THE
IDEFA JOURNAL The official publication of the Indiana Deer & Elk Farmers’ Association
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Winter 2020
C
y W r t n hite u K t y a y t i l B a a i g u Q F r r i a med D fo l g ls n i d e e Bre
er
Billy The Kid at 4 Quick Bill / Silverking
Silver Core at 1
Quick Bill / Lucky Guy
Boulder at 2
Double Classic / Double RimRock
Verlin & Nadine Yoder 10667 N. 1175 W. • Millersburg, IN 46543 574-642-3080
2020-2021 IDEFA Board of Directors President
Director
Vice president
Director
John Stoltzfus 5 Star Genetics 5835 N 1000 W Shipshewana, IN 46565 Phone: (574) 596-2347 jdwhitetails@gmails.com
Lester Eicher Springfield Whitetails 14905 Springfield Ct Rd Grabill, IN 46741 Cell: (260) 341-3614 springfieldwts@gmail.com
Secretary
Nelson Miller Antler Ridge 71396 CR 25 New Paris, IN 46553 Cell: (574)-312-1349 nelmiller26@gmail.com
Andy Aker Whitetail Odyssey 18903 Lincoln Hwy W Plymouth, IN 46563 Cell: (574) 780-0342 andy.aker@oasisbath.com
Director
Earl Hershberger Clear Creek Whitetails 6960 W 200 N Shipshewana, IN 46565 Cell: (260) 463-6910 Fax: (260) 768-4761 darylcvr@gmail.com
Josie Borkholder Lone Pine Whitetails 1656 2B Rd Bremen, IN 46506 Home: (574) 248-2675 Fax: (574) 546-4211 JB@ibyfax.com
Director
Director
Director
Lavon Yoder Hidden Cover Deer Farm 3690 N 400 W Shipshewana, IN 46565 Phone: (260) 768-9155 Fax: (260) 768-9182 lavon@1-888-418-6159.net
Director
Dr. Darryl Ragland, DVM, Phd 625 Harrison St West Lafayette, IN 47907 Home: (765) 494-3234 Cell: (765) 418-5670 raglandd@purdue.edu
Director
Brad Osswald Osswald’s Whitetails 14733 E 266th Street Arcadia, IN 46030 Cell: (317) 407-6057 hunters@copper.net
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) 248-0790 Fax: (574) 773-2371 Office@WhetstoneBrothers.com
Rober Yoder Cedar Road Deer Farm 6664 Cedar Rd Bremen, IN 46506 Phone: (574) 646-2504 bobyoder63@gmail.com
**Erica Bratton (574) 220-5652 ~ indianadeer@gmail.com
IDEFA Committees: 2019-2020 Hunting Preserve/Legislative
Chair: Dr. Ragland Committee: Andy Aker, Lavon Yoder
Fundraisers/Summer Picnic
Public Relations
Chair: Lester Eicher Committee: Trevor Vance
Chair: Josie Borkholder Co-Chair: Lonnie Whetstone Member Relations: Erica Bratton Food: Jerry Schwartz Committee: Lavon Yoder, Earl Hershberger, Brian Bratton, John Stoltzfus, Robert Yoder
Audit/Ethics & Bylaws
Budget Committee
Chair: Josie Borkholder Committee: Rober Yoder
Chair: Nelson Miller
Committee: Myron Miller, Andy Aker
IDAC
Chair: Dr. Ragland Committee: Shelly Chavis, Shawn Shafer
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Advertisers / Table of Contents ARTICLES:
Administration Report........................................................................7 Advertising Rates............................................................................33 Amazing Recipes.............................................................................20 Deer Chutes....................................................................................30 Fate Vs Luck...............................................................................26-27 Greetings From: Cedar Road Deer Farm .......................................35 Greetings To All Deer Farmers........................................................23 Helpful Tips for deer Harvesting......................................................34 Help Thy Neighbor.............................................................................7 Hunting Preserves...........................................................................24 IDEFA: 2021 BOD Meeting Schedule.......................................................8 BOD / Committees.......................................................................1 Membership Form......................................................................36 President’s Message.........................................................................4 The Art of Using A Dart Gun............................................................ 11
FEATURED FARM STORY:
MVP WHITETAILS - Offering Top End Genetics........................12-13
Feb 1
Is the Deadline For the Spring Journal If you are under contract with us, Please have new art in by this date.
