Tri-State Associations Spring 2024

SELLING DEER NORTH TO SOUTH – INSIGHT FROM SOUTH DAKOTA

EFFECTIVE BOTTLE FEEDING TIPS FROM WOODARD WHITETAILS

Sponsored by KALA

ROCKY RIDGE WHITETAILSFOCUSED ON CWD RESISTANCE AND QUALITY BREEDING by Rocky Ridge Whitetails

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

Chris Ezell

Dangerous Whitetails of Oklahoma

7134 W. 420 Rd

Chelsea, OK 74016

918-697-5389

chrisezell@rocketmail.com

MISSOURI 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

missourideerassociation.com

Like us on Facebook!

Missouri

Deer Association

Jeni Haddock (‘25)

Walleye Whitetails

7751 Walleye Rd

Pierce City, MO usa 65723

417-316-1059

jeni.haddock@gmail.com

WHITETAILS OF OKLAHOMA

EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chris Ezell President

Dangerous Whitetails of Oklahoma

7134 W. 420 Rd Chelsea, OK 74016 918-697-5389

chrisezell@rocketmail.com

Larry Armstrong Treasurer

Armstrong Whitetails

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

critter6634@gmail.com.

Tim Condict

Double T Whitetail Ranch 23455 FR A51 Hodgen, OK 75069 214-549-9963 tim@dbcdeer.com

DIRECTORS

Meagan E. Lewis Secretary

Antlers Trophy Whitetails

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

mjlewis2020@icloud.com

Mike Charlton Riverbend Trophy Whitetails

3616 Boston Pool Rd. Hominy, OK 74035

Mkbs5484@icloud.com 918-430-5484

Tommy Gleason

Deer Creek Whitetails

571 Lone Oak Rd W Hartshorne, OK 74547 918-424-5293

tomgleason6@yahoo.com

Shawn Horton Secretary

368145 E 980 Rd Boley, Ok 74829 214-842-9462

shorton1965@yahoo.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

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

KEDA Presidents Message

KEDA members and DEER family,

Positive Changes are coming!!

For the past year, The Kansas Elk and Deer Association, NAEBA representatives and The Kansas Department of Animal Health have been working together to make changes that will protect the Kansas cervid industry and members. Kansas officials and representatives from KEDA and NAEBA will meet at the end of March to review the legal wording from state attorneys to make sure the legal ease did not alter the meaning of the changes. Once all involved agree, the Commissioner of Animal Health has agreed to administratively change the regulations. This was a team effort between industry leaders and the state animal health team. This will be a BIG step forward for our industry!

It’s hard to believe we are close to fawning season. Spring has sprung in Kansas. Good luck to everyone as the fawns hit the ground!!

February was a great but busy month. Our 2024 KEDA Convention was a success. We want to thank Everyone who made that possible. Plans for 2025 are already in progress. A BIG shoutout to Suzy Baker for all her help at Acorns Resort and to Mike Harris, Thank you for your generosity.

The KEDA board is working on our Summer Picnic and will let everyone know as soon as plans are finalized.

Remember, Change starts with 1.

Sincerely,

Karla Kretschmer President Kansas Elk and Deer Association

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ROCKY RIDGE WHITETAILS

FOCUSED ON CWD RESISTANCE AND QUALITY BREEDING

By: Gail Veley

When asking John Ervin Stoltzfus at Rocky Ridge Whitetails what he breeds for, his answer always begins the same way. “I don’t take short cuts. I breed for super large mainframes, such as beam length, tine length, width, and solid mass,” he said. He feels confident in his decisions and validated by the fact he is consistently winning antler competition awards at NADeFA. “I really like the “wow factor” when you get those antlers in your hands,” he added.

John Ervin likes to breed a variety of deer for his customers to choose from, such as large clean typicals, large typical mainframes with extras to help increase score and give more character. Close to 15% of his herd he breeds for 500”+ and 600”+ giant nontypical’s with a focus on large balanced mainframes. In addition to breeding for a variety of antler types, he also breeds for health, body size and proven “pass down” genetics. “All of these factors have been a high priority for many years at Rocky Ridge Whitetails

emphasized. However, his focus has also shifted to another unavoidable trait in the quest to produce quality deer, breeding for CWD resistance.

