Pennsylvania Fall 2023

INVEST IN SEMEN STRAWS WISELY AND

THOUGHTFULLY

Sponsored by udfom

OKLAHOMA DEER FARMERS

FLOURISHING UNDER MONITORED OR NON-MONITORED STATUS

Sponsored by Woo

PENNSYLVANIA DEER FARMERS

SHARE

“IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW –WHAT I MAY HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY.”

Sponsored by pdfa

Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Association

Fall Event

Fall Event

Fall Event

September 14 & 15

September 14

September 14 & 15

ms available at $159/night plus 11% tax. Please call hotel at 855-618-6181 reference room block for PDFA Fall Auction Code: 12933 or book ough our website at www.warehousehotel.com and use Group Code: 12933 o later than Monday, August 14, 2023. All reservations must be guaranteed h a credit card. Individual pay guests may change the method of payment heck in. The guest is responsible for room, tax, incidentals, and other ndatory fees (cots, additional car, incidentals, etc.) or gratuities. viduals may cancel room reservation up to 72 hours prior to arrival. The ve rates include complimentary guest parking (1) car per guest room and use of the fitness center and group exercise classes.

Rooms available at $159/night plus 11% tax. Please call hotel at 855-618 and reference room block for PDFA Fall Auction Code: 12933 or b through our website at www.warehousehotel.com and use Group Code: 1 – no later than Monday, August 14, 2023. All reservations must be guaran with a credit card. Individual pay guests may change the method of paym at check in. The om, tax, incidentals, and o mandatory fees ncidentals, etc.) or gratu

Rooms available at $159/night plus 11% tax. Please call hotel at 855-618-6181 and reference room block for PDFA Fall Auction Code: 12933 or book through our website at www.warehousehotel.com and use Group Code: 12933 – no later than Monday, August 14, 2023. All reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card. Individual pay guests may change the method of payment at check in. The guest is responsible for room, tax, incidentals, and other mandatory fees (cots, additional car, incidentals, etc.) or gratuities. Individuals may cancel room reservation up to 72 hours prior to arrival. The above rates include complimentary guest parking (1) car per guest room and the use of the fitness center and group exercise classes

Individuals may cancel room reservation up to 72 hours prior to arrival. above rates include complimentary guest parking (1) car per guest room the use of the fitness center and group exercise classes.

To book your room at the Warehouse HotelCall: 855-618-6181 Or Vist: www.warehousehotel.com

OFFICERS / BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Josh Newton (2025) President Cervid Solutions, LLC / Red Ridge Whitetails

15223 Route 87 Hwy

Williamsport, PA. 17701

Office: 844-478-2870 / Cell: 484-951-3229

Email: jnewton@redridgewhitetails.com

Lloyd Stoltzfus (2023) Vice President

Walnut Ridge Whitetails

142 Churchtown Rd.

Narvon, Pa. 17555

Office: 717-768-3471

Email: wrwhitetails@yahoo.com

Isaac Martin (2024) Secretary

Bambi’s Paradise

230 Dusty Hollow Lane

McClure, Pa. 17841

Cell: 570-412-0064

Email: ike@pikrite.com

John Fisher (2025)

World Class Genetics

152 Meadow Lane

Loysville, Pa. 17047

Cell: 717-582-1896

Email: 5starjohndaniel@gmail.com

Elam Lapp Jr. (2023)

Nationwide Scents 183 Spain Road

Herndon, Pa. 17830

Office: 570-425-2804

Email: elam@nationwidescents.com

John Manta (2024)

Julie Acres Deer Farm

255 Wolf Bridge Rd.

Carlisle, PA 17013

Cell: 717-448-8764

Email: julieacres@aol.com

Timothy Hill (2023)

Treasurer Three Rivers Whitetails

20 Sutton Lane

Washington, Pa. 15301

Cell: 724-705-3955

Email: timothyhill81@gmail.com

Tess Stevenson

PDFA Administrator

PO Box 394

Harrisburg, PA 17108

Office: 717-801-0533

Email: office@padfa.com

Katryna Stegmeier (2023)

