WOL Summer 2023

Board of Directors:

BRANDON BOLLINGER

President

56099 Dohm Road

Loranger, LA 70446 985-264-3437

bbollinger@gulfcraneservices.com

DANIEL THOMAS

242 Daniel Thomas Road

Springhill, LA 71075

318-469-9404

dbthomas40@gmail.com

CHAD JEANE

404 Atkins Place

Benton, LA 71006

318-470-6666

chad.jeane@strikeusa.com

LLOYD GOUGH

1655 Beechcreek Road

Olla, LA 71480

318-277-6245

lloydg277@icloud.com

BJ CLARK

38334 Shelby Drive

Denham Springs, LA 70706

225-445-4459

bjclark.ds20@gmail.com

MYRA BOLLINGER

Administrator: Whitetails Of Louisiana

P.O. Box 436, Folsom, LA 70437 985-892-0056

whitetailsoflouisiana@gmail.com

JOSH KAPLAN

Secretary / Treasurer

146 Coteau Dugypre Lane

Gheens, LA 70355

985-227-3664

josh@goldenranch.com

BRAY BOLLINGER

56099 Dohm Road

Loranger, LA 70446

985-400-1667

bray@gulfcraneservices.com

KRISTINA ROTHSCHILD

3220 Tisdale Road

Eros, LA 71238

318-355-4197

krisrothschild@yahoo.com

KEVIN MEADOWS

123 Journie Grace Street

Benton, LA 71006

318-423-8997

kevinmeadows0123@gmail.com

D K DESIGN & Trophy Breeder Bucks Showcase Book

If you are not a current advertiser, sign up for a yearling package to be eligible to participate!

- Half or Full page

All advertisers that are published in our 2023 state associations magazines will have the opportunity to place a single Buck update photo in this August Showcase Book. Reservation for space and buck info will be due no later than Aug. 1, 2023. If you have an existing picture ready to go, that will also be due at this time. If you would like to send in a last minute photo of your buck, the cutoff date is August 14th by 8am CST. Placement will be in order of first come first serve. Printing and mailing will start August 15th and be in hand between August 21-25th. Just in time for semen sales getting ready for Breeding Season. These will be mailed to members of the 15 state associations we service.

Cost: $100 1 per Farm • 1/4 pg ad (online reservation)

FEATURED

LONEHOLLOW WHITETAILS STOKING THE FIRE WITHIN THE DEER INDUSTRY

By: Gail Veley

Grant Garner’s watch reads 6 a.m. when an alarm sounds. A few axis bucks have just “taken the bait” and walked into a trap he set the night before. Oh, yes. Right on schedule. Garner, Manager of Lonehollow Whitetails in Lampasas, Texas, quickly turns his attention to the next thing on his schedule. Tagging babies followed by meeting with a hunting lodge contractor and afterwards, onto write a check to the ranch housekeeper. This is not an unusually busy day for Garner. This is a typical day. Sometimes he doesn’t know where all his energy comes from. But Garner does know this. The industry “fire” started years ago when Lonehollow’s prized breeding bucks Gladiator, Gladiator XL and Gladiator

3 were in their prime, is still ignited inside of him.

Years of hard work, combined with breeding for CWD resistance, finds Lonehollow showcasing several breeding bucks including Champion, Tribute, Resistol, Blitz and more. “It’s starting to feel like Lonehollow is back!!” Garner, 38, said. “Gladiator was the fire that the industry needed then. The entire industry benefitted from him. Now we feel we have what the industry needs today. CWD resistance.” Resistol, a two-yearold whose pedigree includes Brain Freeze and Gladiator XL, possesses CWD resistant SS markers. While he has yet to grow his two-year-old rack “we anticipate he will be quite large,”

Garner said. Garner along with those who have partnered on Resistol, including MVP Whitetails, Blessed Bayou, Prime Acres, 3S Whitetails and ZFG Whitetails, agree that Resistol “checks all the boxes,” Garner added.

