KY NOVEMBER 2020

KENTUCKY October / 2020 / Edition

Vol 3 • Issue 2

PRESIDENT

CONTENTS 6.

Robert Fondaw

495 Parker Creek Rd East Bernstadt KY 40729 fondaw44@yahoo.com 606-627-1368

the lobbyists who fight for us. They do 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.

HUNTING PRESERVES - Operating Outside the Box Sponsored by ILDFA

14. PROTECT YOUR HUNTING PRIVILEGES – Support Pro-Hunting Organizations

VICE PRESIDENT

Sponsored by WOL

Josh Neal

1113 Sebree Pratt Rd Sebree KY 42455 joshbneal@ymail.com 270-339-9788

Photo: Bowmans Xtreme Whitetails

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

provide target practice, if necessary, prior to heading out.

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.

DEER CHUTES – Designed for Safety, Efficiency Sponsored by WOL

SECRETARY / TREASURER

Jason Holland 585 Old Rocky Hill Church Rd Gamaliel KY 42140 hollandfarms585@gmail.com

20. ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOAN - Offering Agricultural Business Aid Sponsored by NYDEFA

DIRECTORS Ricky Gaines 59 Vanken Ridge Rd Bedford KY 40006 239-340-1171

Tony Maddox

725 Rabbit Town Rd Winchester KY 40391 859-556-7253

David Kotsch

9.

DEER WIRE Pest Management in Deer Farming: First Steps Toward Best Practices

4217 Mount Pleasant Rd Cromwell KY 42333 615-969-9283

IN EACH ISSUE

Henry Woodard 9776 Roseville Rd Glasgow KY 42141 423-595-8898

Brian Cooper

916 Lily Creek Resort Rd Jamestown KY 42629 270-566-1881

Reggie Kennedy

ADVERTISERS INDEX

Advertising Information NEXT DUE DATE IS NOVEMBER, 30..... 12 Classifieds............................................................................................... 26 Membership Application ......................................................................5 Outgoing President’s Message.......................................................... 13 President’s Message...............................................................................2 Vice President’s Message......................................................................5 Cover Featured Farm Story..........................................10-11

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MaxRax........................................................... 18

C&E Wildlife Products....................................7

Pneu-Dart...................................................... 19

Jake Anderson

Cedar Breaks Ranch.................................... 18

Prime Acres.............................Inside F. Cover

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Cervid Solutions, LLC.................................. 27

Pine Creek Deer Farm.......................... Cover

Clay Kuntry Whitetails................................. 15

Purina............................................................. 28

David Miller

Clear Creek Whitetails................................ 22

Stewart Creek Whitetails............................ 21

Cross Canyon Whitetails...............................4

Sunrise Supply, LLC........................................7

Dan-Inject North America.............. Back. Cover

Townsedge Whitetails................................. 23

Deerstore.com............................................. 13

Trophy Whitetails......................................... 27

Head Gear LLC...................... Inside B. Cover

Whetstone Brothers Whitetails ..................3

1873 Forestville Rd Mumfordville KY 42765 270-537-5357

Joe Miller

4195 Penchem Rd Guthrie KY 42234 270-483-2140

Hilty Whitetails.................................................8 M3 Whitetails.......................................... 24-25 KENTUCKY 2020

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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ROBERT FONDAW

y name is Robert Fondaw and my farm is located in Laurel County KY. Before deer, I farmed cattle and Nubian milk goats. I started my KALA membership before I had any deer on the farm. I have never missed a KALA meeting. I believe I have learned a lot from being a member that has helped me be a better deer farmer. I would invite every deer farmer in the state to join our family.

I am humbled that our members have chosen me to fill the position as President of KALA. I had no idea that I would hold such an important position

just three short years after buying my first deer. I am extremely excited about our organization and the potential of the whitetail deer industry in KY. I welcome calls, emails or text messages from anyone who wants to know where we are taking this group.

I know the impact of the virus has resulted in our group not being able to meet. When we finally beat Covid, we will attempt to have our meetings prescheduled out for the entire year so it will make it easier for you to make plans around our meetings. Until then we will try to communicate via social media, newsletter’s emails and phone calls.

1st Quarter

Your newly elected board members are working behind the scenes forming committees. We hope to involve many of our KALA members on these committees. We ask that whether you serve on a committee or not, that you submit your ideas, or suggestions to make this one of the best deer breeders organizations in the country With that being said, if you are still farming deer but currently not a KALA member, then we need your help.

