The IDEFA Journal
FLORIDA DEER FARMERS FIND CHALLENGES WITH STRONGER AND MORE FREQUENT WEATHER
Sponsored by SETDA
KEEP YOUR DEER HERD ORGANIZED with a Proficient Tagging System
Sponsored by KALA
MISSOURI DEER FARMERS SHARE
Sponsored by MDA
2023-2024 IDEFA Board of Directors
President
John Stoltzfus
5 Star Genetics
5835 N 1000 W
Shipshewana, IN 46565
Phone: (574) 596-2347 jdwhitetails@gmail.com
Vice president
Lester Eicher
Springfield Whitetails
14905 Springfield Ct Rd Grabill, IN 46741
Cell: (260) 341-3614 springfieldwts@gmail.com
Secretary/Treasurer
Earl Hershberger
Clear Creek Whitetails
6960 W 200 N
Shipshewana, IN 46565
Cell: (260) 350-3506
Fax: (260) 768-4761 earlcvpg@yahoo.com
Director
Heath Alexander
Forgotten Mile Whitetails
6675 W 500 N
Pennville, IN 47369
Cell: (260) 341-7296
Email: thaeh80@gmail.com
Director
Derek Borkholder
Pine Creek Deer Farm
2877 Birch Rd
Bremen, IN 46506
Cell: (574) 248-0322
Email: tagouttech@gmail.com
Director
Nelson Miller
Antler Ridge Whitetails
71396 CR 25
New Paris, IN 46553
Cell: (574) 312-1349
Fax: (574) 538-2105 nelmiller26@gmail.com
Director
Dr. Darryl Ragland, DVM, Phd
625 Harrison St
West Lafayette, IN 47907
Home: (765) 494-3234
Cell: (765) 418-5673 raglandd@purdue.edu
Director
David Schwartz
Shallow Pond Whitetails
3990 N 675 W Shipshewana, IN 46565
Cell: (260) 336-1687 shallowpondwts@gmail.comt
Director
Jerry Schwartz
Countryside Whitetails
10852 W 900 N
Bourbon, IN 46504
Cell: (574) 907-9457
Fax: (574) 546-0390
**Erica Bratton (574) 220-5652 ~ indianadeer@gmail.com
Director
Cletus Bontrager
Twin Maple Deer Farm
8820 W 050 N
Shipshewana, IN 46565
Phone: (260) 768-4284
Director
Tom Kellems
Whitetail Ridge, LLC
6273 Saint Joe Cemetery Rd
Tell City, IN 47986
Cell: (812) 686-6055 whitetailridge21@gmail.com
Director
Rober Yoder
Cedar Road Deer Farm
6664 Cedar Rd
Bremen, IN 46506
Phone: (574) 646-2504 byoder@hardwoodinterior.com
Hunting Preserve/Legislative
Chair: Committee: 2 spots available
Public Relations
Chair: Committee: 1 spot available
Audit/Ethics & Bylaws
Chair: Co-Chair:
Fundraisers/Summer Picnic
Chair: Co-Chair:
Member Relations: Erica Bratton
Food: Comittee: 8 spots available
Budget Committee
Chair: Committee: 2 spots available
IDAC
Chair: Committee: 2 spots availble
President’s Message
Winter 2024
Hello Fellow Members,
It’s that time of year to sell stocker bucks. Hoping everyone did well getting them sold. It’s been a struggle with many deer farmers with EHD. The worst most have ever seen in the state. Hopefully, the worst of EHD is behind us. CWD in Indiana has also added challenges to our state. As always, we move forward. The Board members are working hard to continue making Indiana a great state to be a deer farmer. Good things are happening in Indiana. We will continue to be one of the leading states to be a deer farmer.
Thank you, your President,
John Stoltzfus
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Hello Members!
Hoping everyone had a successful breeding season and are able to take a breather as we head into the holiday season. Take time to reflect on your successes as well as challenges met along the way.
Membership Note: As a reminder, memberships run January to December each year. We are now able to do auto renewals, you will find this area on the membership form. Please contact me with any questions.
Wishing you a holiday season filled with joy, laughter, and moments that turn into cherished memories. May your home be warmed by the love of family and friends.
