement, cleanliness of carcass handling, the 'attributes' of certain calibre and bullets, etc, the type of things that may influence the value of the end product you are able to offer with confidence both to yourself and to the consumer.

The willing horse will aye find work

 

[VSS]

Woooooow!!! No one caught this disease from eating anything in the U.K. it was entirely airborne. Chinese wild meat markets bear no resemblance to the way the U.K. operates (mercifully) Let’s not start scaremongering and providing google with answers to questions that aren’t there, when the misinformed ask it that stupid question. Let’s not provide fuel to that fire.
Jeez.

Yes, let's not.
Any negative reference to eating wild meat, even in China, is likely to count against us. Which is why, until this thread, I haven't mentioned it. And I won't again. But I do think we're in a precarious place.

 

[Sika-Hunter]

deer in the UK responsible for some kind of disease outbreak.

I think late nights and staring at the wrong end of a Ewe is getting to you, the same could be said for all animals wild or not and disease will always crop up from time to time . TB is a classic example

 

[deerstalker.308]

Yes, let's not.

So why have you then? Feel free not to add to the thread with an answer to that, to further conflate things, I’m just wondering.....

 

[Freeforester]

Pure chance that it was (possibly) bats in China. Could so easily have been deer in the UK responsible for some kind of disease outbreak. Or believed to be.

..This birch sap wine, Tim, you've not been adding any fly agaric to it, have you??

 

[VSS]

So why have you then? Feel free not to add to the thread with an answer to that, to further conflate things, I’m just wondering.....

I have edited my post above.