President
John Stoltzfus
5 Star Genetics
5835 N 1000 W
Shipshewana, IN 46565
Phone: (574) 596-2347 jdwhitetails@gmail.com
Vice president
Lester Eicher
Springfield Whitetails
14905 Springfield Ct Rd
Grabill, IN 46741
Cell: (260) 341-3614 springfieldwts@gmail.com
Secretary/Treasurer
Earl Hershberger
Clear Creek Whitetails
6960 W 200 N
Shipshewana, IN 46565
Cell: (260) 350-3506
Fax: (260) 768-4761 earlcvpg@yahoo.com
Director
Heath Alexander
Forgotten Mile Whitetails
6675 W 500 N
Pennville, IN 47369
Cell: (260) 341-7296
Email: thaeh80@gmail.com
Director
Josie Borkholder
Lone Pine Whitetails
1656 2B Rd
Bremen, IN 46506
Home: (574) 248-2675
Fax: (574) 546-4211 josie@pinecreekchainlink.com
Director
Nelson Miller
Antler Ridge Whitetails
71396 CR 25
New Paris, IN 46553
Cell: (574) 312-1349
Fax: (574) 538-2105 nelmiller26@gmail.com
Director
Dr. Darryl Ragland, DVM, Phd
625 Harrison St
West Lafayette, IN 47907
Home: (765) 494-3234
Cell: (765) 418-5673 raglandd@purdue.edu
Director
David Schwartz
Shallow Pond Whitetails
3990 N 675 W
Shipshewana, IN 46565
Cell: (260) 336-1687 shallowpondwts@gmail.comt
Director
Jerry Schwartz
Countryside Whitetails
10852 W 900 N
Bourbon, IN 46504
Cell: (574) 907-9457
Fax: (574) 546-0390
Director
Lonnie Whetstone
Whetstone Brothers Premier Whitetails
228 Ply-Goshen Trail
Nappanee, IN 46550
Phone: (574) 248-9188
Fax: (574) 773-2371
Office@WhetstoneBrothers.com
Director
Lance Whitsell
Valhala Farm
1277 West Scratch Gravel Rd
Liberty, IN 47353
Phone: (513) 839-5001
lance.whitsell71@gmail.com
Director
Rober Yoder
Cedar Road Deer Farm
6664 Cedar Rd
Bremen, IN 46506
Phone: (574) 646-2504
byoder@hardwoodinterior.com
**Erica Bratton (574) 220-5652 ~ indianadeer@gmail.com
Hunting Preserve/Legislative
Chair: Dr. Ragland Committee: Andy Aker, Lance Whitsell
Public Relations
Chair: Lester Eicher Committee: Trevor Vance
Audit/Ethics & Bylaws
Chair: Josie Borkholder Committee: Robert Yoder
Fundraisers/Summer Picnic
Chair: Josie Borkholder Co-Chair: Lonnie Whetstone
Member Relations: Erica Bratton Food: Jerry Schwartz Committee: Earl Hershberger, Nelson Miller, Brian Bratton, John Stoltzfus, Robert Yoder, Heath Alexander, David Schwartz, Lance Whitsell.
Budget Committee
Chair: Earl Hershberger Committee: Nelson Miller, David Schwartz
IDAC
Chair: Dr. Ragland Committee: Shelly Chavis, Shawn Schafer
Greetings Fellow Members,
I hope all is going well. The Chupp’s and Top 30 Auctions were a great success. Thank you to everyone that attended the auctions. It’s great to see everyone support one another. Hope to see everyone at NADeFA.
The Board is working hard on new ideas for the IDEFA fundraiser. It will be a good one. This years’ location will be in Nappanee. I am looking forward to seeing everyone there.
On the legislative side – it is very quiet, which is a good thing. Things are looking very strong for Indiana. Let’s keep it up.
Thank you,
Your President, John Stoltzfus
Hoping that everyone had an amazing Holiday season and are ready for what all 2023 has to bring for each of us.
It was nice to see so many members at the Northern Top 30 this past January in Shipshewana. There definitely was a nice turnout for this event. I am looking forward to seeing you at the NADEFA Conference in French Lick coming up in March.
