KY Spring 2022

KENTUCKY Spring 2022

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Volume 5

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Issue 1

FEATURE FARMS

ANDERSON WHITETAILS / ABC WHITETAILS / DUSTIN BLOSSER WOODARD WHITETAILS

KALA’S KITCHEN TWISTED TINES RANCH WHITETAIL DREAMS RANCH

FINDING REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH LEASING Sponsored by MDA

Baby Jack Jack YEARLING

Mr. Incredible / High Heat / Secret Weapon Maxbo / Hardcore / Bonnie

SEE AD INSIDE

CONTENTS Summer Deadline

July 28TH

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PUBLISHING Kathy Giesen, Editor/Publisher 305 E. 350 N., Ivins, UT 84738 deerassociations@gmail.com 435-817-0150 • Fax: 435-359-5333

Website: deersites.com (Editorial Provided by Contributing Writers)

FEATURED ARTICLES: Are your garden gloves handy ......................................... 44 Finding Revenue Opportunities Through Leasing.......... 39 Have the Right Insurance and Coverage for Your Deer Business...................................................... 24 NADeFA Update.................................................................. 35 Protecting Fawns from Predators..................................... 36

Featured Farm Stories: ABC Whitetails.....................................................................................10 Anderson Whitetails..........................................................................19 Dustin Blosser Woodard Whitetails.....................................26-27

KALA’s Kitchen:

Twisted Tines Ranch.........................................................................20 Whitetail Dreams Ranch...........................................................40-41 IN EACH ISSUE

Advertising Information..................................... 12 Board of Directors..................................................3 Letter from the Editor...........................................8 Member Business Cards.............................. 27-28 Membership Application......................................4 Save The Date!!........................................................7 Thank you on behalf of KALA...............................4 ADVERTISERS INDEX 5 Star Genetics...........................................32 A&W Whitetails.......................... In. B. Cover Anglin Road LLC...................................13-15 Antlers by Design.......................................16 Blessed Bayou Wildlife & Fisheries Consulting..................................30 Bluegrass Trophy Buck Auction............... 6 C&E Wildlife Products...............................25 Cervid Solutions, LLC................................18 Dan-Inject North America........................29 Ezid LLC........................................................16 Fox Valley Animal Nutrition, Inc..............31 Head Gear LLC...........................................38 Hilty Whitetails............................................11

Kentucky Whitetails...................Back Cover Living Large Whitetails....... Center Spread M3 Whitetails................................................ 7 NexGen Compounding............................37 Pneu-Dart, Inc............................................... 5 Prime Acres.................................................43 Purina...........................................................21 Rack Maxx Products..................................41 Rocky Ridge Whitetails..............................34 Sunrise Supply, LLC...................................25 T&B Fab & Hauling....................In. F. Cover Trophy Whitetails.......................................42 Whitetail Syndications - High Riser........33 Woodard Whitetails....................... Cover, 2 KENTUCKY 2022

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KENTUCKY 2022

KENTUCKY ALTERNATIVE LIVESTOCK ASSOCIATION - BOD’S WWW.KALAKY.NET

EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jason Becker

Tony Maddox

PRESIDENT Campbellsville, KY jasonbecker757@gmail.com 757-692-5820

CHAIRMAN 725 Rabbit Town Rd Winchester KY 40391 solidrockwhitetails@yahoo.com 859-556-7253 • 239-340-1171

Jake Anderson VICE PRESIDENT 925 Guston Rd Guston KY 40142 janderson@theluskgroup.com 270-547-8432

Like us on Facebook!

Kentucky Alternative Livestock Association

Visit our website for Assoc. updates and events

www.kalaky.net

DIRECTORS Chance Groves

11158 New Bowling Green Rd Smiths Grove KY 42171 hdwhitetailbreeders@gmail.com 270-308-0973

David Kotsch

4217 Mount Pleasant Rd Cromwell KY 42333 ddkotsch@hotmail.com 615-969-9283

Kevin Bartlett

432 Woods Store Etoille Road Glasgow KY 42141 270-670-4678

David Miller

1873 Forestville Rd Mumfordville KY 42765 270-537-5357

Henry Woodard

9776 Roseville Rd Glasgow KY 42141 woodardpropertiestn@gmail.com 423-595-8898

Ethan Woosley

9064 Shrewsbury Road Leitchfield, KY 42754 Singlecreekwhitetails@gmail.com 270-316-9698

Joe Miller

4195 Penchem Rd Guthrie KY 42234 jmgreenlandsod@safecom.link 270-483-2140 KENTUCKY 2022

3

Memberhip Application Member Name:________________________________________ Farm Name:___________________________________________

MEMERSHIP DUES:

New Member: ________

Regular Voting Membership $100 Out of State Associate Membeship $50 (non-voting)

Address: ______________________________________________

I hereby make application for membership the Kentucky Alternative Livestock Assocation.

Phone:________________________________________________

I agree to conf irm to the bylaws and code of ethics governing the association.

__________________________________________ Signature Date: ______________________

Renewal: ________

_______________________________________________________

Email: _________________________________________________

Online application avaliable on our Website: kalaky.net Mail to: Jason Becker 737 Finely Ridge Road Campbellsville, KY JasonBecker757@gmail.com 757-692-5820

On behalf of KALA, I would like to personally extend my gratitude to each individual that has been truly instrumental in the completion of this issue!

Thank you, Kathy Brooks with Sinking Creek Whitetails for volunteering to write our farm features, you have done a fantastic job! Thank you, Mary Ann Hall with Solid Rock Whitetails for volunteering to revolutionize our recipe section in the magazines, and a special thanks to our graphic designer Hunter Groves with H&G Advertising. With each issue we are striving for improvement, and are continuing to add or make changes! Our goal is to make our quarterly magazines one of the best in the country, and we are getting there! Each and every volunteer, Board member, Officer or committee group are working on their own time often making small sacrifices to ensure that we continue to be successful.

Thanks to everyone, past and present for working on behalf of the Association!

Thank you, Ethan Woosley KALA Magazine Chairman

4

KENTUCKY 2022

Photo credit: Dan Verrips

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5

08.26.22

Cave City Convention Center C a v e C i t y, K e n t u c k y

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• No Sale Fee $100 per buck.

• 25% down day of sale, balance at pickup. (no exceptions) • Pickup in 60 days unless arrangements made with seller.

$ 5,5 0 0 98 No Tag

$ 4,7 5 0 154 Mr Typical

• Seller must guarantee bucks to be healthy on trailer.

• If not picked up in 60 days ownership transfers back to seller.

• Auction committee reserves right to reject damaged or lopsided deer.

Get your farm on the list now before the auction fills up.

Don’t miss our other 2022 Buck Auctions - August 18 in Ohio and September 1 in Indiana 6 KENTUCKY 2022

August 26-27, 2022 Summer Showcase Fundraising Event ... more info to come!

Visit our website for updates: kalaky.net KENTUCKY 2022

7

Letter from the Editor

After two years of not being able to be in front of you and many of my clients, when March 1st, 2022, rolled around, I was eager and ready to go and get back out on the road (or should I say, “on the plane!”)

I have always created some sort of theme for the multi state booth, which D&K Design puts together, that represents the 15 states that participate in our quarterly magazine program throughout the year for their association members. This year I chose the theme Celebrating Years of Service with the 15 States we work with.

I realized that we had hit some milestones such as five, 10, and 15 years. Wow! Time flies when you’re having fun! There are also states we have served for one, three, seven, and even 12 years.

So, I went to work creating a celebration booth display with black and gold balloons, a gold glittering ornament tree with each state represented, and a home theater setup which projected association pictures throughout past years of several state annual events. And, of course, gold wrapped candy kisses to top it off.

