Rocky Mountain Elk - Bright Future under Development
An injured ankle forced Grant and Beverleigh Muir to review dairy farming in Hari Hari on the West Coast. As it turns out Grants arthritic ankle was to lead the couple into a successful venture as Rocky Mountain Elk (Wapiti) farmers.
Back in 1986 when dairying became difficult under Rogernomics the couple decided to try a Farm stay operation and were successful at doing so. However by 1992 Grants ankle precipitated a change of lifestyle and a 50 acre lifestyle block, previously run as a small deer farm by a forestry scientist, was purchased and the present Luxury Lodge was established.
Wapiti Park also gave Grant the chance to pursue a lifelong interest in Wapiti or Rocky Mountain Elk as they are also known.
The previous owners herd of red deer was sold, making way for the purchase of 32 female and 4 bull elk. There are four different types of elk. Grant explains why Rocky Mountain Elk were his number one choice.
Firstly it was nostalgia. They were the ones originally released into Fiordland in 1905.
The colouring and better temperament of Rocky Mountain Elk was another factor in their purchase. And I knew they grew the best trophy style antlers.
Today the Muirs Wapiti Park Elk herd has grown to over 100 purebreds and their entrepreneurial skills have seen the business grow from a small lifestyle block to a three pronged industry. Today antler velvet is used for their thriving internet health supplement business, elk venison looks likely to end up on restaurant tables and the safari trade ensures a stable elk industry future. Being such a versatile earner the Elk has also proven to be relatively easily farmed. Although introduced to the wild climate and flora of Fiordland Elk have adapted to New Zealand farms - albeit preferring older type pastures such as cocksfoot, timothy, and native grasses; and the newer low endophyte species. Grant has found the elk are not as forgiving as cows particularly when it comes to parasite control and require proactive rather than reactive regimes to get the best out of them. There is still much to be learnt about the animals including more on trace element deficiencies. This and the opportunities Elk offer make it a highly exciting industry to be in at present.
Velveting
Asian people perceive Elk velvet to be the best in the world and see the animal as a majestic beast. Size does matter. Velvet has long been applauded for its therapeutic value. Ironically it was the health benefits that got Grant and Beverleigh into making velvet capsules when Grant tried some for Arthritis and a degenerative spine condition and had a major improvement.
Wapiti Park Products, which sells velvet capsules via the internet all over the world, markets possibly the widest range of antler velvet based products in the world.
In Oriental medicine velvet is recognised second only to Ginseng as a health supplement and is a stimulator of the immune system, a natural anti-inflammatory, and can have beneficial effects for the circulatory system re blood pressure and cholesterol level balance.
South Korea is the main traditional market for velvet. However the Muirs main internet market is the United States followed by the UK, Australia and Asia.
In its heyday velvet could fetch $250/kg and if you were cutting 10 kilograms for each mature bull you owned that could prove lucrative with the possibility of grossing up to $5000 an acre.
Fluctuating exchange rates and the collapse of the Korean economy have seen those types of returns drop away. Today Grant says last years average for Elk velvet was around $68/kg with Elk velvet historically returning 10-15% higher than red deer grades.
The Muirs antler producing herd is at Sheffield where they share farm 40-50 bulls for velveting and eventually as trophy animals for visiting international hunters.
Safari Market
Elk have long been prized for their large beautiful antlers by hunters world-wide. For farmers like Grant that safari market is proving significant. Bulls grown out at Sheffield will eventually become trophy antlers on the walls around the world if their standard is good enough.
Good quality bulls with a high SCI score will be put up for tender each year with some overseas hunters prepared to pay up to US$25000 and more for a top head. The United States is the biggest market. It is a lucrative market and one that offers much promise in the future.
Elk Meat
The Elk venison market is possibly the most exciting advance in the industry. As Elk and Wapiti Society president, Grant has overseen the Elk Meat Initiative and the setting up of NZ Elk Limited, which has seen an opportunity with Clover Meat Exports in Gore, set up to process the meat. Clover Meats is designed to process horse meat and therefore is ideally set up for the larger cattle beast sized Elk animal.
Grant says the idea behind Elk Meat Initiative is to get a better price for elk meat and to grow the breed.
He says premium carcasses for 2 and under 3 year old elk up to 120kg should be receiving the same price as the venison industry currently pays for 50-65kg deer.
Currently prices vary but Grant feels because consumption of elk meat is year round in North America, elk meat pricing should not be tied to the European model which fluctuates because of its specific traditional game meat eating season.
Trials at a Canterbury polytechnic proved that Elk was a superior restaurant venison. Handled right, it is a finer textured, sweeter, and jucier meat than other deer venison.