Alabama Game Fence..............32 C&E Wildlife Products..............14 Cedar Breaks Ranch................17 Cervid Solutions, LLC...............31 Clay Kuntry Whitetails..... Inside-Front Cover Clear Creek Whitetails..... Inside-Back Cover Cold Spring Whitetails................ Back Cover Deerstore.com..........................23 Head Gear LLC........................16 Hilty Whitetails..........................21 Horizon Whitetails.....................14 J & L Ranch................................6 M3 Whitetails..............................2
MaxRax....................................27 Millerburg Feeds.......................17 MVP Whiteatils................... Cover Pneu-Dart, Inc..........................10 Prime Acres................................9 Purina.......................................22 Rocky Ridge Whitetails.............25 Springfield Whitetails..................5 Sunrise Supply, LLC.................29 Tagout Technique.....................35 Trophy Whitetails......................29 Whetstone Brothers .......... Center Yoder Brothers Whitetails.........31 Zehr Bros Whitetails.................28
WE WANT YOUR CLASSIFIEDS! Let us help you sell your deer, semen or non-deer related!
FREE OF CHARGE! We will get you listed and KEEP you listed until your product is sold!
Email your information to: deerassociations@gmail.com
Email must include the following to be posted: • State Association name in subject line • Company/Farm name • Your name, email, phone number
If you would like to be published in our Next issue please contact: Kathy Giesen, D & K DESIGN advertising4@mac.com or 435-817-0150 • Fax: 435-574-1937
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WELCOME! PRESIDENTS MESSAGE we want to make? There is lots of great choices out there. Greetings IDEFA Members, Just like that we are in breeding season. I hope everyone had a successful year. From what I have gathered there is a shortage of stockers, which is great for the producers. Most hunting ranches have said their numbers are up much more this year. Producers have been digging into their 2-year-old pens to meet demand. I expect next year to be a great year again. Breeding season is always an exciting time of year. Lots of decisions to make. Do we live breed or AI? What crosses do
I expect the winter auctions to do well this year. I encourage everyone to come out and support the auctions. It is always a good time. Great time to meet new people, share ideas and learn new things. One thing we all know is that being a deer farmer we are forever learning. I hope to see everyone at Chupp Auctions. It will be very entertaining, bring your family for supper, you will be glad you did.
which will not be easy to do. We are coming up with some new ideas to take it to the next level. If any IDEFA member has any questions or concerns, reach out to me or any Board member, we are here to listen.
Sincerely, John Stoltzfus President Indiana Deer and Elk Farmers Association
The IDEFA Board members are working hard behind the scenes for the 2021 summer picnic to make it even better than 2020
Southern Indiana’s Premier Whitetail Deer Hunting Destination GARY REMMERS 502-664-8238 • garyremmers@me.com www.tttrophyhunts.com
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ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT Happy Fall Everyone!
Welcome winter, well, at least I think so. We had just a little snow, nothing that actually stuck to the ground and then this weekend we are supposed to be in the 60s. I do live in Northern Indiana where we can see all 4 seasons in a 2-day time span. This year has definitely had its trying moments as I reflect back to some things that I could never even dream about happening. Needless to say, I am sure praying that 2021 sees us in with a bang. It is so wonderful to hear of so many farms doing well this year. My hopes and prayers are that each and every one of you continue to be successful and are able to grow our deer business as well as awareness. Your IDEFA Board has been diligently working on some exciting things for this
upcoming year. Take a look further into the Journal to see what we are up to!
It is not too late to get those memberships in, if your neighbor has not received their Journal, please have them get with me right away! We have new Committees formed and are looking for people just like you to help! Even the smallest of tasks goes a great way in helping! Please contact any Board Member or me if you would like to volunteer. Wishing everyone a very safe and successful Winter! Erica Bratton Administrative Secretary Cell: 574-220-5652 Fax: 952-955-6022 indianadeer@gmail.com
HELP THY NEIGHBOR
T
here are some tasks that can be a little overwhelming for deer farmers. Infrastructure upgrades, TB Testing and Artificial Insemination are just a few tasks that require more than just one set of hands to get the job done. Who is more qualified to help a deer farmer? Another deer farmer fits that bill.
she is around deer. How they carry themselves in the pens. How they work deer in the facility. How they handle deer during sedation. Those skills are unique and learned over time.
New deer farmers, as well as seasoned deer farmers, have the passion. They have the drive. They have the knowledge. A fellow deer farmer is the single best resource for assistance during those times of need.
It is also necessary for new deer farmers to learn those skills. It is so important for new deer farmers to experience deer handling techniques early on in their deer farming journey. Handling deer during their first AI period is not the time to learn their first deer handling experience. Just a little bit of experience and the participation of a mentor can add some confidence to the process.
Have you ever thought about or witnessed how an experienced deer farmer just acts when he or
Reciprocate. If a deer farmer takes advantage of assistance from another deer farmer, he or she must reciprocate
that assistance on the other farm. The relationship does not work, unless it is fair and equitable. Enjoy the time together. Spending time with other deer farmers is informative and fun. The comradery associated with these times drives knowledge, partnerships and friendships.