Champion, a three-year-old clean typical, also possesses CWD resistant SS markers and extremely high GEBV scores. “That’s how he got his name,” Garner said. “We knew we had a champion with him.” Those who have partnered with Lonehollow on Champion including Highroller Whitetails, Big Rack Ranch, P-Bar Whitetails and Keeper Ranch, feel his genetics will carry longevity within the industry. Tribute, a clean typical out of Gladiator XL, along with Blitz, share a bright breeding future as each of them carry an S allele at the 96 codon and have very good GBEV scores. Currently partnered with Highroller, Tribute’s sons are living proof he will also remain an industry favorite. “All of our current breeding bucks were extremely sought after this past fall, and we are excited to see what each can do for farms across the country,” Garner said.

“We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us and continues to do so,” Garner said. “At the end of the day, our focus at Lonehollow is

FARM STORY

primarily on our fawns. While there are other things that might be more exciting like breeding or antlers, your fawns are the backbone and future of your herd and the ones you care about the most. When you lose fawns, you lose years. This year the whole country is going to be looking for Champion, Resistol, Tribute and Blitz babies and they need to make it.”

Sharing his passion for whitetails and anything related to the 23,000-acre

ranch is Garner’s wife Brea, 34, and children Easton, 8, and Maci, 6. This fall a new hunting lodge will be completed and ready for hunters at the ranch’s preserve, Tributary Sporting Club. Hunters will not only have an opportunity to harvest an elite whitetail, but 25 different species of exotics including red stag, fallow deer, sable, Gemsbok, black buck, eland, bison and zebra among others.

The Tributary Sporting Club participates in the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) tributary land and water conservation project. “We are proud to be a part of this project and also proud to welcome hunters and those who have helped make this industry what it is today,” Garner said. “We remain committed to providing the industry with what it needs from superior genetics to once-ina-lifetime hunts.”

LONEHOLLOW WHITETAILS

Lampasas, TX

Grant Garner

grant@lonehollowwhitetails.com

TRIBUTE @ 3

RESISTOL @ 1

CHAMPION @ 2

FEEDING DIRECTIONS: WHITE-TAILED DEER:

• Fawns up to 1 week of age: Feed 16 oz. of formula daily, divided into 4 – 6 feeding.

• Fawns 1 week to 1 month of age: Feed 24 to 30 oz. of formula daily, divided into 4 feedings.

• Fawns 1 month to 2 months of age: Feed 30 to 35 oz. of formula daily, divided into 2 to 3 feedings.

• Fawns 2 months to weaning: Gradually decrease formula and number of feedings to approximately 15 oz. of formula once daily until fawn is fully weaned at 12 to 14 weeks of age. Provide a weaning diet and fresh clean water to the fawn. For oral use only. These feeding directions are guidelines. As each animal is an individual, the feeding rate may be increased or decreased according to the needs of the neonate.

Feeding directions for other species can be found on our website.

BLUE CREEK WHITETAILS FOCUSED ON PRODUCING ELITE WHITETAILS

By: Gail Veley

Blue Creek Whitetails Manager

Jimmie Neeley pauses at the pen of Royal, his favorite doe on the farm he breathes life into seven days a week. As Royal approaches him, it isn’t so much the treat he’s holding that she’s interested in, but rather, the affection he offers along with it. She nuzzles and licks his hand as he strokes her neck and softly talks to her. Her sheer delight in seeing him is obvious. And vice versa. And just like the farm itself, there is a lot to appreciate about Royal, whose pedigree includes Blue Chip, Freeze Frame, Shadow and Tasha among others. This four-year-old doe is also perhaps a symbol of what is good and right in the deer industry and at Blue Creek Whitetails. Their superior animal husbandry skills combined with breeding superior genetics, finds Blue Creek Whitetails producing some of the most elite whitetails in the industry.