Erica Bratton
Administrative Secretary
Cell: 574-220-5652 Fax: 952-955-6022 indianadeer@gmail.com
Erica Caldwell, Ranch Manager for Prime Acres in Woodville, Texas, stands outside the pen of one of her favorite deer. She watches “Lolli” glance her direction, look up high into an oak tree, and glance back at her. “She’s one of our only deer that doesn’t like marshmallows for treats,” Caldwell explained. “She’s waiting for me to come in and pull the leaves down off the tree.”
Caldwell can easily think of several things she loves about her job, but this clearly is at the top of her list. After two and half years of working at Prime Acres, she’s as devoted to the ranch’s mission as owners Brad, Rosy and Connor Hassig. Among the whitetail that reside within 30 lush acres of breeding pens, there are also simitar horned oryx (an endangered species in the wild), black buck, bongos and
FEATURED
PRIME ACRES –RAISING MORE THAN JUST TROPHIES
By: Gail Veley
axis deer. While raising these deer for current hunters and trophy seekers is important, Caldwell feels passing the love of deer farming onto future generation is just as pertinent. “Training our children and future generations is vitally important not just for whitetails but also for the other species we have here,” Caldwell, 32, said. “Ranches like Prime Acres are helping to keep these species alive and instill a love of caring for animals.”
Breeding decisions for every species are weighed very carefully. In terms of whitetails, while maintaining strong pedigrees and a marketable look remains a priority by breeding with their own homegrown bucks such as Back in Black, Simply Irresistible and Money Talks, they are now also heavily focused on CWD resistance and the infusion of SS markers into this and all future
breeding seasons. Several new bucks are included in this season’s line up such as Shape Shifter (through a partnership with Seven C’s Whitetails) and Anchorman, (through a partnership with Springfield Whitetails.)
When breeding season is all said and done, Prime Acres plans to have 140 bred does, some through A.I. and others through embryo flushing. Brad and Erica are grateful to Stateline Cryogenics for teaching them how to collect semen in-house, as this makes for a less labor-intensive breeding season overall.
Their day-to-day labor of love has resulted in 222 adult deer and 154 fawns who currently thrive on the expansive open Texas landscape. Yet, “these deer are not just a number to Brad and Rosy,” Caldwell
FARM STORY
said. “They really care about each and every deer as an individual. This is one of the best ranches to work for. With a job this demanding it could be easy to get burned out. Brad and Rosy are great at making sure I get a day off. They just hired my husband Scott as a ranch hand. This truly makes it a family operation. We all get along really well and work really well together.”
As Prime Acres looks toward the future, they hope the growing popularity of their two hunting preserves will continue. The first preserve, a 150-acre plot adjoining the main farm, is easier to navigate on foot or in a vehicle and is geared towards older hunters and those who may not be keen for a substantially lengthy stalk and spot, or prolonged wait in a tree stand. The second preserve, a 280-acre plot of land, currently contains whitetails and exotics. It also adjoins the main farm but is filled with thicker brush and more dense
vegetation, and geared towards those who might want to spend the additional time and challenge outdoors enjoying the perfect trophy hunt.
“Anyone who comes to Prime Acres always has an unforgettable experience,” Caldwell said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re just taking a farm tour, hunting in the preserves or looking to buy a deer. We make everyone feel welcome, especially kids who are the future. This is just a really extraordinary place.”
KEEP YOUR DEER HERD ORGANIZED WITH A PROFICIENT TAGGING SYSTEM
By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by The Kentucky Alternative Livestock Association
As your deer herd grows in number, it becomes increasingly more important to keep them organized through the use of ear tags. In a farm setting, ear tags are typically used to help monitor disease, maintain accurate health, movement and sale records, establish potential research protocols and breeding programs. Using specific colored and numbered ear tags could also “help you keep track of which bucks your deer were produced from,” offers Dustin Blosser, manager since 2021 of Woodard Whitetails in Glasgow, Kentucky. “It’s also a very good way to make sure age classes are in order. While each farm has different ways of doing it, it’s important that it’s done accurately.”
Assessing accurate population trends, survival rates and utilizing proficient management strategies can be several reasons wildlife agencies use ear tags. Tags can come in the form of metal, plastic, scanned electronic identification (EID) tags or even Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) microchip tags. PIT tags, commonly used by various wildlife agencies, are transplanted under the skin and only activated when a deer passes close by to a specialized antenna and later, accounted for via computer records.