Scientific research by experts such as Dr. Haley, Dr. Seabury and numerous research facilities like the one found in Aimes, Iowa has paved the way for a future potentially void of CWD. “I’ve always had a passion and fascination to study, breed, watch and follow genetics and pedigrees in whitetail deer,” John Ervin said. “About 6 years ago when I heard about Dr. Haley’s research in whitetails on CWD resistant genes, it got my attention. I always had a feeling that nature has a way of taking its course and the weak will die off. But the strong genes will survive and reproduce. If they could breed out sheep scrapies, then why couldn’t deer farmers breed deer CWD resistant deer, since both are a prion disease.”

John Ervin also feels optimistic about a genetic test first introduced three years ago by Dr. Seabury, a 50K Genomic Estimated Breeding

resistance. Continued research will include updating this genomic test through CWD positive herd research. “I believe CWD research needs to be continued especially since it’s a regulated disease,” John Ervin explained. “I am grateful to Dr. Seabury and to NADR for updating GEBV research annually. NADR is now doing the GEBV and codon marker test.” As a result of this test, recommendations now include breeding away from codon 96 GG and instead breeding the combination codon 96 SS and lower negative number GEBV’s, which is proving successful in making deer less susceptible to contracting CWD.

John Ervin feels determining breeding markers is easy and while that itself may not take long, breeding lower and lower GEBV numbers will take a lot more time if your goal is to have your whole herd at the lowest GEBV numbers possible in spite of variables such as prion contamination exposure. “I find it very interesting on GEBV pass down,” John Ervin said, and explains

“You would expect that in breeding a 200” class doe to a 400” buck, that the sons should be close to the middle at 300”. But anyone that has been breeding deer long enough knows that isn’t nearly the case, with some being under 200” and some being somewhere between 200” to 400”. And sometimes you get that one that is even bigger and better then both parents. And, naturally the desire is to breed the bigger and better deer, if you are striving to improve and take your herd to the next level.”

In the 27 years that John Ervin has spent raising whitetails, he has seen and appreciated the efforts of deer farmers striving to produce their next level of deer. He is hopeful the industry will see the same thing happen with GEBV’s and that CWD will cease to exist on deer farms. He understands the numbers have continued to rise for CWD positives and CWD trace-out quarantines in his home state of Pennsylvania and for many other states. “There has been a lot of CWD found in the wild in the recent years and it seems to have an effect on many deer farms going CWD positive,” John Ervin shared. “Our Pennsylvania Game Commission does a good job at supplying the records on tracking CWD in the wild herds, but they don’t have a good solution to eradicate CWD. The following are reports on the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s website for Bedford and Lancaster Counties.

While you can track each county on the PA Game Commission website for wild deer, John Ervin picked the first county (Bedford) where CWD was found in 2012 and his own county (Lancaster) where his farm is. While he is thankful no CWD was ever found in his county in wild deer to this date, he does understand that could change in the future with wild deer CWD positive appearing on the other side of his farm fence, and he wants to be prepared with a resistant herd if that would ever happen. And while his farm is double fenced, he understands as do all deer farmers, that there are also other ways to spread CWD. John Ervin also already seen a tremendous shift in those desiring CWD resistance genetics in the amount of

semen he sells, as well as his embryo and breeding stock sales. He has also heard first-hand from hunting ranches that while CWD resistance genes will not make a difference to hunters, it will make a difference for stocking preserves if CWD resistant deer lower the risk of bringing the disease onto their property. “Because

of this, I believe we have the potential for a very bright future and great opportunities for our next generation,” he said. “I’m so happy to be sharing my passion with my wife Mary Ann and our five precious children, and to be meeting the genetic demands of my customers and their clients.”

A Moment with Publisher Kathy Giesen

REFLECTIONS ON “THE BEST YEAR YET” IN THE DEER INDUSTRY

Hello!