The sprawling 250-acre farm in Falfurrias, Texas, is home to approximately 1,150 deer including bucks and does. What that number does not include is the 400-500 fawns expected this season. And while those sheer numbers of deer may seem overwhelming from a management perspective, Neeley, who always keeps the big picture in the back of his mind, lives by this decree. “We take things one step at a time and one deer at a time,” he

explained. “You don’t only focus on the big picture. You learn to slow down and simplify and to keep your goals clearly defined. We have a great team of employees that always goes above and beyond in every circumstance.”

Neeley and his wife Kayla are as devoted as anyone could be in their positions. Yet, both realize how lucky they are to have the dedicated team of employees working right alongside them. “We have one gentleman working here that no matter what time you decide to start that day, he always the first one there. He refuses to show up second to work,” Neeley, 41, shared. “We also have an employee who’s a licensed veterinarian in Mexico. After seeing to the deer, he’s not one bit scared to work hard and pick up a weed eater or get on a tractor. He’s 70 years old and he’s amazing. All of the employees here are amazing and work together seven days a week. Every one of them is a valuable asset. We deeply appreciate everything that they do.”

Neeley, along with farm owners Billy and Alice Oehmig, also appreciate the partnerships they have on a few prized breeding bucks. These include Ice Man with Jade Webster of MVP Whitetails, Simply Irresistible and Wanted with Brad Hassig of Prime Acres as well as Are You

Ready with MVP Whitetails, Prime Acres, Jesse Boger of Limitless Genetics, Kiser Creek and Billy Sage. “With our business partners and production record, we believe we are moving in the right direction,” Neeley said. “Our customer base is growing immensely. They are extremely important to us along with building and maintaining good relationships. We do everything we can to make things right. And we are always looking to improve and make the herd better.”

In their spare time the Neeley’s enjoy going to the beach and also going to the gym to workout. Yet, coming back home to the farm is a feeling unlike any other. At the end of the day, crimson colors cascade as the perfect backdrop to a pen with 100 does thriving among evergreen live oak trees endemic to the Texas terrain. From his back porch Neeley takes the sight in, which never gets old. He lets out a grateful sigh that another day has gone well at this deer paradise. As he lays down next to Kayla and prepares for a good night’s rest, his last waking thought has been known to be “How can we grow bigger deer?” Check out Blue Creek Whitetails on Facebook as well as their website www. bluecreekwhitetails.com. Simply

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Science that delivers the health & productivity you require

SCIENTIFICALLY FORMULATED NATURAL SUPPLEMENT TO HELP GROW LARGE, HEALTHY DEER AND BIG ANTLERS!

Nutrient rich formula contains highly bioavailable ingredients, including our proprietary calcium/phosphorous complex with Antler D TM, that are required to support body and bone growth, especially for fast growing bucks

Contains probiotics and targeted enzymes to support gut health and proper digestion

Available in pellet or powder that can be top dressed or mixed in feed. Great for antler growing season and young bucks, too

PeaceMaker™

PRECISELY FORMULATED TO HELP MAINTAIN A NORMAL AND RELAXED DISPOSITION IN ALL CERVIDS

Provides optimal levels of magnesium, Vitamin B1 and inositol to promote calmness and provide help for restless animals

Contains no herbals, tryptophan or chemicals, eliminating concerns of unwanted side effects

Use PeaceMaker to “keep the peace” during pre-rut, rut, transportation, weaning and anytime destructive behavior may occur

ENTERIC HEALTH FORMULA

POWERFUL SOLUTION FOR HEALTH & PRODUCTIVITY

Helps maintain digestive health and productivity

Contains micro-encapsulated probiotics, targeted enzymes and a novel fiber complex

Use in does before fawning, during lactation and all cervids during times of environmental stress