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2021/2022 IDEFA Board of Directors Meeting Schedule
*** These meetings are open to all current,active members***
2021 ➢ Monday, January 11th 2021 @ 7:00 PM – Phone Conference Call ➢ Monday, March 1st 2021 @ 6:00 PM - Face to Face @ Andy’s Place (Plymouth, IN) ➢ Monday, May 3rd 2021 @ 7:00 PM – Phone Conference Call ➢ Monday, July 19th 2021 @ 6:00 PM – Face to Face @ Andy’s Place (Plymouth, IN) ➢ Saturday, August 7th 2021 @ 8:00 AM – Annual Meeting/Fundraiser & Picnic ➢ Monday, August 23rd 2021 @ 6:00 PM – Face to Face @ Andy’s Place (Plymouth, IN) ➢ Monday, October 4th 2021 @ 7:00 PM – Phone Conference Call ➢ Nov, Dec - ???
2022 ➢ January 2022 - TBD ➢ March 2022 - TBD Address: Bellar’s Place 1400 Pidco Drve Plymouth, IN 46563 8
IDEFA WINTER 2020
Conference Call # # 1-605-475-4700 Ext. #386360
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Photo credit: Dan Verrips
ONCE IN THE CROSSH AIRS
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THE ART OF USING A DART GUN By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by SeTDA based on such, judging how far a lighter 0.5cc dart will travel compared to a heavier 3cc dart. Using a sturdy rubber mat or other suitable material as your target, start by practicing from 20 yards with a 0.5cc dart at a specific preReasons for darting deer are vast determined power setting. After gaining a feel for the flight trajectory, velocity and include antler cutting, CIDR insertion or removal, transporting and point of impact, incorporate a 1cc dart followed on up the line by a buck into a preserve, treating 1.5cc, 2cc, 2.5cc and finally a 3cc dart. illnesses and more. Should the Experiment with your dart gun’s power need arise to dart several deer within a certain amount of time, Walker settings while expanding the distance to your target to 30 yards followed by recommends doing so at night under 35 and eventually 40 yards. “You don’t dim moonlight, as much less stress is placed on deer in cooler temperatures. want to use a range finder,” Walker emphasized. “It will take you too long. The deer is already moving too much While all of these parameters need to to arrange them visually. You need to be met for darting success, knowing compensate up or down quickly and not where to aim is equally important. “For fiddle with your gun causing noise when example, when darting a deer on high the pressure goes up.” alert, aim a little lower than where you intend for your dart to hit,” Walker said. Understanding all of these concepts “Given that the deer is going to crouch should also coincide with understanding down and then spring up to run, this what medicines or vaccines work well will enable you to be more accurate.” And while the best advice may be to aim for darting, as some medications such lower, in some situations never aim too as penicillin do not. “Have a good relationship with your veterinarian so low as darts have the ability to break legs if one may happen to make contact. you can figure out how to administer the proper medications and in what Aiming too high can also have it’s drawbacks as well, as a darter may then form,” Walker said. And when darting is done for the day, be sure to clear accidentally shoot over the back of the deer they are really after, only to end up the area of darts on the ground, as this could cause a potential health hazard if hitting the deer standing behind them, eaten. perhaps hitting an area not conducive for successful darting such as their eye Perhaps, too, Walker feels the following or face. “There is a greater margin of error when aiming at an adult and base is equally important advice to embrace. “One thing we need to remember is of the neck, versus a fawn or the back that we are usually darting a deer end of an adult deer.” to save their life,” he said. “We have to realize there is a risk with darting Darters must also be careful to not and remember the more you do it, shoot too closely or with too much the better you are going to get. Yet velocity, as edemas, contusions and sooner or later you are going to make a “bounce outs” can commonly occur, mistake. Overtime it won’t always go the Walker said. To develop a feel for darting accurately, Walker recommends way you wanted it to. You could have had a bad charge or didn’t have the gaining a thorough understanding of correct velocity. Brush off the mistake.” the weight differences in darts, and of the animal,” said Walker, who’s spent the better part of a decade honing his craft. “Darting a deer that’s on high alert is not recommended.”
