Tri-State Associations Fall 2023

Page 1

INVEST IN SEMEN STRAWS WISELY AND THOUGHTFULLY

Sponsored by udfom

PREPARING YOUR BUCKS FOR THE HUNT

COMMON SENSE ADVICE

Sponsored by wol

RAISING AND KEEPING EXOTICS

KANSAS FARMERS OFFER INSIGHT

Sponsored by keda

SEE AD INSIDE
Fall 2023 l Volume 2 l Issue 3
Tri-State Associations
1 ADVERTISERS INDEX Antler Ridge Whitetails ........................................................13 AR&R Antler Replica & Repairs 22 Blessed Bayou ............................................................ 34 Blosser Whitetails ....................................................... 17 Blue Creek Whitetails 44 C&E Wildlife Products 20 Cervid Central Market Place........................................ 30 Cervid Solutions, LLC 33 Clay Kuntry Whitetails 50 CuddliEZ ..................................................................... 22 Dan-Inject North America 23 Droptine Studios 10, 11, 40 EZid, LLC ..................................................................... 42 Head Gear, LLC 7 Hilty Whitetails 9 Illini Whitetails ........................................................... 18 Jo Jo’s Whitetails 21 Lafourche Drone Services 24 Major League Whitetails 48 NexGen Animal Health ............................................... 46 Nold Farms Inside Front Cover Pine Creek Deer Farm 52 Pneu-Dart ................................................................... 43 Prime Acres Whitetails 45 Purina 54 Rocking JE Whitetails .................................................. 27 Rocky Ridge Whitetails 38, 39 Springfield Whitetails Center Spread Stateline Cryogenics .......................................... Cover, 2 Strunk’s Whitetail Haven................................ Back Cover Tajada Whitetail Ranch 14 Trophy Whitetails ....................................................... 49 Woodard Whitetails ................................................... 36 Zehr Bros Whitetails Inside Back Cover IN THIS ISSUE Activity Pages .................................................................................................................... 26, 37, 42 Advertising Information 56 Business Card Advertising FREE! ............................................................................................. 20, 47 Convention Photos 31, 35 KEDA BOD .................................................................................................................................... 12 KEDA Membership Form 53 KEDA Summer Picnic Photos ................................................................................................... 15, 19 KEDA Presidents Message 13 Quarterly Event Calendar 3 MDA BOD ....................................................................................................................................... 4 MDA Membership Form 55 MDA Presidents Message ............................................................................................................... 5 Recipe - Venison Mushroom Swiss Burgers 25 WOO BOD ...................................................................................................................................... 8 WOO Membership Form 51
FEATURED ARTICLES Invest in Semen Straws Wisely and Thoughtfully ............................................................................16 Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Share “If I Knew Then What I Know Now – What I May Have Done Differently.” ....................................................................................................................................41 Preparing Your Bucks for the Hunt – Common Sense Advice ..........................................................32 Raising and Keeping Exotics – Kansas Farmers Offer Insight 6 MAGAZINE GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PUBLISHING: D & K Design 305 E. 350 N., Ivins, UT 84738 deerassociations@gmail.com P) 435-817-0150 (Editorial Provided by Contributing Writers) MARK YOUR CALENDARS! WINTER MAGAZINE DEADLINE December 13th Chris Ezell Dangerous Whitetails of Oklahoma 7134 W. 420 Rd Chelsea, OK 74016 918-697-5389 chrisezell@rocketmail.com Karla Kretschmer AB Whitetails 2052 Nation Rd Chetopa, KS 67336 620-920-0578 karlakretschmer@outlook.com Amy Nold Nold Farms LLC 51 SW 1501 RD Urich, MO Henry 64788 660-492-0215 noldfarmsllc@yahoo.com Watch for these symbols for interactive links in the eBook! This symbol indicates there is a video linked This symbol indicates there is a link to email, website, or facebook
TRI-STATE PRESIDENTS:
2
3 Labor Day Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Association Fall Classic Stocker and Breeder Auction & Annual Pennsylvania Deer and Outdoor Expo 2023 SOUTHERN TOP 30 Whitetail & Specialty Extravaganza Great Wolf Lodge, Grapevine, TX Louisiana Fall Deadline Kentucky & New York Fall Deadline Tri-State Associations Fall Deadline Labor Day Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Association Fall Classic Stocker and Breeder Auction & Annual Pennsylvania Deer and Outdoor Expo Louisiana Fall Deadline Kentucky & New York Fall Deadline Tri-State Associations Fall Deadline Columbus Day Halloween Quest for Michigan’s Best Fall Deadline Columbus Day Halloween Quest for Michigan’s Best Fall Deadline Veterans Day (Observed) Veterans Day Thanksgiving Southeast Tines Winter Deadline The IDEFA Journal Winter Deadline Pennsylvania Winter Deadline Upper Midwest Fall Deadline Mulit-Magazine Winter Deadline Quarterly Calendar Update ~ Ad Deadlines & Events Provided by D&K Design, Publisher for State Association Magazines l VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE EVENT DETAILS: DEERSITES.COM SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER WINTER TRI-STATE ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE PRIME SPOTS: Cover: Jason Blosser, Inside Front Cover: Amy Nold, Center Spread: Chris Ezell, and Back Cover Karla Kretschmer. Ads due no later than Dec. 13th deerassociations@gmail.com