FAWN ARRIVAL™ POWDER & PASTE

HELPS PRODUCE HEALTHY, FAST GROWING FAWNS

Helps maintain normal digestive health

Supports a healthy immune system

Feed powder for 14 days to bottle fed fawns

Paste is ideal for fawns left on does

FAWN & DEER XTR™

ROBUST FAST RESPONSE FOR FAWNS & OLDER DEER

Innovative formula delivers max digestive support, especially in newborns

Rapidly delivers help for GI health and a functioning immune system

May also be used post-tranquilization to support healthy recovery

THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW – WHAT I MAY HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY STARTING MY DEER FARM

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by WOL

The deep coolness and darkness of night shifts as an eastern predawn sky begins its deep blue transformation to ultimately welcome the sun in northern Louisiana. And while Kristina Rothschild, owner of All in Whitetails in Eros, Louisiana is up and preparing to leave the house for her full-time job, she pauses and looks out at perhaps her most favorite thing – the deer farm she’s shared with her husband Steve since 2017. A sense of contentment is felt about their herd they strive to maintain as conscientiously as they can. From focusing on a smaller herd of 60 to having a farm that’s functional, Rothschild is grateful for all of it. Yet, she remembers times in the beginning when things weren’t always so.

While the Rothschild’s had initially built a barn for handling deer, their runs going into the barn were wider rather than narrower. “We only had four deer at the time, and I told my husband we needed to run these deer,” Kristina, 45, reflected. However, rather than going forward into the barn “one of the deer turned back on us and I ended up on the back of it and rode it about 10 feet.” The very next day the Rothschild’s installed a slide wall for pushing them forward into the barn. “It was a very enlightening experience,” Kris said. “We just didn’t fully understand at first. If I

had to do over, I definitely would have looked at more designs and gathered more information on how to process deer,” she said.

The mistakes made in processing deer are realized by every deer farmer at some point in time, and perhaps felt most poignantly with darting. “The very first year we darted deer we accidentally broke the leg of a doe fawn,” Kris shared. “We had the right yardage and right amount of pressure, but she stepped forward the moment we released the dart. Of course, we were devastated and talked to other deer farmers who had similar experiences. We put a rod in her leg. Today that doe is seven years old and uses that leg.”

Should a health situation ever arise for James Clark of Seldom Seen Whitetails in Greensburg, Louisiana, he calls Daniel Thomas of Daniel Thomas Whitetails in Springhill, Louisiana for additional advice. Thomas, who Clark admits was completely responsible for inspiring him to begin deer farming, sold Clark some of his first deer in 2014.

“I picked up a Whitetails of Louisiana magazine and saw his two-page spread and called him out of the blue,” Clark said. “I wanted to see if I could grow deer that big and was all about getting good doe pedigrees.” Those purchased deer, along with others from Bill

Holdman of Elam Woods Whitetails in Winnsboro, Louisiana, were the foundation of Clark’s herd. While he first began his deer farm in Vidalia, he later moved to Greensburg in 2019 and bought enough land to also have a hunting preserve.

Gleaning off the insight of Josh Kaplan of Golden Ranch Whitetails in Gheens, Louisiana, Clark had Kaplan design his entire barn from pen layout to building locations. Looking back, what would he have done differently? “Absolutely nothing,” Clark, 68, said. “I’ve talked to lots of deer farmers and 98 to 100 percent said they would have done this or that differently,” Clark said. “But I can’t say I wish I had done this or that. I tried very hard to do it right the first time. And maybe facilities at other farms are finer, but my stuff operates just fine. I’m very satisfied.”

The Rothschild’s also feels very satisfied with how well their farm is doing today, and also credit Thomas for getting them off on the right foot by selling them high quality bred does. “The biggest thing for us was buying quality deer,” Kris said. “We were grateful to have Mr. Daniel to turn to. Every new deer farmer should have passion for whitetails and turn to those more experienced for guidance. It really pays off.”

LIGHTER WEIGHT. MORE EFFECTIVE. MINIMAL TRAUMA.