However, deer farmers rely on easyto-read highly visible ear tags as it
makes going through your inventory and finding a deer much faster and easier, Blosser, 26, said. “You don’t realize at first how you might start memorizing tag numbers and which deer are which. Someone rattled off “4012” and I knew what pen this doe was in, and who her parents were right off the top of my head.”
With fawns, smaller, temporary tags are typically attached and subsequently changed out after two months of age for an official farm tag. Blosser recommends using an ear tag clearly visible to the naked eye which can be read in a mere few seconds if necessary. “With our farm tags, the color changes to coincide with the year they were born. We have their number on one side and put our farm name and the sire and dam’s name on the other side. It’s good for farm tours and in letting people know right away about their pedigree. We also use four digits. Tags used this year start with “4” which stands for 2024. With our bucks we put a “B” at the end of the number and attach the tag in their right ear and attach the doe tags in the left ear. It’s really important to pay attention to whether it’s a buck or doe when you’re tagging. Seems like every year we have an intern that gets one or two wrong.”
Rather than just using numbers, ear tags are also available with letters
that (given there are 26 letters in the alphabet) can span over a much longer interval of time compared to numbers. Each farm ear tag should also be accompanied by a mandatory state “premise I.D.” Department of Agriculture tag. Although both can be placed in the same ear, Blosser recommends putting them in opposite ears to avoid potentially losing both should an ear, for example, get stuck in a fence. Likewise, it’s important to invest in fade resistant and very thick durable tags, as deer tend to chew on them. Adding more minerals to their feed is thought to help prevent this from happening, according to research.
Ultimately, an ear tag could help a hunter make a split-second decision, as farm tags get replaced with preserve tags when stocker deer are sold. “If you know what a certain color tag costs, then you can be better prepared when that perfect buck shows up,” Blosser said. “You have the ability to make that splitsecond decision, if need be, and take home the trophy you’ve always wanted.”
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 the email address below.
This gives IDEFA 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.
Email to:
Erica Bratton indianadeer@gmail.com
IDEFA Recipe
THE EASIEST AND MOST DELICIOUS VENISON BACKSTRAP RECIPE
The backstrap (or deer loin) is one of the most popular prime cuts of venison. This roasted venison backstrap recipe is easy and delicious.
Ingredients
• Deer backstrap (or venison loin) – I usually cut each whole backstrap into 2 pieces for my family of three and each piece is about 1.5lbs and feed 4
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme
• 2 tsp. fresh, rosemary
• 1 small lemon (zested and a bit of juice)
• about 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 450F. While the oven heats, cover your backstrap in 1 teaspoon of the sea salt and let it sit wrapped in a paper towel. Brining the meat to room temp helps with even cooking and the salt draws out the moisture.
2. Finely mince the garlic, thyme, rosemary and then combine with the lemon zest, remaining salt and pepper.
3. When the oven is preheated place the venison loin on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and drizzle on the olive oil and roll it in the herb garlic mixture.
4. Roast for 12-18 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your backstrap, and pull the meat out of the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 115-125F.
5. Let it rest on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. I like to slice a small piece of lemon and squeeze lemon over the meat. Enjoy!
Recipe from Miss Allie’s Kitchen
Magazine Deadlines / Event Calendar
MISSOURI 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 MDA
With shovels in hand and an agenda to fill, Rachel and Brad Monnig recently trenched 600 feet of water line at their eight-acre farm, Cedar Ridge Whitetails in Salisbury, Missouri. After fifteen years of dragging hoses to water troughs it was time for something easier. In fact, it was way past time. Today water hydrants line their deer farm, saving them a substantial amount of time caring for their deer.
Saving time and money when raising deer is a subject Roxanne and Jeff Knibb of Knibb Whitetails near St. Louis, Missouri, know all too well. Today, their seven breeding pens are lined with Rangemaster high-tensile horse fence. Fawns no longer get their heads stuck in the fence. Strips of Geogrid no longer litter the pens, making for a much better presentation during farm tours. And life is good for their deer herd, which numbers close to 200 head, housed in 19 one-acre pens. However, things did not start out so well when they acquired their first deer, four bred does, in 2009.
