Quest for Michigan's Best Winter 2022

Quest for Michigan’s Best

Winter 2022-23 l Volume 15 l Issue 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS / ADVERTISERS

MAGAZINE 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)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President– Ryan Halfman

Legislative Chair

Phone: 517-281-2936

blacklabelwhitetails@gmail.com

Vice President – Doug Roberts Phone: 810-241-9554 droberts@conquestdeerfarm.com

Secretary / Treasure – Tricia Davis Phone: 231-878-2229 (Cell) pedavis69@gmail.com

Legislative Chair – Gina A. Bozzer Phone: (989) 619-3495

gina@stormwhitetails.com

Membership Chair – Terry Edwards Phone: 989-657-3628

northernselectgenetics@gmail.com

Board Member – Merle Shepard Phone: 313-268-1727

scishep@aol.com

Fundraiser Chair – John Wilson Phone: 989-324-0543

platinumwhitetails@yahoo.com

Board Member – Kyle Eckert Phone: 989-350-0483

kyle@br2whitetailsalesandservice.com

Board Member – Dan Harrington

Phone: 906-774-3571

dan@wideandhighwhitetails.com

Website Chair--Ken Brown

Phone: 517-525-4036

kennybrown988@yahoo.com

Marketing Chair--Steve Heckel

Phone: 734-320-7182

ironhead@cass.net

Marketing Chair--Quincy Querfurth

Phone: 269-325-8101

quincyquerfurth97@gmail.com

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

RYAN HALFMAN

UDFOM Members,

As many of you have heard or seen, the UDFOM 2023 Convention has changed venues and dates from previous announcements. We will be hosting the UDFOM Convention at the Ellison Place in Gaylord, Michigan this year. The dates are March 17th and 18th. The address of the new location is 150 Dale Dr. Gaylord, MI 49735. We are currently seeking donations and sponsorships for the event. Please email any of our board members with donations or interests in sponsorship opportunities. This is our one fundraising event that we host and with all of your support we will be sure to make it a success. The board members have been putting in extra time to make the venue change a smooth transition. This year there will be guest speakers, the antler contest, along with many games and prizes. We look forward to seeing everyone there.

A Room Block is available at the Comfort Inn and Suites. Their number for reservations is (989)-217-9700. They are located at 831 W Main Street, Gaylord, MI 49735. We will have a shuttle service for the hotels.

Another block will be held at the Fairfield Inn and Suites. Their number is (989)448-2967. They are located at 826 Carpenter Street Gaylord, MI 49735.

There will be some openings for the UDFOM Board of Directors. I encourage you all to consider serving on the board as a way to contribute to the perpetuity of the robust deer industry in the State of Michigan. If you are interested in running for the board, please contact Trish to submit a bio.

God Bless you all, I will see you in March!

Sincerely,

Ryan Halfman UDFoM President

Dear UDFoM Members and Convention attendees,

The UDFoM Board sincerely thanks you for your participation at our 2022 convention at the Soaring Eagle Casino it was a huge success, and it was a welcome sight to be able to see everyone in person. This year, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have relocated the convention to an even larger event center. We are very excited that this year’s convention will be held at The Ellison Place in Gaylord, Michigan which has 30,000 sq. feet of usable space.

Gaylord offers a variety of hotels in the area. There are two hotels that have room blocks for the convention. Use DEER2023 or United Deer Farmers of Michigan.

Comfort Inn & Suites/Mainstay Fairfield by Marriott

831 West Main Street

Gaylord, MI 49735

989-217-9700

https://www.choicehotels.com

Gaylord, MI 49735

826 Carpenter St. Building A & Building B

989-448-2967

https://www.marriott.com

REGISTRATION WILL BE OPEN SOON

We encourage pre-registration this year by going to the UDFoM website www.uniteddeerfarmersofmichigan.com and clicking on convention tab or you may sign up by returning the below registration form with payment. The nonrefundable convention fees are as follows:

Included in the annual convention registration are the following items.

· A 1-year membership to UDFoM.

· Four meals during the two days.

Pre- registration:

Individual - $50

Spouse - $25 ($50 to be a member)

Children under 15 are free.

· Access to all benefits of the convention for both days.

· Four issues of the Quest magazine.

Registration at the door:

Individual - $60

Spouse - $35 ($60 to be a member)

Children under 15 are free.