Pine Valley Whitetails

275 Pine Valley Road New Ringgold, Pa. 17960

Cell: 484-619-1690

Email: pinevalleywhitetails@gmail.com

Bruce Snyder (2025)

Snyder’s Whitetails

2358 Produce Rd.

Selinsgrove, Pa. 17870

Cell: 570-259-0051

Email: snyderswhitetails@yahoo.com

Andy Goodman, Partner Legislative Counsel

Milliron & Goodman

Governmental Relations

200 N. Third St.

Harrisburg, Pa. 17101

Office: 717-232-5322

Email: andy@millirongoodman.com

Kerry Lange, Senior Associate

Legislative Counsel

Milliron & Goodman Government Relations

Kerry Lange, Senior Associate 200 N. Third St.

Harrisburg, Pa. 17101

Office: 717-232-5322

Email: kerry@millirongoodman.com

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

As I sit to write this message, as always, I am reminded of how fast time moves. In my last Presidents address we were discussing the coming of fawns and summer, now we prepare for fall.

It has been a busy few months for your PDFA. In addition to our normal business of operating the association we have been planning our Fall Event. Knowing that these events are a way for farmers to meet each other and help support the PDFA’s mission our board of directors have been working for months on the details.

This event will combine our traditional two events (per year) into one and be two days September 14 and 15th. We will have our Stocker/Breeder auction on the 14th and the Annual meeting and benefit auction on Friday 15th.

Dr. Davin Henderson and Dr. Christopher Seabury will be “in the house” to present on Chronic Wasting Disease in various capacities. We will have updates from the Dept. of Agriculture, the Harrisburg Capitol and much more.

It continues to become more evident that the PA Deer Farmers Association are leading the way in the fight against CWD. In conjunction with PA Dept. of Ag and USDA we are finding new tools and opportunities for PA producers to navigate the water. In the coming years PA deer farmers will be well positioned in the market place and our businesses will again be in a position to thrive.

On a final note, the PDFA has proactively agreed to hire Keith Warren from the High Road and Deer and Wildlife Stories to work with us creating a video about the importance of Deer Farming and Ranching in PA and Nationally. This significant investment will provide a national platform for us to discuss and story tell about not only the purpose but the benefit of our industry on the landscape in North America

Our industry embraces tenants of small business, land conservation, local communities, economic impact, habitat restoration, species preservation and so much more. We are incredibly excited to take on this task and look forward to sharing it with you.

In closing, I look forward to seeing you all at the next deer event, have a great and prosperous fall season!

Respectfully,

Josh Newton, PDFA President

North American Deer Talk - Texas Deer Association Update

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

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!

4TH INTERNATIONAL CWD SYMPOSIUM JUNE 2023, DENVER COLORADO

Attending the 4th International Symposium was an easy decision. As many of you are already aware a significant portion of my time spent in leadership roles for the farmed deer industry has focused on Chronic Wasting Disease related issues. This trip was different as I had no official responsibilities. I had planned to attend simply based upon my personal interest regarding research on improving and evolving diagnostics, environmental contributors, new risk vectors, and predictive genetics, which would hopefully all be discussed at the symposium.

I was feeling relaxed and enjoying my time away from the responsibilities of my real job. As I chatted with my Uber driver from the Denver airport to the convention center my phone rang. I was informed that Shawn Schafer had a flight delay and I would need to fill in for him and represent the farmed cervid industry in the opening event at the symposium which was a round table discussion. My relaxation disappeared as I came to terms with needing to perform in front of approximately 400 of the most notable researchers, regulators, and wildlife managers from across our country and around the world. I knew most of the presenters on our panel. They were all devoted professionals from around the country who had dealt with the consequences of CWD for their stakeholder groups for many years. The round table discussion went well and I enjoyed the professional dialogue, despite the fact, that my CWD vacation was now over. CWD has created diverse struggles for many different

stakeholder groups yet there is a common thread shared among all the groups; the need for more answers specifically relating to management, diagnostics, and prevention.