I
n theory, using a dart gun may sound simple. In reality, using one correctly requires superior marksmanship and the hand-eye coordination of a skilled athlete. Given that deer are prey animals always ready to crouch and run, it also requires the ability to judge distances quickly and accurately while shooting a moving target. In addition, it demands a thorough knowledge of each different type of dart along with the experience to determine how far it will travel before hitting it’s intended target, based on the charge of your gun and weight of your dart. “This is not something you can practice for the ‘day of’,” explains Clayton Walker of Rax Wildlife Consulting in Lakeland, Florida. Unlike hunting where a range finder can mean the difference between a bullseye and a miss or where the ability to rest your rifle on the window sill of a hunting blind equals accuracy, shooting a dart gun offers none of those amenities. It requires the necessity to shoot freehand and with both eyes open. “If you take time to aim or zero in, you’re taking too long,” Walker, 32, said. After considerable practice prior to darting a deer for the first time, darting then requires the darter to move quietly and with ease around and through a deer pen, taking into consideration wind and temperature and whether the deer seem to be on high alert or more relaxed. “Read the body language
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FEATURED FARM:
MVP WHITETAILS - OFFERING TOP END GENETICS By: Gail Veley
T
he onlooking crowd may have thought he was crazy, but Jade Webster knew exactly what he was doing at a Texas Deer Association auction in August of 2017. Amongst a gathering of close to 1,000 people, a bid of $120,000 was on the table for a doe fawn. Webster knew right then it was time for him to make his move. Without hesitation, he gestured to the auctioneer, making a bid of $120,000 turn into $130,000. A silence began to spread over the room as bids dwindled. Webster gestured a second time for a bid of $140,000. No one else made a move except to turn their head and see where this bid had come from. A stunned crowd wondered why someone would be willing to pay $140,000 for merely a fawn. Three years later, she gave birth to Supreme, a yearling well known in the industry today.
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“That was my whole goal in going to that auction,” said Webster, owner of MVP Whitetails in Kaufman, Texas. “We knew we were going to buy her. Her name is Crown Jewel, whose pedigree includes Triple Crown over Black One. We wanted her because we believe top end genetics will always pay off.” Webster, 45, feels many decisions he has made since becoming involved in the deer industry, such as the one to buy Crown Jewel, have really paid off. With Supreme soon to be at the forefront of his breeding program, two other well-known bucks, Major League and Pretty Legit (who are all featured on this month’s magazine cover) are also lending their genetics to the farm’s family trees. Major League, a world famous breeder buck ranking among the very top in the industry,
MVP whitetails KAUFMAN TEXAS
has helped MVP Whitetails maintain their production goals of raising bigbodied, pretty “framey” deer of both northern and southern influence regardless of whether they are typical or non-typical. Close to 600 deer thrive among the brush of this sprawling Texas farm and none will ever have far to go when they grow up and “leave home.” Surrounding the deer farm is Webster’s newly established 200-acre hunting preserve stocked with his own homegrown deer. This coming spring, Webster plans to release 26 bred does into the preserve in an effort to emulate more naturally raised, native and wild deer, perhaps creating the feel of a free-range hunting experience after these deer have matured. Available hunts at the preserve have thus far coincided with deer mature enough to be harvested.
Still in it’s beginning stages, the preserve hosted a few father-son hunts this fall as well as some hunts for family friends. Plans for next year include operating on a larger scale and offering gun and bow hunts to whomever would like to come. “It makes me feel great to see people leave happy and seeing them smile,” Webster said as he reflected upon the experience of a bow-hunter who visited his preserve a month ago. “A 306” giant buck came out and he shot it. He was ecstatic.”
customers and being that we are a family that does this for a living, we go above and beyond to make sure you are happy. We will take great care of you.”
Jade Webster
214-683-9906 mvpwhitetails@yahoo.com
Webster also feels grateful about everything MVP Whitetails has accomplished since it’s inception four years ago, and the day-to-day involvement of his family in farm decisions. This includes his wife Stefani, sons Jalen, 19, Jett 14 and his daughter Journey, 5. “We’ve really been enjoying the deer business and really appreciate the support of everyone we have worked with,” Webster said. “We look forward to continuing to establish long term relationships. We really value our
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Lonnie Whetstone & Marlin Whetstone: (574) 248-9200 IDEFA WINTER 2020
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Amazing Recipes
smoked venison tenderloin INGREDIENTS:
• 1 lb. venison tenderloin or backstrap • 1/4 cup lemon juice • 1/4 cup olive oil • 5 garlic cloves • 1 tsp. salt • 1 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more for serving
Directions: 1. Put the venison tenderloin, whole, into a zip-style bag or large bowl. 2. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper into a blender or small food processor. Process until it’s all incorporated and the garlic is broken to small pieces. 3. Pour the marinade over the venison and massage it in. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. 4. When you’re ready to cook, remove the venison from the marinade, and rinse it off. Pat dry and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking while you preheat the smoker. 5. Set and preheat your smoker to about 225 F degrees. 6. Smoke the tenderloin for 1+1/2-2 hours, depending on the thickness of your meat. The internal temperature should be at 130 F for rare, and 140 F for medium rare. Don’t cook it to medium, you want it nice and juicy! 7. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and topping with extra cracked black pepper.
