A few of our deer

[Frosty]

Funny, that's how it all starts (hunting). I got a couple of pigeons to aid in training my retriever. Well, now I have a coop of roller pigeons that I enjoy fussing with.

Some think those who hunt dislike birds/animals but in reality we possess a deep love for the outdoors and wildlife. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Congrats on your deer herd - nice! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Most people do not realize the amount of money hunters put into the enviroment. Most hunters love animals and love the outdoors. I believe if you shoot it you better eat it as I do know a couple people who hunt for pleasure and don't eat the meat. They at least give the meat to people that do eat it but they will shoot the first thing that walks by them. If you are not going to eat the animal why shoot it unless it is a woodchuck. Do you have any pics of your birds?

 

[thumbtrap]

Never seen anyone tag a deer BEFORE shooting it

Seriously though - how do you make the farm pay for itself? Is there enough market in commercial venison to put everything else on the table? (I'm guessing you're not milking them, nor shearing them, so... unless it's an antler farm.)

I always wonder about that whenever I see a non-traditional farm - ostrich, llama, whatever. I understand the llamas are often sold for guard critters, and there's the wool aspect. Do lean times in agricultural markets make such specialty farms even more difficult, or does the fact that you're so untraditional mean that you pretty much aren't really affected by the same trends as the traditional farms?

 

[Frosty]

Robert -
Sorry, no bird pics. Don't have a digtal camera and don't know how to use/load pics etc. though I think about just getting a cheapie because a pic is certainly worth a 1,000 words.

I agree about "shoot it, eat it". That is why our forefathers hunted, food for the table. If people HAD to hunt for food today there would be some hungry folks! Of course it can be argued, one could buy a pretty good beef for the cost of hunting.

I sure like your deer and pics. Someday I hope I own a duck pond; an occassional duckie for the pot but mostly to watch and enjoy the wildlife.

Me, having been ranch raised (wildlife vs. livestock); wildlife can take care of itself if if you are "absent" for a few days. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

When we started we started as a hobby and didn't care if it paid for itself. This last year we actually did sell enough deer to cover all the feed cost and to show a profit on paper. We sell to other people who raise deer or want a couple for pets. The venison market is extremly hard for whitetails as you can not butcher a whitetail the same way as a beef to meet USDA inspections. The inspectors want the animals brought in to a slaughter house for sanitation reasons but a whitetail is so high strung they would destroy the place or kill themselves during the trip. The biggest money maker for whitetails is their antlers, it is nothing for people to sell a buck off for $20k to a hunting preserve. If it is big enough the preserve already has it sold for twice that and they don't have to do much work. The deer industry does differ from the rest of the ag market as most of the people involved have other jobs as well and don't need to rely on the deer for income. The one big concern is CWD and it has resulted in a lot of states shutting down their borders so that no infected deer are imported into that state. NY shut down their borders for importation but still allow us to sell out of the state if the other states borders are open still. They are a lot of fun but there are a lot of headaches involved also just like any other business. Take care.

 

[Sedgewood]

Years ago, a friend who lives crickside heard a dog pack ki-yi-ing on the chase, looked out in time to see a fawn come full tilt out of the woods, splash across the crick, run out to the middle of the field, turn, double back to the middle of the crick, then turn and run in the water around the bend. All before the pack came on the scene, ran to the center of the field and promptly lost the trail. How would a fawn learn that neat trick? Or was it just random decisions made by the fawn that put together looked tricky?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Just random pattens. When they are being chased they are born with the instinct to keep turning so that it is harder for them to be caught from behind. I think the fawn probally realized that he didn't want to be in a middle of a field while being chase as there is nothing to dodge around so he turned back and got lucky.

 

[DaveNH]

Thanks Andy!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

He told me you told him to trim them. I don't know who isn't telling the truth? Take care and sorry about your garden. Funny thing is our garden has not been touched. No fence and about 100 yards from the house. Deer know we don't bother them so they don't bother us. I did have a buck attack one of my apple tree's and he know's I am looking for him so he is in hiding but that has been the only problem. Take care.

 

[DarinRay]

Boy I was looking at that picture for a couple minutes trying to see the hiden baby fawn. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Thats what I thought the picture was about. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Darin