The amount of research showcased at the symposium and the quality of the presenters was the best I had witnessed.

Too many subject areas were presented for me to cover, so I will highlight a few. New risk vectors continue to be discovered. CWD infectious doses were demonstrated to be available in plant life, vegetables, voles, ticks, raccoons, nasal bots, body secretions, body excretions, carcasses, etc… The proof of concept that CWD could pass to humans was presented in the scenario of referenced transmission through a raccoon. CWD infectious material was intracranially injected into humanized transgenic mice. This method of passage is not natural but knowing that the concept has proven out will undoubtedly lead to more research in this area.

The location of injection on a research specimen of CWD positive material can affect the strain of CWD which proliferates. CWD infectious material which passes thru the gut of a bobcat was shown to be 98% less infectious when it was excreted in scat. Two research projects were shared which demonstrated that wild deer populations are self-selecting for deer genotypes which are less susceptible to CWD. Predictive genetics research was presented which demonstrated intentional genetic selection can create significantly less

susceptible deer in just a few generations. Multiple Canadian researchers shared information on CWD vaccine research. Wildlife managers shared evolving thoughts regarding focusing less on CWD and perhaps more on overall healthy deer herds. Scandinavian stakeholders, who are dealing with CWD outbreaks in multiple deer species shared thoughts suggesting CWD might be spontaneous. Improved sensitivity and specificity of diagnostics, and how these new diagnostic capabilities are utilized was also interesting. Also of interest was a sidebar conversation which raised the possibility of utilizing an emerging diagnostic tool which could possibly identify CWD positive animals prior to shedding.

Shawn and I finished off our trip with a tour of the USDA Wildlife Research Services research center in Fort Collins Colorado. This was the perfect ending to my trip. The physical facility was amazing. Their research resume was astounding. I truly felt privledged to have gotten to have such a tour.

A take away from the 4th International CWD Symposium is that CWD is being researched more aggressively than any time since its discovery. Researchers and vested parties are communicating and collaborating more effectively knowing that no stakeholder group has discovered a long term solution i.e the “silver bullet”, yet.

Respectfully Submitted, Glenn Dice Jr. Past Pres. PDFA

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LOUISIANA DEER FARMERS SHARE – IF I KNEW 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.”

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INVEST IN SEMEN STRAWS WISELY AND THOUGHTFULLY

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by UDFOM

Any deer farmer who’s bought semen straws for the last five to six years more-than-likely “has too much semen,” explains Alex Draper of DD Deer Farms in Clio, Michigan. Although semen straws allow a deer farmer to breed with perhaps the best buck on the market, that same buck may be replaced by another the following year with even better and more desirable traits, making semen straws of the previous year’s buck obsolete. “If you bought more semen from a buck than you can use in one breeding season, you may have wasted your money,” Draper advised.

Individual semen straws, which can vary greatly in price depending on the buck, typically cover two to three does through vaginal A.I. or one to two does through the use of an insemination gun. And while diversifying genetics can be the focus of a deer farmer each breeding season, Draper, 71, a deer farmer of 32-plus years, cautions to study conception rates and to consider your budget and goals beforehand. Should your budget allow for five semen straws, buy five of the same buck you desire to breed to, rather than one straw from five different bucks. “If you only buy one straw from one buck, and you only end up with one surviving fawn from that straw that dies later in the fall, you’ve lost the genetic potential of that entire straw,” he said. “Buy enough to make a difference. It’s better to make sure you end up with the offspring you were after. When you are buying semen, you also need a good grasp on genetics and should breed for paper (pedigrees) or better genetics going forward.”