I started this journey in Michigan at their annual event. The attendance was large and exhibit booths filled the room. There could not have been a better way to get the month started. The Benefit Auction

was well attended, and I was excited to see our magazine Prime Spots sell very well and that they were still very popular.

Then, I was off to Iowa’s and Minnesota’s First Annual Benefit Auction event in Austin, MN. While there, I realized I had not attended a Minnesota event for more than 11 years. There were many familiar faces. The event was a huge success, and I will mark my calendar and hope to attend again next year. Afterwards, I was able to rest up a few days with relatives in Minneapolis, and then off to NADeFA in French Lick Indiana.

I was anxious to meet up with my magazine Journalist Gail Veley and get ready for meet and greet with many clients we had not seen for over two years. It seems like the time goes too fast and before you know it, it is time to pack up and go home. The attendance was good and there were lots of exhibitors.

The Benefit Auction drew a convention room full of anxious buyers and we were excited to see our magazine advertising

If you have a story to share, pictures that you would like to show off, or would like to participate in one of our advertising programs, please give us a call!

435-817-0150 • deerassociations@gmail.com 8 KENTUCKY 2022

package brought in a very nice donation to NADeFA’s Benefit Auction.

Then, sadly, it really was time to go home.

However, I was ready! Yet, I am already looking to see where I will go next and wondering “What state event fits into my travel schedule?”

For now it is looking like KALA Annual Convention in August will be my next destination. I am looking forward to meeting those of you I have not yet had the pleasure to meet and reunite with those of you I already know.

See you in August!

Kathy Giesen, Editor / Publisher, D&K Design

Advertising Forms Event Dates Ad Deadlines

Visit: deersites.com

SCI Scoring in progress

Booth: Heartland Wildlife

Booth: Woodard Whitetails Time for a break!

“Go around please”

Booth: Pine Creek Deer Farm KENTUCKY 2022

9

KALA FARM FEATURE

LEE & AMANDA SMITH • ABC WHITETAILS Written By: Mrs. Kathy Brooks

W

hat better way to raise a family than on a deer farm?

Working together as a family can have its challenges, but more often than not, it is a lifestyle to be envied. For Lee Smith of Mount Washington, KY, his love for anything Whitetail enticed him to pursue his dream to start a deer farm. Working with deer is something Lee has always wanted to do, so he encourages his family to unify with him in his endeavor. Once he was able to get his wife, Amanda, and his dad on board with the project, he knew that his dreams would come true.

Starting in June of 2017, ABC Whitetails was born. Lee and Amanda chose the name for their farm by using the first letter of each of their children: Abby, Bailey, and Conner. The children were eager to play with the fawns, and they would play a crucial role in the operation of ABC Whitetails, so it seemed a fitting moniker. For the Smiths, raising their children on the farm is a great way to teach them many important life lessons. It helps to build their character, establish individual responsibility, and instill in them a love for the animals that are dependent on their care. At the Smith farm, each child raises his own buck fawn, then gets half the return on investment at sale time. That’s a sure-fire way to motivate them to do their part! And, it helps that they’re having fun while doing it.

As we all know, just getting started in the deer business can be formidable.

Lee recommends that those interested should talk to many deer farmers and make as many farm visits as possible. He suggests that it is best to even travel out of your local area in

10 KENTUCKY 2021-2022 2022

order to learn how differently other farms are managing the ins and outs of the business. Although most deer producers have the same goal--to raise BIG bucks--different methods and concepts may be utilized, therefore, newcomers should learn from those already neck deep into the business.

Lee states, “I wish that I would have looked into pen placement/set-up a little bit more closely.” Also, he indicated that a better knowledge of the prevailing ailments for deer and the symptoms of those illnesses would have been very helpful information to know before he started his farm. “Sadly, “ Lee says, “Some of us learn the hard way.”

Loss of deer is a punch in the gut and breaks your heart. Overcoming loss is a huge accomplishment; learning from the loss and moving on makes your farm better all around.

ABC Whitetails has many goals that they set each year, with the primary goal of raising BIG healthy bucks. The Smiths also strive to maintain good health in their herd. Lee says that the “lovely” Ohio Valley weather can make that a demanding job.

Lee & Amanda & family, your fellow KALA deer farmers wish all the best for ABC Whitetails as you strive to meet your goals. Our desire is that you will be a deer farming family that succeeds in deer farming while raising your family on the farm.

KENTUCKY 2022

11

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12 KENTUCKY 2022

Thank you for your consideration to advertise!

Managed By:

Whetstone

Brothers

Classic Woodland Trophies

DISTRIBUTORS OF ORGANIC, LIFE-CHANGING MYCORRPLUS Untreated FERTILIZER

INTRODUCING By: Gail Veley

Untreated Tight could take up soil to five years to recover Anaerobic Bacterial and return to it’s original undisturbed No Earthworms state without assistance from other Plant Growth means,Reduced whereas organically treated

With garden spade in hand, Carolyn

and digestive health, support of the Whetstone knelt down last fall on the blood system, increased metabolism moist soil in her garden in search of as well as improved nerve and We are a proud user and seller of MycorrPlus! a sweet potato. However, thyroid function among other things.

We are confident that it is ita quickly fertilizer / soil soil can continuously be utilized year became evident spade was much builder that makesthea difference in the health “Show me something better on the after year. small toand unearth the treasure she are real!

Treated oftoo your crop animals.

The results market,” Marlin said. “I’m not sure was about to find.

A few moments Treatedawith MyCorr Plus™ MyCorr Plus is available in 16oz, quart, there 1 gal.,is anything.” Depending on While creating superior organic later, she wasand holding a sweet potato Flocculated soil for 2.5gal., 5gal.

150-250gal. totes. fertilizer was the catalyst what a grower’s or producer’s goals the size of a football weighing in at Aerobic Bacterial Activity MycorrPlus, the addition of essential are, MycorrPlus can be used for seven pounds six ounces. To her, Abundance of Earthworms life-supporting trace minerals is food plots, house plants, orchards, Increased Plant Growth there was only one obvious reason what separates it from others on pastures and gardens. “It depends on for the harvest she carried toward the market and perhaps makes what you care most about,” Marlin the house. She believed it moreit the very best fertilizer you can explained. Available in a variety • The treated field yielded a ton more per acre than the untreated field. than-likely was directly contributed buy, Marlin “We’ve even had of sizes in liquid form, for pasture • The treated field had Soil Balance with said. no other fertilizer. to MycorrPlus, the unique fertilizer producers tell0-20-0) us how it’s • The untreated 60# dry Nlivestock and 20 lbs.

(100 lbs. application MycorrPlus costshad about produced by her husband Marlin phosphorus. increased the survival rate of young. $60 an acre for the year to use. and his business partners Lonnie • Santa Anita Raceway bought the treated, but refused to buy the Whether you’re growing forage, “Considering the short and long-term untreated because the horses wouldn’t touch it.

Whetstone, Dwight Borkholder and raising deerworms or other livestock, we after benefits to you, family and your • Inyour the treated, there were a lot of earth within a month Kevin Borkholder. believe with MyCorrPlus you will application.

No earthworms could be found in the untreated. livestock, it’s very cost-effective and do all of it more effectively.

When Relatively new to the market, organic beneficial,” Marlin added. “If you yourWe soilhad perpetuates mineral-enriched MycorrPlus is apply it in early springplants you willfrom see athis year.

Tomato 10 inchesthe of right rain fall and amount and balance of minerals, produced at Anglin’ Roadand Farms substantial difference fall.”

For deer pens, pastures, hayinfields the only halfbythe row was treated and these photos were taken 3 trace minerals and vitamins to price per acreIndiana. is $60.00 if purchased in 5 Nappanee, MycorrPlus, weeks later While chemical fertilizers are popular nourish living enzymes, everything gallon buckets. used and tested within the farm’s and have been used throughout benefits. My business partners and 160 acre spread, has already begun the years, they typically bypass soil I are certain you will, too. You need MyCorr is also beneficial for: to provePlus it’s worthiness in restoring microbes and in becoming more to see for yourself how beneficial • Gardens and enriching soil while enabling readily available to plants, kill the • Orchards it is.” Marlin Whetstone, Lonnie the steadfast production of forage, microbes.

