Few bids for fine yarding of fallow deer

Press, 15 April 1980, Page 38

Few bids for fine yarding of fallow deer

PA Wanganui Wanganui’s first deer auction sale recently lacked one important ingredient — buyers. The facilities for selling and handling the deer were excellent. The stock was of exceptional quality and the auctioneers were keyed up and ready to go. In spite of poor weather there was a big crowd, but there were few buyers for the varding of fallow deer. Stock of similar quality, which only a matter of weeks ago realised $7OO to $9OO, seldom got past the auctioneer’s opening bid. Pen after pen was passed in as vendors, some from as far. field as Taumarunui, refused to lower their reserve prices. Even the venison buyers seemed reluctant to pay current meat rates for spikers.' One bright spot emerged about a third of the way through the catalogue when a pen of 12 Spanish hinds came in to the sale ring. The deer, from the property'of Mr G. Bognuda, in the Ahu Ahu Valley, caught the attention of two buyers who chased the auctioneer quickly to $lOOO and finally to $ll5O,

But the bidding was for only one hind in the pen. Both buyers were chasing the true Spanish hind, light in colour with white spots predominant. When the other 11 "ginger” hinds put up for sale, they did not reach the reserve of $750. That was typical of the rest of the sale. One other light coloured Spanish hind sold for $lO5O. Wrightson NMA, which .organised the sale, was at a loss to fathom the reason for the lack of interest. The commission manager of the company at Wanganui (Mr R. McFetridge) said he had expected a plane load of buyers from Te Puke and North Auckland Who had not arrived, but- even that did not explain why E rices were so low and uyers not interested in paying the prices stock had sold for three weeks ago. A summary of prices: Spanish hinds, true colour and top quality, $1125 to $lO5O. Ginger coloured Spanish hinds $740, $7OO, $6OO. Spanish hinds with fawns at foot $7OO. Black hinds, $575, $5OO, $4OO. Stags: $460, $290, $lOO, $BO.