“We thought we could preempt the problem of fawns escaping through six-inch spacing without having to line the breeding pens,” Roxanne, 62,
explained. “So, we used Stay-Tuff fence with three-inch spacing on the whole farm. The problem was, while the fawns could not escape, they still tried . . . and got their heads stuck in the fence.” Their first ‘solution’ was to line the breeding pens with Geogrid, a lightweight plastic product that was easily attached to the Stay-Tuff fence using cable ties. But both the Geogrid and the cable ties degraded with exposure and had to be replaced every few years. The deer also took to entertaining themselves by tearing strips off the fence and distributing them around the pen.
The solution that finally and actually worked very well was in lining the breeder pens with Rangemaster horse fence from Kencove (Fastlock Woven Wire, 13/48”/2”, 12 ½ Ga). The Knibbs used a Pneumatic Hog Ring Tool (Type HC715) and stainless-steel Hog Rings (KSF15SS100B, C-ring style, .75” open/.3125” closed), both from King-Hughes Fasteners, to attach the Rangemaster fence to the Stay-Tuff fence as needed (about one ring per square foot of fence). “At first we were afraid the fence would be so stiff that more fawns would die when they hit it,” Roxanne said. “But the fence has been
up since 2021, and thankfully, that has not been the case. A fence that provides safety and longevity is a joy to have.”
Looking at longevity factors such as fencing is something the Monnig’s wholeheartedly agree with, along with the selection of genetics, pen design and layout at their farm which now houses close to 70 deer. “Looking back, we should have toured a lot more farms and asked a lot more questions,” Rachel, 35, said. “You’re always going to end up with more deer than you planned. Determining your future ‘add-ons’ and how that would go with your existing layout is important. It’s also important to know your goals and who you’re trying to sell to, the breeder market or stocker market. As a farm that raises stockers, we now use sexed semen so we will have more bucks than does.”
If the Monnig’s and Knibb’s could offer a universal piece of advice to new deer farmers – it’s longevity. “The key is all in the planning,” Rachel said. “For example, consider power does. They are hard to make and hard to replace. Or that doe that will milk any baby. Always plan for what the future could mean with every decision you make. It will pay off.”
Updates from BOAH, Nov 2024
Reminder: All State Identification Requirements Are Not the Same
Before moving any cervid across state lines, be sure to verify health and identification requirements of the state-of-destination.
Requirements—especially for officially recognized identification methods—can vary from state to state and differ from USDA.
A prime example of this is 840 microchips. While USDA and other states recognize microchips as official identification, Indiana does not. All official IDs for farm-raised cervids in Indiana must be visible. Therefore, a microchipped animal imported to Indiana must also have an official visible tag. In fact, Indiana requires two forms of ID—at least one of those meeting the standard of official ID (840 or NUES tags that bear the US shield).
Most states have their requirements listed online, so be sure to verify there and/or talk to someone at the state-of-destination’s state veterinarian’s office. A list of contacts for all 50 states is on BOAH’s website at: https://www.in.gov/boah/movements-out-of-indiana/
.
More information about Indiana’s requirements is online at: https://www.in.gov/boah/species-information/cervids-deer-elk/ .
Built
to Last
As human beings, it is easy to become selfish and look at the short-term benefit of a project or situation, etc. We may think that if it won’t benefit me then I plum am not wasting any resources. So, let’s say I have that attitude, and I go about my business. As I write this, I am on an Illinois deer hunting trip. Tonight, I was situated in a hunting blind looking over a field of soybeans, this field is tucked between a wooded draw and a large CRP field. I didn’t plant the CRP field, I didn’t plant the soybeans, and I didn’t have to come up with the finances to purchase this tract of land. And the deer herd that I am hunting? Somebody, actually a lot of somebodies, have managed this herd for many years to get it to where it is today. To narrow it down, the buck I am chasing is 5 ½ years old and is sporting an impressive rack. If somebody had killed him at 2 ½ years old, he would have been just another small buck on the ground. Somebody somewhere likely had the opportunity to harvest this deer at that age. The following year, at 3 ½, I had him underneath my tree-stand and let him walk. At 4 ½, my hunting partner, Andrew, had him underneath his blind but decided to pass on him. Due to many people making sacrifices, with me only making one, (the year I passed him) this deer now has the potential to be somebody’s trophy, and a very special one at that. This makes me stop and think. How much effort am I willing to put into something for the next generation, or even my generation, on something that may never affect my life. Perhaps I will skip planting the trees I would love to see because they will simply take too long. Perhaps I don’t support this or that organization because it is doing just fine without my support. What if we all adopt this attitude and one day the benefits, we all enjoy are gone! My, that gets my attention now. It’s affecting my life now.