Chemically-treated soil • House Plantsand vegetables. While Whetstone, Dwight Borkholder, crops, fruits may also dry out faster and deplete • Flower Beds may offer short-term Kevin Borkholder other fertilizers the land of much needed nutrients • Lawns and satisfying results, MycorrPlus necessary to later initiate and • Produce includes a unique blend of 92 sea • Green Houses sustain growth. MycorrPlus, on the See Ad trace minerals, humic and fulvic acid, Next • Food Plots other hand, helps hold moisture 70 aerobic bacteria and four strains page • Pastures within the soil so that the soil and of mycorrhizal fungi enzymes that • All Agriculture plant can “communicate” with each not only aid in soil enrichment and other for optimum nutrient uptake. vitality, but also in immune Belong-term sure to read all the benefits of every Conversely, chemically damaged soil

Untreated

Treated

Treated

Managed By:

Whetstone

NIXON @ 3 - NADR #267218

Untreated Untreated Tight soil Anaerobic Bacterial No Earthworms Reduced Plant Growth

We are a proud user and seller of MycorrPlus!

We are confident that it is a fertilizer / soil builder that makes a difference in the health of your crop and animals. The results are real!

MyCorr Plus is available in 16oz, quart, 1 gal., 2.5gal., 5gal. and 150-250gal. totes.

Treated Treated with MyCorr Plus™ Flocculated soil Aerobic Bacterial Activity Abundance of Earthworms Increased Plant Growth

• The treated field yielded a ton more per acre than the untreated field.

• The treated field had Soil Balance with no other fertilizer.

• The untreated had 60# dry N and 20 lbs. (100 lbs. 0-20-0) phosphorus.

• Santa Anita Raceway bought the treated, but refused to buy the untreated because the horses wouldn’t touch it.

• In the treated, there were a lot of earth worms within a month after application. No earthworms could be found in the untreated.

For deer pens, pastures, and hay fields the price per acre is $60.00 if purchased in 5 gallon buckets.

Tomato plants from this year. We had 10 inches of rain fall and only half the row was treated and these photos were taken 3 weeks later

MycorrPlus is a liquid that contains: • Low sodium sea minerals • Fish and Kelp • Humic and fulvic acids • 70 aerobic bacteria • 4 strains mycorrhizal fungi plus other fungi • molasses

Low sodium sea minerals: • Trace minerals are crucial for all life. every disease of plant, animal, and humans can be traced back to a mineral deficiency • Many of the trace minerals are no longer found in our depleted soils • Contains the perfect balance of minerals in an available form where soil and fresh water do not • Plants will take a trace mineral and install a carbon atom so humans and animals can better absorb the minerals • If available in the soil, grass will pick up approximately 90 essential minerals • A plant will make dangerous substitutions if the proper minerals are not available. The plant will look healthy, but it is a sick plant propped up with synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, and, insecticides

Fish and Kelp: • Increases natural sugars in fruits and vegetables • Rarely will you find disease or sapping insects in a plant when the brix of a plant reaches 12 • Provides stronger color and more vigor to plants Humic and fulvic acids: • Increased plant nutrient uptake • Increased root growth • Improve soil structure

Areobic Bacteria: • These unpaid workers of the soil can take anything apart, even the bed of a truck all in good time • Fixes nitrogen into the soil • Aggregates the soil and restores structure • Fights parasites and disease • Helps fungi feed the plant • Produces water as a by product of respiration • Anaerobic soils and chemical applications kill these beneficial bacteria.

• We desperately need these microbes to restore structure to the soil

Untreated

MyCorr Plus is also beneficial for: • Gardens • Orchards • House Plants • Flower Beds • Lawns • Produce • Green Houses • Food Plots • Pastures • All Agriculture

Be sure to read all the benefits of every ingredient on the next page.

ingredient on the next page.

THE INGREDIENTS AND SCIENCE OF

Brothers

Classic Woodland Trophies

INTRODUCING

Untreated

Treated

Treated

Untreated

Mycorrhizal Fungi: • Forms a membrane between the plant and soil. This gives the plant the ability to select the nutrients it takes up, and gives it the ability to leave behind or even excludes toxic ions like aluminum, cadmium and lead.

• Forms a network between plants, soil bacteria, and other plants.

Plants can communicate with each other via messages sent through these networks. (for example if a plant needs calcium

HIGH RISER @ 3 - NADR #284249

and the only avaliable calcium is 50 ft to the left the fungi can funnel it over.)

• Help bacteria break down crop residues, cover crops, and manure and turn it into organic matter • Has the ability to break up rock to make minerals in the soil avaliable to plants • Soils are often toxic and out of balance and plants are left to function hydroponically. They simply suck up water from the soil and whatever minerals are in the soil including aluminum, cadmium, and lead • Herbicides, pesticides, nematicides, fungicides, excessive fertilizer, or excessive tillage kills off these helpful fungi. It is a no-brainer that something designed to kill things is going to do just that • MycorrPlus helps to recreate conditions in the soil where mycorhizae can thrive.

Molasses: • A source of energy for the micro organisms

What is anaerobic Soil?

• Compacted soil is anaerobic soil.

• Most pathogens do best in this type of soils • In anaerobic soils oxygen isn’t present where soil meets roots, therefore it hampers nutrient uptake and plant growth

The Benefits of Aerobic, Structured Soil • No hardpan • Better production, as roots receive the oxygen they need • Legumes flourish • More earthworms, which greatly enrich the soil • Drought reduction- moisture soaks in, then is available when needed • You can get back into a field sooner after a rain • Aerobic microbes thrive, reducing the danger of pathogens • Aerobic microbes break down thatch and crop residue, creating organic matter • Less input costs Conquer your anaerobic soil

To Place Your Order or For More Information Call 574-248-9898 Office Hours: 8AM - 4PM Mon-Fri 234 Ply-Goshen Trail Nappanee, IN 46550 We ship anywhere in the US

KENTUCKY 2022

13

Managed By:

Whetstone

Brothers

Classic Woodland Trophies

INTRODUCING

Untreated Untreated Tight soil Anaerobic Bacterial No Earthworms Reduced Plant Growth

We are a proud user and seller of MycorrPlus! We are confident that it is a fertilizer / soil builder that makes a difference in the health of your crop and animals. The results are real! MyCorr Plus is available in 16oz, quart, 1 gal., 2.5gal., 5gal. and 150-250gal. totes.

Treated Treated with MyCorr Plus™ Flocculated soil Aerobic Bacterial Activity Abundance of Earthworms Increased Plant Growth • The treated field yielded a ton more per acre than the untreated field.

• The treated field had Soil Balance with no other fertilizer.

• The untreated had 60# dry N and 20 lbs. (100 lbs. 0-20-0) phosphorus.

• Santa Anita Raceway bought the treated, but refused to buy the untreated because the horses wouldn’t touch it.

• In the treated, there were a lot of earth worms within a month after application. No earthworms could be found in the untreated.

For deer pens, pastures, and hay fields the price per acre is $60.00 if purchased in 5 gallon buckets.

MyCorr Plus is also beneficial for: • Gardens • Orchards • House Plants • Flower Beds • Lawns • Produce • Green Houses • Food Plots • Pastures • All Agriculture Be sure to read all the benefits of every ingredient on the next page.