Please contact me or a member of the board.

Robert 606-627-1368 fondaw44@yahoo.com

3rd Quarter

2nd13

4th Quarter

......When we f inally beat Covid, we will attempt to have our meetings prescheduled out for the entire year 2

KENTUCKY 2020

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KENTUCKY 2020

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KENTUCKY 2020

VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE JOSH NEAL

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y name is Josh Neal and I’m very proud and excited to be representing KALA as your VP. A bit about myself, I’m 30 years old, married to my best friend Jessica and we have a beautiful 1 year old daughter. We got into deer breeding in 2015 after years and years of dreaming and talking about it. We started with 6 doe purchased from a local KY breeder... and here we are several years later with 140+ deer, a Urine Collection Company, and a hunting preserve.

To say we are blessed is an understatement. We love our deer and we love our state. Now we’re excited about the opportunity that we all have ahead of us, and the growth that we know this great state can have as we move forward in the Cervid industry.

Josh Neal 270-339-9788 joshbneal@ymail.com

Join KALA!

Membership Application

D

Member Name: _______________________ Farm Name: __________________________ Address: _____________________________ _____________________________ Phone: _______________________________

V

Email: _______________________________ MEMBERSHIP DUES: KALA Lifetime Membership Regular Voting Membership Associate Membership

$1,500 $50 $25

I hereby make application for membership in the Kentucky Alternative Livestock Association.

I agree to conform to the bylaws and code of ethics governing the association. _____________________________________ Signature DATE: __________________________ Mail to: KALA PO Box 576 London KY 40744 KENTUCKY 2020

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HUNTING PRESERVES

OPERATING “OUTSIDE OF THE BOX” IN A COVID-19 WORLD

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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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KENTUCKY 2020

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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KALA SPRING 2020

Pest Management in Deer Farming: First Steps Toward Best Practices Deer farming is a relatively new livestock industry in the United States; as of 2007 there were approximately 8,000 farms nationwide. Farmed deer are used for breeding stock, meat, creating hunting opportunities, and scent collection. However, as deer farming is a young and growing industry, limited information is available about the methods farmers are using to manage insect and plant pests.

Deer Farms and Farmers: Who Are They and Why Study Them?

To ensure that management of deer pests on deer farms is safe, sustainable, and environmentally sound, it would be beneficial to establish education materials and best management practices for deer farmers to use. The first step in this process is to find out what tools and techniques deer farmers currently use to manage insect and plant pests on their properties.

In a new paper published last week in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, we provide a comprehensive summary of the management of plant and arthropod pests by deer farmers in Florida. We obtained our information by distributing a survey to stakeholders of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cervidae Health Research Initiative.

Deer Pests: What Are They and What is Used to Control Them?

Deer are affected by a multitude of arthropod pests, with some of the most damaging and concerning to deer farmers including: •

Culicoides biting midges, which feed on deer blood and can transmit deadly viruses.

•

Mosquitoes, which feed on deer blood and can transmit viruses and deer malaria.

•

Horse and deer flies, which can cause severe nuisance with their painful bites.

•

Ticks, which feed on deer blood and can transmit bacteria that cause diseases in humans.

Deer are negatively impacted by these pests due to bites and blood feeding, which can reduce fitness due to annoyance, damage their hides, and potentially lead to secondary bacterial infections. Direct transmission of pathogens that can kill deer also can occur through these biting insects, particularly by Culicoides. Our survey revealed that deer farmers in Florida also are concerned about stable flies, horn flies, fire ants, and house flies, which all are primarily nuisance pests for livestock, pets, and people.

becoming resistant to pesticide applications, greater than 60 percent were concerned about resistance development. So, it was perhaps unsurprising that 72 percent were already utilizing resistance mitigation techniques such as alternating pesticide active ingredients, and 50 percent and 66 percent were using multiple management techniques as part of an integrated pest management program for plant and arthropod pests, respectively. These results suggest that deer farmers are already well informed and would benefit from higher-level educational materials and tools.

Summary and Future Plans Deer on deer farms, particularly breeding stock, are high-value animals.

Deer farmers are concerned not only with protecting them from arthropod pests and associated diseases but also about the impact pesticides may have on their health and well-being. The insect of most concern on deer farms was Culicoides biting midges, as 96 percent of farmers expressed concern about this vector of the hemorrhagic viruses, bluetongue virus, and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). An EHDV outbreak in 2012 resulted in the death of many animals, with estimated economical losses of approximately $30 million in Florida alone. Consequently, deer farmers are desperate to understand the best way to prevent transmission of these pathogens by Culicoides biting midges while protecting their animals from pesticide toxicity.