I say this as much to myself as anybody. My dad has planted thousands of trees in his life. Many of them I can now enjoy. Reaping where I didn’t sow. If I do the same thing he did and plant trees so my children can enjoy 15- to 20-foot-tall pine trees to play in, hunt from, etc., then I need not feel guilty. But if I don’t leave something back for the next generation, I am robbing them of an opportunity that I had.
Let’s use the Indiana Deer and Elk Farmers Association as an example. How many of us know when the organization was founded? How many of us can name all the people who helped along the way? How many people helped keep the flywheel rolling in their time but don’t own any deer anymore and see no benefit today? Was their help in vain? Absolutely not. There are many of these people who fought a fight to keep this industry going that I never had to fight. There are very few faces in the crowd today that I recognize from going to deer sales and IDEFA benefits with Dad many years ago as a toddler. Today we can all benefit from the efforts they put in. Countless hours of hard work laying the groundwork for an organization that now helps ensure that we can have a successful business farming the animals that we all revere.
So, what can I do for this organization? I can think back to when we weren’t allowed to build preserves in the state of Indiana. When the bill passed, we all went to Bellar’s Place for a meeting. You could feel the optimism in the air that night. Can I still relate to that? Or do I take this for granted? Do I appreciate the people that helped make it happen? So, to answer my own question on what I can do for this organization, I have to support it to the best of my ability. As a board member I need to put in the time and effort that is expected of me. I need to do what I can so once I am no longer on the IDEFA board or maybe retired or maybe even no longer alive, that this organization can thrive and continue to allow many to live their dreams and make an income farming this iconic animal. And once I am no longer on the board, does that mean I am done and need not support this organization? No, I can support it just as much by attending the fundraiser, donating items, and being there when needed. The $500 I save by not donating that big auction item will long be forgotten 20 years from now when my boys take over the deer farm. The next feed bill won’t show up if this industry doesn’t survive. And it hasn’t survived and thrived from nothing like it may seem to us younger folks.
So, I challenge everyone at the next fundraiser to donate some good items and be there to bid if at all possible. Let’s help this industry continue to thrive like it has for the past decade and beyond. Let’s support an industry that supports us and someday pass it on to the next wave of eager deer farmers. Let’s make sure this organization is built to last.
Well, I better get going. I need to head to bed early so I can be in the tree-stand early in the morning, and maybe even harvest a 5 ½ year-old buck. God’s blessings to all.
-Derek Borkholder
As 2024 is ending, it is a time of reflection of the positives and negatives on the farm. With the high numbers of EHD reported throughout the state, many farms were greatly affected by it, which as we know can be such a setback. We continue to be rebuilding from our previous experience with EHD and have been working in our breeding efforts to have a desirable herd.
AI is complete on the farm and bucks are moved out for the year. As most of the industry, my breeding/AI is geared toward improving my herd toward the SS negative markers. Fortunately, we had a higher number of GS negative does, so within a few years most of the GG positive does will be phased out.
Can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for us and the industry. Hope to see a lot of you at the Top 30 in January.
Heath Alexander
Forgotten Mile Whitetails EHD, Ect.