DEER ASSOCIATION - BOD'S

EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Amy Nold (‘26) President Nold Farms LLC 51 SW 1501 RD

Urich, MO Henry 64788 660-492-0215 noldfarmsllc@yahoo.com

Bradley Lueckenhoff (‘26) Vice President Little Flat Creek 200 Washington St Suite 4 Purdy, MO 65734

417-342-2516

bradjlueck@gmail.com

DIRECTORS

Matt Kirchner (‘25) Missouri Whitetails

29158 Hwy. C Alexandria, MO 63430 660-341-0554

mkirchner32@gmail.com

Sean Combs (‘24)

Tall Tine Whitetail Ranch

697 Blackjack Trail Mountain Home, AR 72653

870-450-2736

sean@mallardresort.com

Donald Hill (‘24)

Oak Creek Whitetail Ranch 178 Oak Creek Ln Bland, MO 65014

573-943-6644

donald@oakcreekwhitetailranch.com

Racheal Monnig (‘24) Secretary / Treasurer

Monnig Whitetails

14631 Cedar Ridge Ave Salisbury, MO 65281 660-413-1254

monnig.whitetails@yahoo.com

Amanda Peckinpaugh

Accounting

MDA Accounting Department PO Box 1141, Marion IL 62959 618-993-3618

fax: 855-222-6027

accounting@missourideerassociation.com

Bradley Puff (‘26) High Adventure Ranch 308 Mikel Ave St. Louis, MO 63043 314-578-4590

bpuff@highadventureranch.com

Garrett Westfall (‘24) Double G Ranch Whitetails 12602 Summersette Liberty, MO 64068 816-806-9905

doublegwestfall@gmail.com

Jeni Haddock (‘25) Walleye Whitetails

7751 Walleye Rd Pierce City, MO usa 65723 417-316-1059

jeni.haddock@gmail.com

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WWW.MISSOURIDEERASSOCIATION.COM
MISSOURI
missourideerassociation.com Like us on Facebook! Missouri Deer Association

MDA Presidents Message

Missouri Deer Association Annual Picnic

We may be a small group, but stand strong and continue to persevere, as regulations continue to APPLY PRESSURE on our way of life. Our industry continues rise and fight for the right to continue to care for gods amazing creatures. We continue to have regulatory meetings with Missouri Dept. of Ag and Missouri Department of Conservation, to follow and create regulation changes, we hope to continue this amicable relationship to manage regulations.

The second weekend in August, the Missouri Deer Association has held its annual meeting for many years. This year was no different, we had almost all our membership present. A Board of Directors meeting was held. We welcome a new board member, Bradley Lueckenhoff of Little Flat Creek Ranch. Board of Directors are as followed, Amy GreenNold, President, Bradley Lueckenhoff, Vice-President, Rachael Monnig, Secretary/Treasurer, Matt Kirchner, Donald Hill, Brad Puff, Garrett Westfall, Jeni Haddock and Sean Combs.

I would like to personally extend thanks a gratitude to Jerry Campbell for his many years of service to Missouri Deer Association.

We would like to thank this year’s host Little Flat Creek Ranch. Little Flat Creek Ranch was founded in 1991, as a family hunting operation. Throughout the years it has grown to a world-class hunting facility. In 2004, the ranch partnered with the Catch-A-Dream Foundation and began providing hunting and fishing adventures for children battling life threatening illnesses. In 2015, all commercial operations ended, and the Ranch’s priority was given to Catch-A-Dream. In 2018, the LFCR Dream Foundation, a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, was created, and a new partnership with Charlie 22 Outdoors began. Charlie 22 Outdoors provides outdoor adventures for our Nation’s Veterans, and their families. Currently, Little Flat Creek Ranch and the LFCR Dream Foundation provide nearly one-third of all Catch-A-Dream trips, and just recently, we wrapped up our 233rd trip with Catch-A-Dream. Since partnering in 2018, we have also provided nearly 60 trips for Charlie 22 Outdoors. All these trips are 100% free of charge to these organizations and their guests.

