Wild game meat for those who need it

Morning. I would be interested to hear peoples thoughts on this and raise any issues and possible solutions. I think that now more than ever there will be those who need support when it comes to feeding their families. There are so many hunters out there, including those on this forum who often have a surplus of game meat or could even take an extra animal for donation to a worthy cause. I know there are strict regulations from MPI when it comes to what we can do here, but am I wondering if there is a way around it. One of the key issues is taking game meat from areas where or close to where there has been toxins/ brodificum used in possum control. Which in NZ is most of the country. I do find it ironic that farmers are still allowed to sell stock from these areas. Animals are not tested for brodi residues on the hook to the best of my knowledge? So I am wondering if it would be possible to lobby to supply grass eating game meat from pre approved areas and pre approved people. I don't think pigs would be doable but deer and goats etc might be. To be given to pre approved agencies such as those working in food banks etc.

This would be a logistically huge exercise but imagine if we could start something where people are pre approved to do this and allowed to. Imagine being able to break a deer down and give it to a food bank. That is a ton of meat. It would be really cool and I know many on here would happily do this. What do you think folks? Is it worth investigating? Has it been tried before? Would you be interested in taking part if we could get it over the line. There is a massive food resource out there that's for sure. I will await your thoughts and be guided by you. I would be happy to make the initial contact if others think it would be worth a try.

Cheers

Thanks 7MM. Yes I agree. If ever we were going to get this over the line then now might be it. Could maybe start in one area as a tester with a small number of people and then see what happens?

It’d be under the radar stuff via your own contacts I’d imagine..:::shush.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice idea but I can’t see it happening. Heard that the Hunters Club TV program was going to do a free wild game bbq outside a store, but had to stop because it was wild game. Might have been partially because it was outside a commercial store/ seen as commercial promotion.
What are the home kill rules? Not sure if you are even allowed to give that away to people outside your family.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tiroahunta

It’d be under the radar stuff via your own contacts I’d imagine..:::shush.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

this is the only way it will work

Is it legal to donate a wild got animal to someone?id donate doc land deer to people that needed and knew how to deal with a whole carcass.most of the people that needed the meat wouldn't have a clue what to do or have the facilities to deal with an animal, but id happily give animals away but wouldn't want to be breaking whole thing down for them.

As a person who got a bit of insight in this matter I can tell you it's 99% certain that you won't be able to do this legally.
When it comes to food safety concerns MPI is looking at few more things then just toxin application areas. Just ask any slaughter houses how many regs they have to comply with. Some of the issues you would have to think about: Traceability, meat inspections by verified inspector, adequate storage, audits and the cost involved,who is accountable in the supply chain.

If you wan't to help just buy a bunch of canned food at the supermarket from the money you would spend on the next hunt (fuel,ammo,whatever you need for the next trip) and drop it off at the food bank, then you help people right now when they need it.
Just my 20c.

The idea is good and has great merit but after dealing with MPI and Game Processing businesses regarding the supply of wild animals,even for pet food, I doubt if this would ever get off the ground. Supossedly you're not even allowed to give animals away unless recipient has participated in procuring the animal. Then there's the rules regarding proof of location where animals shot and supplying pesticides summary of source and neighbouring properties. Can't see this bunch of c--ts in power seeing common sence about it.

Also you are up against the government classification/veiw of all these animals as pests rather than any kind of resource

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yesmate

Is it legal to donate a wild got animal to someone?id donate doc land deer to people that needed and knew how to deal with a whole carcass.most of the people that needed the meat wouldn't have a clue what to do or have the facilities to deal with an animal, but id happily give animals away but wouldn't want to be breaking whole thing down for them.

---

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/travel-and-r...and-gathering/

Freefishheads works well and I am (or at least was) donating quite a lot. I like the system because I'm not killing anything specifically to give away. It could be argued that if I ate all the heads and frames myself, I would need to kill less fish, but nobody is perfect! More challenges with shot animals and that's just from a practical point of view, then there's the legal aspect. Having said that, when a load of goats get bowled over and left to rot, I think that's an awful waste.