In the deer industry, we are in the midst of my favorite months of the year, January - March. Many of you might recall that I like to refer to these months as “Membership Drive Months”. Several of the state associations we service have renewal dates in this time frame and our team is here to help promote. As I reflect back on 2023 and look ahead in 2024, I’d have to say that because of our Membership Drive in 2023, that it was “the best year yet” for our ever strong and growing deer industry. Last year, we were able to raise more than $5,000 worth of membership money to support 15 state associations. At most state association events, you will find our Multi State Booth, decorated in honor of every deer association we represent. That reminds me, I’d like to also give a warm welcome to Alabama and Ohio, the latest state associations to be taken under our wing, bringing our membership drive now to 17 state associations.

While it’s important to join and support your specific state association, you can also join others and in doing so, receive that state association’s magazine each quarter. What a productive way to stay on top of the latest trends or current events! This year, by joining four state associations from January - March, you were entered into a drawing for a very valuable and useful donation. Thank you, Lester Eicher of Springfield Whitetails, for a donation of one semen straw, of The Ace. More information to come on our winners for the 2024 drawings!

In addition to staying active in your association through your membership and event participation, is the renewal (or perhaps the beginning) of advertising in our magazines. Advertising allows you to establish your product or service and to remain front and center with those that need what you’re offering. Advertising has been proven time and again to be most effective when done consistently and regularly. When others consistently see your ad, they remember you and feel compelled to reach out when the time is right. It may not happen the first time, but can happen with regular advertising or perhaps the recognition remains mindful during sales and auctions.

Through our state association magazines, we offer a great service for getting your information out, interesting content and a really good product. We provide the connections necessary to keep you and your customers in the loop. I’m grateful for our team. Customer Care Representative Sam Uchytil, Journalist Gail Veley, Our Publishing Team and for our Shipping Associates that see to it that your magazines reach your mailboxes each quarter. We realize how blessed we are to be involved in such a great industry. And in the deer industry, we stick together!

It’s hard to believe things could get any better. Yet, we are never surprised when they do! Let’s all get excited for 2024 and for the adventures that lie ahead! And remember to renew your membership and advertising!! We are counting on you! Thank you!

Kathy Giesen

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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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KEDA Convention 2024

KEDA Convention 2024

KEDA Convention 2024

EFFECTIVE BOTTLE FEEDING – TIPS FROM WOODARD WHITETAILS

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by Kala

Dustin Blosser enters the fawning facility at Woodard Whitetails and kneels beside their latest spring arrivals. Blosser, a young West Virginia native, may only be 24, but his experience growing up on a pig, cattle and whitetail deer farm, combined with his maturity, has found him in the role of Farm Manager since September of 2021. Now, nestled inside a calving hutch, curious, eager and hungry fawns come forward, some nibbling at Blosser’s arms, jeans and well-worn leather boots. Sticking his face down to their level, he rubs his hair on their heads to make them realize they are fine. They are safe. Then, with hands outstretched, he carefully gathers one in his arms and offers a bottle, precision filled with milk, and attached to a one-inch goat kid nipple, to what he hopes is a fawn who grows up to live a very healthy life.

While raising a healthy group of fawns requires vaccinations and meticulous care, among other things, it also requires an extensive knowledge on the best and safest way to bottle feed, should your farm practice bottle feeding. After receiving colostrum

from their mother for 24 hours, bottle fed doe fawns are typically pulled and placed on a regimented milking schedule, along with struggling buck fawns and sometimes, a third fawn. While every farm may have it’s preferences on feeding times, Woodard Whitetails suggests bottle feeding at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. for the first seven days. And although fawns will drink as much as you choose to offer, problems can occur if you feed them too much, Blosser explained. “We start out with two to three ounces four times a day during the first week,” he said. “They’ll drink whatever amount you give them and if they have too much, they can bloat or milk can overflow into their rumen, and you can kill them. You want to develop their rumen and they won’t if they aren’t eating and just getting all the milk they can ask for. Another important factor is that from Day One we have water and dirt from their pens inside their hutches to help build their immunities.”