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GREETINGS TO ALL DEER FARMERS
H
ow does this find everybody? Hope everyone is doing well. I was asked to write an article in the Journal. What could I talk about? There is a lot of positive in the industry right now. The bucks are bringing good money. The Ohio Sale was up quite a bit from last year’s Stocker Sale. From what I hear across the states thee are not a lot of stockers that are not sold or spoken for and it is only the 20th of October. That is a good feeling on the Breeder’s aspect of the industry. We did have a touch of EHD again this Fall. We did not lose as many this year as we did in 2012. We did learn a lot on the EHD again this year as far as
treating after they have it and mot of all how to better prevent it from coming in. We used a lot of compound DEX darted them every day with 2 cc. If we caught it early enough, we could save quite a few of them. I would be happy to answer any questions anyone may have on more details on how it works and how to prevent it. Not that we have all the answers but unfortunately, we learned a lot from it over the years.
works good to help neighboring Farms and work together. The more you help other people the more you learn from them. That is how to become successful in business, help each other and share our ideas. Wishing everyone a successful Fall and breeding season, look forward to seeing everyone at the Sales this Winter.
Sincerely, AI Season is here, it is a fun time of year Lonnie Whetstone again to put your Fall breeding plans into action. All the exciting bucks in the industry. We AI’d 38 does at our place on Wednesday the 28th, started at 7:30 am. Then we did 27 at Dan Falks and 27 at Andy Aker’s place, we had plenty of help – many hands make light work. It
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HUNTING PRESERVES
OPERATING “OUTSIDE OF THE BOX” IN A COVID-19 WORLD
M
By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by ILDFA any hunting preserve owners are expanding their audience and marketing to a wider variety of customers such as non-hunting families in our current COVID-19 world. While offering a topquality hunt may still be the main focus, many preserves have begun offering weekend lodge rentals and wedding venues as well as family vacation opportunities. Given that COVID-19 is harder to contract outside in fresh air, families who didn’t officially vacation this year may find a get-away within their own home state more attractive and safer. Car travel and amenities found within one’s home state may be the deciding factor for families vacationing later this year, where hunting need not be on the agenda. However, being outside in nature and among whitetail deer and other wildlife species could be.
Photo: Bowmans Xtreme Whitetails
While some hunting preserve owners are hoping this year turns out as lucrative as 2019, other preserve owners, such as Jerry Stafford of Samson’s Whitetails Mountain in Vienna, Illinois have not experienced a significant decline of hunters as a result of COVID-19. Stafford feels his business this year is still on track with the amount he had last year.
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However, in an effort to help all preserve Many preserves also offer the ability to owners retain or find new customers, he hunt year-round and provide animals offers the following advice: such as rams for this opportunity. Unlike whitetails, whose antlers are at their • Promote family activities offered at peak in the fall and shed in the spring, your preserve such as fishing. rams keep their horns year-round, • Highlight selling features such as home- Stafford explained. By additionally cooked meals, the appeal of the local offering year-round hunts, executives culture and periods of favorable weather. with the inability to travel for extended periods can pick and choose the most • Emphasize the ability to vacation far convenient time for them, adding to your away from crowds in private cabins or revenue base. And as with all preserves, lodges. the provided conveniences combined with the likelihood of harvesting a highADDITIONALLY, WHEN SEEKING OUT NEW HUNTERS quality animal can be a huge attractant to customers. Having been in the FOR YOUR PRESERVE: business for 36 years, Stafford knows how true that statement is. • Emphasize the selection of animals available whether native or exotic. “We know you want to be taken care • Accentuate the ease and convenience of from beginning to end,” Stafford of having everything taken care of from said. “Everyone owes it to themselves the acquisition of the hunting permit to to experience how awesome a hunting the assistance from experienced hunting preserve is.” He also offers one final guides to the processing of the animal. piece of parting advice. “Support your • Underscore the option (if available) to local deer association and get involved. hunt one-on-one or with a group. Offer If you are a deer farmer, you better the use of preserve-owned guns and be active. We owe our livelihoods to provide target practice, if necessary, the lobbyists who fight for us. They do prior to heading out. amazing things.” • Promote your preserve for use in the “off-season.” This could help ease the potential financial strain felt this year by many preserve owners.
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FATE VS. LUCK IN THE DEER INDUSTRY By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by IDEFA
D
oes “fate” really exist, or is it just a word we use when there is no explanation for a peculiar sequence or happening? Deer farmer and Habitat Enhancement Specialist Derek Borkholder wonders how “fate” versus “luck” plays a role in a deer farmer’s success. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes “fate” as the predominant or determining cause or will in which things in general are believed to come to be, or why events happen as they do. “Luck” is defined as the ability to prosper or succeed especially through chance or good fortune (rather than through one’s own actions.) Perhaps today the more modern definition of “fate” has a karma-like meaning akin to mystical and unknown powers that determine the outcome of certain things. “It must have been a score of round-glass wearing Atheists who had a pow wow and came to this ludicrous conclusion to determine the more modern definition of fate,” Borkholder said. “They try to take God’s will or blessings out of the definition. But I believe fate makes something happen.” Borkholder, 25, has spent considerable time wondering “what could this possibly have to do with deer farming? Deer industry experts know that experience and technique have shaped the industry into exactly what it is today,” he said. Borkholder has also often contemplated “what if a few perhaps incidental situations had a different outcome? What if Kurt Waldbogel had lost Max as a button buck?” Known to all in the industry as one of the greatest whitetail bucks to
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ever exist, Max’s pedigree can still be found today in 95% of all auction catalogs.
these circumstances, to his own experience harvesting a wild deer of a lifetime.