We plan to integrate the knowledge obtained from this survey published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management with pre-existing knowledge on arthropod monitoring and other management options to provide deer farmers the tools to manage pests sustainably into the future.

SOURCE: https://entomologytoday.org/2020/07/21/integrated-pest-management-deer-farming/

Most deer farmers (94 percent) used pesticides to control arthropod and plant pests in their facilities. The most-used pesticides for arthropod and plant pest management were permethrin and glyphosate, respectively. Although few farmers, approximately 20 percent, had observed arthropod pests KENTUCKY 2020

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Lone Pine Whitetails and Pine Creek Deer Farm – Embracing Changing Industry Trends By: Gail Veley In the quiet solitude of nature, bird calls may be the only thing you hear above the careful footsteps of James Slabaugh as he explores deep in the woods. With his educated gaze and skilled hands, he’s hopeful to discover what he’s been unearthing since he was a young boy. Indian artifacts. In his four decades or so of searching he’s found arrow heads, tomahawks and pieces of slate. No matter how many he finds “it’s always a thrill,” he said. Perhaps most importantly to him, it never gets old.

That same feeling resonates through James every morning as he approaches the deer pens containing “the most magnificent animal God ever created” at the farm he owns and operates with Josie Borkholder, Lone Pine Whitetails in Nappanee, Indiana. Although the deer certainly know what to anticipate upon his arrival, it apparently never gets old to them either. “When I walk on the outside of the pens, they still coming running to me,” James said. “I feed them marshmallows.” Even his daughter Kerri joins in, however, her favorite deer to feed is her very own doe, Laney. “Kerri taught her to stand on her hind legs for treats,” he said.

Embracing a passion for raising and loving whitetail deer inevitably comes with embracing the changes that come along with it. As the deer industry has grown, knowledge of how to do it more efficiently has grown right along with it. For Borkholder and Slabaugh, this has come in the form of embracing a better way to collect DNA samples through Allflex USA, a company whose collection technique allows for cleaner and uncontaminated sampling and minimal stress to the animal. By pinpointing the exact location of a future ear tag, a perfectly round hole is made through the ear, using the extracted tissue for the DNA sample. By using this method, deer can recover much faster from the procedure, and there is no need to extract additional tissue or hair for DNA samples. This technique is far safer than previous ones, something Borkholder and Slabaugh feel is a good decision for their farm.

In addition to ensuring DNA samples are collected safely, the two also see to the health and safety of the bred does on their 24-acre farm, by vaccinating for lumpy jaw and fusobacteria prior to fawning season. Through Dr. Jay Schuitman, the

Featured Farm Story 10 KENTUCKY 2020

“Great Lakes Vaccine” is administered, followed by vitamins.

Anticipation of this year’s fawn crop of 40 (more or less) is high as breeding buck Thermal Image is responsible for a substantial amount of their genetics. A Storm Express son with double Green 43 in his pedigree, Thermal Image scored 237 1/8” as a typical two-year-old, and also won 1st Place in August 2019 at the NADeFA Regional Conference in Ohio for the Best-Looking Two-Year-Old. Prized breeding bucks are the mainstay of any long-term successful deer farm. Eddie Ray Borkholder of Pine Creek Deer Farm in Bremen, Indiana knows exactly what that’s about. At nine years old, Storm Express, his most valued breeding buck, is still going strong. Having produced numerous sons spread all across the country, Eddie Ray is also glad to have raised Third Shift, a typical yearling and son of Voo Doo’s Magic and a perfect fit for his typical frame breeding program. Yet, Eddie Ray is also excited to own Triple Digit, a son of the well-known buck High Heat from Heath Jauer’s J-5 Ranch in Texas.

This year, in an effort to ensure the health of all of his deer on his 12-acre farm remains steadfast, Eddie Ray is adding humic acid for the first time to his soil as well as to his deer feed.

While still considered experimental “it neutralizes the ground and is thought to destroy CWD if it’s present in the ground,” he explained. “It also increases a deer’s immunity to CWD and balances the soil for perfect growth for whatever you plant.

The sooner you spread it the better. I encourage every deer farmer to use humic acid.” Although specific dosages are still being studied for soil and feed inclusion, research has proven it’s effectiveness and longevity. Typically, farmers are currently adding 350 pounds of humic acid per acre and 15 pounds per one-ton of feed.