it’s better this way.” While most fawns adapt immediately to bottle feeding, occasionally there are fawns that don’t. “Rather than putting stress on them by trying to catch them and force the bottle, I just put them back out with Mom and they do fine,” Blosser said. Regardless of how they were raised from birth, Blosser keeps track of each fawn, taking note of their appetite, stool quality or overall health. Should a fawn have diarrhea, Blosser finds that three cc’s of pumpkin baby food usually straightens it out. “You need to watch being too invasive with antibiotics and overcorrecting things,” he emphasized. “It might just kill all the bacteria in their gut. I like to start at the least invasive point and work my way up and see if it’s working first.”

Building a fawn’s immunities along with their desire to eat solid food begins slowly during week two, when the schedule shifts to three times a day at 7 a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and more milk is gradually offered to the eventual tune of 12 to 13 ounces per feeding. “By the time week three comes around, we are feeding twice a day at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and they are eating more solid food,” Blosser said. “Sometimes they don’t make it all the way through week three because they are getting antsy. We make a practice out of giving them a bottle in whatever will become their permanent pen so that they aren’t losing two things at once while also being put somewhere unfamiliar. If you want to keep them really calm,

Fawn survival rate at Woodard Whitetails is usually around 95%, said Owner Henry Woodard. “We may lose 5%. This count includes every fawn whether they were born sick or not. Raising fawns is a labor of love and you are handling them and basically replacing their mother and you become attached. If they are sick and you save them, you felt a bond with them. We wouldn’t have a chance to save them otherwise and bottle feeding can give us the best opportunity to stay on top of things.”

Convention!

TOP 30 NORTH AND SOUTH AND CHUPP’S AUCTIONS

OFFER VALUABLE NETWORKING VENUES

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by Whitetails of Oklahoma

The annual Chupp Auction and the Top 30 North and South Auctions not only provide opportunities to promote a farm or product, they are vitally important to keeping the enthusiasm for the deer industry going. The Chupp Auction, thought of by some as the “springboard” to Top 30 “encourages farms to put their best stuff in,” offers Ivan Hochstetler of Double D Whitetails in Dundee, Ohio. “It gives people the incentive to keep breeding ‘up’ with the best genetics they can afford and gets them more excited for Top 30.”

According to Whitetail Sales and Service co-owner Chris Ezell “we had a great turnout this year at Top 30,” he said. “We want everyone to realize how necessary it is to make time for events like these. This is almost as important as attending the annual NADeFA convention.”

Hochstetler, who has spent the last 14 years breeding deer, has been in the Top 30 North auction for the past 10 years, offering an auction lot of three bred does. “I’m extremely happy with what I got this year for my lot,” he said. “It’s very meaningful to be included. We are grateful to Kevin Grace who started it all.”

When Eddie Ray Borkholder and his wife Diane prepare to participate in the Top 30 North auction, loading up to come includes more than packing a suitcase and deciding which three of his treasured Patrick-line does will be sold. It also includes a production of baking “Fry Pies” started long before the actual auction date. “This year we brought 300 pies,” Eddie Ray said. “We give them away at our booth. It’s a half-moon glazed pie filled with blueberries, strawberries, coconut or apple. We never have any trouble attracting people to our booth. That’s one of the best things about auctions like Top 30. Meeting all the people who attend. A lot of the guys in it back then are gone and it’s a whole different group of people now talking about deer. We love it. We are very thankful to Kevin Grace and the Chupp brothers for starting these auctions, and to Chris Ezell and Lester Eicher for keeping it going.”

Like Hochstetler, Eddie Ray, who has been participating in Top 30 North since 2001, was also extremely happy with what his auction lot brought in this year. “The atmosphere of the auction and the excitement of bidding might entice someone to pay more for what you’re selling compared to if you

were just selling the same deer off of your farm,” Ezell said. “That’s another great aspect about being involved.”