We need your help - ANY AND ALL donations are welcome there is also sponsorship opportunities the forms listed below may be returned either by email at uniteddeerfarmersofmi@gmail.com or via first class mail to Tricia Jaworski (address is at bottom of donation form).

The number of attendees to our convention rises every year, and it is expected that 2023 will be no exception with more space than ever before. We look forward to welcoming both in and out of state participants and the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues, everyone is welcome. There is limited booth space available and numerous sponsorship opportunities. The cost for booth space is set forth on the enclosed sheet titled “Title Sponsor”

In addition to sponsorship opportunities, UDFoM is looking for donations. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated for the live auctions, the minute to win it auction, the planned games and the silent auction. No donation is too small or too big. Furniture, semen, live animals, artwork, outdoor gear, cash donations, hunting packages, fishing packages, gift cards and baskets all make great additions to our convention and will help raise the much-needed funds UDFoM relies upon to protect and promote our industry. In addition, there are corporate sponsorship opportunities as well as smaller sponsorships listed on the sheet inside this packet. Finally, help is always needed and appreciated.

The entry for the antler competition is $75.00 per entry. Participants are welcome to enter any antlers that have not previously submitted in the competition. The categories for the antler competition are as follows:

Yearling Typical

Yearling non-typical

Two-year-old typical

Two-year-old non-typical

Three-year-old and older typical

Three-year-old and older non-typical

SCI certified scorers will be on hand to measure the antlers submitted. UDFoM request that for antlers that are cut off and not affixed to a mount, that a clear photograph be included showing the antlers on the animal. All entries on the above-categories will be eligible for entry into a $500 raffle drawing.

Finally, there will be an additional antler competition for Michigan raised bucks. For $75.00 participants may enter their Michigan bucks (grown in 2022) for the Mitten Buck Competition.

For booth set up, Convention participants may set up starting at 4pm on Thursday March 16th, 2023. Tear down of booths must be done by noon on Sunday March 19th, 2023.

On behalf of the UDFoM board, your continued support of our association is very much appreciated, and we hope to see you at our convention. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to any of the board members.

Best Regards, UDFoM Board

of Directors

DEADLINE FOR ADS AND DONATIONS TO MAKE THE CATALOG PLEASE RETURN FORMS BY FEBRUARY 15th.

COST FOR JUST AN AD IN CATALOG - $500

For 2023, the convention highlights will include corn hole tournament, balloon game, bucket raffle, Accu Bow contest, Gun Safe Raffle, Golden ticket game worth $15K in prizes, Auctions and Antler competition.

INCREASING FAWN SUCCESS ADVICE FROM EXPERIENCED EXPERTS

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by WOO

Jodi Ezell quietly pauses outside one of her deer pens in the spring twilight, watching and waiting for signs of does ready to deliver fawns. A few does have already started pacing and instinctively creating a safe haven by chasing off other does. However, Ezell is looking for one specific thing as she shares the cool evening with the herd she and her husband Chris raise at Dangerous Whitetails of Oklahoma in Adair, Oklahoma. She is looking for any does with tails lifted and actively pushing, as this starts the countdown for safe fawn arrival. “I give them about an hour of active pushing,” Ezell explained. “If nothing has happened by then, I go in to assist.” Assisting means reaching deep inside the womb, feeling for fawns and helping to pull them out. While an inevitable set of twins is usually the norm, a doe’s history may point to the potential for triplets or quads or perhaps the rare arrival of quintuplets and the necessity to not stop investigating after two.

As these delicate lives receive their first breath of earthly air, Jodi and Chris, who have been through at least 12 fawning seasons, are already taking stock of each fawn and keeping a watchful eye. After 12 hours next to their mother’s

side to ensure colostrum intake, each fawn has hair pulled for a DNA sample, is tagged and given medication. Afterwards, doe fawns and struggling buck fawns are brought inside the Ezell’s bedroom, placed in baby pens and given additional goat colostrum. They will spend the next week receiving a bottle three times a day before being moved to the farm’s fawning facility. Once there, they are introduced to grain as a supplement to their regular schedule of pasteurized goat’s milk, although other farms may opt to bottle feed formula instead. “Around week three we start to feel like their survival rate is more guaranteed,” Ezell said. “By watching them this close for the first three weeks, we are eliminating some of the potential for Mother Nature to do them harm.” This could include the development of scours or even the failure early on to intake enough colostrum to ensure survival.