I'm certainly planning to be dropping a fair few packages off to the people I know who have lost jobs in all of this... as soon as I can get out again, though. Don't have any private land access. Not quite the scale you're thinking of, but perhaps the micro approach is the way to go.

Ive been giving quite a bit of venison to 2 charities for a couple of years. One uses it for their over night shelters and the other makes it into patties and sausages for events. There is no buying or selling involved and the cooked food is free.

Ive never checked the regs but they seem to be satisfied that it is ok legally.

ill be doing my best once i can to get out and hunt then take goat,pork and venison to my sis in the far north so her meat bills are less 🤞😎

I must be a bit stingy, if i carry it out i will be eating it

I give away a bit of venison to a old guy down the road for him and his wife they are not that well of and appreciate any meat i give them. And i would be happy to give away a whole animal to a family in need.

The issue you run into with meat from homekill or wild game is there is way way to guarantee the health of the animal or processing hygiene.

So they take a simple approach; its your risk when you and your family eat the meat you have killed.

In theory, you won't serve spoilt meat to your family.

But can we trust society to sell safe meat to the general public? Probably not eough to guarantee public health.

How hygienic are most farm killing houses? Not terribly would be my guess based on the ones I've seen
And how is the meat stored afterwards if its being sold to joe public?

Unfortunately the rules are set for the lowest common denominator and like so many other situations, the poor behaviour of the minority ruins it for the majority

I have always given away excess meat, well except in the eighties when Bergs were buying. I don’t give away crap meat and am super fussy about hygiene. Fish apart from family And our local Kaumatua is not given away and also I don’t freeze much, fresh is best. Fishing is easy to regulate, limit your catch or catch quality. Trout I save in the freezer as an exception for Tangi reasons only.

From the MPI site -

Some parts of a wild animal can be bought or sold
You can trade the parts of your recreational catch that are not for human or animal consumption – for example hides, skins, horns or antlers.
-

So, if you were to give me a deer or goat leg, with the skin still on, so I could make an arrow quiver out of it, what I then did with the meat is not your problem. If I was making a 1 arrow quiver, I wouldn't even need much skin, just a long strip.

Perhaps that lovely strip of pelt, on the backstrap, would make a nice bracelet. I could take the meat off myself before I tanned the bracelet.


:)

All good sense thoughts. Would be great to do but the great big no machine will always win. Easiest way is to carry on as per normal I guess.

I've had the exact same thoughts lately. It's almost criminal that most of our venison is flown to restaurants in U.S. and Germany. Common sense says that the risk of getting sick from a fresh back strap or hind quarter is practically nil, and the benefits of providing this resource to struggling families would be huge. Maybe we can get a petition going and start in on our local MP's, or even volunteer to take a brief course on safe handling of wild game, especially in light of the hard times that may be about to get really bad for some. It would also cast hunters in a very beneficial light, which would of course be a bonus.

Have given away three pigs in the last weeks to some locals...Attachment 137799
Attachment 137800
Some people have really struggled.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phil_H

If your catch is for human or animal consumption and you trade it, then it is classed as commercial. Commercial trade includes:

bartering
supplying as part of a contract
supplying as part of a charge for another product or service
using for advertising purposes, as a prize or for fundraising.

If it given away free, is it trading as per the details above?

It would be good to be able to give away excess meat to people in need without having to worry about authorities coming knocking at your door.

Cheers
Phil

---

No, giving it away in good faith (there is no other motive but kindness) does not fall into the rules given.

But if the supplier was to ask, or take, something, or anything, in exchange, it would fall into the above rules. This includes giving it away to promote a service by means of a prize, or to raise funds (which is already clearly stated).

Seems like the pet food angle could be workable. If you're planning on giving to random, struggling folks, via a facebook or local news post, you could write a disclaimer, or even print a label and put in on the bag:

"Warning: this fresh, organic, free-range, pure NZ wild venison, humanely killed and carefully handled, has not been processed or inspected in accordance with government standards. Therefore, there exists a very small chance of bacterial or pesticide contamination. Recommended for use as pet food only".