Getting into the Top 30 as a consignor is not quite as daunting of a task as it might seem, Hochstetler, 67, shared. Along with the Top 30 North or South is also the Select 20, a secondary group of auction participants. Each year, the top five Select 20 auction winners take the place of the lowest Top 30 auction participants when the next Top 30 Auction North or South occurs. “This makes way for newcomers and encourages everyone to bring their best,” he added.

“Every deer farmer should do whatever it takes to be a part of these auctions,” Ezell said. Dates, times and places for each and every auction (as well as advertising deadlines) can be easily found by visiting https://www. whitetailsalesauctionllc.com, or talking with Eicher or Ezell. A percentage of the profits from auctions often end up being donated to a worthy cause such as nonprofit organizations that support hunting or land conservation.

FEEDING DIRECTIONS: WHITE-TAILED DEER:

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

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

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

• Fawns 2 months to weaning: Gradually decrease formula and number of feedings to approximately 15 oz. of formula once daily until fawn is fully weaned at 12 to 14 weeks of age. Provide a weaning diet and fresh clean water to the fawn.

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SELLING DEER NORTH TO SOUTH

INSIGHT FROM SOUTH DAKOTA

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by South Dakota Deer & Elk Breeders Association

Selling and moving stocker deer from northern to southern states generally revolves around one important factor – the first hard frost. In an effort to avoid epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) outbreaks, it is safer and more advisable to wait until the possibility of EHD has passed for the year, shares Greg Leenderts, Vice-Chairman of the South Dakota Deer and Elk Breeder’s Association (SDEBA). After the first hard frost, most culicoides midge flies, the “no-see-um” biting flies responsible for transmitting the disease, have died off. In states such as Kansas, this happens much earlier in the year as opposed to states such as Texas where the climate can remain warmer well into the fall.

Although deer might develop a certain degree of immunity to EHD for the particular region where they live (and may even receive a vaccine), several strains of EHD are found throughout the U.S., as there are more than 1,000 culicoides species. Known to affect whitetail deer, elk, pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep, EHD is a blood borne disease and the most prominent infectious disease among whitetails. However, while outbreaks

can prove quite deadly, the disease is not contagious.

“Deer in northern states deal with different EHD strains than deer in southern states,” said Leenderts, who owns Whitetail Farms in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “There is a fine and tricky line as to when you should transport.” And while he can never guarantee that a northern deer will not succumb to EHD in the south (despite administering vaccines, feeding vitamins such as “K” to boost their immune system and using fly spray), he can guarantee that northern deer will be naturally hearty with sizable racks and substantive bodies. “Hunters really like them because they look mature even when they are younger,” Leenderts explained. “The yearlings mix right in with the older ones.”

Having spent the better part of ten years raising a CWD certified herd and selling and transporting typical whitetail deer and mule deer to certain southern states, Leenderts, 43, appreciates the business relationships he has established and keeps in contact with each preserve throughout the year. “I don’t sell mine until they are done growing and don’t price the deer until

early fall,” he said. “There can be a huge price difference in having ten more typical inches on a rack versus not.”

Other considerations when selling and transporting northern raised deer to southern states, is the unavoidable temperature fluctuation between colder and warmer climates. “Your trailer ventilation is key along with air conditioning,” Leenderts said. “If your deer get warm, they are going to get worked up. It’s also always better to haul at night when temperatures are cooler.”

In addition to his loyal customers who keep him busy, Leenderts is also grateful for the support shown to deer farmers in his state by the South Dakota Animal Industry Board and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “We have a supportive government here and it’s great,” he said. “Having moved here from Minnesota three years ago, I can tell you that South Dakota is a very welcoming place to raise deer.”

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

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.”

Word Search

Blossom Breeze

Budding

Cervid

Dandelions

Dazzling

Dragonfly

Equinox Fawn Garden

Grow Harmony

Ladybug

Planting

Pollen Revival Seeds Splash Thaw

Thrive

Crossword Puzzle

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

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

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.