14 KENTUCKY 2022

Tomato plants from this year. We had 10 inches of rain fall and only half the row was treated and these photos were taken 3 weeks later

Untreated

Treated

Treated Untreated

THE INGREDIENTS AND SCIENCE OF NIXON @ 3 - NADR #267218

HIGH RISER @ 3 - NADR #284249

MycorrPlus is a liquid that contains: • Low sodium sea minerals • Fish and Kelp • Humic and fulvic acids • 70 aerobic bacteria • 4 strains mycorrhizal fungi plus other fungi • Molasses

TESTIMONIALS

Broccoli Sprouts - Day 3

Mark T., NE. corn, pasture In 2015 I applied 10 gallons of fish per acre, some biological and some enzymes. In 2016, I broadcast 16 ounces of MycorrPlus, then put another 16 ounces in the row, on the seed.

Although in 2016 I applied nothing but MycorrPlus, my organic blue corn yielded 20% more and my sunflowers yielded 25% more than in 2015.

Where I applied MycorrPlus on my pasture, my Canadian Thistles turned yellow, and my buffalo ate them right down to the soil. I figure that the MycorrPlus made them more palatable.

Roger Berns, WI. corn, pasture On my corn this year, the TDN was 87.95, protein was 10.56, and test weights were 60.9. A few stalks had 3 ears. The 3rd ear wasn’t that large, but it was filled out. The man who bought the corn said, “Boy, this is heavy stuff”. Others in my area said their corn yields were way down, they said they had too much rain.

But my corn yields were up with big ears. Some stalks were 12 feet tall.

On my pastures, I have 36 head on 19 acres. My cattle are fatter than a pumpkin, nice and round. My grazing fields last a lot longer with the MycorrPlus. My thistles are gone; either the cows ate them or the grass squeezed them out. My apples are delicious, and people tell me that my apple cider is extremely good. When they try other organic ciders, they buy mine.

Broccoli Sprouts - Day 6

Andrew Curtiss, MI. potatoes, vegetables I grow CSA and farm market vegetables on an acre plot of land.

It is land that had been used for conventional agriculture for 30 years prior to 2015. At your recommendation, I applied a full (64 oz.) MycorrPlus-A soil formula to the acre in May of 2015.

To say I was impressed may be an understatement. I planted 75 pounds of seed potatoes; my final potato harvest was in the 1200-pound range. My shell peas produced large quantities of the sweetest peas. They grew for nearly 6 weeks. The bush snap beans I grew we picked off for over 6 weeks. When I quit picking them, they were still flowering. We were just completely sick of picking beans.

Overall, the flavor of our produce was exceptional. At the farmer’s market I was told every week how excellent our produce was. What impressed me the most was the plant’s ability to deal with stress. In mid-June we had almost five inches of rain in two days. I thought for sure I was going to lose half the garden, as it was under water for almost 12 hours.

The plants pushed through. What then followed was 21 days without rain. Never once in that time did I see a wilted plant.

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KALA FARM FEATURE

JAKE ANDERSON • ANDERSON WHITETAILS Written By: Mrs. Kathy Brooks

C

hances are that you’ve never heard of Guston, KY. This small community of about 2300 people lies a few miles southwest of Brandenburg and is so obscure that you can drive through it and not even realize you’ve been there. It does have a post office, but that’s it. Not even a caution light!

However, Jake Anderson of Anderson Whitetails is putting Guston on the map for deer farmers and those interested in becoming deer farmers. Anderson Whitetails is quickly rising in the ranks as a great place to find good genetics if you’re looking for big bucks.

Jake, an HVAC technician by trade, started Anderson Whitetails in 2015 with only seven deer on one-acre of ground. This new venture transpired after his attention was drawn toward Whitetail deer when one of his customers went on a high-fence hunt . The hunter was eagerly describing the big bucks on the preserve and for the first time, Jake realized that growing those big bucks sounded very interesting and profitable. “I started doing research on deer farming and knew it was for me,” Jake says. In a very short time, he jumped in with both feet.

Anderson Whitetails now boasts about 80 deer on 10 acres, and that’s after he sold about 40 bucks and does last year!

With well-known genetics from deer such as McNificent, Gunfighter, FedX, Texas Tea, and several other “famous” bucks spread throughout his herd, Anderson Farms boasts quite a resume of great genetics. In just seven short years, and after much research and lots of hard work, Jake has been blessed, both through live and AI breeding, to have fawns born on his farm that form a great line-up of promising bucks and productive does with superb genetics.

“Quality over quantity” is Jake’s MO (modus operandi), and he strongly recommends this to others who may be interested in deer farming. “I would rather buy one really good animal versus two “ok” animals,” Jakes asserts.

He also strongly believes in buying his deer from a farm(s) that have a good vaccination program and a healthy herd. “It’s definitely easier to keep the animals alive and thriving if they are healthy when you get them,” he stresses. “Do your homework,” Jake says. “Before you purchase a deer, look closely at its genetics and choose only those that will project you toward your goals.”

it is possible to grow quickly into a successful deer farming operation if you follow some careful guidelines and work hard.

Don’t be surprised if one day you’re traveling down Hwy 60 in Meade County, Kentucky and see a big sign that says, “Welcome, to Guston, KY-home of the BIG BUCKS at Anderson Whitetails Deer Farm.” Jake’s fellow KALA members are glad to call him one of their own. We wish you all the best!

Jake is also convinced that providing a high-quality feed has helped his herd to consistently generate a beautiful frame, produce great antler growth, and sustain does that deliver and nurse lively fawns. He has developed a trusted “recipe” for his feed using the best ingredients available and mixes his own ration. He is firm in his belief that this special ration is vital to the success of his herd.

Keeping deer fawns flourishing is one of the biggest challenges that Jake sees to deer farming. The past seven years’ experience with his fawns has made him resolved that if you buy deer from a healthy herd and give priority to a stringent vaccination program, then the herd health should be vigorous and produce nice results. Anderson Whitetails has experienced a very low herd mortality rate, and Jake believes that he owes this success to his system of buying healthy and vaccinating as advised by his veterinarian.

Even though Jake is technically considered a new face in the deer industry with only seven years under his belt, he has already proven that KENTUCKY 2022

19

VENISON CHILI

BY TWISTED TINES RANCH • • • • • • • • • •

KALA’S Kitchen If you are a Kentucky Hunting Preserve and would like to share one of your game recipes to KALA’s Kitchen and be featured in one of our upcoming KALA Magazine issues please contact Maryann Hall at solidrockwhitetails@ yahoo.com or call 859-556-7262. All you have to do is be a KALA member to participate!

1.25 ounces of chili powder 1 pound of venison 1 can of mixed chili beans 1 can of petite diced tomatoes Salt Pepper Chopped Onions Brown Sugar 1 ½ cups of water

INSTRUCTIONS

Brown venison with chopped onions and season with salt & pepper to taste. Drain venison and add chili powder and remaining ingredients. Cook low in crock pot for 6-8 hours. Enjoy!

T

• wisted Tines Ranch, LLC and Crooked Creek Whitetails, LLC are owned by two families, Patrick, Monica, Grace and Hunter Stanley; Derrick, Susie and Hoyt Plunkett.

They are located in Berry, KY, bordering Grant, Pendleton and Harrison Counties, and have 362 acres. They are conveniently just off of I-75, 30 miles from Cincinnati, OH, 40 miles from Lexington, KY and 60 miles from Louisville, KY. They offer one-on-one fully guided hunts for 3 days on average. They can custom tailor a hunt from 1-7 days to fit the clients’ needs. They offer Whitetail Deer, Fallow, Elk, Blackbuck, Texas Dalls, Black Hawaiians, Painted Rams, Soay Rams, Jacob 4-horns, Pheasant and Quail.

“What sets us apart from other preserves is the personal attention to detail” says Patrick Stanley. “Our clients consistently compliment us on a multitude of things. They rave about our food, cleanliness of our lodge, equipment, skinning room and hunting blinds to name just a few. We even grow our own food, have local beef, and provide eggs from free range chickens on our premises.” Stanley continues to say “We take great pride in the fact that we are a Christian based, multi-family owned, small ranch that focuses on quality over quantity.