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Top dress or mix in feed during fawning season, weather changes, times of stress and when top performance is desired
2024/2025 IDEFA Board of Directors Meeting
Schedule
Meetings are open to all current members. Members, please contact one of your Board of Directors for call in codes and/or locations
Monday, January 20th, 2025 @ 6 PM – Face to Face @ Lester’s
Monday, March 10th, 2025 @ 7 PM – Phone Conference
Monday, May 12th, 2025 @ 6 PM – Face to Face @ Lester’s
Monday, June 23RD, 2025 @ 6 PM – Face to Face @ Lester’s
Friday, August 1st, 2025 @ TBD –Face to Face @ Annual Meeting/Fundraiser & Picnic
Monday, August 18th, 2025 @ 6 PM – Face to Face
Monday, October 13th, 2025 @ 6 PM – Phone Conference
Address: Lester Eicher 14659 Springfield Center Rd Grabill, IN 46741
Conference Call: 1-605-475-4700 Ext. #386360
Disclaimer: The information contained in this advertisement is general in nature and is intended for use as an informational aid. It does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, or interactions of the medications shown, nor is the information intended as medical advice or for making an evaluation as to the risks and benefits of using a particular medication. You should consult with your veterinarian about diagnosis and treatment of any health problems. Information and statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nor has the FDA approved the medications to diagnose, cure or prevent disease. Medications compounded by Mixlab are prepared at the direction of a veterinarian. Mixlab compounded veterinary preparations are not intended for use in food and food-producing animals. Mixlab does not recommend, endorse or make any representation about the efficacy, appropriateness or suitability of any specific dosing, products, procedures, treatments, services, opinions, veterinary care providers, or other information that may be contained in this advertisement. Mixlab is not responsible nor liable for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products that you obtain through this advertisement.
NECROPSY SUBMISSION FORM
Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories
ADDL at Purdue University HEEKE ADDL - SIPAC 406 S University St 11367 E Purdue Farm Road West Lafayette, IN 47907-2065 Dubois, IN 47527-9666 P: 765-494-7440 F: 765-494-9181 P: 812-678-3401 F: 812-678-3412
VETERINARIAN:
Name
Indiana License #
Dr. Jeff Pyle 24004598
Clinic Address
City, State, ZIP
Phone Fax
Results: Fax Email
Manchester Veterinary Clinic 11798 North State Road 13 North Manchester, IN 46962 (260) 982-6673 (260) 982-8200 jbpyle@fcremc.coop
Additional Results by:
Email Fax
springfieldwts@gmail.com (260)768-9182
OWNER:
Name Address
City, State, ZIP
ANIMAL:
Site/Farm/Unit
Address
City, State, ZIP
Site/Farm/Unit Phone
Premise ID
PREMISE ID
BARCODE
SIGNATURE FOR REGULATORY SUBMISSION:
Veterinarian
Bill to Veterinarian Bill to Owner (Phone) Purdue Fund Bill to Third Party (Name/Phone) RIO/SIO
HISTORY: Clinical Problem: Respiratory Enteric Neurologic Reproductive Other
Age _____ day wk mo yr # On Site _____ # In Affected Group _____ # Sick _____ # Dead _____ Breed ____________
Whitetail Deer
Animal ID Weight ____________ Date & Time of Death _______________________________
Cause of Death: Natural / Euthanasia - If euthanized, method used: ______________________
Were barbiturates used? Yes / No - If chemical euthanasia, chemical(s) used: ________________
I certify that the animal has not been exposed to a level of chlorinated pesticides or PCBs in excess of regulatory limits for animals. As the responsible party, I certify that the above information is accurate and true.
Signature and Date: ___________________________________________
***Testing is approved for Mycoplasma spp. PCR on any respiratory case. If identified, lung tissue is to be forwarded to Newport Labs with the IDEFA Newport submission form on file. ***CWD samples will be collected and tested on all cervidae greater than one (1) year of age.*** Please perform culture and sensitivity on tissue samples submitted or tissues that are visibly diseased at time of necropsy. Also perform parasitology testing.
ATTENTION IDEFA MEMBER: Once results are released to above destinations you will be entitled to your reimbursement from IDEFA
Species:
Aquatic
Avian
Bovine
Camelid
Canine
Caprine
Cervid
Equine
Feline
Ovine
Porcine
Other
Sex:
Male
Female
Male - Neutered
Female - Spayed
Cremation:
Pets Remembered (ADDL-WL Only)
Pet Rest
Individual Cremation
Group Cremation
Ashes Returned To:
ADDL/HEEKE
Owner
Vet Clinic
Differential Diagnosis or Disease(s) Suspected _________________________________________________________________________________________
Legal/Insurance
Suspect (County) _______________________________________
Standard Necropsy Abortion Protocol
animal or any agent acting with the express authorityof the owner agrees that the specimens have been submitted to ADDL and will be handled by ADDL in accordance with ADDL testing procedures, policies, and fees. This handling will include all specified testing and safe disposal of the animal’s remains. Specimens and
federal animal health officials, or 3) when a Foreign Animal Disease is suspected. This form only lists frequently requested tests. For the complete list of tests, consult the ADDL Fee Schedule.