And although Eddie Ray has been a deer farmer since 1983, this year is the first that several deer farmers have begun the practice of using humic acid. Like every other practice Eddie Ray puts into place at Pine Creek, he hopes this one will give him additional peace of mind and allow him to keep pace with the ever-revolving deer industry. “You keep thinking one day you will maybe figure it all out, but it’s always changing,” he said. “Maybe one day I finally will.”

Josie Borkholder 574-248-2675

James Slabaugh 574-642-1246

Eddie Ray Borkholder 574-546-0652

KENTUCKY 2020

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D&K Design 2020 State Association Newsletter Advertising Rates

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NEW YORK DEER & ELK FARMERS AS P.O. Box 463

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Phone: 1-315-778-1412

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Reach over 2300 farmsAdditional and businesses ~ Thank you for your 14 State Associations • 40 Issues forsupport!

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Through each state association magazine, we can continue to come together, learn about each other and plan goals for the coming year. We encourage all who advertise through D&K Design to reach out and renew their annual advertising contract and consider investing in space for their very own Feature Farm story. Journalist Gail Veley has a talent unlike no other when it comes to bringing a farm or business “to life.”

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Our team stands ready to help your farm or business stay front and center when it comes to your long or short-term goals.

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(3% discount when using a credit or debit card) If you would like to enjoy the convenience of automatic billing quarterly, we will simply take your credit card information and set you up on 4 payments. Upon approval, we will automatically charge your credit card for the amount indicated and your total charges will appear on your credit card statements quarterly and your receipt will be emailed to you.

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OUTGOING PRESIDENT

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FAREWELL MESSAGE - MIKE SULFRIDGE reetings members,

As another summer and fawning season comes to an end, I’m sure most of us are looking forward to the “breeding” season and with it the expectations as to what our future bucks will look like and what our does will produce. As I’ve told many of you, if not all, deer farmers wish their life away anticipating of how our herd will grow and look next year.

Speaking of the “breeding” season, I would encourage each of you, especially new farmers, to educate

yourselves on the health and nutrition of your does prior to, during, and post breeding season. Whether you A.I., live breed, or both, the health of your does is vital to the health and life expectancy of your fawns….it’s never too early to plan!

You will be recieving this newsletter just after our election. I will be stepping down from my position but will continue to play an instrumental role in the growth and well-being of deer farming here in Kentucky. Its been a great 4 years and I always look at “change” as a good thing as it brings

about new ideas and energy required to implement those ideas.

Lastly, I encourage each of you to invite anyone who you feel would make a great deer farmer as well as contribute to the growth of our industry to become a member of KALA. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions, etc….

Mike Sulfridge 606.594.3116 mwsulfridge@aol.com

KENTUCKY 2020

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PROTECT YOUR HUNTING PRIVILEGES SUPPORT PRO-HUNTING ORGANIZATIONS By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by WOL

I

In the wake of the recent historic day on July 22nd whereby the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), hunting advocates and enthusiasts can now benefit from the single greatest commitment on record for increasing public land access and advancing conservation. In addition to providing $900 million annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the bill aids in completing deferred maintenance on public lands and waterways.

However, in an effort to ensure historic events such as this perhaps continue to occur and flourish, sustainable numbers of hunters must support pro-hunting organizations and actively participate in the sport. “I feel that most people take hunting for granted,” explains Daniel Thomas, President of Whitetails of Louisiana. “And there is nowhere in our constitution protecting us and saying that we have a right to hunt. The late Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia upheld our right to bear arms. But if we don’t support larger hunting groups (SCI, NADeFA, NRA) and recruit more hunters, I feel like extreme animal rights groups will have the votes to change our way of life.”

Professionals within the whitetail industry and hunters alike should share a collective concern about preserving and protecting the privilege to hunt, Thomas emphasized. By standing together and supporting local chapters of Safari Club International (SCI) and other well-known influential groups, hunting advocates have a larger voice in the outcome of defeating legislation aimed at severely curtailing hunting rights as well as curtailing the accessibility of hunting habitat.

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Working to continuously protect hunters, counter false claims and misinformation about hunting while striving to educate those groups opposed to it is SCI, whose national headquarters are located in Washington, D.C. Known as the “hunter’s embassy” on capital hill, SCI employs fulltime lawyers and lobbyists that speak directly with congressmen on a regular basis in regards to advancing and protecting a hunter’s rights.