Our business plan focuses on staying smaller than several of the other big preserves and our clients thank us and love us for this!”

Susie, Monica and Grace are the chefs at the ranch. They take great pride in providing three southern cooked, hot, fresh meals each day! Snacks and drinks are provided as well.

Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out into the field and hunt game for me.

Genesis 27:3 *** If you would like to try their delicious meals and one of their fully guided or custom tailored hunts contact the Stanley or Plunkett family at www.TwistedTinesKY.com 20 KENTUCKY 2022

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HAVE THE RIGHT INSURANCE / COVERAGE FOR YOUR DEER BUSINESS

Leah Bright of Leavitt Recreation and Hospitality Insurance in Cody, Wyoming.

By: Gail Veley - Sponsored by NYDEFA For hunting preserve owners as well as deer farmers (both large and small) would be wise to have the following four insurance policies firmly in place: A Commercial General Liability Policy, an additional Umbrella Policy, a Commercial Auto Policy and Workmen’s Compensation Insurance, according to Insurance Agent Leah Bright of Leavitt Recreation and Hospitality Insurance in Cody, Wyoming.

“It’s like rolling the dice not having the right insurance, or any insurance,” Bright said. Businesses shouldn’t make decisions on whether or not to buy insurance based on the potential probability of liability, or on the size of their operation. “I don’t think it’s a matter of is your business too small or too low in liability risk to need insurance,” she emphasized. “If a child wanders into a deer pen and gets killed – how much is that child worth? Having adequate insurance coverage offers the peace of mind that you can continue to operate your farm.”

Many small deer farmers are under the mistaken impression that their HO-3 Homeowners Policy also extends to their deer business, said Dave Vanderzee, President of The New York Deer and Elk Farmers Association. While a typical homeowner’s policy covers perils such as theft, wind, hail, lightening strikes, floods, fire and structural damage to your dwelling or outbuildings, “when you engage for profit there is a different set of laws,” he said. “If you have any outside business activity such as raising cervids or maybe a commercial garden you are dangerously out-skirting your policy.

In the event of a liability situation most homeowner’s policy will cancel you and may not recognize or defend you.”

Obtaining a Commercial General Liability Policy can offer the protection needed for most situations that arise from operating your deer business, Bright said. For example, should someone fall in a hole at a hunting preserve and break

24 KENTUCKY 2022

their leg or should a tree branch fall on a customer’s vehicle and smash a window, a Commercial General Liability Policy can offer protection and payouts up to the amount agreed upon when the policy is started. That same policy can continue to offer protection and payouts up to the annual maximum or aggregate amount (such as $2 million per year.) However, should your business prove riskier to operate than others, an additional Umbrella Policy can offer protection in the event of your Commercial General Liability Policy reaching its annual aggregate limit.

Another vital form of insurance involves Commercial Auto insurance, designed for anyone who uses their personal vehicles to operate their business, such as giving farm tours or transporting hunters, Bright said. Should a vehicle accident or injury occur to a customer visiting your premises, a Commercial Auto Policy will cover medical payments, unlike a personal auto policy which would not. “We would highly recommend Commercial Auto Policy because most personal auto policies have a business use exclusion and if passengers are exiting or entering a vehicle or you hit a hole and someone strikes their head on the ceiling or other injuries occur, you are responsible,” Bright said. “Not having this type of insurance can present a liability bridge back to your personal assets. You don’t want that.”

As an added layer of legally required and necessary protection for payrolls over $20,000 annually, Workmen’s Compensation Insurance offers wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee’s right to sue the employer for negligence. “Again, this gives you the peace of mind that you can continue to operate your farm,” Bright added. “This is also needed for 1099 employees.”

Perhaps as valuable as the right insurance are the steps you can take to limit the probability of a lawsuit occurring. This can include posting warning signs, using liability waivers, utilizing lift ropes and other tree stand safety equipment such as harnesses and conducting marksmanship orientation classes on gun handling safety. It can also include contractual agreements with those parties whose land may be used by hunting preserves, so as to give the ability to include the landowner as an “additional insured” on a Commercial General Liability policy. (Interestingly enough, playing golf is statistically more dangerous than hunting at a preserve, Bright noted. Golfers get crushed by golf carts more often than hunters fall out of tree stands or get shot.)

Currently there are no known policies that cover the loss or replacement of whitetail deer or exotics, as these species are not considered domestic, and the cost to implement such a policy would be prohibitive, said Insurance Agent John Long Jr. of United Insurance Agency Incorporated in Amherst, New York.

As you strive to protect your deer, your assets and to operate as proficiently as possible, Vanderzee highly recommends having an “eyeball-to-eyeball” meeting with an insurance professional to ascertain what the risks are to you and your family and your employees and to help find you the most economical way to get all the coverages you need. He also stresses the importance of your policies outliving any statutes of limitations.

“People kind of dislike insurance,” Vanderzee said. “Beware of polices where the big print gives it to you and the small print takes it away. The time to find out isn’t when you have a claim. Read your policies and be your own advocate.”

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KALA FARM FEATURE

DUSTIN BLOSSER • WOODARD WHITETAILS OF KY Written By: Mrs. Kathy Brooks

B

eing obsessed with something isn’t always a good thing; but, for Dustin Blosser, falling in love with Whitetail deer has turned into his dream job.

Dustin was introduced to the deer farming industry in 2012, when while he was a teenager, his family added deer farming to their already existing livestock operation on a small farm in West Virginia. He was immediately hooked and knew that he wanted deer farming to become a big part of his life.

While being heavily involved in the day-to-day work on his dad’s farm, Dustin also enjoyed researching the genetics and the true potential of deer; so, when he went to college, he originally planned to get a Veterinarian degree and specialize in deer. However, in order to start working with deer earlier than the eight years it would take to get his vet degree, he decided not to apply to Vet School. Rather, he chose to finish his degree in Animal Nutritional Sciences while gaining valuable hands-on experience through summer internships on a Whitetail ranch. This revised plan would propel him into his career much earlier.

During Dustin’s second year of college, he applied to a few summer internships with larger deer operations in an effort to gain experience while doing what he enjoyed. When none of those internships materialized, he compensated by working for a nearby hunting ranch that summer.

The next year, he applied to over 30 Whitetail internships from Michigan

26 KENTUCKY 2022

to south Texas and accepted a summer internship at Keeper Ranch, a 1900-acre Whitetail & Fallow operation in Texas.

While working toward his degree, Dustin had an opportunity to travel on an AI tour with his farm veterinarian and visited several Whitetail farms in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky. It was while on this tour that he became acquainted with the owners and staff of Woodard Whitetails in Glasgow, KY, not knowing that this deer farm would one day play a big role in his future.

After graduation from WVU, Dustin returned to Texas and continued his work at Keeper Ranch. While working there, his deer farm dream was solidified. It was here that Dustin realized that he could have a career working with deer without owning his own farm.

Because he wanted to avoid returning to West Virginia’s cold climate and didn’t plan to stay in the Texas heat indefinitely, Dustin had a yearning to work in Kentucky where the climate was milder.

When he discovered a job posting for a Ranch Manager at Woodard Whitetails, he applied and, just a few months after graduation, was awarded the coveted position. This job was a sooner-than-expected fulfillment of Dustin’s dream to have a career working with deer.

Through his experience and research, Dustin has learned much about the deer industry and advises anyone interested in becoming involved in deer farming to do their homework. He recommends that you visit as many farms as you can, help them with treating animals, and ask plenty of questions. If your situation allows, he proposes that you consider working an internship as a way of learning how to raise deer while also finding out if it is right for you.

