Stalking for the freezer and avoiding supermarkets

[johnnytheboy]

So I’ve nearly got to the end of my little mission to shoot all six of the UK deer species!

My next project would be to stalk enough to stop buying red meat from the supermarket, my problem being I only have roe on my ground and not loads of them. So I need to stalk the most economical big deer possible! I have everything I need for butchery and storage so just the pragmatic part of putting deer on the ground.

This is where I need advice please.

I’d need to calculate how much meat I buy but roughly 750g of mince, four steaks and one roast per week. The rest is other types of meat.

Questions,

1) How much would I get from a red Hind? I’d need to divide that by the above
2) How long does Vac Packed venison last in the freezer
3) Seasonal adjustments based on how long the frozen meat lasts and what to stalk appreciated

I’m ok on all the tools and methods on the above project it’s just the pragmatic part of, when to shoot, and how long all this lasts to be good food.

Thanks in advance folks

 

[wb123]

You go through a lot of red meat a week, the easiest step would be to reduce that!

I find vacuum packed stuff keeps well in the chest freezer for a few years. Filling a big freezer as and when opportunities arise should be fine.

 

[johnnytheboy]

You go through a lot of red meat a week, the easiest step would be to reduce that!

I find vacuum packed stuff keeps well in the chest freezer for a few years. Filling a big freezer as and when opportunities arise should be fine.

It probably isn’t as much as that but I’m trying to think about max consumption to work out the mathematics of how much weight in venison I need! In reducing that I would need to find another protein source which is way off this topic

I do make burgers from the mince and a cooked dinner like spag bol, chilli etc

 

[wb123]

It probably isn’t as much as that but I’m trying to think about max consumption to work out the mathematics of how much weight in venison I need! In reducing that I would need to find another protein source which is way off this topic

I do make burgers from the mince and a cooked dinner like spag bol, chilli etc

What size roast and steaks do you use?

The Scottish farming advisory service give a kill out percentage of 54% and average cull weight of 110kg for lowland red hinds. If you like the liver and heart you can bump that up a bit (makes a fantastic chilli). Once you work out the weekly weight you want it should be easy enough to estimate if lowland red hinds are your option.

 

[VSS]

A fallow pricket or young fallow doe is the most economical carcass to process, in all respects. That's not just coming from me (who's biased), but from chefs and game butchers that I've worked with when I was planning my own venison business.

Venison will keep almost indefinitely in the freezer if vac packed.

It is a totally realistic proposition to produce all of the red meat your family requires.

There is no need to reduce your red meat consumption, provided it's produced ethically and sustainably.

 

[75]

1) How much would I get from a red Hind? I’d need to divide that by the above
2) How long does Vac Packed venison last in the freezer
3) Seasonal adjustments based on how long the frozen meat lasts and what to stalk appreciated

1) depends on the size of the beast / where it was shot / butchered / bone in vs boned joints etc but assume 65kg larder weight, chest shot then you'll get about 30kg of meat.
2) For your own consumption - years! I find things with pork fat tend to go first (stuff like sausages) as the fat can go a bit rancid.
3) I'd say red hinds would be most economical in your circumstances but curious on Tim's comment...

A fallow pricket or young fallow doe is the most economical carcass to process, in all respects. That's not just coming from me (who's biased), but from chefs and game butchers that I've worked with when I was planning my own venison business.

Curious on this one Tim. Is this based on financial return - i.e. a fallow is the best size to optimise the higher value cuts in the least butchery time? I've got several farm shops and butchers I supply whole deer to and none of them want fallow - they all like reds as more meat on them. I dropped a 120kg stag at a butcher yesterday and he was chuffed to bits! Personally, I'd rather butcher a fallow any day!!

From the OP's perspective, if it's meat-per-cost-of-stalk then bigger the better as long as you aren't paying a premium for antlers. Assuming the stalk breaks down as follows (very rough numbers - prices vary massively, yield varies massively etc):

• £100 outing fee
• £100 shot fee
• £2/kg carcass - assume 50% yield (which is prob on the high side for home butchery)

If you take home a 30kg fallow it'll cost you £260 and you'll get c.15kg meat (£17/kg)
If you take home a 65kg red it'll cost you £330 and you'll get c. 32kg meat (£10/kg)

 

[lochty]

This is what I get from a clean shot fallow. Scale up for size and reduce proportionally for shot damage.

 

[Tim.243]

So I’ve nearly got to the end of my little mission to shoot all six of the UK deer species!

My next project would be to stalk enough to stop buying red meat from the supermarket, my problem being I only have roe on my ground and not loads of them. So I need to stalk the most economical big deer possible! I have everything I need for butchery and storage so just the pragmatic part of putting deer on the ground.

This is where I need advice please.

I’d need to calculate how much meat I buy but roughly 750g of mince, four steaks and one roast per week. The rest is other types of meat.

Questions,

1) How much would I get from a red Hind? I’d need to divide that by the above
2) How long does Vac Packed venison last in the freezer
3) Seasonal adjustments based on how long the frozen meat lasts and what to stalk appreciated

I’m ok on all the tools and methods on the above project it’s just the pragmatic part of, when to shoot, and how long all this lasts to be good food.