While fawn arrival may be one of the most rewarding times of the year for deer farmers, it can also be a time when farmers collectively hold their breath as they work to safeguard their health and survival. Although born precocial and able to ambulate practically from the moment they arrive, fawns can also be extremely fragile and may require dedicated care in order to grow into thriving and healthy adult deer.

In addition to proactive fawn care from the moment they arrive, ensuring fawns get the best head start begins with the care of the expecting doe, explains Matt Owens, owner of After Shock deer supplements and Rack Star Whitetails in Sullivan, Missouri. After having been through nine fawning seasons on his farm, his first preparations involve vaccinating all expectant does on March 15th for pneumonia, fusobacterium and clostridium C and D, common cervid

diseases known to cause herd and fawn mortality. A booster shot given on April 5th for each is another safeguard to increase doe antibody levels and allow for the passive transfer of antibodies from mother to baby, he emphasized. “The most important part of preparing for healthy fawns is to have a proven vaccine program and proven feed program for your expectant does,” Owens emphasized. While these measures certainly point to an increase in fawning success “some fawns are still born sick,” Owens said. “Another measure to decrease these odds is to make sure pregnant does also have a good vitamin and mineral program. When you do, fawns are generally born bigger and healthier. Fawns are born with no immune system and not until the 90-day mark do they really develop one. They need all the protection you can give them, including vaccines, until that 90-day mark.”

United Deer Famers Annual Convention

Title Sponsor (10k)

1. Banner - UDFOM convention brought to you by ……………..

2. Convention brought to you by in all advertising prior to convention

3. Pre attendee list for advertising

4. 2 advertising pages in auction booklet

5. Free 10x20 booth

6. Full page ad in Quest Mag. Each quarter

7. Advertising email blast to members each quarter.

8. Ad/banner on website for the year.

9. Commercial that runs on visual screens during convention.

10. 1-year UDFOM membership

11. Top listing on Sponsors page in 4 Quest Magazines

Antler Competition Sponsor (5K)

1. Full banner over antler competition admissions table

2. ½ size banner under main stage banner

3. Free 10x10 booth

4. 1 advertising page in auction booklet

5. ½ page ad in Quest Mag. Each quarter

6. 2 email blast to all members during year.

7. ½ size ad/banner on website for the year.

8. 1-year UDFOM membership

9. Listed on sponsors page in 4 Quest magazines

Auction Sponsor (5K)

1. Banner over antler competition admissions table

2. ½ size banner under main stage banner

3. Free 10x10 booth

4. 1 advertising page in auction booklet

5. ½ page ad in Quest Mag. Each quarter

6. 2 email blast to all members during year.

7. ad/banner on website for the year.

8. 1-year UDFOM membership

9. Listed on sponsors page in 4 Quest magazines

Silent Auction Sponsor (3K)

1. Banner over entrance of Silent Auction

2. ½ size banner under main stage banner

3. ½ page ad in auction booklet

4. Free 10x10 booth

5. ½ page ad in 2 Quest Magazines

6. 2 email blasts to all members during the year

7. Ad/banner on website for year.

8. 1-year UDFOM membership

9. Listed on sponsors page in 4 Quest magazines

Gun Safe Sponsor (3K)

1. Sign on top of gun safe

2. 1/3 size banner under main stage banner

3. Free 10x10 booth

4. ½ page ad in auction booklet

5. ½ page ad in 1 Quest Magazine

6. Ad/banner on website for year

7. 1-year UDFOM membership

8. Listed on sponsors page in 4 Quest magazines

Balloon Game Sponsor (3K)

1. Sign at entrance of balloon game

2. 1/3 size banner under main stage banner

3. Free 10x10 booth

4. ½ page ad in auction booklet

5. ½ page ad in 1 Quest Magazine

6. Ad/banner on website for year.

7. 1-year UDFOM membership

8. Listed on sponsors page in 4 Quest magazines

$1,000 sponsors (Beverage, Meals, Cornhole Tourn., Golden Ticket & Entertainment)

1. ½ page ad in auction booklet

2. ½ page ad in 1 Quest Magazine

3. Ad/banner on website for year

4. Listed on $1,000 sponsor board up on stage.

5. Listed on sponsors page in 4 Quest magazines

Support

drawing

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a resident of any of these states and required to be an active member, please select the correct level above.

If you are not sure of your membership status with a state and you sign up, your payment will cover you for the next year.