Dustin also suggests that it is best to start with quality rather than quantity. Buying from a trusted farmer and purchasing deer who have been DNA tested and matched to their pedigrees is critical to your success in his opinion. “You get what you pay for,” said Dustin.

He wishes that he would have known earlier that it is important to have animals with proven genetics that are DNA-confirmed on NADAR. He also advocates that both prospective and current

FREE business card ads for members of Kentucky Alternative Livestock Association

deer farmers spend time talking with knowledgeable breeders in order to develop productive breeding strategies.

He feels that the biggest challenges in the deer industry are regulations and public perception of deer farming.

The Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources have restricted the cervid farming industry in ways that other livestock producers do not experience.

However, according to Dustin, deer farmers are passionate about this industry and its profitability, so they are willing to jump through the hoops to make it happen.

“My greatest accomplishment is having this job with Woodard Whitetails where I can realize my dream,” Dustin declares. “I’ve worked my tail off in the Texas heat and West Virginia cold in hopes that I would eventually get to a place like this. I feel extremely lucky and will keep working to produce that dream buck!”

Dustin’s farm goals are to: 1) raise deer that are as healthy as possible, 2) consistently produce the biggest typical-framed deer at two-years old that he can, 3) make the hunting experience on the preserve be the best possible, and finally, (4) to have fun while doing all this.

Farms tours at Woodard Whitetails are encouraged and welcomed.

Dustin lives on the farm and would love to show you around. He enjoys showing off their does and breeder bucks, so if you are interested in scheduling a farm tour, call Dustin at 304-698-5798.

Thank you, Dustin Blosser. The Kentucky Alternative Livestock Association wishes you much success in your ventures within our industry!

FREE business card ads for members of Kentucky Alternative Livestock Association 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: Ethan Woosley: Singlecreekwhitetails@gmail.com This gives KALA 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.

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High Riser www.WhitetailSydications.com 574-334-4656

2022 Market

Age 3 Age 1

Age 2

Semen Available (2022)

Shares Available (2022)

Name

Ph #:

Name

Ph #:

Henry Troyer

(715) 754-2608

Rocky Ridge Whitetails

(717) 768-3336

Brenton Blosser

(815) 716-3428

John Ervin Stoltzfus

(717) 768-3336

Marlin Whetstone

(574) 248-9200

Emanuel B. Stoltzfus

(610) 273-2433

2021 Breeders Report

Bontrager Whitetails (Florida) Ph#: (850) 526-8280

Whetstone Brothers (Indiana) Ph#: (574) 248-9200 Doe Bred (short form pedigree)

Doe ID#

Horse Power / Triple Crown / Northern Queen

NADR# 315040

Hardcore / Pink 41

NADR# 208822

Quick Sand / Michigan Weapon / The ONE

NADR# 315053

Doe Bred (short form pedigree)

Doe ID#

Monark 1 / BW Yukon / Grand Canyon

White 552

Monark 1 / BW Sunny / BJ

White 560

Monark 1 / BW / BJ

White 564

BW Mr. Magic / GXL / BW High Racker

White 615

BW Mr. Magic / GXL / BW High Racker

White 616

NADR# 304400

BW Mr. Magic / Monark 1 / BW Grand Canyon

White 617

BW Showtime / White 360 / King Pin

White 324

Doe Bred (short form pedigree)

Doe ID#

BW Majestic / Monark 1 / BW Yukon

White 378

XL 747 / BW Solly / Twister Daughter

White 59

Monark 1 / BW Grand Canyon / Sudden Impact

White 523

XL 747 / Gladiator Express / Sundowner Doe

White 124

BW Tall One / BW XL 747 / Sundowner

White 350

Big Guy / Bucky / 30-30

O191

BW Tall One / BW Ticket / Sundowner

White 352

Fed Ex/ Express/ Bucky

White 81

BW Tall One / BW Yukon / BW Grand Canyon

White 357

Bumbo (Jumbo Grandson)/ Denali / XL 747

White 224

The ONE / BW Yukon / Lee Jay

White 535

Bumbo (Jumbo Grandson)/ Gladiator Express / XL747

White 226

Freightliner / Monark / BW Grand Canyon

White 568

Monark 1 / The ONE / BW Yukon

White 574

Doe Bred (short form pedigree)

Doe ID#

Aftershock / Monark 1 / BW Yukon

White 631

Jumbo / Soaring Eagle / Walker

NADR# 178811

BW Mr. Magic / Monark 1 / BW Yukon

White 637

Stolen Eagle / Complex / Soaring Eagle

NADR# 330727

Mr. Magic / Voodoo's Magic / Crown Maker

White 641

Stolen Eagle / Jumbo / Soaring Eagle

NADR# 330730

BW Mr. Magic / Monark 1 / BW Sunny

White 642

Gladiator / Soaring Eagle / Walker

NADR# 330728

Rockin' Image / BW King / Hardcore

White 684

Gladiator / Soaring Eagle / Walker

NADR# 330729

Rockin' Image / BW XL 747 / Sundowner

White 685

Express Train / Gladiator XL / Soaring Eagle

NADR# 330733

Doe Bred (short form pedigree)

Doe ID#

Gladiator / Hardcore / Maxin / Maximus

NADR# 233278

2nd Ammendment / Express Ranger / Secret Weapon

928 D

Gladiator / Drifter / August 16

NADR# 189556

Doe Bred (short form pedigree)

Doe ID#

Farhenheit / Mossy Ranger / Red Canyon

NADR# 255954

King Express / Red Canyon / Blitzen

NADR# 255955

Gunfighter / Hardy / Maxbo 727

NADR# 320496

Southern Boy / Jumbo 20/28 / Escalade Jackson

NADR# 336757

Major League / Gunslinger / Maxbo XL / Heather

NADR# 304397

Blackjack / Unforgiven / Triple Crown / Express

NADR# 330348

Cruiser / Jumbo / Jumbo Chrome's Dam

NADR# 282130

Jumbo Classic / Danger / Hardcore / Heather

NADR# 334997

Major League / Express / Hardcore

NADR# 304403

Major League / Bambi 20-28 / Rolex

Rocky Ridge Whitetails (Pennsylvania) Ph#: (717) 768-3336

Blosser Whitetails (Illinois) Ph#: (815) 716-3428

Rockville Whitetails (Pennsylvania) Ph#: (610) 273-2433

Shareholders:

Blosser Whitetails (Missouri) Ph#: (417) 327-4670

Woodard Whitetails (Kentucky) Ph#: (574-248-9200

34 KENTUCKY 2022

Dedicated to supporting the deer farming industry www.nadefa.org Dear Members, On April 6th, USDA announced funding opportunities for states to control and prevent Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). $10 million, a four-million-dollar increase over fiscal year 2021, is now available to state agriculture agencies, state wildlife agencies, and tribal governments.

This funding--which is appropriated as part of USDA’s Cervid Health Program-has been among NADeFA’s top legislative priorities and our members, staff, and lobbyists have fought hard to ensure that it remains a top spending priority for Congress. NADeFA has also been instrumental in ensuring that the portion available to state agriculture agencies prioritizes farmed deer. This builds on our success previously to have USDA classify farmed cervids as livestock under disaster relief programs.

NADeFA Executive Director Shawn Schafer stated,” We are learning more about CWD every day and that is directly due to more money and more institutions and individuals researching this disease. USDA’s funding ensures this disease gets the national attention it deserves and is another step towards defeating CWD. Our job is far from over, but rest assured we will continue to fight for these needed federal appropriations.”

NADeFA applauds this announcement and looks forward to continuing to advocate on behalf of our farmers and working closely with USDA to ensure that cervid producers are provided every opportunity to succeed.

Attached is the full Press Release from Aphis Shawn Schafer Executive Director

APHIS Announces Availability of Funding to Control and Prevent Chronic Wasting Disease WASHINGTON, April 7, 2022 --The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is making available nearly $10 million for states and Tribal governments to control and prevent chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild and farmed cervids (e.g., deer, elk).