Just a reminder that memberships run from January 1st to December 31st. If you have not yet renewed for 2023, please take the time to fill out your form located in this book and send in to keep up on all the happenings.
We will also start including a copy of the Necropsy form in each journal. There have been some misconceptions in the program, please be sure to use this form to ensure that your reimbursement will be seamless. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or any Board member.
Mark your calendars for August 4th for our Annual Meeting, Picnic and Fundraiser. If you have any suggestions and/or wish to volunteer, we would love to have you! If you’d like to be on the ballot for a Board position, please let us know!
Wishing everyone a successful fawning season
Erica Bratton Administrative Secretary
Cell: 574-220-5652
Fax: 952-955-6022
indianadeer@gmail.com
The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) has updated and streamlined the process for requesting a permit to bring cervids into the state.
To obtain an entry permit:
• Download, complete and save the form, located online at: https://www.in.gov/boah/species-information/cervids-deer-elk/
• Email the completed form to BOAH: cervidrecords@boah.in.gov
• Or call Ashley Rosenkrans at 317-544-2416
Entry requirements to bring cervid species into Indiana are listed on the agency’s website at: https://www.in.gov/boah/species-information/cervids-deer-elk/cervidae/
August 4th - 5th, 2023
9am: Booth Set Up, Doors Open
Door
4pm: Voting for New Members Ends Prayer & Meal
4:45pm: New Board Meets
5:00pm: New Board and Officers Announced
5:30pm: AUCTION STARTS With First Gun Case
Hi Everyone!
Does anyone have Spring Fever? It has been sunny this last week but still a bit cold. I am very excited about antler growing season just around the corner.
We have had a challenging winter at Lone Pine Whitetails. We had pneumonia issues and sent a sample into Purdue University to learn we have mycoplasma. We tried almost everything that was recommended and a lot of time was spent treating. I would like to thank Lester Eicher, Dr Pyle, Dr Shipley and Dr Schafer for their time on the phone with our many questions. And thank you to my partner, James and his family for the time spent treating sick deer.
This was first detected when the fawns were given their booster vaccine in November. We lost 2 fawns that had been sick prior to being boosted. After the boosters kicked in, we didn’t have any new cases in our fawns. We gave the vaccine a lot of credit for not wiping out our fawns. We normally give the does a booster in the Fall then after talking to a Vet, he told me that it is very important to give two shots a year. We lost approximately 7 adult deer including our breeder buck Thermal Image. Thermal has never been vaccinated since being a fawn. We normally don’t give our bucks a vaccine shot after they get theirs as a fawn since we sell everything except our breeders @ 2 yrs. Old.
We do not know how we got this (mycoplasma) since we didn’t bring any deer in for close to a year. It gives us a new appreciation for healthy deer. We ended up running our herd through the shoot and giving them a vaccine shot and also boosting them with the Indiana (IDEFA) Vaccine, sold through Dr. Pyle from Manchester Vet. I would recommend everyone to get on a vaccine program if they are not on one yet.
We did something interesting with Thermal Image. After he died we shipped his testicles overnight VIA UPS to the University of Illinois and they ended up extracting 59 straws of semen. Although it was graded for farm use only it is still a good option with not many straws in storage.
I don’t wish this nasty respiratory disease on anybody. Just remember, by not getting on a vaccine program to try and save time and money, you could end up spending a lot more of both.
God Bless, Josie
BorkholderGood evening to all the readers.
Want to give you a little history of Cedar Road Deer Farm. Whitetails have always interested me. I bought my first bow when I was 16 and that is where it all started in the hunting + could not keep me out of the woods. Mark Borkholder (Hickory Lane Whitetail) had deer was not to far from us I went and helped him a couple of times. In 2007 he asked me about raising deer by 2009 I put up my first 2 pens and Mark put 3 does in there. I had a lot to learn and am still learning about whitetails. To me one of the key things is to spend time watching your deer when you feed them. This is usually the time you will see if you have a sick deer or if the deer are healthy (“pneumonia” we started using LA300 first and follow the next day with Draxin works real good). In 2019 son Gilbert bought Mark’s share he is my partner in the farm. Gilbert and Kara bought the home stead and we build a small house (Daudy house). It has been good to have them here to help with the deer. Alayna + Kindra our granddaughters sure enjoys the deer also. “Make sure you have your tags+DNA tubes bought and ready for fawning it will be here before you know it”. Come and visit us anybody is welcome to stop in.