There are other questions to ponder as well, such as what if Henry Woodard was overcome with the crazy notion to release Gladiator into a hunting preserve? What if Blue 37 had run headlong into a fence as a two-year-old and never recovered? The infamous doe, responsible for producing so many fine bucks, lived to be nearly 20 years old. Borkholder believes there are still other questions worth considering such as what if Gene Fleece had been a star baseball player instead of a deer farmer? Instead, Fleece produced deer whose genetics everyone wildly sought after for their farm. “Everybody has bred everything he ever produced,” Borkholder said. “He was lucky. (Or was he?)”
“Let’s travel from the deer inside your pens and into the wild deer roaming the wilderness of north America,” Borkholder begins. “Most of us have a passion for deer hunting. I have a particular passion for managing and enhancing properties to help increase the odds of harvesting mature bucks. In March of 2016 I had yet to kill a mature buck. I only dreamed of one day achieving that goal. On a cold afternoon I was helping my Dad fill the feeders on our family hunting property. We were on our way to filling a second feeder and had just turned onto our pine tree lined trail, when I spotted a shed a few hundred feet ahead,” he said.
Borkholder recalled a time that could have so easily gone wrong, but didn’t, for his family. On the side of busy U.S. Route 30 in Ohio a decade ago, a quick-thinking Lamar Borkholder closed the trailer door only a second before Patrick does 110, 111 and 112 could have leapt out, almost certain to become roadkill. After vaccinating all three does, Borkholder’s father Eddie Ray climbed deep in the trailer, mistakenly thinking they were all dead. But in the blink of an eye all three leapt up and were making a beeline for the open door. Had Lamar not been standing there, perhaps the Patrick line as we know it today would not exist. “They were lucky. (Or were they?)” Borkholder wonders. If those five situations had turned unfortunate “what would out industry look like today?” Borkholder asked. “I would dare wager that much of the deer in a farmer’s herd would not exist today.” He also relates the positive outcome of
“I jumped from my perch and onto the feeder and then sprinted the short distance to pick up the left side of a 125” three-and-a-half year old buck that had been living on our property that we had never seen in person,” he explained. Later recognized by his right-sided crab claw, this wild buck was every free-range hunter’s fantasy. “I let out a little screech and immediately set a seemingly impossible goal of finding the right side and harvesting him the next year. Deep inside I knew it would take a lot of luck to achieve that goal. (Or would it?) A week later my Dad and my brothers were working on the property and Dad had grilled burgers for lunch. He wanted me to tell the others that lunch was ready. On my way to get them, I spotted something in the one tree-lined trail a half mile from where I found the original shed. I ran as fast as I could. The closer I got to it, I started to realize was lie ahead. Picking up Part Two of an impossible dream I held in my hand the right side of a buck I now called Big Boy. Luck struck again!! (Or did it?)”
“Fast forward to eight months later and countless hours of studying trail cameras and pictures of Big Boy,” Borkholder said. “I was in my blind awaiting sunrise. None of my brothers or father or I had seen anything of Big Boy since mid-September except trail camera pictures. Soon after sunrise an old buck we had been watching for three years came trotting through. He had been on the decline and barely scored 110 inches. I had a decision to make. By the time I decided to take him, he was on the way out and never responded to my whistle. Soon after I spotted a nice buck chasing a doe. I recognized the crab-claw. Then the doe came through an opening in the woods about a 100-yards away. I put my crosshairs on the scope on that spot until he half walked half trotted through it. I pulled the trigger and he jumped and disappeared. I just knew I had him.” However, things at that point took a different direction. “I turned around to watch a nice nine-point and obviously I didn’t think of shooting him because I had my buck already. Forty minutes later, a nice buck appeared from where mine had disappeared to. The closer he got I started to realize it was Big Boy,” Borkholder shared. “My heart sank. What in the world do I do now? Did he have a
look alike? He gave me a perfect shot and even turned his head, showing he his imperfection on his right side that identified him. So, I took aim and fired a perfect shot, yet a sense of uncertainty dominated my excitement. I waited on my Dad and together we walked over to him and discovered another bullet hole in his neck a fraction of an inch from his main artery. My first shot didn’t faze him. He came back looking for his doe. I was one lucky hunter. (Or was I?)” As Borkholder analyzed the story of this prized buck, he realized the odds of everything lining up were staggering, as was the deck that was stacked against him, for accomplishing his dream. “Vegas would have probably put the odds at one million to one,” he said. “But with every bit of effort I put into hunting for sheds and studying pictures or every time I went hunting, I believe my odds increased. Yet it was truly a blessing from God that everything fell into my path.” “Let’s go back and make the connection everyone is trying to make sense of,” he said. “The chances of a deer farmer making that perfect cross and, for at least a year, having the most sought-after buck in the industry seems like a long shot for many a farmer. The odds are stacked