State departments of agriculture, state animal health agencies, state departments of wildlife or natural resources, and Federally recognized Native American Tribal governments and organizations are eligible to submit funding proposals to control and prevent chronic wasting disease (CWD) in farmed and wild cervids through the development and/or implementation of CWD surveillance, testing, management, and response activities including the indemnification of farmed cervids. Funds may also be provided for the further research, development, and evaluation of techniques and strategies for controlling and preventing CWD and to support education and outreach activities to increase awareness about the disease and how it spreads. APHIS may give priority to states and Tribal governments that have already detected CWD or border CWD endemic areas; and have either implemented monitoring and surveillance programs or propose to do so.

Two funding opportunities – one for farmed cervids and one for wild cervids – are available beginning today.

Specifically, these cooperative agreement opportunities will allow for state departments of agriculture, state animal health agencies, state departments of wildlife or natural resources and Federally recognized Native American Tribal governments and organizations to further develop and implement CWD management and response activities in accordance with the following priorities: · · · ·

Improving CWD management of affected farmed herds and wild cervid populations; Improving CWD management of affected areas or premises; Conducting additional research on amplification assays and other new test methods; Conducting additional research on the application of whole genome predictive genetics; and, · Developing and/or delivering educational outreach materials or programs.

Phone: 330.454.3944

Fax: 330.454.3950

Email: info@nadefa.org KENTUCKY 2022 35

PROTECTING FAWNS FROM PREDATORS By: NexGen Pharmaceuticals

F

or the deer farmer (or the rural property owner who just wants to give deer herds a fighting chance), mitigating the predation of fawns to the greatest degree possible is an ongoing concern. Given the ongoing concern and intervention of wildlife biologists, starvation and disease are seldom the concerns they were in years past, which leaves predation as the most prevalent cause of fawn mortality. This is particularly true in the case of whitetail deer, which live in close proximity to humans in large numbers, even when we don’t consider farming operations.

Here, we’ll look at a few key areas that deer farmers and property owners can effectively address to reduce the predation of deer fawns, as well as supporting herd health overall.

Predator control. Protecting fawns is obviously crucial to herd development.

While bobcats, bears, eagles and feral dogs do kill their share of fawns, this is usually not in sufficient numbers to have a substantial impact on herds. Thus, most control efforts are directed toward coyotes which, statistically-speaking, are the leading cause of fawn mortality.

Most sportsmen and deer farmers agree that a healthy population of predators is good for ecosystems however, opportunistic coyote packs picking off fawns on a farm is far less than ideal. Like deer and other game animals, predators also need managing.

Those with experience in these areas agree that the most effective way to control predators is to hunt or trap them. Unfortunately, killing coyotes outright doesn’t do much to significantly reduce their numbers over the longterm, and they can be difficult to hunt— so keeping on top of them is an ongoing proposition.

Herd management. Managing herd sizes and ratios of sex and age are also essential components to ensuring the survival of more fawns. A high population density can lead to stress on all of the animals in a herd, and it disrupts their natural behavior. Keeping sex ratios balanced and ensuring that the carrying capacity of the land can support all of the deer is essential. This may mean relocating or removing a certain number of does periodically.

The available research suggests that mature does produce more fawns; thus, removing younger does is more likely to improve fawn survival within a herd.

Habitat management and cover.

Most of the evidence suggests that farmers and landowners who’ve been successful at reducing fawn mortality have taken a cue from wildlife biologists and wildlife managers. In order to reduce predation, one of the chief areas these experts advocate keeping on top of is that of habitat management. One of the ways this can be accomplished is by exploiting the natural behavior of deer (specifically, does and fawns) and managing your property in ways that enhance a fawn’s chances for survival organically.

The available literature maintains that providing cover is the single most important factor in reducing the predation of fawns. One thing to remember is that does and their fawns naturally seek cover. Whitetail deer in particular prefer the ecotone (forest

36 KENTUCKY 2022

fringe). This is partly because these areas receive more sunlight, which promotes the growth of vegetation.

More importantly, this zone typically provides more cover than open areas, but doesn’t have the predator density of the deep forest. One study revealed that fawns in areas with the little edge habitat were more than twice as likely to be eaten by a coyote than those in areas with more edge availability.1 Does have evolved to be protective of their fawns, and will seek out safe areas for them to rest. Providing places on your property/farm that are attractive in this regard can improve the odds for fawns. Cutting down small trees and placing brush areas for does to hide their fawns is a great idea. These will resembled the natural deadfall that does are accustomed to using for this purpose. Creating spaces like these will help to better protect them from predator animals in the area.

As mentioned earlier, we’ve learned a lot from the wildlife biologists who’ve dedicated many years toward refining the population management of deer— and among what we’ve learned is that responsible predator management supports both ecosystems and deer populations. Obviously, predator management is even more critical when we’re talking about deer farming.

Wherever you happen to live, and whatever your predator problems are, addressing the three basic areas we’ve discussed will go a long way toward reducing the predation of deer fawns, as well as reducing overall fawn mortality and supporting a healthy herd.

Gulsby, W. D., J. C. Kilgo, M. Vukovich, and J. A. Martin. 2017. Landscape heterogeneity reduces coyote predation on white-tailed deer fawns. Journal of Wildlife Management 81:601-609.

1

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FINDING REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH LEASING By: Gail Veley - Sponsored by The Missouri Deer Association

L

easing deer from established deer farmers for genetic herd improvement, or the leasing of land to provide managed hunting privileges, could stimulate revenue opportunities for those seeking to gain a foothold in the deer industry, as well as provide additional revenue to those already entrenched in it.

Deer leasing, rather than purchasing, could be an option for those currently unable to purchase a high-quality doe or buck, yet need the genetics to improve their existing herd. Land leasing, for the hunting rights, could be an option for those perhaps unable to start their own preserve, but want to build revenue towards this future goal. Leasing land for hunting privileges can also serve as a way for others to offer and manage free-range hunting, while making it more enjoyable and safer for those who participate.

In both scenarios, all parties involved must spell out clear parameters for leasing. In the leasing of deer, several factors must be taken into consideration, according to Nathan Blosser, owner of Blosser Whitetails in Buffalo, Missouri.

Blosser, who has leased deer to others in the past, advises the following: • First and foremost, know the CWD status of the herd from which a leased deer is coming from or going to. If you are the one allowing a deer to be leased, make sure it will be able to rejoin your herd once the lease period has ended, or make arrangements to sell it to a hunting ranch.

• Determine a price tag for the deer before it leaves the farm and determine who is ultimately responsible if the deer should die.

• Set and collect a monthly payment for leasing the same way you might set up a mortgage or rental property payment.

Davidson has also spent the better part of his life as a deer farmer leasing land from neighboring farmers for the hunting rights. During hunting season, • If a lease-to-purchase agreement is he and his employees do everything entered into, determine pricing up front. within their power to make sure the hunters that partake have a safe and • Write up a contract understood and enjoyable experience. At one point signed by both parties. in the mid 90’s, Davidson was leasing close to 10,000 acres from 27 different Although Blosser has successfully leased landowners. “We had hundreds of tree deer to others with a favorable outcome, stands and we had decent free range it’s not necessarily something he deer to pick from,” Davidson said. Today recommends to everyone. “It’s probably he leases 2,500 acres in an effort to good to always have a price tag on the provide his clients with both high-fence deer if something happens when they and free-range hunting opportunities. are at another farm,” he said. “I like communication. I never want to get into Along with the ability to be an agent for get situation where it ruins a friendship. the leased land and provide free-range It does feel good, though, to help hunting options, land leasers enjoy someone out. Some are in a situation another appealing benefit. They are where they can’t afford a deer.” not required to pay taxes on the land.