Robert + Esther & Gilbert + Kara @ CRDF
The first time 17-year-old Presli Busby held a needle and injected antibiotics into a deer, she wasn’t filled with the apprehension most might feel doing so for the first time. “It felt pretty cool and natural,” the softspoken teenager and member of the Marianna, Florida FFA Chapter, said. However, Busby has spent most of her life being drawn to challenges. Her most recent one, entering an FFA (Future Farmers of America) Agricultural Proficiency Award Contest for Wildlife Management, earned her first place in the state and as an FFA finalist, a bronze medal.
While Busby is proud of her accomplishment, along with her parents and FFA Advisor Tony Watkins, it’s her mentor Dr. Daniel Bontrager, DC, who perhaps also feels like a proud father. Bontrager, owner of Bontrager Whitetails in Marianna, Florida, not only relies on her help at his farm, to him it still feels like just yesterday when he first met Busby as the four-year-old
daughter to a new employee at his chiropractic office. He never imagined he would watch her (then a little blond girl holding a bottle for fawns) grow up and not only love deer, but also be a serious contender for veterinary school. “Presli is an amazing young woman,” Bontrager 66, shared. “Her Dad and I are friends and her mom, Terri, works at my office. Last winter, when my righthand man passed away unexpectedly, Presli stepped right up to help. When I would get home from the office and it was dark, Presli had everything with the deer taken care of. She is very conscientious and really takes care of business. She is a good kid and she’s honest and not afraid of hard work.” The substantial amount of hard work to enter the proficiency contest, along with a very lengthy application, didn’t deter Busby when she began the process in February of 2022. In fact, it motivated her even more because, of the 150 or so members in her FFA chapter, she was the very first one to ever do so. “My advisor and I were thinking of more ways to be involved and I like entering contests,” she said. “Our goal is to have more of us enter for next year.”
As she begins her senior year of high school Busby has her sights set on vet school after earning a fouryear Animal Science degree from Chipola Community College. While working happily for Bontrager and studying takes up a great deal of her time, she also enjoys hunting with her father, Andy, 42, and her older brothers Jim, 22 and Hunter, 20. She also enjoys spending time with the family’s five dogs who include a Shih Tzu,
a Rottweiler, an English Bull dog, a Labrador Retriever mix and a Wiener dog. “The Shih Tzu is a boy, and the rest are girls,” Presli said. “And he’s in charge.”
Being in charge of her life is something Presli is obviously excelling at. As she prepares for the annual FFA Convention October 26th-29th in Indianapolis, Indiana, she is looking forward to hearing keynote speakers and mingling with others who share her same vision and goals. Established in 1928, the FFA teaches development of leadership and life skills that shape decision making and values. It also strives to help build the self-esteem of its members and prepare them for career success through agricultural education.
“I feel very blessed to be part of the FFA,” Presli said. “I feel grateful for the opportunities it has given me now and will give me in the future, and I am very grateful to work with Daniel on his farm. When I first thought about vet school, I was thinking dogs and cats. Now I’m thinking deer and livestock.” While Presli loves Florida, she has always wanted to try living somewhere else, too, and really likes the idea of living in Texas. With that being said, she better get ready for a lot of phone calls from Texas deer farmers when she becomes a veterinarian!
Hope everyone is having a great year. As many are aware and have been through the process, I would like to review and inform new farmers, or anyone who has not already sold to Kentucky yet about proper ear tag requirement.
Kentucky is currently the only state that requires an R.F.ID (Radio Frequency Identification) ear tag. This tag has a microchip inside that can be scanned with a reader and has a unique identification number. This tag must be scanned and verified by an Indiana state vet when loading for transport. The trailer will then be sealed by the vet. This seal cannot be removed or tampered with during transport and can only be removed by a Kentucky state vet. Each deer must be scanned again and verified by the Kentucky vet before the deer can be released from the trailer.