We would like to thank IDEFA for their generous donation to the Missouri Deer Association, this will help us with our efforts to continue our work with regulatory changes.

Amy Green-Nold- (660) 492-0215

Missouri Deer Association- President

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RAISING AND KEEPING EXOTICS –KANSAS FARMERS OFFER INSIGHT

Holding a homemade plywood shield in one hand and several peanuts in the other, red deer farmer Kevin Constant walks out to his deer pens in the spring to tag newborn red deer calves. A fiercely protective hind (female) stands ready in an instant to defend her baby. Constant, who is also ready to defend himself, tosses peanuts on the ground and then with hyper-focused precision, gets the job done as quickly as possible. While red deer may be heartier and perhaps easier to raise then whitetails, they can also be very aggressive when it comes to protecting their young.

Raising red deer is akin to raising “big cows with big antlers,” said Constant, who, along with his wife Delores, own K & D Wildlife in Meriden, Kansas. “Red deer are very disease resistant and not as flighty as whitetails and are more adaptable to situations. They are more curious than cautious by nature. If you have a pair of gloves in your back pocket, they’ll try to steal them. If they grab them and take off and you chase them, it’s like ‘game on!” he said. “They’ll even climb into your vehicle if you let them.” Started in 2019, Constant, 61, was looking to raise livestock on their 80-acre sprawl. When a local farmer decided to part with his red deer herd,

the Constants purchased it and have been raising red deer ever since. While they appreciate their hardiness, they are also grateful for the low mortality rate the farm has experienced in keeping them. “We only lose about 10% of our babies a year,” he said. “We lost one from sickness that died four years ago, and we might lose one or two a year from new inexperienced mothers or if one comes out backwards.”

safety measures, fallow deer do really well and adapt to a wide variety of climates,” Farmer added.

Exotic wildlife in general enjoy a more stress-free existence as collectively they are known for their hardiness and inquisitive, laid-back nature. However, curiosity can also prove deadly, as Brad Farmer of Farmer’s Fallow Deer in Viola, Kansas accidentally found out. While he has successfully and diligently raised fallow deer since 1990, he learned early on how much they like to chew on things. “I would caution people to take off the plastic twine and net wrap around hay bales,” Farmer, 63, said. “If ingested, it forms a calcified mass or “rim” around their rumen and fills it up, causing them to starve to death. But, you don’t know it until they are dead.” Shade cloth is another item that exotic deer farmers may want to avoid using as it often gets caught around antlers of curious bucks. “As long as you practice

Credited for bringing fallow deer to the United States is NADeFA Founder Josef Kerckerinck, who started Lucky Star Ranch in 1979 in Chaumont, New York after immigrating from Germany. Upon establishing his farm, he became steadfast in his desire to promote the venison market, his main motivation for establishing NADeFA. Soon, fallow deer became viable livestock on numerous farms throughout the U.S. and highly sought-after for their meat value. Fallow deer, the most popular exotic species to raise, are either of Mesopotamian descent (larger bodied with wide-base antlers) or European descent (smaller bodied and narrow-base antlers.)

Profit margins for selling exotics such as red deer and fallow can be very reasonable, as both Constant and Farmer feel the market value for their deer makes their efforts worthwhile. While both feed their herds hay, grain and silage (green fodder stored in a silo and fed throughout the winter), they also do quite well with naturally foraging. Raising exotics also requires farmers to obtain a state license. As with Farmer, Constant feels blessed to be able to raise exotics. For this opportunity “thanks be to God,” Constant said. “We believe in the promise of blessings and have seen it over and over in the success of our herd.”

6

Does the sound of antlers clashing make you cringe each fall?

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EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chris Ezell President

Dangerous Whitetails of Oklahoma

7134 W. 420 Rd

Chelsea, OK 74016 918-697-5389

chrisezell@rocketmail.com

Tommy Gleason Vice President Deer Creek Whitetails 571 Lone Oak Rd W

Hartshorne, OK 74547 918-424-5293

tomgleason6@yahoo.com

DIRECTORS

Mike Charlton

Riverbend Trophy Whitetails

3616 Boston Pool Rd. Hominy, OK 74035

Mkbs5484@icloud.com 918-430-5484

Tim Condict

Double T Whitetail Ranch

23455 FR A51

Hodgen, OK 75069

214-549-9963

tim@dbcdeer.com

Shawn Horton

368145 E 980 Rd

Boley, Ok 74829 214-842-9462

shorton1965@yahoo.com

Larry Armstrong Treasurer

Armstrong Whitetails 689 Whitetail Ridge Skiatook, OK 74070 918-639-6951

critter6634@gmail.com.

