The Deer Dilemma: Uncovering the UK Venison Shortage

Where Are All the Deer?

The new year saw me step into a new role, moving away from feathered game and focusing solely on sourcing venison.

It turns out I wasn’t the only one with that idea.

Suddenly, everyone seems to have decided that venison is the meat of choice. The problem? There’s none to be found.

The Government has stated that around 750,000 deer need to be culled every year to keep numbers under control. In reality, that simply isn’t happening — and those of us trying to source British venison are feeling the consequences.

Why Are So Few Deer Being Shot?

I watched a video on Instagram recently blaming the shortage on imported New Zealand venison. The claim was that the volume being brought into the UK has removed any need for British deer.

That simply isn’t true.

Trust me, I am actively trying to source significant quantities of British venison, and it just isn’t there.

One small game dealer I spoke to suggested the weather was a major factor. Fog and relentless rain have made conditions either impossible or deeply unappealing for stalkers to get out.

Another stalker pointed to a lack of incentive. There may be some truth in this. In certain areas, game dealers are paying as little as £1.10 per kilo, while in others prices reach £3.30 per kilo. That level of disparity is stark, and it inevitably affects motivation.

This is matched on the other end, when trying to buy trim, a pallet load at a time we are quoted varying prices from £3.00 a kilo up to the unaffordable £5.50 a kilo. Apparently the dog food market is also very interested in buying up venison trim and they are currently our main competitors. It seems our dogs are eating better than most humans.

The Scottish Challenge

Scotland faces a unique and complex set of challenges when it comes to deer management.

Culling deer there is difficult due to a combination of vast, rugged terrain; fragmented land ownership; reliance on voluntary management systems; and deep-rooted cultural, ethical, and economic considerations. Despite estimates suggesting an additional 50,000 deer need to be culled each year to protect biodiversity, hitting that target is far from straightforward.

Key issues include:

• Vast and inaccessible terrain. Red deer roam across enormous areas of the Highlands, often in remote and difficult landscapes, making population control logistically challenging.
• A voluntary management system. Deer management largely relies on voluntary cooperation between land managers and Deer Management Groups (DMGs). There is no legal duty for landowners to control deer numbers, leading to inconsistent culling levels. Plus the deer moving to land where there is no deer management taking place.
• Fragmented ownership and conflicting priorities. Particularly in the Lowlands, fragmented landownership makes coordinated action difficult. Some estates worry that higher culls for conservation could undermine the economic value of stalking, as reduced deer density impacts sporting income.
• Cultural and ethical opposition. Deer, especially red stags, are powerful cultural symbols. Large-scale or “aggressive” culls have faced criticism from some groups, including concerns around shooting pregnant hinds.
• Logistical challenges. In remote areas, extracting carcasses can be dangerous or impractical, leading to animals being left on the hill.

While organisations such as NatureScot do have statutory powers to intervene where environmental damage is severe, the preference remains to work collaboratively and voluntarily with landowners. That said, rising ecological pressure has prompted legislative changes, including allowing year-round shooting of male deer to help increase cull numbers. However from the many people I have spoken to there does not seem to be much take up of the year round cull.

Other Factors at Play

Another explanation I was given is that this has been a mast year. With an abundance of natural food available, deer have stayed deeper in woodland, making them far harder to spot and shoot. Apparently, mast years are often followed by a rise in deer numbers, as higher nutrition levels can lead to an increase in twins being born although someone said that this was just an old wives tale.

Still Searching

In my search for venison trim alone in the last two weeks, I have contacted 133 deer-related businesses and individuals. I am still waiting to hear back from 32 so fingers crossed a consistent supply avails itself. Now it is the end of the shooting season I am sure more people will turn to controlling the deer on their land. However, if you have venison to supply, or know someone who does, please do get in touch.