Kentucky has been a great resource and as they continue to grow hopefully many of our state’s deer will be used to help build their programs and help stock the hunting preserves. Since Indiana deer can go almost anywhere, it is our responsibility as deer farmers to know and follow other state’s laws and requirements.
By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by the Missouri Deer Association (MDA)
Antler replication has joined the digital world and may offer conveniences not available through traditional antler replication techniques. However, both traditional and digital techniques offer their own unique advantages. Making an informed decision about which one is right for you comes with weighing the pros and cons.
In creating an antler replica “you want someone to think that set is the real one,” said Jon Dittmer of Spring Creek Taxidermy in Coder, Missouri. “If you are also taking these antlers to shows they need to be strong and hold up. Compared to what I do to make a realistic and durable set of antlers, 3D scanning would be easy,” he added.
Traditional replication methods:
• Require the customer to ship or drop off the antlers and leave them with the replicator for an agreed period of time.
• Provide the finer details of each set of antlers including veins, hair line fractures and even gnarly bumps.
• Are generally as heavy and as durable as the original set.
• Come complete with a lifelike coat of paint producing the most natural look possible (as a result of working directly with the original set.)
Yet 3D scanning, through creating a digital copy of the antlers using handheld scanners, can provide the opportunity to produce a replica the exact same size or smaller or larger than the original set of antlers. “Scanning also creates a permanent digital copy stored in the computer to have on file for fabricating another copy,” offers Dan Perreault, President of Neometrix, a 3D scanning company. Most companies who offer 3D scanning services, for a fee, may be able to bring their scanning machinery to you, allowing you to maintain possession of your antlers. In addition, 3D scanning companies:
• Use laser lines and positioning targets approximately ¼ in diameter to measure antlers, generally taking about one hour to scan a 200-inch set of antlers. Scans can typically cost between $200 and $500.
• Offer same-size resin machine printing (stereolithography) as well as “CNC” computer numerically controlled printing, allowing the antlers to be reproduced on a smaller or larger scale.
• Typically use resin materials lighter than those used in traditional replication methods, potentially making them more fragile or prone to break if mishandled.
• May or may not offer painting services once the antlers are done being processed by the machine.
Costs for traditional antler replication as well as 3D scanning are determined by the size of the rack and the amount of inches involved, usually not making cost an overly significant consideration factor when deciding which route to take. Customers should also make sure their timeline to receive a completed replica coincides with their needs, no matter which method they choose.
“Our customers have been happy with the results,” Perreault said. And while Dittmer is familiar with the 3D scanning process “there’s nothing as good or looks as real as traditional replication methods,” he said.
By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by WOO
Jodi Ezell quietly pauses outside one of her deer pens in the spring twilight, watching and waiting for signs of does ready to deliver fawns. A few does have already started pacing and instinctively creating a safe haven by chasing off other does. However, Ezell is looking for one specific thing as she shares the cool evening with the herd she and her husband Chris raise at Dangerous Whitetails of Oklahoma in Adair, Oklahoma. She is looking for any does with tails lifted and actively pushing, as this starts the countdown for safe fawn arrival. “I give them about an hour of active pushing,” Ezell explained. “If nothing has happened by then, I go in to assist.” Assisting means reaching deep inside the womb, feeling for fawns and helping to pull them out. While an inevitable set of twins is usually the norm, a doe’s history may point to the potential for triplets or quads or perhaps the rare arrival of quintuplets and the necessity to not stop investigating after two.