Grant is campaigning for a consistent minimum year round price of around $5 and with many restaurants indicating that they want the product and their North American guests saying they would buy it if they could get it, the Muirs believe the time is right for it to happen.
Back in 1986 when dairying became difficult under Rogernomics the couple decided to try a Farm stay operation and were successful at doing so. However by 1992 Grants ankle precipitated a change of lifestyle and a 50 acre lifestyle block, previously run as a small deer farm by a forestry scientist, was purchased and the present Luxury Lodge was established.
Wapiti Park also gave Grant the chance to pursue a lifelong interest in Wapiti or Rocky Mountain Elk as they are also known.
The previous owners herd of red deer was sold, making way for the purchase of 32 female and 4 bull elk. There are four different types of elk. Grant explains why Rocky Mountain Elk were his number one choice.
Firstly it was nostalgia. They were the ones originally released into Fiordland in 1905.
The colouring and better temperament of Rocky Mountain Elk was another factor in their purchase. And I knew they grew the best trophy style antlers.
Today the Muirs Wapiti Park Elk herd has grown to over 100 purebreds and their entrepreneurial skills have seen the business grow from a small lifestyle block to a three pronged industry. Today antler velvet is used for their thriving internet health supplement business, elk venison looks likely to end up on restaurant tables and the safari trade ensures a stable elk industry future. Being such a versatile earner the Elk has also proven to be relatively easily farmed. Although introduced to the wild climate and flora of Fiordland Elk have adapted to New Zealand farms - albeit preferring older type pastures such as cocksfoot, timothy, and native grasses; and the newer low endophyte species. Grant has found the elk are not as forgiving as cows particularly when it comes to parasite control and require proactive rather than reactive regimes to get the best out of them. There is still much to be learnt about the animals including more on trace element deficiencies. This and the opportunities Elk offer make it a highly exciting industry to be in at present.
Velveting
Asian people perceive Elk velvet to be the best in the world and see the animal as a majestic beast. Size does matter. Velvet has long been applauded for its therapeutic value. Ironically it was the health benefits that got Grant and Beverleigh into making velvet capsules when Grant tried some for Arthritis and a degenerative spine condition and had a major improvement.
Wapiti Park Products, which sells velvet capsules via the internet all over the world, markets possibly the widest range of antler velvet based products in the world.
In Oriental medicine velvet is recognised second only to Ginseng as a health supplement and is a stimulator of the immune system, a natural anti-inflammatory, and can have beneficial effects for the circulatory system re blood pressure and cholesterol level balance.
South Korea is the main traditional market for velvet. However the Muirs main internet market is the United States followed by the UK, Australia and Asia.
In its heyday velvet could fetch $250/kg and if you were cutting 10 kilograms for each mature bull you owned that could prove lucrative with the possibility of grossing up to $5000 an acre.
Fluctuating exchange rates and the collapse of the Korean economy have seen those types of returns drop away. Today Grant says last years average for Elk velvet was around $68/kg with Elk velvet historically returning 10-15% higher than red deer grades.
The Muirs antler producing herd is at Sheffield where they share farm 40-50 bulls for velveting and eventually as trophy animals for visiting international hunters.
Safari Market
Elk have long been prized for their large beautiful antlers by hunters world-wide. For farmers like Grant that safari market is proving significant. Bulls grown out at Sheffield will eventually become trophy antlers on the walls around the world if their standard is good enough.
Good quality bulls with a high SCI score will be put up for tender each year with some overseas hunters prepared to pay up to US$25000 and more for a top head. The United States is the biggest market. It is a lucrative market and one that offers much promise in the future.
Elk Meat
The Elk venison market is possibly the most exciting advance in the industry. As Elk and Wapiti Society president, Grant has overseen the Elk Meat Initiative and the setting up of NZ Elk Limited, which has seen an opportunity with Clover Meat Exports in Gore, set up to process the meat. Clover Meats is designed to process horse meat and therefore is ideally set up for the larger cattle beast sized Elk animal.
Grant says the idea behind Elk Meat Initiative is to get a better price for elk meat and to grow the breed.
He says premium carcasses for 2 and under 3 year old elk up to 120kg should be receiving the same price as the venison industry currently pays for 50-65kg deer.
Currently prices vary but Grant feels because consumption of elk meat is year round in North America, elk meat pricing should not be tied to the European model which fluctuates because of its specific traditional game meat eating season.
Trials at a Canterbury polytechnic proved that Elk was a superior restaurant venison. Handled right, it is a finer textured, sweeter, and jucier meat than other deer venison.
Grant is campaigning for a consistent minimum year round price of around $5 and with many restaurants indicating that they want the product and their North American guests saying they would buy it if they could get it, the Muirs believe the time is right for it to happen.