against most of us. How many times have you thought you were going to hit it dead on and it turned out to be a ‘dud?’ So, you just kept on going to the next group and then that same buck, at three or four, turned out to be another ranch owner’s early Christmas present? Was it your fault? Not really, considering his full brother a year earlier was a huge monster.” “Yet the more we breed top does A.I. to the top sires and the more we study genetics and the more effort we put into our feeding programs, the more spot on we are to be successful,” Borkholder reminds us. “When this happens, we tend to say we got lucky, but the more effort we put in the more “luck” visits our farm. This industry is a huge group of people with goals and dreams pursued with a huge passion for whitetail deer. So, the next time someone raises a huge whitetail that everybody is talking about and buying five straws of at a time, let’s he happy for him and congratulate him because with enough passion and effort it might just someday be you. So, as the bucks start growing out this spring, we will again have a buck that steals the spotlight and only one thing is certain. Someone is going to be lucky. (Or is he?)” IDEFA WINTER 2020
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DEER CHUTES
DESIGNED FOR SAFETY, EFFICIENCY By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by WOL
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t was 10 a.m. and Len Jubinville was waiting on a delivery of six does. “The guy said he’d be here at 10 a.m. Three hours went by,” Jubinville, a deer chute specialist, said. “At 1 p.m. he showed up with nine stitches above his eye. One of the young does had jumped the fence and went flying right past his eye.” Any experienced deer farmer such as Jubinville realizes two things most important for safely handling deer – having the right deer chute and the right layout of your land to get them into it. Designing a functional way to run your deer into a chute is instrumental to your success whether your plans are to perform A.I., trim antlers, inject vaccines or any other medical or necessary procedure. Once you have determined the best location for your chute, designing and creating a holding pen, crowding alley, crowding pen and tunnel system is next. Keeping in mind that “low stress is so important when handling deer, two things that stress them the most is separating them and predators. And we are predators. If you start ‘stealing’ from your desired group they will want to follow each other and you will have no problems,” Jubinville emphasized. However, an ideal layout should coincide with an ideal deer chute. “In 1988 I started extracting deer from the wild and started regularly handling wild deer,” Jubinville said. “And it didn’t take long to realize we needed better equipment. There are just certain things you want to have that over time were developed through trial and error.” Although deer chutes are available in a variety of price ranges “you do not
30 IDEFA WINTER 2020
want a chute specific to just one thing or another. You want a chute that is functional that will do it all. For a couple thousand more you could get the right one.” The proper chute will allow you to have adequate access to the front of the deer. “That’s where you will be testing and drawing blood and trimming and scoring antlers,” Jubinville said. “You also want a chute where you can stand right beside them from either side and work on them, too. If you have a lot of work to do on a deer, you will want to use a backpress or backstrap so it applies pressure and they feel comfortable and it takes the fight out of them.” Adequate access to the back of the deer is additionally vital, as this is where A.I. and other procedures are performed. Given that deer move and react quickly, modifications to deer chutes throughout the years has led to more efficient models and much less anxiety for the deer once they are inside. With more modern versions, walls are more soundproof. Deer cradles are more accommodating and perhaps easier to walk into. “Drop floors” have been replaced by the handler’s ability to gently raise the cradle appropriate
to the size of the deer being worked on, void of the loud “bang” found with dropping mechanisms. More specialized deer chutes, used mostly by veterinarians and researchers, contain a makeshift table where a tranquilized deer can be laid flat on its side for any number of procedures. Presetting your chute to fawn, doe or buck size is extremely important as this can reduce anxiety or struggling on behalf of the deer and enable the handler to get his job done more efficiently. This makes the overall operation of your farm and management of your deer much safer and ultimately more cost effective. In addition, safely directing deer away from the chute is the last factor in the handling process that needs careful consideration, whether their next steps will be from a loading zone into a trailer or back into an outdoor area. “Make sure you have thought the entire process through from beginning to end,” Jubinville said. “Believe me, I’ve made enough mistakes for everybody,” he added. “I’ve learned that things can be safer and more effective for you and your deer. It’s been proven people can handle deer on their own if they have the right setup.”