As these delicate lives receive their first breath of earthly air, Jodi and Chris, who have been through at least 12 fawning seasons, are already taking stock of each fawn and keeping a watchful eye. After 12 hours next to their mother’s
side to ensure colostrum intake, each fawn has hair pulled for a DNA sample, is tagged and given medication. Afterwards, doe fawns and struggling buck fawns are brought inside the Ezell’s bedroom, placed in baby pens and given additional goat colostrum. They will spend the next week receiving a bottle three times a day before being moved to the farm’s fawning facility. Once there, they are introduced to grain as a supplement to their regular schedule of pasteurized goat’s milk, although other farms may opt to bottle feed formula instead. “Around week three we start to feel like their survival rate is more guaranteed,” Ezell said. “By watching them this close for the first three weeks, we are eliminating some of the potential for Mother Nature to do them harm.” This could include the development of scours or even the failure early on to intake enough colostrum to ensure survival.
While fawn arrival may be one of the most rewarding times of the year for deer farmers, it can also be a time when farmers collectively hold their breath as they work to safeguard their health and survival. Although born precocial and able to ambulate practically from the moment they arrive, fawns can also be extremely fragile and may require dedicated care in order to grow into thriving and healthy adult deer.
In addition to proactive fawn care from the moment they arrive, ensuring fawns get the best head start begins with the care of the expecting doe, explains Matt Owens, owner of After Shock deer supplements and Rack Star Whitetails in Sullivan, Missouri. After having been through nine fawning seasons on his farm, his first preparations involve vaccinating all expectant does on March 15th for pneumonia, fusobacterium and clostridium C and D, common cervid
diseases known to cause herd and fawn mortality. A booster shot given on April 5th for each is another safeguard to increase doe antibody levels and allow for the passive transfer of antibodies from mother to baby, he emphasized. “The most important part of preparing for healthy fawns is to have a proven vaccine program and proven feed program for your expectant does,” Owens emphasized. While these measures certainly point to an increase in fawning success “some fawns are still born sick,” Owens said. “Another measure to decrease these odds is to make sure pregnant does also have a good vitamin and mineral program. When you do, fawns are generally born bigger and healthier. Fawns are born with no immune system and not until the 90-day mark do they really develop one. They need all the protection you can give them, including vaccines, until that 90-day mark.”
If you would like your farm or business featured on our business card pages, email digital pdf file or scanned image (must be readable resolution) of your business card to the email address below.
This gives IDEFA members a way to reach out to one another for services and to buy or sell deer! There will be limited pages for these card spreads, first come first serve. The overflow would be placed in the next issue and cards will be rotated each quarter.
Email to:
Erica Brattonindianadeer@gmail.com
ADDL at Purdue University
HEEKE ADDL - SIPAC
406 S University St 11367 E Purdue Farm Road
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2065 Dubois, IN 47527-9666
P: 765-494-7440 F: 765-494-9181 P: 812-678-3401 F: 812-678-3412
VETERINARIAN:
Name
Dr. Jeff Pyle
Indiana License #
Clinic Address City, State, ZIP
24004598
Phone Fax
Manchester Veterinary Clinic 11798 North State Road 13 North Manchester, IN 46962 (260) 982-6673 (260) 982-8200
Results: Fax Email
Additional Results by:
Email Fax
jbpyle@fcremc.coop springfieldwts@gmail.com (260)768-9182
OWNER:
Name
Address City, State, ZIP
Bill to Veterinarian Bill to Owner (Phone)
ANIMAL:
Site/Farm/Unit Phone
SIGNATURE
HISTORY: Clinical Problem: Respiratory Enteric Neurologic Reproductive Other
Age _____ day wk mo yr # On Site _____ # In Affected Group _____ # Sick _____ # Dead _____ Breed ____________
Animal ID Weight ____________ Date & Time of Death _______________________________
Cause of Death: Natural / Euthanasia - If euthanized, method used: ______________________
Were barbiturates used? Yes / No - If chemical euthanasia, chemical(s) used: ________________
I certify that the animal has not been exposed to a level of chlorinated pesticides or PCBs in excess of regulatory limits for animals. As the responsible party, I certify that the above information is accurate and true.
Signature and Date: ___________________________________________
***Testing is approved for Mycoplasma spp. PCR on any respiratory case. If identified, lung tissue is to be forwarded to Newport Labs with the IDEFA Newport submission form on file. ***CWD samples will be collected and tested on all cervidae greater than one (1) year of age.*** Please perform culture and sensitivity on tissue samples submitted or tissues that are visibly diseased at time of necropsy. Also perform parasitology testing.