Meagan E. Lewis Secretary

Antlers Trophy Whitetails 1899 E CR 1980 ANTLERS, OK 74523 979-864-7732

mjlewis2020@icloud.com

Barry Reed 836 E 480 Pryor, OK 74361 918-798-1887

barryreed7@aol.com

Joe Smith 14421 Buggy I Jones, OK 73049 405-696-3880

8 WHITETAILS OF OKLAHOMA - BOD'S WWW.WHITETAILSOFOKLAHOMA.COM
Visit our Website!! 2023 renewals are now due. To continue receiving these quarterly magazines, ONLY paid members will receive the upcoming issues
Storm Express / Express / Silver Hawk 6.5 PRC HILTY WHITETAILS Noah & Sarah Hilty South Whitley, IN 260-248-1684

EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Karla Kretschmer President

AB Whitetails 2052 Nation Rd

Chetopa, KS 67336 620-920-0578

karlakretschmer@outlook.com

Kevin Constant Secretary / Treasurer

K&D Wildlife 4193 Clark rd. Meriden, KS 66512 785-224-8889

kanddwildlife@gmail.com

Joe Bisogno, Jr. Vice President

Timber Hills Lake Ranch 1369 Valley Road Mapleton, Kansas 66754 913-515-1507

joebisogno@yahoo.com

Jake Lamb Director-At-Large

Sand Creek Whitetail 10865 School Creek Rd Saint George, Kansas 66535 785-458-9100

sandcreekwhitetail@gmail.com

Mike Harris

Director-At-Large

Acorns Wild 2369 Wolf Rd Chapman, Kansas 67431

acornsresort@yahoo.com

12 KANSAS ELK
DEER
WWW.KANSASELKANDDEER.COM
AND
ASSOCIATION - BOD'S
Conference February 2024 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Kansas Elk and Deer

KEDA Presidents Message

KEDA members and DEER family, Fall is rapidly approaching. Can’t come soon enough for some of us. Summer and the heat have left farms begging for a frost. Prayers are with those who have lost a lot of cervids this year.

KEDA Summer Picnic was great. Thank you to Acorns Wild for hosting and the Kansas Department of Ag for coming. I hope everyone left with more knowledge and more “Deer Friends.

Kansas will host their own Conference in 2024. The date is Saturday, February 17th. Please mark your calendars. The venue will be Acorns Resort at Milford Lake. More information will be in Winter magazine and will be posted on our website and Facebook soon.

KEDA’s purpose is to encourage our industry growth. Compromise and adaptation are vital for our industry’s growth. Working together with leadership on the State and Federal level is crucial for us to succeed.

Remember, Change starts with 1.

Hope to see you In February 2024

Sincerely,

13

KEDA Summer Picnic

INVEST IN SEMEN STRAWS

WISELY AND THOUGHTFULLY

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.”

16

KEDA Summer Picnic

FREE business card ads for members of MO, KS and OK Associations

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:

Meagan Lewis for Oklahoma members: mjlewis2020@icloud.com

Karla Kretschmer for Kansas and Missouri members: karlakretschmer@outlook.com

This gives Tri-State 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.

If you have any questions please contact Kathy Giesen: 435-817-0150

20
22 Mary Volk “The Mask Lady” 320.232.7493 cuddliez@outlook.com Deer Masks • Caps • Koozies • Apparel Custom Embroidery
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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

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!

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!

26

Annual Tri-State Convention

PREPARING YOUR BUCKS FOR THE HUNT –COMMON SENSE ADVICE

Preparing your bucks for the hunt begins long before warm and humid summer months turn into cooler and crisper fall days. Although the feeling of autumn ascending upon the earth makes hunters usually think of only one thing – hunting – preserve owners have begun preparing for those hunts months before. In fact, it may feel as though they are always perpetually preparing in one form or another. However, February can be a crucial month in this overall process. “After the hardest part of the winter is over, I start in February making sure I have enough protein available to my bucks in my preserve who were not harvested the year before,” said Brandon Bollinger of 2 Brothers Whitetail in Loranger, Louisiana. “Protein gets them from the rut back into condition. The key is their body condition.”