Client of Cremation Service? Yes
No
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Date: _____________ Membership year is January 1 to December 31
Name:__________________________________________________________________ (first) (last) (Middle)
Spouse:_________________________________________________________________ (first) (last) (Middle)
Farm or Ranch Name:______________________
Address:________________________________________________________________
City:__________________________ State:______ Zip:___________County__________
Do you currently own Cervidae in the state of Indiana?
Membership Categories __________
$ 75 Full Membership plus Spouse with Voting Rights __________ $ 50 Full Membership with Voting Rights __________ $ 50 Supporting Membership without Voting Rights
CREDIT CARD INFORMATION FORM
CREDIT CARD NUMBER:
CARDHOLDER NAME (as shown on card):
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FLORIDA DEER FARMERS
FIND CHALLENGES WITH STRONGER AND MORE FREQUENT WEATHER
By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by the Southeast Trophy Deer Association
This past September, Bill Leffler turned to a fellow elk hunter in Wyoming, the same week Category 4 Hurricane Helene was making landfall in his home state of Florida, where he owns and operates Two Base Down Farm. “What would happen here in Wyoming if 20 inches of rain fell in one day?” he asked his hunting companion. He only had to pause a moment. “Everything would disappear,” he answered.
Of the many things a Florida deer farmer faces in the aftermath of a hurricane, perhaps one of the most disturbing is “that nothing will ever be the same,” offered Ryan Boyd of 253-acre Legacy Ranch, in Jennings, Florida. “Nothing will ever, ever look the same. Hundreds of our trees were uprooted. We had a direct hit from Helene with winds up to 144 miles per hour. Somehow, we didn’t lose any deer. But so far, we’ve spent $14,000 in tree removal alone. Insurance won’t
cover it.” In the three-plus years that Ryan and his wife Glorianne have run Legacy Ranch in the Sunshine State, they, like so many other deer farmers, have endured hurricane after hurricane especially within the last few years. The most recent hurricane, Milton, made landfall October 9th as a Category 3 hurricane with winds up to 120 mph. It was the second most intense Atlantic driven hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and, at press time, the strongest tropical storm worldwide in 2024.
However, many variables make Florida, the 27th State of Our Union founded in 1845 and the 22nd largest U.S. state, an attractive and welcoming place to live. Temperatures are generally warm year-round and the tropical climate, access to scenic beaches and tourist attractions only adds to the appeal. Yet, strong hurricanes were not unknown to residents of Florida
even from the very start. In 1928, Hurricane Lake Okeechobee went on record as being the strongest hurricane ever to make landfall. The next one to match its strength would be 77 years later, Hurricane Katrina, which severely affected several southern states such as Louisiana, Florida and Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama.
Today, strong hurricanes in the state whose motto is “In God We Trust” have become the norm. Nonetheless, Leffler feels his resolve has grown in strength, too. “When Milton came there were trees and fences down and animals died,” he said. “There was no power for four or five days. You learn to be prepared with plenty of food, water and gas. I dug an 8-foot wide and 5-foot-deep trench on my property to help with the massive flooding we’ve dealt with. But others have had it much worse.”
Adding to the difficulty of storm damage management directly relates to the quantity of hurricanes that have recently occurred. “There’s so many people who need help, resources are stretched pretty thin,” said Mike Hunter of 260-acre Big Bend Hunting Preserve in Perry, Florida. “After being hit with four hurricanes in the past 13 months, it just takes the wind out of your sails. I think of all the hard work. As you get older you think about these things and the fact that you lose a
little hope. Sometimes I think about not having deer after these things happens, but I’ve never thought of leaving Florida.”
Like Hunter, Leffler and Boyd feel loyal to and rooted in Florida. “Florida is my home,” Leffler said. “You do what you need to do to survive. You become Florida Strong. We live in a beautiful state. We feel pretty blessed. In our neighborhood everyone helps everyone else. There can be silver linings in hardships. You value your friends and family even more. And you work even harder to maintain your passion for what you love doing the most. Deer farming is at the top of the list.”
You do what you need to do to survive. You become Florida Strong. “
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