ATTENTION IDEFA MEMBER: Once results are released to above destinations you will be entitled to your reimbursement from IDEFA
Species:
Aquatic
Avian
Bovine
Camelid
Canine
Caprine
Cervid
Equine
Feline
Ovine
Porcine
Other
Sex:
Male
Female
Male - Neutered
Female - Spayed
Cremation:
Pets Remembered (ADDL-WL Only)
Pet Rest
Individual Cremation
Group Cremation
Ashes Returned To:
ADDL/HEEKE
Owner
Vet Clinic
Differential Diagnosis or Disease(s) Suspected _________________________________________________________________________________________
Legal/Insurance
Rabies Suspect (County) _______________________________________
Standard Necropsy Abortion Protocol
The owner of the animal or any agent acting with the express authorityof the owner agrees that the specimens have been submitted to ADDL and will be handled by ADDL in accordance with ADDL testing procedures, policies, and fees. This handling will include all specified testing and safe disposal of the animal’s remains. Specimens and derived isolates become the property of the Indiana ADDL and may be used for teaching or research purposes. The owner expressly consents to such use. In addition to the testing specified above, additional testing may be done: 1) to meet state or federal surveillance programs, 2) by order of state or federal animal health officials, or 3) when a Foreign Animal Disease is suspected. This form only lists frequently requested tests. For the complete list of tests, consult the ADDL Fee Schedule. Visit
Client of Cremation Service?
Yes No
Our disposable RDDs are shorter in length and the lightest on the market thereby providing the ultimate accuracy while reducing the potential for problematic hematomas. Our Slo‑Inject® technology means that your medicine is delivered in the most effective manner possible.
Pneu-Dart. Always right on target.
Name:
Farm Name:
Address:
Phone: Fax:
E-mail:
Description of Donated Items
**Please include a note if you are sending pictures via email to us **
Special Instructions for Donation:
Authorized Donor Signature Date
The Indiana Deer & Elk Farmers Association would like to thank you for your generosity in helping to make this years’ benefit auction a success. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Earl Hershberger (260) 350-3506 or Erica Bratton (574) 220-5652.
Please mail this completed form to:
IDEFA
Erica Bratton
1050 N 600 W, LaGrange, IN 46761 Fax 952-955-6022
indianadeer@gmail.com
• Fawns up to 1 week of age: Feed 16 oz. of formula daily, divided into 4 – 6 feeding.
• Fawns 1 week to 1 month of age: Feed 24 to 30 oz. of formula daily, divided into 4 feedings.
• Fawns 1 month to 2 months of age: Feed 30 to 35 oz. of formula daily, divided into 2 to 3 feedings.
• Fawns 2 months to weaning: Gradually decrease formula and number of feedings to approximately 15 oz. of formula once daily until fawn is fully weaned at 12 to 14 weeks of age. Provide a weaning diet and fresh clean water to the fawn. For oral use only. These feeding directions are guidelines. As each animal is an individual, the feeding rate may be increased or decreased according to the needs of the neonate.
Feeding directions for other species can be found on our website.
SCIENTIFICALLY FORMULATED NATURAL SUPPLEMENT TO HELP GROW LARGE, HEALTHY DEER AND BIG ANTLERS!
