[Temporary Deer Farming] Tachikawa Gibier Morinonaka
[Temporary Deer Farming] It's common knowledge that "deer should be processed immediately after being caught." So why "keep them for a while"? That's "temporary deer farming." It's a method where wild deer are captured alive, raised for a certain period, and then shipped as meat. In the case of game meat, it's crucial to "transport the meat to a processing facility as quickly as possible after capture." Time, temperature, and hygiene are all important. Quality control of the meat begins the moment it's captured. However, there's another big problem with venison. "You can't get the amount you want when you want it." Because they are wild animals, production volume cannot be planned like with cattle or pigs. This is where the idea of "temporary deer farming" comes in. In the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' 2026 National Game Meat Cooperation Forum materials, an example is presented where **half of the deer brought in are purchased, and the rest are captured in large enclosure traps and temporarily farmed**, and it is stated that "high quality can be ensured by maintaining a consistent time between killing and refrigeration." Deer captured alive are temporarily raised in an enclosed environment and shipped as meat according to demand. Benefit 1: "Adjustable supply timing" Instead of processing all the meat on the day of capture, it becomes easier to ship it according to the required time. Benefit 2: "Easier to control processing conditions" Unlike methods of hastily transporting deer captured in the wild, it becomes easier to manage the conditions up to processing by coordinating with processing facilities. This has the potential to stabilize the quality of venison. But here a question arises. Catching wild deer, managing them with humans, feeding them, and adjusting the timing until shipment—to what extent is that "game meat"? This is "temporary deer farming," where deer raised in the wild are captured and then raised for a short period. They are not completely domesticated. It is also a little different from traditional game meat. But it is also one answer to the need to deliver venison stably. "Wildness" and "stability as a food ingredient." It may be necessary to consider both of these for game meat going forward. A shop where you can encounter game meat you never knew existed.