However, even though keeping up with industry trends has it’s advantages, Draper, whose focus in the past few years has been on raising typicals, is

now charting a different course for his farm. This fall and in subsequent years to come, he will be focusing on genetic breeding values (GBV’s) which estimate an animal’s genetic merit for a particular trait and while defining the superiority or inferiority of it’s offspring. In the case of whitetail deer, Draper along with other deer farmers, are realizing the increased need to breed for CWD resistance. To this end, Draper may use some of the semen straws from his old inventory to help perpetuate this goal. “Be aware that some big bucks on the scene now have no GBV’s,” he said. To date, as a result of making informed choices about the purchase of semen straws, more than half of the breeder bucks on Draper’s farm possess the “SS” allele or better. Through his studies, Draper has found he likes “K’s” and “H’s” and anything equal to the “SS” allele but without a “G” link to it. Alleles, defined as one or two alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome, may strongly determine a whitetail’s potential resistance to CWD.

“Don’t get me wrong, I like my typicals, but most of the stuff that has favorable GBV’s has a more nontypical look,” explained Draper, whose background and professional engineering career centering around science is influencing him to move away from typicals, and later go back to them when genetics are more favorable and able to sustain many generations of CWD resistant deer. “Here in Michigan, we look it at as a long-term goal and can start with the base that we are creating,” he said. “The science side of me is making me want to focus on the breeding markers and leave a good foundation (legacy) for others to benefit from. It’s not about chasing pedigrees but about the markers. Michigan has a good stocker buck market to move us a couple years down the road. Our ultimate goal is to develop our breeding operations to have all great markers and develop the GBV’s that protect against CWD for future sales of those protected deer.”

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.

VENISON MUSHROOM SWISS BURGERS

Have you ever had a burger so good that you couldn’t set it down? Yeah? This is one of those burgers. The secrets to a perfect venison mushroom swiss burger are a little bit of time and a whole lotta cheese. Perfectly caramelized mushrooms and onions are an exercise in patience but once you have them paired with a deliciously cheesy, juicy venison burger, you’ll want to make them over and over again.

IngredIents

Caramelized Mushrooms and Onions:

• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced

• 4 cups onions, julienned (cut from root to tip)

• 2 tablespoon butter

• salt and pepper, to taste

Burger Patties:

• 1 lb ground venison (or elk, moose, antelope, beef, etc.)

• 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 4 slices Swiss cheese, cut into ¼” squares

Other Ingredients:

• 4 slices Swiss cheese

• 4 brioche hamburger buns

• mayo (optional)

• ketchup (optional)

InstructIons

1. Carmelize Mushrooms and onions in a large pan over medium-low heat. The timing varies on the freshness of your ingredients but should take about 7-10 minutes.

2. Preheat grill to 350°F.

3. In a medium bowl, add ground meat, worcestershire sauce, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

4. Mix with your hands until spices are well-combined with the meat. Add in diced pieces of Swiss cheese and gently incorporate them into the meat.

5. Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Roll each piece of meat into a ball, then form into a patty by squishing it between the palms of your hands. Patties should be about 4.5-5” in diameter. Using your thumb, place a small dimple in the middle of each patty.

6. Carefully place burger patties on grill and cook for 4-5 minutes.

7. Flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove to a foil-lined flat grill pan or small sheet pan.

8. Top burgers with mushrooms and onions, then top with cheese. You can save some of the mushrooms and onions out to place on top of the melted cheese too, if desired.

9. Place pan back on grill and cook for 4-5 minutes, using indirect heat (not directly over the flame).

10. Remove pan from grill when cheese is melted.

11. Spread mayo on buns if desired, then add burgers to the bottom bun. Drizzle with ketchup if desired and place top half of bun on top. Enjoy!

OKLAHOMA DEER FARMERS FLOURISHING UNDER MONITORED OR NON-MONITORED STATUS

By: Gail Veley - Sponsored by Whitetails of Oklahoma

Ooklahoma can boast about something few states can. There has never been a confirmed case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in either farmed or free-range whitetail deer. However, Oklahoma has been very fortunate in this regard. Through a program developed by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture in conjunction with Whitetails of Oklahoma (WOO), deer farmers within the state have the option to operate their farms under a CWD/TB/ Brucellosis Monitored status or a NonMonitored status.