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CELEB R ATING OFSE RVICE

MISSOURI DEER FARMERS SHARE

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FACILITIES AND LAY OF THE LAND

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by MDA

Afunctional facility in a location ideal for raising healthy whitetails can be the key to success, according to Donald Hill, owner of Oak Creek Whitetail Ranch in Bland, Missouri. When building a facility, understanding the psychology of deer is the first thing, followed by designing a facility that keeps them as calm as possible, which allows you to work as safely as possible. Whether it be a fawning facility, A.I. facility or handling facility, each should be constructed utilizing the driest location on your property, while considering the efficiency needed to move deer. “Until you look at a lot of different properties and see those facilities in action, it can be hard to understand them,” Hill said. “If you are new to deer farming or are thinking about redesigning your facility, I suggest visiting every farm possible so that you can develop a handling facility that deer are comfortable running through. Each farm will be different and in turn need a different design.” At Hill’s farm, he has two different facilities that each work better than the other for their specific function and layout.

Neither system would work as good at the other location or for that function. Amy Nold, owner of Nold Farms LLC in Urich, Missouri, agrees with Hill’s theory. “Having the ability to provide quality herd management is the key to any successful operation,” she said. Although handling deer safely once they are inside your facility is important, the process of moving deer into it is key. “You cannot have a 45 or 90 degree turn straight into your barn,” Hill emphasized. “The approach into your barn is a very important thing. It must be well lit in the area where you are bringing the deer inside. You ideally will want several 130 degree turns leading into your barn, so the deer feel as though they have escaped from you when they go around each corner.” In addition, “a chute that is user friendly that one person can operate is a must,” Nold emphasized. “You can have the most elaborate system leading up to the chute, and still struggle with the wrong chute.” Deer farmers planning to use laparoscopic A.I. should install several knock down stalls that provide an area free of stress for does to be comfortable after being sedated. “If you plan on growing, leave room to add interior wellventilated holding stalls,” Hill explained. “I personally like my stalls 8’ x 8’ feet or smaller. Anything larger than 8’ the deer will want to jump over. Lower ceilings will also help to keep them from jumping. We also like to use push boxes that are 4’ x 4’ feet so we can use a 4’ piece of plywood as a push door.”

“If I had to do it all over again, I would build my own push gate boxes instead of buying boxes and not waste money on push walls,” Hill said. “Many factors make a facility work better, there is no way to describe them until you are experiencing it.” Hill also advises to

spend the money up front to put a 10’ to 15’ alley between each pen and around your whole facility. “I did not do this at first trying to save money, and regretted it since day one,” Hill shared. “If you have alleys between and around the facility there is no need for shade cloth, and you don’t have to worry about your bucks fighting with each other or wild deer.” In striving to move deer efficiently into a barn, Hill also strongly believes in narrowing alleys down gradually to 4 feet, and only using push gates once the deer are inside the barn. The ability to weigh your deer on a scale inside your facility can also prove very valuable in monitoring their nutrition or in determining whether or not there are any underlying health issues. However you may utilize a facility, at the end of the day “if you are having any injuries or deaths while working deer, you need to look at your design again and revamp it,” Hill said. “In a well-functioning facility, you could pull 130 deer for LAP A.I. and have them awake and back into their pens in less than four hours. A good facility is a game changer.”

FALLOW DEER GAINING IN DEMAND AND POPULARITY

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by WOO

Fallow deer, known for their hardiness, adaptability and apparent resistance to contracting CWD and EHD, are gaining popularity as perhaps a more low-risk animal to raise, compared to whitetails. Although whitetails are and always will remain the Number One animal in North America to hunt, producers and hunters alike are increasingly intrigued by fallow deer with their unique paddle or rack with tines. “I’ve had hunters willing to pay $50,000 to $500,000 for the right fallow buck,” shared Lance Clawson of Caveman Wildlife in Austin, Texas. Credited as being one of the first in the U.S. to raise high-end pedigreed fallow deer, Clawson maintains a herd of approximately 150 in a partnership with Jason Milligan of Cross Canyon Whitetails. Clawson also partners with Chris Ezell on a herd numbering approximately 160 at Ezell’s farm, Dangerous Whitetails of Oklahoma in Adair, Oklahoma.