Thanks in advance folks

you could easy add rabbit/hare/pigeons to your list 1 it will add variety 2 a different method of hunting which is far cheaper!

 

[DevonRifle]

Don’t reduce your red meat consumption, up it! This is venison not beef.

We never buy red meat and occasionally barter venison for other game meats like pheasant which adds white meat to our diet. Like you I only have access to Roe and refuse to pay for stalking. I take about fifteen a year which is the perfect balance of cull and consumption for us (family of two adults and two kids plus supply a bit to two grown up kids if they’re good!).

The answer is to try hard for more land. I know it’s not easy but neither is earning the money you’re proposing to spend!

 

[sh1kar]

Where are you getting your omega oils from?

Take up sea fishing as well. Mackerel

 

[paulbshooting]

Good advice here. When it comes to butchery and vac packs, do various portion sizes so flexibility on what to eat when

 

[Sol]

If I were you I would find a Syndicate In Scotland rather than buying in the carcasses and or buying the stalking I'd guess your eating about 3-4 kilos of red meat a week, and you'll probably find If you began to stalk and have "prime" venison 24/7 you would eat it way more often too.

One thing to note though Is even red hinds weigh rather differently dependant on the part of the country down south 90kg Isn't impossible, up In Scotland under 50kg Isn't unheard off so some of the guys English fallow are actually much bigger than our reds.

Stags during June/July Is what you want when It comes into terms of weight honestly, but finding the right syndicate that has the quads and larder facilities (and the deer) Is hit or miss for that time of year

But I wouldn't be surprised if you could eat 4-7 reds in a year easy peasy, and probably many more! I could, Its just the stew that hits me BUT If I were to mince it, Its meat that people quickly take of your hands quickly.

 

[TringSaint]

1) depends on the size of the beast / where it was shot / butchered / bone in vs boned joints etc but assume 65kg larder weight, chest shot then you'll get about 30kg of meat.
2) For your own consumption - years! I find things with pork fat tend to go first (stuff like sausages) as the fat can go a bit rancid.
3) I'd say red hinds would be most economical in your circumstances but curious on Tim's comment...


Curious on this one Tim. Is this based on financial return - i.e. a fallow is the best size to optimise the higher value cuts in the least butchery time? I've got several farm shops and butchers I supply whole deer to and none of them want fallow - they all like reds as more meat on them. I dropped a 120kg stag at a butcher yesterday and he was chuffed to bits! Personally, I'd rather butcher a fallow any day!!

From the OP's perspective, if it's meat-per-cost-of-stalk then bigger the better as long as you aren't paying a premium for antlers. Assuming the stalk breaks down as follows (very rough numbers - prices vary massively, yield varies massively etc):

• £100 outing fee
• £100 shot fee
• £2/kg carcass - assume 50% yield (which is prob on the high side for home butchery)

If you take home a 30kg fallow it'll cost you £260 and you'll get c.15kg meat (£17/kg)
If you take home a 65kg red it'll cost you £330 and you'll get c. 32kg meat (£10/kg)

FWIW I can get c6kg of meat off a cwd or mature munty, so my 35-40 annual cull generates 200-250kg of meat, which is way more than we eat

 

[Ratel]

If you're just looking at home consumption, just keep shooting and eating what you can venison wise. It represents 75 percent of all our meat and we eat the offal as well. The other 25per cent will be rabbits, hares and gamebirds. We also eat plenty of fish. Only chicken ever will be the odd spare cockerel from a pals free rangers.

 

[oneforthepot]

Good for you, we try and do something similar although we do buy some meat on top. We also supplement with buying say a whole lamb direct from farm etc.
I'm the guy who gets invited to the shoot and when no one wants a brace to take home ill have their's.
I dream of living cheaply but often fail, but we do live well for money we do spend so that's my version of the goodlife.
Food isn't just fuel

 

[oneforthepot]

And like others say rabbits, pigeons etc

 

[Ratcatcher]

And don't forget the barter system I swap venison for trout from a mate, also chickens and eggs, people like venison but start them on mince and stew, then move onto osso bucco, when they're a bit braver

 

[Mike1979]

The more you shoot the more you eat and the better the quality (when your butchery skills improve ). My one suggestion is to process the venison how you want it to be either from and ease or preference perspective. We tend to turn more of the carcass into mince and burgers rather then roasts as this suits our lifestyle but the advantage is that you can swap approaches if you want more roasts etc for winter.

Wild meat is fantastic and we should all eat more of it

 

[75]

And don't forget the barter system I swap venison for trout from a mate, also chickens and eggs, people like venison but start them on mince and stew, then move onto osso bucco, when they're a bit braver

Definitely. We've not bought any beef or pork over the summer as we've just done swaps with local farmers. Something so very satisfying about good produce being exchanged with no cash involved.

 

[Ratcatcher]

Definitely. We've not bought any beef or pork over the summer as we've just done swaps with local farmers. Something so very satisfying about good produce being exchanged with no cash involved.

Exactly the sort of thing that reeve is determined to stop, us country folk living in the past

Definitely. We've not bought any beef or pork over the summer as we've just done swaps with local farmers. Something so very satisfying about good produce being exchanged with no cash involved.