“No matter where, what or how you hunt, SCI protects your freedom to do so,” said Chip Hunnicutt, Director of Marketing and Communications for SCI. “We are not region or species specific. We defend hunting in all parts of the world. We are the only (hunting advocate group) based in Washington, D.C. and in many cases have been the only representation for hunters in a courtroom for legal cases.”

With the understanding that hunters are the oldest drivers of conservation, balance is restored in natural areas if both predator and prey numbers remain at manageable levels, Hunnicutt said. Hunters play a necessary role in this aspect while adhering to the guiding principles comprising The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. These guidelines state, among other things, that fish and wildlife are public property and as such must be taken by legal and ethical means, used for food or fur and never slaughtered for commercial use.

Standing behind the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation are groups such as the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports, whose presence and action has prompted a national movement to aggressively recruit and retain hunters, Hunnicutt said. Supported by SCI, perhaps a

more thorough understanding of the benefits of this movement would help hunting opponents ease their stance.

When animals outgrow their habitat and encroach into areas where they may not be welcome, new problems and situations can occur. By allowing hunters to manage the population of certain species in the first place, perhaps these unwelcome situations might not ever occur. And as hunters contribute to the balance of an ecosystem, any ethical participant respects and reveres any animal they harvest, always being careful not to waste any of it. At the Tensas National Wildlife Refuge located in Tallulah, Louisiana, where both the Louisiana black bear and whitetail deer exist, hunters avoid harming the black bear while playing significant seasonal roles in other areas to maintain a natural and healthy predator-prey balance.

“When you ask a hunter how their hunt went, they don’t talk about the kill,” Hunnicutt said. “They are going to tell you about their experience, and what they saw, the food they ate and the people they met. They are also willing to go into areas where others would not, to facilitate conservation.”

With 180 SCI chapters located throughout the world (140 of those being within the U.S.) finding and supporting a chapter in your state is easy to do by going on-line.

Contributions to the SCI Political Action Committees (PAC) go directly towards efforts to help elect state and federal pro-hunting, pro-Second Amendment candidates. “As a hunter, being a member of SCI is one of the most important things you could ever do,” Thomas said. “Be involved and support these organizations that help protect our livelihood.”

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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.

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.”

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

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ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOAN

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gricultural-based businesses, such as deer farming, are encouraged to take advantage of a loan now specifically available only to them – the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) through The Small Business Administration (SBA), a branch of the federal government. Both small grants (up to $10,000) are available as well as significantly larger loans. Loan interest rates are 2.75% for non-profit businesses and 3.75% for businesses that do make a profit. In addition to loans, SBA grants are also available in $1,000 increments up to $10,000, based on the number of employees that were affected by a monetary loss due to COVID-19. For example, using this guideline, a business with five employees may be eligible to receive a $5,000 grant.

Although these grants and loans were initially available on a larger scale to a wider variety of businesses, the focus has now shifted specifically to agriculture. Aside from small grants, under the EIDL statutes, businesses may qualify for loans up to $2 million for working capital (day-today operational costs calculated as current assets minus current liabilities.)

Recipients of loans have up to 30 years to repay them. As a result of close to 7.4 million people applying for an EIDL loan, SBA representatives are working mandatory 12-hour shifts seven days a week in order to process the volume of applicants, according to an SBA representative who wished to remain anonymous.

The SBA headquarters, based out of Texas, recruits qualified individuals

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from across the United States in times of disasters to help process loan applications, the anonymous source explained. This individual, a retired bank employee and California resident, has been recruited in the past to help with hurricane disaster relief, as well as the “biggest disaster ever,” COVID19. “The days are long, but there is no better feeling than to give loans to people who deserve them,” they said.

“Where else but America can you get a 30-year-loan at 3.75% interest? We live in the greatest country on earth.

From the bottom of my heart (SBA representatives) are grateful to be appreciated during this time. I know our economy will get back to where it was before this whole thing started.”

Businesses all across the country are hoping and waiting for America’s economy to return to what it was, including deer farmers in the State of New York and elsewhere. Although the number of COVID-19 cases in New York is on a steady decline as recovery phases are implemented, rebounding from catastrophic revenue losses experienced all throughout the state of New York will take considerably more time. However, an EIDL loan could provide much needed assistance, and could just be the answer many agricultural businesses need, said Dave Vanderzee, President of the New York Deer and Elk Farmers Association.