Originally from Europe, fallow deer were brought to the U.S. during the 19th century as domesticated animals

and as such, no license is currently needed to raise them, said Ezell, who has raised fallow deer for nine years. Having originally bought them to merely help keep the grass “mowed” on his expansive farm, Ezell started appreciating more and more their calmness and their ability to take stressful situations in-stride. Even better was “a combination of three very important things. Their hardiness, they adapt to any environment, are CWD non-susceptible and don’t get EHD,” Ezell emphasized. “They are very efficient animals and usually have only one fawn in June with an unbelievable success rate.”

Clawson, who’s efficiently raised fallow deer for 20 years, first promoted them as a viable choice for hunters from his booth at a Texas Deer Breeders Association show in 2015, after CWD started becoming a more prevalent issue for whitetail breeders in Texas. Pleasantly surprised by the response he received, Clawson said he “just kept going with it.” He began to work steadfast towards developing a registry and later found support through The Exotic Wildlife Association in Kerrville, Texas. “I feel a strong allegiance toward the EWA for coming through for those of us who raise fallows and want to continuously improve them through quality genetics and pedigrees,” Clawson said. More recently, The North American Deer Registry (NADR) began a fallow deer registry as well.

While Clawson, 54, admits he may not be a professional at marketing his fallow deer, he appears to be a professional at producing world-record bucks. “We are creating a species that has never been seen before” said Clawson, whose farm sports

“The 400” Club” with the likes of American Made, Lightening and Bullwinkle, the fallow buck unofficial world record holder. “Everyone who visits our farm immediately wants to go and see Bullwinkle,” Clawson said. “They are immediately drawn to him and intrigued by his size and stature.”

Under the right setting and super genetics, fallow deer racks (or palmate racks as they are called) can be four to six inches wide, Ezell said. “With superior genetics, they could be 10 to 15 inches wide. Fallow deer can also be a variety of coat colors and look different from each other.” Since he began promoting his fallow deer, Ezell has shipped them to states such as Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maine, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. Using embryo transfer, he and Clawson and Milligan have helped improve the genetics on both of their farms in a continuous effort to make a science out of raising fallow deer. “They are also good eating and big for the meat industry,” Ezell said. “The future for fallow deer is very bright.”

GRILLED VENISON KABOBS

Deliciously marinated grilled venison kabobs – the perfect summer grilling recipe for your venison steak or tenderloin. Pair them with your favorite vegetables and you have a quick and easy weeknight wild game dinner.

IngredIents

• 1 lb. venison tenderloin tips or sirloin steak cut into chunks

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup liquid aminos or soy sauce

• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp. minced garlic

• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

• 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

• 8 oz. whole mushrooms

• 32 oz. bag mini sweet peppers

InstructIons

1. Combine the olive oil, liquid aminos, Worcestershire, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, pepper, and lemon juice in a bowl in a bowl and whisk together.

2. Add the tenderloin tips to the marinade and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

3. Preheat the grill to medium heat or 350 degrees F.

4. After the marinating time, remove the tenderloin tips and place them on their own skewer, separate from the veggies.

5. Add the sweet peppers and whole mushrooms to the skewers. Tip: keep veggies on their own skewer to allow correct cooking time for both the veggies and the steak.

6. Grill the tenderloin tips until they reach medium-rare – about 130-135 degrees F. Remove from grill.

7. Grill the veggies until soft and tender. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

8. Serve with your favorite steak dipping sauce.

TREASURING HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES SHARED MEMORIES WITH JAKE ANDERSON

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by KALA

The clock was close to striking midnight when Jake Anderson set out for an eastern Kentucky elk hunt in September of 2013. This trip would be one of several he would take in an effort to not waste the coveted elk tag he had drawn from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife lottery earlier that summer. His plan, along with packing his hunting bow and camping gear, was to arrive at daybreak to scope out promising areas for the harvest.