However, they are required to have a Having friends new to the deer industry substantial liability policy and provide a few years ago is what compelled Rick proof of insurance. Done right, leasing Davidson of Illinois Dominant Bucks in and managing land for hunting privileges Marshall, Illinois to lease deer to them. could not only provide a way to make In fact, he did so free-of-charge with a decent living, it might also allow for one stipulation involved. In leasing deer the extension of food plots and quality to industry newcomers Ty Jeffries and habitat for whitetails. “And you wouldn’t Mark Voss, it helped both men to greatly have hunters on top of each other or improve the genetics of their fledging shooting too close together,” Davidson herds. However, in turn, both Jeffries and said. “Everyone has an enjoyable Voss have sold offspring back to Davidson experience. Customer satisfaction is a at very reasonable rates to use in his big deal.” hunting preserve. “It’s a situation of ‘you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours,” Davidson said. While his experiences have also been favorable, like Blosser, Davidson feels leasing should ultimately benefit both parties involved.

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VENISON POT ROAST

BY WHITETAIL DREAMS RANCH

4-6 lb shoulder or hip roast All fat and tendons cut off

KALA’S Kitchen

1 large onion (diced) 2 lbs baby carrots (frozen is best) Whole box of Lipton “Beefy” onion dry soup mix ( both packages) 1 cup water 4 tbsp corn starch +1/4 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

Peeled and diced russet or red potatoes (red with skins on are sweeter) I cut up enough to fill the pot as there will be a lot of gravy!

Turn on crockpot to High setting. Sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of roast. No need to add any other spices to roast. Place roast in bottom of pot. Stir onion soup mix with 1 cup water. Pour over roast. Add more water to fill the pot only 1/4 way up the sides of roast. Add onions and stir into the pot.

Cook on high for 2 hours, then turn the power down too low to cook slowly over night. The longer you allow it to cook, the better it tastes and the more tender it gets! 3 hours before serving add the carrots and make sure they are covered with the gravy. An hour before serving, turn heat back up to high and add the potatoes and stir them in to cover them with the gravy. The roast is done when its fork tender, as it’s easily separated by pulling on it with a fork. When it’s done, add 4 tsp corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup water to the pot after taking just the roast out. You will need to take the roast out by using a large spoon as it will fall apart. Cook the gravy stirring very little until thickened. At this time add the roast back to the pot to keep warm turn the pot to low again. I usually put my roast in at night and let it cook on low all night. If you want to start it the day you will serve it then cook it on high about 6-8 hours!

There will be a lot of liquid in the pot from steam buildup. Open as little as possible to keep the water level high enough to make a lot of gravy. You will NOT need to add water! This is very tasty and easy to cook. The venison never tastes gamy. I serve mine from the crockpot and easy to make. No need to brown the roast before cooking it. Enjoy!

W

hitetail Dreams Ranch is a passion project that developed from Richard Egan Gray’s love for whitetail deer and hunting in general. “I’ve always loved hunting, but it had been several years since hunting had been a priority for me” says Gray. “Then my father, who was suffering from dementia, had a simple request “take me hunting” and that request led me to remember my passion for the outdoors” continued Gray. More than anything Gray wanted to ensure his namesake had a remarkable hunting season. From that season on, passion turned business, has created a hunting experience that is sure to please the avid hunter.

Whitetail Dreams Ranch offers one of a kind hunts & hospitality. Their facility is handicap accessible and will sleep up to 12 people, with 6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and state of the art kitchen. The game room houses a play master pool table, darts, checkers, chess, observation deck with corn hole and relaxing fire 40 KENTUCKY 2022

pits to unwind. Wi-Fi capabilities are available to upload your hunts. “We strive to make this the hunting experience of a lifetime!” says Gray.

They are located less than 5 miles from Eddy Creek Marina on Lake Barkley as well as only 16 miles from Land Between the Lakes Recreational area They offer whitetail and ram hunts and this summer are offering fishing enthusiast accommodations to enjoy local fishing and southern hospitality! They are open year round offering accommodations for parties, as well as wedding showers, birthday parties and youth groups such as baseball, soccer teams, etc.

Our cook and animal caretaker, is Fay Starks. She specializes in Southern comfort food. She cooks 3 meals a day when guests are present and for anyone dropping by for a visit. She has extensive experience in the medical field and also animal health care as well. She ran a senior Chihuahua sanctuary that shelters from all over the US. Over the years she saved the lives of 360 senior dogs. “My love and life .....THE DEER. Here they are loved and to be honest... spoiled rotten!!” says Fay. ***If you would like to try this tasty recipe or participate in one of their dream hunts you may contact Richard Gray at (270)625-5903 or richard@whitetaildreamsky.com or www.whitedreamsky,com .

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ARE YOUR GARDEN GLOVES HANDY?

BY KATHY BROOKS • SINKING CREEK WHITETAILS, CUSTER, KY

D

o you have your garden gloves handy? You’re fixing to need them ‘cause Spring is here! With the warm temperatures and sunny days upon us, we gardeners are itchin’ to get started. As soon as the farm store put out their seed displays, I was filling up my basket with packets of all kinds of vegetable seeds--tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, cantaloupe, watermelon. So many to choose from.

Decisions, decisions.

What fun I had poring over all the choices available! Which kind did I need? How many of each should I get? What brand is best? Heirloom or hybrid? Who’d ever guess that it takes almost as long to choose the seeds as to plant them? But this is an important task! My family’s existence may depend on how much food I’m able to grow and preserve from my garden this year due to the rising cost of groceries and the economic uncertainties we’re experiencing currently.

But it’s not just about supply shortages or high prices at the grocery store.

It’s mainly about knowing what’s in the food we eat; I prefer to feed my family fresh, wholesome foods, free from added preservatives and nonorganic materials. If we can grow our food rather than buy it in a tin can, I’m all for that; it’s been a tradition in my family for as far back as anyone

44 KENTUCKY 2022

can remember. I enjoy working in my garden from planting ‘til harvest and plan to pass the tradition on to the next generations by training my grandchildren in the art. And, it’s not just our bellies that benefit. Gardening promotes family togetherness as we work together to plant the seeds, till and harvest the crop, then prepare the food for storage.

Our deer also reap from the bounty of the garden because our family puts out extra cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins just to be able to give them to our deer as a treat. And, oh boy, do they ever love them! Even my grandchildren get in on the fun of picking veggies for the deer and feeding them from their hands. It is a sure-fire way to tame the skittish ones among the herd, and it gives the young’uns a chance to feel like they’re helping out on the farm, too.

Here in Kentucky, we are able to plant and sow a few early vegetables such as onions, beets, and cabbage, but the majority of our garden seeds have to wait at least ‘til the middle of May in order to avoid the cold “snaps” and possible late frosts. However, I hope to get a head start on this year’s garden by starting some of my seeds indoors.

But, for now, we’ve got a new task in front of us before we can start our garden. Our deer farm recently

expanded and took over the garden spot. What were we thinking? With over 100 acres to choose from, why did we choose to include my garden in the deer lot? Why to better use that ground, of course!

Now that we’ve built the perimeter fence around the area that includes the garden, it’s time to build a divider fence so that during the growing season, I can keep the deer out. After the harvest is over in the fall, we’ll sow some turnips and clover in the garden as a cover crop then turn the garden back over to the baby fawns for a weaning pen that’s near the house. Rather than just sit dormant from harvest ‘til the next planting season, the ground is being put to good use year-round. What a nifty idea my husband had!

Sounds like we’ve got a lot to do and a short time to do it. Speaking of that, guess I’d better put down my pencil and pick up those fencing pliers. Or maybe, I should get the indoor plants started in their little pots. Anyway, I’ve got my work cut out for me, so guess I’d better get my gloves on and get busy so that my family and our deer will have some fresh veggies to eat soon!

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