Which one you choose could depend on what part of the deer industry you are catering to and the potential amount of sales you wish to generate, among other things. Oklahoma farmers with monitored herds can sell deer to any state that will or can accept them. Oklahoma farmers with non-monitored herds can only sell their deer within the Oklahoma state borders.

However, raising a non-monitored herd has never been to the detriment of Barry Reed, 47, owner of Big Head Whitetails in Pryor, Oklahoma. “I sell out of stockers every year,” said Barry, who leans towards raising non-typical deer with a good frame. “I can’t raise enough to keep up with the demand. This year I sold all of my available inventory including bred and open does.” To further guarantee his deer are marketable in light of his nonmonitored status, Reed infuses quality genetics from the likes of Maxbo, Express and Pay Day into his herd and also promotes his prize breeding buck “Titties.” While he finds being nonmonitored less stressful on his daily farm operation “there are advantages

to being monitored,” he said. “There is a bigger breeder market and doe market if you can sell to other states like those up north.” Yet, if he was monitored, he admits he could find himself needing to be more closely concerned about overall production. While agreeing that being monitored has it’s advantages, Don Elder of Oak Hollow Exotics feels he has absolutely no need to be, as he easily sells all of his genetically-proven inventory every year to the tune of at least 25 deer. “I’ve had several friends that were monitored, but it got too costly and time-consuming,” he said. “Now I only know two to three people who are still monitored.” While Elder, 67, used to raise and sell elk and fallow deer, he became nervous when CWD began to show it’s face among elk. According to internet research, in 1998, a case of CWD was found in a captive elk at a neighboring Oklahoma farm that had been imported from Montana. As a result, the entire elk herd was euthanized. Consequently, since 2008, Elder has only raised and sold whitetails, and finds immense gratification in doing so.

Yet, gratification in having and maintaining a monitored herd is what motivates Chris Ezell to do so at his farm, Dangerous Whitetails of Oklahoma. “To qualify as a CWD/TB/ Brucellosis Monitored herd, you must test for CWD, TB and brucellosis. To do that, you need to run all of your deer through your handling facility and pull blood from them to be sent off for testing. This is a costly expense,” Ezell explained. “You also must test every animal over 12 months of age that dies on your farm. This means you must take the head of the deceased animal to your vet and pay to have the test done. You must also keep

up with all of the paperwork and use multiple tags on your deer. All of these requirements take time, cost money and put extra stress on your animals. And, if you damage one deer in the process it could cost you $5,000 to $10,000 or more to treat it. So, with that being said, if you do not do all of these things you can only sell your deer within the state of Oklahoma. I personally own deer in several states and have partners who wish to move animals to different states that have been born in Oklahoma. These deer usually possess high end, nationally marketed genetics. Therefore, the value offsets the time and expense and headaches of doing what it takes to be monitored,” he added. “If you feel your deer are worth the time and expense to be monitored, you owe it to yourself to explore that option.”

Dana & Ella Hoover 4456 Champlin Rd. Penn Yan, NY 14527

P 315.595.2202

F 315.595.8863

dana@ibyfax.com

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: Tess Stevenson: office@pdfa.com This gives PDFA 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.

Raising Quality Whitetails Bucks, Does, & Fawns For Sale

Word Search

Autumn

Acorn

Apple

Leaves Colors

Pumpkin

Sweater

Maize

Scarecrow

Turkey Antlers

Buck

Harvest

Cider

Cranberry

Hayride

Sunshine Foliage

Hibernate

Migrate

Umbrella

Raincoat

Orchard

Frost Season

Crossword Puzzle

Answers to puzzles will be available in the next issue, or can be found on our website: www.deersites.com

PENNSYLVANIA DEER FARMERS SHARE

“IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW –WHAT I MAY HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY.”