Don't they do something like that for goat milk, or unpasturized cow milk?

You can give it away to needy people and charities. Stop fussing. Just get on with it. We should all do it.

Its worth it just for the feel good factor. You can even act like an arse on here, then give meat away and the 2 behaviours cancel each other out. Its like going to confession.

Just ensure there is no trading, paying or charging by the giver or receiver.

The only restriction Im aware of is you can't give it to schools, universities, hospitals or prisons.

As it says here, you absolutely cannot donate your kill. Hence the discussion:

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/1059/direct

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by F Majeur

As it says here, you absolutely cannot donate your kill. Hence the discussion:

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/1059/direct

---

MPI:

This is what I was going by:


What you can't do
You can't serve recreational catch meat or fish to paying customers, (for example to customers at bed and breakfasts or lodges), or barter, raffle or donate it for use as a prize or as a fundraiser.
Schools, universities, hospitals or prisons can't use recreational catch meat or fish.
If you're running a commercial operation on a marae, you can't use recreational catch – you must use commercially processed meat or fish.
You can't sell recreational catch at wild food festivals, fundraisers and the like. If wild game or fish are sold at such events, they must be obtained from the regulated system.

Hmmm, maybe a bit of a mixed message. Here's what I was going by:

However, because no assurances can be
given about whether the meat is fit to eat, you
cannot donate, raffle, trade or sell wild game
or game birds. For example, you can’t:
• give meat to your local school to raffle;
• donate meat to a food bank;
• sell the meat at a farmers’ market.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tahr

You can give it away to needy people and charities. Stop fussing. Just get on with it. We should all do it.

Its worth it just for the feel good factor. You can even act like an arse on here, then give meat away and the 2 behaviours cancel each other out. Its like going to confession.

Just ensure there is no trading, paying or charging by the giver or receiver.

The only restriction Im aware of is you can't give it to schools, universities, hospitals or prisons.

---

The Coast is renowend for helping out each other and wild game fits in that category,has done for decades.
Bartering is the norm in many cases also whether it be fish,wild game or anything else useful. Needy people,most deffinitely.
Confession.. whats that? Any good Coaster would need a packed lunch and sleeping bag if made to sit in the box :wtfsmilie:

My suggestion would be to ask a local vet if they will inspect the carcase for you - for free. A vet inspection is the final word on disease status. Then GPS the location where the animal was shot and make sure it was not inside a pesticide exclusion zone. The problem with homekill sales is that it is not inspected.

Just bloody do it and keep quite about it. Your not doing it for any accolades, just helping people who may need a hand. I see absolutely no difference to this than giving meat away to friends or family. I’ve just done it and will again later in the week and stuff what anybody says.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gapped axe

Just bloody do it and keep quite about it. Your not doing it for any accolades, just helping people who may need a hand. I see absolutely no difference to this than giving meat away to friends or family. I’ve just done it and will again later in the week and stuff what anybody says.

---

What he said.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I dont give a fuck what MPI say, I just give it away! Friends, family, those in need. And usually I butcher it and vacuum pack it as well. The only thing I dont give away is the back steaks, thems for me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Husky1600

I dont give a fuck what MPI say, I just give it away! Friends, family, those in need. And usually I butcher it and vacuum pack it as well. The only thing I dont give away is the back steaks, thems for me.

---

You a Coaster? Yi well educated :thumbsup:

speaking of venison watching the pommy jamie oliver &his tag along jimmy dougherty on Tv earlier in the week .theywere raving about deer in ewngland overruning farms ruining grass etcetc .
typicall wosers get out yelling and screaming about people not eating vension needs more promotion

"better than all that farmed venison imported from new zealand"
imagine those two dropped into fiordland with pack and rife for a bit of freerange puukka tukka! ringpieces would end up like dumptruck tyres!!
ecven old superfit gordy ramsy found nz a bit of a challenge onhis recent programme altho he did manage to bowl a goat for kai!