Nutrient rich formula contains highly bioavailable ingredients, including our proprietary calcium/phosphorous complex with Antler D TM, that are required to support body and bone growth, especially for fast growing bucks
Contains probiotics and targeted enzymes to support gut health and proper digestion
Available in pellet or powder that can be top dressed or mixed in feed. Great for antler growing season and young bucks, too
PRECISELY FORMULATED TO HELP MAINTAIN A NORMAL AND RELAXED DISPOSITION IN ALL CERVIDS
Provides optimal levels of magnesium, Vitamin B1 and inositol to promote calmness and provide help for restless animals
Contains no herbals, tryptophan or chemicals, eliminating concerns of unwanted side effects
Use PeaceMaker to “keep the peace” during pre-rut, rut, transportation, weaning and anytime destructive behavior may occur
POWERFUL SOLUTION FOR HEALTH & PRODUCTIVITY
Helps maintain digestive health and productivity
Contains micro-encapsulated probiotics, targeted enzymes and a novel fiber complex
Use in does before fawning, during lactation and all cervids during times of environmental stress
HELPS PRODUCE HEALTHY, FAST GROWING FAWNS
Helps maintain normal digestive health
Supports a healthy immune system
Feed powder for 14 days to bottle fed fawns
Paste is ideal for fawns left on does
™
ROBUST FAST RESPONSE FOR FAWNS & OLDER DEER
Innovative formula delivers max digestive support, especially in newborns
Rapidly delivers help for GI health and a functioning immune system
May also be used post-tranquilization to support healthy recovery
2½ tbsp sunflower oil
1kg diced venison
100g smoked bacon lardons, pancetta or chopped smoked streaky bacon
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
200g chestnut mushrooms, quartered, or baby chestnut mushrooms, halved
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp ketchup
150ml red wine or dark ale (optional)
2 beef stock cubes mixed with 600ml boiling water
1 egg yolk, beaten (freeze the white for another recipe)
375g sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
1. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole, brown the venison well in batches for 10 mins over a high heat, then set aside. Scatter the bacon into the pan with another ½ tbsp oil and sizzle for 8-10 mins until golden. Stir through the onions and bay leaves, drizzling with the remaining oil, and cook over a low heat for 5 mins until browned. Lower the heat to medium, then add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes more until softened.Grind meat and fat together through the coarse disk.
2. Scatter over the flour, stirring until the flour turns brown. Tip the meat and any juices back into the pan along with the ketchup and give it all a good stir. Pour over the wine or ale, if using, and bring to the boil. Bubble for a few minutes, then pour over the stock. Season and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and put in the oven for about 2 hrs until the meat is tender. Will keep chilled for three days or frozen for up to three months. Leave to cool completely first. Defrost in a fridge overnight before reheating thoroughly in a microwave or pan until the meat is piping hot.
3. To make the pie, heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the filling into a 24-26cm rimmed pie dish and brush the rim of the dish with some of the egg yolk. Unravel the pastry, drape it over the dish and use a knife to trim and press against the rim. Re-roll the trimmings to make a decoration, if you like. Will keep covered and frozen for up to three months. Defrost fully before continuing with step three.
4. Brush the pie with the remaining egg yolk and season with sea salt flakes, if you like. Make a few little slits in the centre of the pie to allow the steam to escape, and bake for 30-35 mins until deep golden.
By: Gail Veley
Brad Hassig walks into the pen where one of his latest thoughtfully bred breeding bucks, Simply Irresistible, resides. Quietly, Hassig pulls a camera out of his pocket to snap an image of the two-year-old buck who sports a 288” typical frame. However, unlike most deer, Simply Irresistible seems to pose for the picture, rather than contemplating running away. This big-bodied buck out of Blackjack, Triple Crown, Sudden Express and Shadow on Blue 37 wasn’t bottle fed either. He, like his name implies, is simply one of the calmest, most photogenic and most attractive deer Hassig has ever raised. Yet, his photograph is more than a permanent reminder of this moment in time. It’s perhaps also a reflection of all the hard work and time Hassig has put into producing deer that perpetuate the success of Prime Acres, his 46-acre Woodville, Texas farm, and other farms that do business with him.
Sharing the spotlight with Simply Irresistible is Wanted, another well-bred typical breeding buck out of Sudden Express, Triple X and Triple Crown on Miss Kitty who measured 284” last year. As Wanted grew, Hassig couldn’t help but notice how much his face resembles Miss Kitty’s, who is Gunslinger’s womb sister. “When you spend enough time with your deer, they don’t all look the same,” Hassig said. “You notice things like unique physical features or personality traits that may have been passed on by their parents.”