KEDA Convention 2024

Meet the Team

“Mocha”

By: Gail Veley

entrenched in the industry, is anxious to help deer farmers reinvest in their business through advertising in state deer association magazines. Her journey began years ago when as a young girl, she held a bottle for her first personal deer, Mocha (a.k.a. Purple #3). In that moment, Sam, the daughter of Steve and Melissa Uchytil of Crow River Whitetails in Atwater, Minnesota, knew where her heart was leading her. Now, at age 29, Sam has recently stepped in to join the D & K Design Team as a Customer Care Specialist and bring even more breath and vitality to each quarterly deer association magazine.

“I’ve worked the registration desk at Minnesota deer association events for about 10 years and because of that, made a lot of friends,” Sam shared. “I love working with deer and the opportunity to be an active industry member in this new role.” Choosing Sam for the position came easily for D & K Design Magazine Editor Kathy Geisen, who felt that Sam’s ability to connect and relate to those in the industry made her a perfect fit.

very personable,” Geisen said. “Whether you have been in the industry for a long time or are a newcomer, Sam can relate to your goals and needs.”

While the goal of advertising is to showcase your products and services, it’s also to maintain a consistent presence to those seeking what you have to offer. “I’m excited and feel very fortunate to make this my full-time endeavor,” Sam said. Thus far her favorite ads are those featuring bucks, followed by ads pertaining to antler replication, food plots and nutrition.

When she isn’t working with clients, she enjoys long-distance competitive running, gardening, maintaining an orchard at her cozy 500-square foot home in New London, Minnesota and spending time with her three dogs. They include her chihuahua “Lucky,” a heeler mix named “Ringo” as well as a husky/ shepherd mix named “Finn.” Sam also enjoys spending considerable time at Crow River Whitetails, hanging out with hunters and seeing the results of their hunts. While she

Our ‘Meet the Team’ series continues!

Each member of our D&K Design publishing team will contribute an article. New team members and existing will update our viewers on what goes on in the back ground of these published newsletters.

Stay tuned!

small game such as rabbits and squirrels. As she sets her sights on her next hunting adventure, she also is setting her schedule to attend future industry events and expanding her circle of friends and clients whether they be from Florida, Texas, Michigan, New York and everywhere else in between.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Sam said. She can be reached by calling or texting her at 320-905-2622 or emailing her at samuchytil@gmail.com. “I’m looking forward to working with all of you.”

Give Sam a call or email her: deerassociations@gmail.com

320-905-2622

GROUND VENISON TACOS

With my quick, flavorful ground venison tacos, the meat is sauteed with a mixture of herbs and spices until perfectly cooked! Simply serve the ground venison taco meat on your favorite tortillas with the condiments you love, and dinner is served!

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

• ½ Cup Diced Onion

• 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic

• 1 Pound Ground Venison

• 1 Large Diced Roma Tomato

• ¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro

• 3 Tablespoons Lime Juice

• ¼ Cup Water or Broth (to help cook down the venison)

• 4-8 Tortillas

• Seasonings – 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder, ½ tablespoon cumin, ½ tablespoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt & pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

1. Sauté onion. In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer and gets close to smoking, add ½ cup of diced onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent, tender, and fragrant.

2. Sauté venison. To the onion, add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute before adding 1 pound of ground venison. Then, loosely break up the venison and stir into the onion and garlic. Allow the venison to sear for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and break up the venison as it browns.

3. Add seasoning. Once the ground venison is browned, add the seasoning, including 1 ½ tablespoon of chili powder, ½ tablespoon of cumin, ½ tablespoon of paprika, ½ teaspoon each of salt & pepper, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of onion powder. Next, add ¼ cup chopped cilantro, 1 large diced Roma tomato, 3 tablespoons of lime juice, and ¼ cup of water. Stir the mixture until combined.

4. Simmer taco meat. Next, bring the ground venison taco meat to a boil, reduce heat to low, and then simmer for 5 minutes or until the taco meat reaches your desired consistency. When the taco meat is done, remove the pan from the heat and serve in about 4 to 8 of your favorite taco shells/tortillas. Top with desired condiments and serve!