An essential source of protein can be found in clover plots. “You want to make sure those are ready for spring,” Bollinger, 47, said. “The key to growing big deer is putting a buffet in front on them and as little amount of stress as possible.” Bollinger, who makes a point of closely watching and surveying his bucks all summer, starts rolling his preserve cameras in July, in an effort to

ensure those bucks, currently residing inside, are ingesting enough adequate protein to meet size standards for the upcoming season. Bucks currently residing in pens are also closely monitored as plans progress to stock the preserve. And although Bollinger raises enough of his own bucks to not need to buy more, he feels that selling some of his own while acquiring some from other farms, keeps his inventory varied and perhaps more appealing to hunters.

Bollinger, in addition to knowing how to raise the most appealing buck, has also learned through the years the most appealing circumstances of introducing bucks into a preserve. “I start in August while they are still in velvet,” he said. “Don’t do it the day before a hunt. Put them in the preserve in August while they are in velvet and learning where they want to be, and they are calm. You also need a 30-day buffer to make sure the medications they need for transport are out of their system.” Preceding these precautions is the most valuable advice: Introduce them into the preserve at night. “You have much less of a chance of losing them because it’s not as hot.” Although some preserve owners prefer a method of introduction referred to as “soft launching” by first placing deer in a large pen inside the preserve, Bollinger finds that “day of” or prompt introductions can work just as well.

In an effort to make this type of introduction as safe as possible, Bollinger also advises to not only have food and water sources located interiorly of your preserve, but all along the fence line as well, as deer tend to gravitate to the fence

and pace and without easily accessible water and food, could dehydrate and die. In also realizing that deer learn the sound of an ATV or truck means food is coming, he makes a habit out of dropping hunters off during hunting season from a vehicle, making it easier for them to slip into advantageous places. Although Bollinger takes every precaution necessary to make sure his deer thrive, fatalities are inevitable. “I always have or carry a 10 buck “buffer” from what I grow compared to what I buy, which is about a 20% buffer overall,” he explained. “We hunt about 60 bucks a year.”

While the thrill of the hunt is the most compelling part of deer farming, feeling compelled to create understood payment terms between seller and buyer is what may keep a deer farmer in business. “When you are buying stockers, you should have a very clear warranty period. This is very important. The general rule is seven days. Should deer purchased not survive beyond seven days, the seller usually compensates the buyer in some form or another, Bollinger said. “Make sure you have an agreement in place.”

32

Annual Tri-State Convention

35

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

37

PENNSYLVANIA DEER FARMERS SHARE “IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW –WHAT I MAY HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY.”

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.”

41
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Kansas Elk & Deer Association

July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024

Registration/Renewal form

Name:___________________________________________________________________

Ranch/ Farm Name:___________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________

City/State/Zip_________________________________________________________________

Phone:_______________________________________________________________________

Email:____________________________________________

Website:___________________________________________________________________

How many elk do you own?___________________________________________________

How many deer and what species?___________________________________

How many acres of high fence?______ Do you AI your elk or deer?________

Do you own a hunting preserve?______ If yes, how many animals harvested a year?_______

Do you sell elk and/or deer products at local farmers markets?________

Do you harvest velvet antler? ________

Are you enrolled in the voluntary CWD Monitoring Program?________

Circle membership type:

Voting member: $50 annually, full voting rights, must own elk or deer in Kansas

Associate member: $25 annually, nonvoting (not open to elk or deer owners in Kansas)

Dues payable to: Kansas Elk & Deer Association 825 S. Kansas Ave; Suite 500 Topeka, KS 66612

53

MDA - 2023 Membership Form

I give permission to have my contact information published in the annual directory and on the website Yes No

SINGLE Year Memberships: (Starts now and goes to end of 2023)

Large Breeder 2023 - $100 (Voting Rights)

Hunting Ranch 2023 - $100 (Voting Rights)

Affiliate Member 2023 - $50 (Supporter or Out of State Producer)

THREE Year Memberships: (Starts now and goes to end of 2025)

Large Breeder 2023-2025 - $300 (Voting Rights)

Hunting Ranch 2023-2025 - $300 (Voting Rights)

Affiliate Member 2023-2025 - $150 (Supporter or Out of State Producer)

PAYMENT METHOD- Check: (Make checks or money orders payable to:) Ck # Missouri Deer Association

American Express Zip Code of CC Billing:

Date:

Mail To: Missouri Deer Association (C/O Amanda Peckinpaugh) PO Box 1141, Marion, IL 62959

You may also sign up online at: missourideerassociation.com

55 Thank You for Supporting MDA! Name:
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