“The maps provided by fish and wildlife were terrible,” Anderson, who was 25 at the time, said. And even though he stopped at several places to ask the locals about elk sightings “no one could tell me anything,” he added. “This was all on public land with no guide.” It took five trips. The first was with one of his hunting friends. Although on that trip Anderson squarely landed an arrow into a really sizable bull, the big elk was completely unfazed by the shot and continued on chasings cows, until completely disappearing from sight. His fifth trip found him shooting a fatal arrow into what Anderson still

considers his “once-in-a-lifetime” freerange elk. Luckily, the elk had expired on a dirt road on land formerly used for mining, and Anderson was able to bring his truck into the exact location and load the entire body into his truck bed.

Ironically, as he arrived to this particular spot to gather his elk, he found five elk standing right there, all bigger than the one he had just taken down. “I thought ‘you gotta be kidding me. This is just my luck,” Anderson said, even though he was really happy with his hunted treasure. During another hunt, a whitetail hunt in Kansas, both Anderson and his uncle had shot an arrow at a buck. Anderson, however, had taken and landed the first shot. Both men, upon searching for their deer, thought that their arrow had certainly been the fatal one. However, when they found the buck, only one arrow was in it. “That was another memorable hunt that really stands out for me,” Anderson said.

Yet, in all the hunting adventures he’s enjoyed throughout the years, Anderson has noticed one thing. Public land for hunting decreases every year.

According to internet research, rapid urban sprawl has been responsible for close to 14,000 square miles of land development between 2001 and 2019, which comparatively is an area roughly five times the size of the State of Delaware. Real estate values for farmland have also increased substantially throughout recent years, making selling the land more enticing particularly in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Florida. Other states experiencing the most accelerated urban growth have included Texas, Illinois and North Dakota. “Unless you own land or are leasing it, our opportunities to hunt in open range are going to be gone,” Anderson, owner of Anderson Whitetails in Guston, Kentucky, said. “There is less and less land to hunt and we are going to get to a point where there will be no place left to hunt. This is where we are lucky to have high fence hunting. You could hunt your whole life and never have the opportunity to shoot one like you have in a preserve.”

“Without high fence hunting, it is so hard for an individual to find somewhere to hunt that’s not developed or leased out,” Anderson emphasized. “If I visited a preserve, I’d like to get another elk. Same for other hunters. It wouldn’t have to be just a whitetail. You might be sitting in a deer stand an elk goes walking by and you change your mind and want one of them instead. And you wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of entering a lottery and getting a special tag. Preserve owners are playing a vital role in current and future land conservation, and in providing the sustained opportunities to enjoy unforgettable hunts.”

North American Deer Talk Texas Deer Association Update

The Texas Deer Association has a long history of advocating for whitetail deer and deer rancher's rights. In this conversation the Executive Director of TDA Kevin Davis gives an update on critical information regarding the work TDA is focusing on right now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG5tNT-t9Og

SUDOKU

The rules for sudoku are simple.

A 9×9 square must be filled in with numbers from 1-9 with no repeated numbers in each line, horizontally or vertically.

To challenge you more, there are 3×3 squares marked out in the grid, and each of these squares can’t have any repeat numbers either.

Coloring Activity!

Send in this picture with your childs name and age for a chance to be featured in the next magazine or on our facebook page!

All ages welcome to participate!

Pictures can be emailed to deerassociations@gmail.com or mailed to

Samantha Uchytil

19291 59th St NE New London, MN 56273

RACCOON ON DEER FARMS

By Mark Neely

Alot of people see raccoons and immediately say, “oh, look how cute.” Then out come their phones to get a good picture. Next thing you know they are trying to see how close they can get, or even turning their backs to the animal to get a selfie. The really foolish one’s next move is to see if they can pet this cute, friendly animal. Too many people don’t believe wild animals will attack them, and when they do, it’s too late.