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by PDFA

Ask Nikki Brooks of Valley Deer Farm in Williamsport, Pennsylvania what she would have done differently in starting a deer farm with fiancé Tucker Sellinger three years ago, and her answer is simple. “Start sooner.” Many different considerations come to the forefront when starting a deer farm. For example, knowing what type of deer potential end markets are seeking and what they are willing to pay for them, is something every fledgling deer farmer should research before starting a deer farm, offers Bruce Snyder of Snyder’s Whitetails in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Although he has successfully operated his deer farm for more than 20 years, had he to do over Snyder would have initially visited more farms. “You need to visit with and know your buyers and establish a trusting relationship from the beginning,” he said. “In selling your deer the buyer needs to know that they are healthy. The day they’re leaving your farm, you need to take their temperature, because you don’t want to be out the money if something happens.”

As important as trusting relationships are, is also the need to handle deer with ease and safety. “I would have

made having a proper handling facility NUMBER ONE from the start,” Snyder, 54, said. “When I first started, I was in my 30’s. I was young and stronger and now 20 years later things aren’t always so easy. Being able to handle them safely and without necessarily the need to dart makes life a whole lot better. I also wish I had learned to bottle feed in those early years to make it easier to get close to them.”

Helping Snyder today keep a closer handle on his deer, is his daily routine of feeding treats to his herd of 50 or so. “You need to keep eyes on your deer every day and be able to spot diseases and signs of poor health. And the sooner the better,” Snyder said. “They are good at hiding everything. If one of my deer doesn’t come up for a treat, then I know something is wrong.” Disease prevention can be key when the intention is to raise the healthiest deer possible and to this end, a nutrient rich feed and supplement program is key. Had he to do over, Snyder would have added kelp to his grain mill order from the very beginning. Kelp, added at 10 pounds per ton of feed, helps deters flies away from deer. He also learned to test his hay to make sure it’s never too high in nitrates, which can cause abortions.

The diligence and steadfast seven-day-a-week commitment to caring for deer is something Sellinger and Brooks realized the moment they decided to raise deer (in addition to working full-time jobs.) Although only in their third year of deer farming, both intend to ensure their farm becomes profitable. “We tried to do it right from

the very beginning. But looking back, we would have made our primary (2.5 acre) enclosure bigger and would have installed our utilities (water and electric) before we got our first deer,” Sellinger, 51, said. “Knowing now what we know, I also would have cleared more land off to make it easier putting fences up, too.”

And like Snyder, Sellinger wished he and Brooks had erected deer-friendly facilities from the very beginning. However, “the living room worked great,” Sellinger said, in reference to temporarily housing fawns. “The dining room worked great, too.” As he now works to ensure the health and longevity of the 23 deer residing on the farm, he and Brooks plan to upgrade their current bottle-feeding facility and perhaps also build a handling facility should time and finances allow. “From the beginning, we also really heeded the guidance of veteran deer farmers like Glen Erickson who generously offered help and advice on everything from breeding to nutrition,” Sellinger said. “Everyone is this industry is so willing to help. No one is competitive. We are all here to help each other succeed.”

SUDOKU

The rules for sudoku are simple.

A 9x9 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 3x3 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

Be Creative and add in a background for Bunny!

PENNSYLVANIA DEER FARMERS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

(Please check one) ❑ New ❑ Renewal - Member #____________ (if known) Membership Name:___________________________________________Date________________ Farm Name:_____________________________________________________________________

appear in directory)________________________

I am joining as (please check one)

❑ Active PA Propagator* (voting privileges) - $100.00

❑ Associate Member (non-voting) - $75.00

❑ Life Member* (voting privileges) - $1,000.00

*Must be a Pennsylvania resident

Please check all that apply:

❑ Farm ❑ Hunting Ranch

Ranch Name & Contact info if different from Farm: ❑ Other

I hereby make application to the Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Association, Inc. and certify that the information I have provided is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Signature:___________________________________________ Date:______________________

Please mail application with payment to: PA Deer Farmers Association P. O. Box 3 635 • Williamsport, PA 17701

Please mail application with payment to: PA Deer Farmers Association PO Box 394, Harrisburg, PA 17108