*** These states allow anyone that lives in their state and not raising deer but have interest to supporting the industry to be at the Associate Membership Level. This level is a non-voting level.

Name: Spouse or Partner:

Farm Name/Company:

Membership Address: City: State: Zip:____________County

Main preferred listing phone: Alternate listing phone:

Fax: Email: WebSite:

Check which apply ___:Own Hunting Preserve ___Own Breeding Operation ___Industry Supplier Species Raised: ___ Whitetail Deer ___Elk ___Mule Deer

Other Species Raised:

Products I Offer: __ Meat __Velvet Antler __ Industry Supplies __ Feed __ Nutritional Supplements ___Vaccine ___Graphic Design & or Web Design

Other Products or Services:

I hereby make application for membership to these associations, agreeing to conform to the Code of Ethics and Bylaws governing the associations.

Signature: Date:

PROTECTING FAWNS FROM PREDATORS

By: NexGen Pharmaceuticals

For 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

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.

1Gulsby, 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.

FEATURE STORY

AUCTIONEER RIDGE BOLLHEIMER NURTURING TWO GREAT LOVES

By: Gail Veley

It’s two minutes to auction time at the United Deer Farmers of Michigan (UDFOM) annual convention. As the crowd continues to gather in anticipation, some clearly know what lot they’re after. Some attend for the mere camaraderie and excitement. Auctioneer Ridge Bollheimer, 26, feels the adrenaline gathering in his body and the sweat on his brow. He’s done his part to prepare, checking the sound system, taking deep breaths, drinking small sips of warm water to keep his vocal chords loose and avoiding a big meal. Now, as he steps onstage and takes the microphone, an unspoken announcement resonates throughout the entire auction hall. Let the show begin.

Above the rumble of the crowd is the chanting and bid calling that Bollheimer does so naturally, elevating and maintaining the excitement of the event. The enthusiasm he feels, and the accompanying adrenaline rush is perhaps comparable to what he feels working as a hunting guide for Robert Sergi at Legends Ranch in Bitely, Michigan. While both jobs are only part-time, they are both fulfilling two great loves in his life.

“Since I’ve been 14, I was interested in being an auctioneer,” Bollheimer reflected. “I’m passionate about hunting and about raising money for conservation because the people we sell to are united individuals. I like networking with like-minded individuals whether it’s for an auction or working as a hunting guide. The industry has been very strong and it’s good to see all these like-minded farms where everyone is networking and everyone is friends, too.”

While Bollheimer has spent six seasons as a hunting guide for Legends Ranch, he has been the auctioneer at the UDFOM convention for the past five. He took his desire to become an auctioneer seriously and attended The Ohio Auction School in Groveport, Ohio when he was 19. There, he learned bid calling techniques as well as how rewarding and professional auctioneering can be. As a result of practicing his trade on a regular basis, he also placed in the finals at the Michigan Auctioneers Association State Championship competition five years in a row. “Chanting always came naturally to me,” he said. “And I really enjoy the atmosphere at The United Deer Farmers of Michigan annual convention. The people there are amazing and so incredible to work with.”

In addition to these endeavors Bollheimer owns and operates Lane View Farm, a popular beef cattle farm in Cement City, Michigan, as well as Sunshine Acres, one of Michigan’s premiere sunflower destinations. He also has his sights set on raising an elk herd when time allows. Bollheimer has worked as an auctioneer at many Safari Club International (SCI) events, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl and for various other benefit auctions, charities and events including those for veterans. At the end of the day, he is very grateful for the support of his girlfriend Lindsay as he juggles everything that means so much to him.

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

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THE NORTH AMERICAN DEER REGISTRY

CONTINUING TO IMPROVE TECHNOLOGY TO VALIDATE THE CERVID INDUSTRY

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by Iowa Deer Farmers Association