As Hassig prepares to showcase Simply Irresistible and Wanted to interested clientele, he is grateful to have his son Connor, his wife Rosy and recently hired and dedicated staff to depend on for the day-to-day operation of a farm that’s expecting 200 or so fawns
this spring. These new staff members include Ranch Manager Erica Caldwell and Assistant Ranch Manager Erika Cline, both of whom worked previously for Billy Sage in Ohio. “These two women have worked extensively with deer and are not afraid to work hard and work long hours,” Hassig said. “I felt very comfortable bringing them on board. They have been a true asset.”
In the past year not only has Hassig expanded his number of employees, he has also added six more acres of deer pens to his farm. While wellknown buck Back in Black remains their Number One Breeding Buck, whose semen routinely sells out each year, Prime Acres also relies on embryo transfer to infuse fresh genetics into their herd which averages between 350 and 400 head of deer. “We focus on eight to 10 different lineages that have always done well in the auction room and private sales,” Hassig explained. “That have a lot of good production and
While Hassig appreciates the value of a well-bred deer such as his prized breeding doe First Lady, the mother of Back in Black, he also deeply appreciates and values his relationships with those in the deer industry. As he attends events such as the Northern Top 30 Whitetail Deer Extravaganza and NADeFA, he enjoys seeing “all the guys” he does business with, who have helped him achieve the success he enjoys today. “We’ve sold a lot of semen to our northern clients, and they are very important to us,” Hassig said. “We also have partnerships with northern breeders and we are very grateful for them.” Check out Prime Acres on Facebook and their website at www.primeacreswhitetails.com.
brad@primeacres.net
Date: _____________
Indiana Deer & Elk Farmers’ Association
2023 Membership & Information Form
Membership
is
Name:__________________________________________________________________
Farm or Ranch Name:______________________
Address:________________________________________________________________
City:__________________________ State:______ Zip:___________County__________
Home Phone:_______________________ Farm Phone:________________________
Cell Phone:________________________ Fax Phone:__________________________
E-Mail:____________________________ Web Site:____________________________
Please circle the any information that you would NOT like published on the IDEFA website or in IDEFA mailings
Are you a current IDEFA member (Y/N)? Member Since ___________
Which species of cervidae do you own?________________________________________
What is your TB, Brucellosis and CWD monitoring status? (list dates):_______________
Circle ALL of the items for purchase at you r farm:
Membership Categories __________ $ 75 Full Membership plus Spouse with Voting Rights __________ $ 50 Full Membership with Voting Rights __________ $ 50 Supporting Membership without Voting Rights
Return Form and payment to: IDEFA-Erica Bratton
IN 46761
to
Total: ________________ ($685. to support all 15 states as an associate member) Check: #___________ Credit Card ____ Cash ____
PLEASE NOTE: If you are a resident of any of these states and required to be an active member, please select the correct level above.
If you are not sure of your membership status with a state and you sign up, your payment will cover you for the next year.
*** These states allow anyone that lives in their state and not raising deer but have interest to supporting the industry to be at the Associate Membership Level. This level is a non-voting level.
Name: Spouse or Partner:
Farm Name/Company:
Membership Address: City: State: Zip:____________County
Main preferred listing phone: Alternate listing phone:
Fax: Email: WebSite:
Check which apply ___:Own Hunting Preserve ___Own Breeding Operation ___Industry Supplier Species Raised: ___ Whitetail Deer ___Elk ___Mule Deer
Other Species Raised:
Products I Offer: __ Meat __Velvet Antler __ Industry Supplies __ Feed __ Nutritional Supplements ___Vaccine ___Graphic Design & or Web Design
Other Products or Services:
I hereby make application for membership to these associations, agreeing to conform to the Code of Ethics and Bylaws governing the associations.
Signature: Date:
I give permission to have my contact information published in the annual directory and on the website Yes No
We would like to send out a huge thank you to everyone that participated in the Hunters Helping Hunters at the Chupp Auction. Among the items donated were a couple straws of semen and a hunting blind. The winner of the hunting blind donated the blind to the Hunters Helping Hunters. All the meal proceeds went to the organization. There were several others who donated items, their time and money to this wonderful organization. Reach out to their website www.huntershelpinghunters. org for more information on the organization.