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HELPFUL TIPS FOR DEER HARVESTING By: Gail Veley
• Sponsored by WOO
W
hile preserve hunting includes the added amenity of processing a deer for you, every hunter still owes it to themselves to be self-sufficient and knowledgeable about the protocol involved in processing a deer. Experienced free-range hunter, deer farmer and Oklahoma native Kyle Herndon, 38, shares the following tips and advice for processing your own deer: 1. You don’t have to be a professional butcher to properly process your deer. 2. Immediately after expiration, gut your deer in the field. This will eliminate approximately 40 to 50 pounds of weight and make it much easier to drag. Within 12 hours coyotes and opossums will have eaten these remains.
3. If the weather is appropriate (between 32 and 40 degrees) let your deer hang inside a shed for three to four days. Or allow them to hang in a walk-in cooler for the same amount of time. Place a tub underneath to catch the blood. Allowing the deer to “rest” for this period of time causes the fat (tallow) and meat to begin to break down and typically makes for more tender steaks. 4. If the weather is not ideal and you do not own a walk-in cooler, plan on processing your deer immediately. 5. Focusing on one quarter of the deer at a time, cut the meat away from the front shoulders for steaks and roasts. Remaining meat that doesn’t lend itself to those types of cuts from the shoulder can then be ground up for hamburgers, spaghetti, tacos, meatloaf or for a variety of other meals. 6. Remove the backstrap and make that into steaks. Then remove the tenderloin from the inside of the rib cage area for steaks. Any remaining meat from that area as well as the neck area can also be ground up and utilized for meals. 7. With each remaining hind quarter, cut the meat into slices and make jerky through a specific process of marinating and dehydrating the meat, and then storing it in sealed plastic.
34 IDEFA WINTER 2020
8. Be sure to buy sizable freezers for storing your deer meat, as you may have quite a bit of it on your hands. Two large freezers are even better, especially if you make a habit out of regularly harvesting deer. 9. If possible, during the hunt (when focusing in for your shot) hit the deer behind their front shoulder. They will typically expire more quickly, and you will not lose the back strap, one of the tastiest parts of a deer. In addition, chose a hunting rifle that will not fragment the bone and cause you to lose any of the meat, regardless of where it is located. Herndon, who annually harvests six deer, personally feels that older does are the tastiest and most tender, compared to bucks. He never harvests
a buck under four years of age. He also shares his hunting passion with his daughter, Kylee, and son, Kolton. And although he has many fond memories hunting with them, this story might be his favorite. “It was Kolton’s first year deer hunting and he was asleep in the blind,” recalls Herndon about Kolton, who was six at the time. “And a deer came out and I nudged him to wake up. I said there was a good buck out there. We got him up and on the gun. We got him lined out and he shot, and the deer just stood there. After a second shot it fell over. His first shot had been in the belly. When I asked him why he shot the deer in the belly he said, ‘you were rushing me!” So perhaps as a final piece of advice, Herndon offers “keep your cool and your poise. Don’t rush your shot. It always pays off.”
GREETINGS FROM: CEDAR ROAD DEER FARM
ROBERT & GILBERT YODER & FAMILIES
H
ello to all the people Oct 22 with 75 degrees and sunny. I it hard to believe it is almost fall again. Time to deer hunt but almost too busy to go. It seems like it was spring not too long ago does were fawning and the bucks were pushing there antlers. Now getting close to fall the fawns are weaned and buck pens are emptier. We had a
meeting Oct. 12 it was said that the preserves are running low on bucks and need more which is great for this time of the year. We made our own waterers for the pens and helps out a lot with the chores in the winter days in the coldest day we removed 1-1.5� of ice. Soon the snow will be flying and time for things to slow down a bit and enjoy the warm house, wife, children & grandchildren.
We hope to see everyone at the auctions looking forward to them. I want to thank the Lord for all he has given us with out him it would not be possible. This year has been a challenging year hope everyone is doing well. Robert @ CRDF__
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IDEFA WINTER 2020
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Date: _____________
Indiana Deer & Elk Farmers’ Association 2020 - 2021 Membership & Information Form
Name:__________________________________________________________________ (first)
(last)
(Middle)
(first)
(last)
(Middle)
Spouse:_________________________________________________________________ Farm or Ranch Name:______________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________________ City:__________________________ State:______ Zip:___________County__________ Home Phone:_______________________
Farm Phone:_________________________
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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 your farm: WB – Whitetail Breeding Stock EB – Elk Breeding Stock TW – Trophy/Mature Whitetail Bucks TB – Trophy Bulls VM – Venison &/or Venison Products EM – Elk Meat &/or Meat Animals Other _______________________ _______________________
__________ $ 75 __________ $ 50 __________ $ 50
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Return Form and payment to:
36 IDEFA WINTER 2020
SC – Scent Collection VAP – Velvet Antler Products A – Hard Antler &/or Products H – Hides E – Equipment & Fencing F – Feed HP – Hunting Preserve RR – Restaurant/Resort P – Deer/Elk Photographs
IDEFA-Erica Bratton 1050 N 600 W LaGrange, IN 46761