As the deer industry evolves, the North American Deer Registry (NADR) is evolving right along with it. Begun in 2007 to validate the industry by providing information on DNA and pedigrees, NADR, located in Edmond, Oklahoma, is now incredibly specific with the information it provides. In the summer of 2021, new CWD Genetic Assay Technology (investigative procedures that measure the presence of a targeted entity) was introduced and is currently utilized using approximately 50,000 genetic markers. This new assay provides Genetic Estimated Breeding Values (GEBV’s) to allow breeders to determine each animal’s susceptibility to CWD and make future breeding decisions in order to “move away” from this disease. This CWD technology was only a dream when NADR, in its infancy, studied 18 markers merely for the construction of simple, non-disease related genetic maps for parentage. “The technologies then were very rudimentary and had been around for years in the cattle and sheep industry,” said NADR Executive Director Gary Cook. “They focused primarily on pinpointing the most accurate DNA analysis possible at the time.” As DNA technology advanced and NADR partnered with Dr. Chris Seabury and Texas A & M to license technology that shifted the focus to genotyping and identifying SNP molecular markers found in DNA, it resulted in 400 identifying markers utilized for parentage in whitetail

and mule deer. In addition, in 2016, NADR selected a new organization, Neogen (Geneseek), with state-ofthe-art laboratories all over the globe including Lincoln, Nebraska, to facilitate the transition to this new technology. To date, NADR has tested 350,000 fallow, mule and whitetail tissue samples combined, with a goal of providing official pedigree services for fallow deer later this year. Having a NADR registered deer doesn’t merely provide a handy reference for pedigrees, breeding values or breeding decisions. It’s a necessity should one wish to qualify for a consignment auction or prove their deer’s value to a potential buyer. The efforts of two valued organizations, NADeFA and the Texas Deer Association (TDA), allowed NADR, a 501c4 organization, to become a reality. Several years later, Venados De Mexico (VDM) joined as an organization. NADR is comprised of a team of dedicated scientists and office administrators as well as a 14-member volunteer board, five from NADeFA, two from VDM, five from TDA as well as NADeFA Executive Director Shawn Schafer and TDA Executive Director Kevin Davis. To become a NADR customer, one must first be an active voting member of the TDA, NADeFA or VDM and submit DNA samples to NADR in tissue tubes. Samples could include pulled (not shaved) hair between 30-50 millimeters long from the underside of the tail, an antler core from the base of a shed antler, semen straws or used semen straws with the cotton plug still intact. Sample

submission options include an excel spreadsheet, GMS software or manually. Cook emphasizes shipping samples that will arrive on a weekday, and to include with your sample all possible sire and dam NADR numbers including A.I. and backup bucks.

NADR, who tests on average 25,000 deer per year, sends certificates to owners once results are completed. All results are confidential and available online. However, no one but NADR and its members have access to the results.

“We work very hard to offer the best in a genetic registry,” Cook said. “We continuously seek ways to provide knowledge and state of the art services to our customers.”

Reach NADR staff by calling 405-5137228, faxing 405-513-7238, sending an email to nadr@deerregistry.com or visiting their website at www. deerregistry.com.

NADR is located at 1601 Medical Center Drive, Suite 1 Edmond, OK, 73034

ASPIRING VET, ETERNAL DEER ENTHUSIAST

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by Dr. Daniel Bontrager

The first time 17-year-old Presli Busby held a needle and injected antibiotics into a deer, she wasn’t filled with the apprehension most might feel doing so for the first time. “It felt pretty cool and natural,” the softspoken teenager and member of the Marianna, Florida FFA Chapter, said. However, Busby has spent most of her life being drawn to challenges. Her most recent one, entering an FFA (Future Farmers of America) Agricultural Proficiency Award Contest for Wildlife Management, earned her first place in the state and as an FFA finalist, a bronze medal.

While Busby is proud of her accomplishment, along with her parents and FFA Advisor Tony Watkins, it’s her mentor Dr. Daniel Bontrager, DC, who perhaps also feels like a proud father. Bontrager, owner of Bontrager Whitetails in Marianna, Florida, not only relies on her help at his farm, to him it still feels like just yesterday when he first met Busby as the four-year-old

daughter to a new employee at his chiropractic office. He never imagined he would watch her (then a little blond girl holding a bottle for fawns) grow up and not only love deer, but also be a serious contender for veterinary school.

“Presli is an amazing young woman,” Bontrager 66, shared. “Her Dad and I are friends and her mom, Terri, works at my office. Last winter, when my righthand man passed away unexpectedly, Presli stepped right up to help. When I would get home from the office and it was dark, Presli had everything with the deer taken care of. She is very conscientious and really takes care of business. She is a good kid and she’s honest and not afraid of hard work.” The substantial amount of hard work to enter the proficiency contest, along with a very lengthy application, didn’t deter Busby when she began the process in February of 2022. In fact, it motivated her even more because, of the 150 or so members in her FFA chapter, she was the very first one to ever do so. “My advisor and I were thinking of more ways to be involved and I like entering contests,” she said. “Our goal is to have more of us enter for next year.”

