Harvesting Deer at Poronui

Harvesting Deer at Poronui

Preparing a deer for a mount or trophy is a small part of the end of an animal’s journey at Poronui.

We have an important role to play as stewards of the land, so after a successful shot, we harvest as much as possible of a deer (or any animal) for our kitchen, trophies, the community, and research.

Here’s an overview of what’s involved in the processing of a deer at Poronui.

Field preparation

After a successful shot, celebrations, and trophy photos are taken, the first order is to remove the inner organs of a deer. Your guide will typically cut down the lower abdomen of the deer, and release and remove the inner organs, while taking care not to puncture any of the digestive tract.

It’s a personal preference to keep key organs such as the liver, heart and kidneys, as these make for excellent eating, but other organs will typically be removed and disposed of in the field. This makes transporting the trophy back to the trophy preparation area of Poronui much easier.

Preparing a trophy

As we’ve talked about before, our guests often value a trophy of their deer, and removing the cape of the deer is a complex process requiring care and skill.

All of our guides are skilled at preparing deer for various mounts, including shoulder mounts, European mounts, and even full-body mounts.

Even when a cape or mount isn’t needed, we still harvest the skin and send this to local taxidermists and expediters who can utilise it to improve mounts (i.e. where a cape is damaged by a shot) or for leather and pelt products.

Harvesting the deer

Our guides are skilled butchers too. Typically, while one works on preparing the cape for a mount, another will be working on harvesting as much meat as possible from the body.

Venison is a highly prized meat, known for being a lean yet highly nutritious protein. Some of this meat will be used in the Lodge restaurant, where our resident chefs will take care to showcase this venison along with local produce. One recent client, who hunted a Sika, Fallow and Red, had the kitchen prepare eye fillets of each so he could compare the different species.
Naturally, each deer produces a great quantity of meat. Fortunately, what’s harvested beyond our needs also goes to good causes.

Working with the Sika Foundation

The Sika Foundation is a collective of passionate individuals dedicated to the sustainable management of the Sika deer, ensuring that this game remains an integral part of our story.
Meat we harvest often goes to the Sika Foundation, along with local groups helping those in the community who would benefit from it.

We also send Sika skulls to the Foundation for their research, where they use the skulls and jaws to measure how the animals are growing, feeding, and the quality of local herds.

Making full use of the animal

At Poronui, we take pride in our role as stewards of the land, and the conclusion of an animal’s life at the Estate is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and community.

In ensuring that every part of the deer is honoured, from the finest cuts served at our Lodge’s tables to the trophies that tell tales of adventure and the contributions to local science and research. All this ensures that avid hunters can continue to participate in these traditions for years to come.