“It may essentially be quick easy money for those that apply,” he said. “It’s a fairly simple process. You might not need a professional to help you through the application process.” Should a business be approved, loan money will appear in your authorized bank account under code SBAD TREAS 310 Miscellaneous Pay

Interested loan recipients can apply by visiting http://www.sba.gov/ Disaster. In gaining online access to this information, be careful to avoid websites that look similar yet don’t specifically offer EIDL grants or loans.

Legitimate SBA Loan officers are responding to each applicant as quickly as possible and have been relatively easy to reach on the phone with questions, according to a recent loan recipient.

Questions as to what the immediate future looks like to New York deer farmers are lingering, yet the industry remains optimistic. For preserve owners such as Larry Carter of Carter Whitetails, commitment from previous customers looks promising, yet he remains hopeful new hunters will make reservations for this year.

Aside from seasonal hunters, as the typical New York family looks for ways to spend time together and travel locally, hunting ranches may see an increase in visitors simply wanting to spend time outdoors. “Now everybody wants out of the city and every Airbnb rental has skyrocketed,” Vanderzee said.

“People want to be on a farm, and we are getting a lot of inquiries about our ranch house,” he said. “People feel the need to have a meaningful recreational activity or vacation this year. At hunting ranches, we have open space and an environment where the virus cannot live. We can easily maintain social distancing. Perhaps we can promote an up-close and personal whitetail encounter not only as a hunter, but as a nature lover with merely a camera. Our preserves are very accessible. You can just take a short road trip in your car and be in a whole different world.”

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re-dawn sounds within a dark, cold Texas woods were both scary and exciting to then four-year-old Mark McMillan.

Whether it was listening to the howls of nearby coyotes or the trepidatious steps of whitetail while waiting for daylight, he felt very secure next to his Dad during his first deer hunt. And although they didn’t find a suitable target that morning, a love for the outdoors and whitetails was born.

Today McMillan, 66, is clearly zeroed in on his goal of growing big, clean typical Texas deer and offering them to ranchers and breeders from his M3 Whitetails Ranch in Franklin, Texas.

said. Therefore, as he began and then forged ahead in the industry, he infused successful northern genetics into well-known Texas lines and developed through the years a recognized herd worthy of their price tag. “If you want quality production, you need to invest in quality does and breed them to the right bucks,” he said. “Pedigrees are important but only if they come with proven family production history.”

“Like my bucks, buy my does,” McMillan begins. “I focus on selling does that don’t disappoint. Sixty percent or more of how a buck looks comes from the doe. The right mother is more likely to produce a son that a buyer desires. Yes, I sell bucks, too, but they pretty much sell themselves. However, my program centers around if you like my bucks, buy my does.”

With 870 deer currently residing within 60 acres of deer pens, one deer captures his heart and attention more than any other. McMillan’s early morning routine not only involves his quiet time, it includes visiting McNificent, his prized breeder buck who is gracing this month’s magazine cover.

With coffee in hand, McMillan grabs a handful of animal crackers then opens his front door to behold McNificent, his stunning five-year-old buck, standing a mere 60 feet from his front door.

Although he shares his pen with eight of his sons, only McNificent will eat his favorite treat from McMillan’s hand.

McMillan offers live bucks and does for sale in Texas and Mexico and any state that allows importing of Texas TAHC certified deer, as well as semen straws and embryos to most all states where deer farming exists. Having been in business since 2009, McMillan feels his farm genetics today combine the best production with the best pedigrees from the most recognized and respected deer in the industry. His two facilities are TC1 and TAHC CWD certified.

McNificent, with an inside spread in the mid 30’s, has flyers on each side of his main beams, giving the impression of a 53-inch inside spread. Among the 60 or so well above average yearlings that McNificent has sired, is one who appears to be a larger carbon copy of him. “Some bucks combine looks, pedigree and production,” McMillan explained. “But that is more the exception, than the rule. McNificent is one of the exceptions! Like my buck?

Buy my Straws!”

“If I thought 11 years ago, I could produce bucks that look like mine do today, I would have been thrilled,” he

“I can promise all of my customers this. You will be very happy with what you buy from M3 Whitetails, or we will

bend over backwards to make it right,” McMillan said. He feels the support of his wife Robyn, along with his dedicated, loyal and appreciated employees, will ensure his farm remains viable for years to come.

Mark McMillan 979 -777-0951 (cell) Email: mmcmillan@m3whitetails.com

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