Do I think raccoons are cute? I think they’re beautiful animals, as I do most everything in nature, but I also understand what the term wild animal means. Not only are they dangerous, but they also carry diseases that can be transmitted to other animals & humans. Lets take a look at these guys and see why you don’t want them around your deer farms.

Raccoons are mesopredators, meaning they are mid-level, not Apex predators. Raccoons will prey on most anything they can catch, but larger predators will prey on them. Raccoons eat animals, reptiles, insects, plants etc... Birds & eggs are

among their favorites. They will spend hours around and inside your trough feeders, and growl, hiss, harass and even attack other animals that come in to feed. They are not aggressive because they are gangsters; they’ll just do whatever they have to in order to survive. Raccoons also carry diseases that can make your animals sick.

As mentioned earlier, these guys will spend a lot of time in any of your feeders that they can climb in to. As they sit there and eat, there mouths will get frothy and it will dribble out into your deer feed. I’ve heard this referred to as spit balls and you can sometimes see it in the feed. When your deer unknowingly eat these, it could easily make them ill. Not to mention that these same “oh so cute” raccoons will urinate & defecate in your feeders also. This will contaminate your deer feed and won’t be good for your animals either.

Now keeping raccoons out of your pens is going to be close to impossible. They can dig under easily, squeeze through your fence or climb over with very little effort. Burying a layer of rock or fence along the outside of your pen could stop the digging. Running a

squeezing through or climbing, but how will this affect your deer. Not only could these pest be a problem, they could be a costly one. What can we do you may ask? Well let’s look at a couple of options.

Shooting on site is an option, but you’ll want to use a small caliber (.22) or even

one of the modern 1200 fps pellet rifles. Keep one close by and maybe even carry one in your cart or UTV. Always take an extra second to look around behind your target for safety.

Trapping in my opinion is a better choice. Traps for raccoons are easy to use and once set, you just leave them in place. Most states have laws as to how often your traps must be checked; I know that Florida requires a visual check every 24 hours. The two easiest traps for raccoons are cage traps and dog proof (DP) traps. Cages are just what they seem; a cage with a trap door that closes when the animal triggers it. Dog proof traps are specialized for raccoons to exploit their ability to close their front paws and grab things.

DP traps are basically a pipe with a trigger in the bottom that when the coon eats all the bait down to the trigger, he’ll grab and pull up ultimately tripping the trap and being caught on

his front leg. Some DP traps are built with a push/pull trigger that can be triggered by pushing down also. These traps are not so specialized and will catch any animal that can put his paw into the small diameter pipe and apply downward pressure while trying to get the bait out. I prefer and use the pull only trigger traps because I am usually specifically after raccoons. DP traps are also known by a couple of other names such as, Coon Cuffs & Coon Daggers.

I would use both of these traps (Cage and DP) outside of your pens, maybe inside any walk-ways around your pens. Look for places where the raccoons are entering your pens or use the trails where they are coming back and forth to your pens as good set locations. If you feel the need to set inside your pens, I would only use the cages. If a raccoon is caught in a DP trap by one leg, he can still attack your animals with his teeth.

Tip for Floridians:

It is legal to use a cage trap anywhere by anyone, but a DP trap needs a free FWC Steel Trap Permit for use.

Cage traps are easily set, baited in the back and then put into place. Dog Proof traps can be used basically anywhere a cage can be set. I start off by setting my trap, then pouring in the bait (I use dry cat food) ensuring some goes below the trigger and pushing the stake into the ground. Never ever for any reason should you stick your finger into a DP trap. Lastly, be sure you tie off your DP trap because the coon can easily walk off with it on his paw.

One last thought about Raccoons on Deer Farms. When you catch a raccoon, no matter which trap he is in, make sure he is fully dispatched before removing them from the trap.

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