As she begins her senior year of high school Busby has her sights set on vet school after earning a fouryear Animal Science degree from Chipola Community College. While working happily for Bontrager and studying takes up a great deal of her time, she also enjoys hunting with her father, Andy, 42, and her older brothers Jim, 22 and Hunter, 20. She also enjoys spending time with the family’s five dogs who include a Shih Tzu,

a Rottweiler, an English Bull dog, a Labrador Retriever mix and a Wiener dog. “The Shih Tzu is a boy, and the rest are girls,” Presli said. “And he’s in charge.”

Being in charge of her life is something Presli is obviously excelling at. As she prepares for the annual FFA Convention October 26th-29th in Indianapolis, Indiana, she is looking forward to hearing keynote speakers and mingling with others who share her same vision and goals. Established in 1928, the FFA teaches development of leadership and life skills that shape decision making and values. It also strives to help build the self-esteem of its members and prepare them for career success through agricultural education.

“I feel very blessed to be part of the FFA,” Presli said. “I feel grateful for the opportunities it has given me now and will give me in the future, and I am very grateful to work with Daniel on his farm. When I first thought about vet school, I was thinking dogs and cats. Now I’m thinking deer and livestock.” While Presli loves Florida, she has always wanted to try living somewhere else, too, and really likes the idea of living in Texas. With that being said, she better get ready for a lot of phone calls from Texas deer farmers when she becomes a veterinarian!

FEATURE STORY

ANTLER REPLICA AND REPAIR CREATING TREASURED KEEPSAKE ANTLERS

By: Gail Veley

With an airbrush in hand, Antler Replica and Repair Owner Larry Lehman sits down in his shop, ready to devote a full eight hours to the task at hand. He carefully glides his brush over a recently molded set of deer antlers. With each dip into a jar of lacquer paint and each caress of the brush, the antlers transform from what was merely a reproduced model to something that appears very life like. Soon, upon completing the replication, it will be practically impossible to tell which set is the original one and which set is the reproduction.

Lehman never realized 20 years ago when his brother asked him to briefly assist in his taxidermy business, that he would be so unmistakably drawn to the profession. He both replicates and repairs antlers to the tune of close to 40 sets a year. With the popularity of his business, located in Nappanee, Indiana, it could easily become his full-time job. “I started off in my basement, but my wife thought I needed my own shop,” Lehman, 56, shared. “So, I built my own barn and it’s always filled with work to be done.”

Lehman’s typical customer are deer breeders in the fall “because they cut off the antlers and want to put the set back together,” he explained. “I reconstruct the set and also mount them back on a skull plate.” Especially around the first of the year, Lehman also gets a lot of requests for replicas from hunting situations where two hunters each played a part in harvesting a buck. He has replicated antlers including the head and neck of the deer as well as with just the skull plate alone. Upon receiving a set of antlers from customers, Lehman allots four weeks to replicate each set.

Creating the first mold, a concoction of latex and silicone rubber, takes approximately four days. After seven days of curing, a “mother mold” is created using a special plastic material exclusive to Lehman, which aids in holding the first mold in place. During the next phase of antler creation, time is of the essence. As soon as a piping hot specially formulated urethane mixture is ready to be poured into the mold, Lehman has three minutes to get the job done or risk the material becoming too thick and hardening too fast. With the help of his wife Mary, who dons gloves and holds the mold, Lehman promptly takes to his task and pours the mixture into the mold. After sitting for fifteen to twenty minutes, the urethane mixture has sufficiently hardened up. Soon, the newly created set of antlers will be painted and completed.

“It’s very satisfying once it’s all done,” Lehman said. “I really enjoy seeing how well the finished product turns out and how excited my customers are who get them.” Lehman also enjoys attending trade shows such as the United Deer Farmers of Michigan (UDFOM) annual convention and NADeFA and allowing others to learn about his business. He also offers some advice for customer who cut off antlers and want them reconstructed. “I need photos and good measurements so I can put them back together,” he emphasized.

Yet whether it’s a repair or replication job, Lehman thoroughly relishes each job from start to finish. “I really enjoy it when the antlers essentially come alive,” he said. “That’s my favorite part.”

Larry Lehman 574-773-0180

Email: lehman65@sle.email