KY Winter 24 FULL BOOK

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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

OKLAHOMA FIRST STATE TO RELEASE FARMED DEER TO COMBAT CWD IN WILD HERDS

Sponsored by WOO

KENTUCKY ALTERNATIVE

EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jason Becker

PRESIDENT

Campbellsville, KY jasonbecker757@gmail.com 757-692-5820

Jake Anderson

VICE PRESIDENT 925 Guston Rd Guston KY 40142

janderson@theluskgroup.com 270-547-8432

DIRECTORS

Ethan Woosley

9064 Shrewsbury Road Leitchfield, KY 42754 Singlecreekwhitetails@gmail.com 270-230-7978

Daniel Stallard

Copper Creek Whitetails 500 Copper Creek Rd Dawson Springs, KY 42408 214-897-1958

Patrick Stanley

Twisted Tines Ranch / Crooked Creek Whitetails P.O. Box 130 Williamstown, KY 41097

Tony Maddox

CHAIRMAN

725 Rabbit Town Rd

Winchester KY 40391

solidrockwhitetails@yahoo.com 859-556-7253 • 239-340-1171

PRESTON THOMAS

SECRETARY

Princeton KY 42445

prestonthomasfarms@gmail.com 270-889-1001

WES BREWER

TREASURER

Hodgenville KY 42748

mwb5304@yahoo.com 502-297-1309

Henry Woodard 9776 Roseville Rd Glasgow KY 42141

woodardpropertiestn@gmail.com 423-595-8898

Josh Moore

J&L Whitetails Maysville, KY 606-748-7563

Joe Miller

4195 Penchem Rd Guthrie KY 42234 jmgreenlandsod@safecom.link 270-483-2140

David Miller

1873 Forestville Rd Mumfordville KY 42765 270-537-5357

Message from Magazine Chairman: Ethan Woosley

WINTER 2024

Hello all, as 2024 is swiftly drawing to a close & we are preparing for the year ahead, we can ponder on this year and be thankful that we were able to enjoy yet another year. This year has been chocked full of unexpected twists and turns that none of us expected, yet we are forced to make the best of every situation that comes our way, no matter how good or bad they may be. Hopefully everyone had a very successful breeding season! With the industry turning in the direction of CWD markers and breeding values, perhaps we can see more resistant markers in the Kentucky market these next few years! If you are following along, Kentucky has received a grant to test our herds for those markers, so that was definitely a testament to the science behind those markers, being recognized by the USDA.

A final farewell! As I sat down to type this, it is with a certain degree of sadness that this will be our last magazine issue together. Taking this position by vote as an interim, then getting voted into this full-term position, I have seen just how far this association has grown and flourished! Throughout these past 3+ years, I can honestly say that this magazine has been one of my favorite things about being on the Board of Directors. Often this position would end up with me having to type up an article in the middle of the night, leaving for work a few hours later, but it has been so fun being able to add things to the magazine that I thought might be a nice free benefit to being a member such as the classified section & the business card pages. Getting folks to participate in those fee pages has been very discouraging though.

These past 2 years for me have been an udder whirlwind of very impactful happenings in my life, and regretfully it became obvious in my fulfillment of obligation to this position, & my deer pens and I let it all bog me down. As y’all know last fall I talked myself into cleaning some things off my plate and getting out of the deer business, then I changed my mind. I love these animals and being able to breed them for certain antler or genetic characteristics, but I let myself get consumed in life and the enjoyment became dread. As a result, I am needing to step out of the industry indefinitely. I may or may not get back in eventually, but I just need a break!

I am humbled & extremely grateful for the friendships built & friendly gestures that have been extended to me these past few years! There are some truly remarkable folks within this industry! I want to thank our magazine team, for stepping up to help me when I got in a bind for time and needed help! I thank you Kathy Brooks, Grayson Steele, & Maryann Hall I greatly appreciate all the help that you have been to us as an organization! Often credit is not given where credit is due, & these ladies definitely deserve the credit for being so helpful when I needed them most!

Please keep Kathy & Larry Brooks’s family & farm in your thoughts and prayers. Their whole business model has been decimated by a political storm in the wake of the CWD case on their farm.

Magazine Committee

Grayson Steele

Maryann Hall

Kathy Brooks

KALA FARM FEATURE

J&L WHITETAILS OF MAYSVILLE KENTUCKY

We started our deer Farm in 2021, we currently are raising whitetail deer only and we plan to keep it that way.

When starting out, we focused on quality over quantity with the realization that turnaround time would be a bit longer to have any profit, but wanted to be in the breeding industry for the long term with genetics that are superior. We started with 3 bred doe’s with production and not hype, and currently have 68 whitetail in our facility. In my opinion, when you start a deer farm it requires lots of planning, knowledge and strong will, and with anything new leave room for the learning curve. We care about the health of our animals upmost and we have learned the quality feed will make or break the health of your animals. We feed a pelleted feed that helps with the control of minerals in our

animals’ diets, we have found there is less waste, and there are less vermin contacting our animals in wanting their feed. We bottle feed a select few fawns and we will pull any baby that we feel are either not getting what they need or if their mother, for some reason, decided that she is not going to nurse her fawn. When we started, we bottle fed the same as now and it has worked out well for us, our animals are very calm and workable. A fawns’ health is a very important topic to us and I believe there are two extremely important things to consider during fawning. One is to make sure your pens stay clean or you move to fresh pasture, fawns are a bit of a scavenger and its important their living area is free of contaminants that they pick up. The second which is not just for fawns but also all deer health is space, they need plenty of space and here we rotate our pasture and give our animals plenty of space. Since we have started, we have continued to build new pens that offer our animals plenty of space to have fresh forage and room for themselves.

Our goals and business plan has stood strong since we developed them, but I will say that the government overreach since this last CWD case does have us questioning the one thing in our business plan and that is selling breeding stock. You see we strive to grow some of the best genetics

in the state of Kentucky backed by health and production. We want to be able to help new farmers get off to a excellent start, or even help existing farmers looking to add great healthy genetics to their heard for a better future but with government programs that can come to my farm tell me I have to kill my livestock because of a disease that has never been proven to be the cause of death, a disease that has never harmed a human, a disease that these programs use to profit and push their own agenda has made me question if it is truly worth putting my farm in jeopardy by selling breeder stock. With that said we have not eliminated that portion of our program but we are much more than choice cautious with where and who our animals go to. On the same note we want to make sure that through our AI program we are breeding toward the industry standard and including the markers that are necessary to help prevent our animals with susceptibility.

As we started raising whitetail there are a few things that I wish I would have considered, one and most important thing that I feel is to know the health of these animals. It is so important to be able to tend to the needs they develop which there are always going to be learning curves but if I could go back this is one area I would have studied and took many more notes on to help the success of our animals. This

is where a good mentor comes in play and is very necessary as in any new business with that has limited resources to find readily available. I also have learned to be carful who you deal with. We like to think that everyone that is in the same industry as we are in are good honest people and that is not the case. Just as any business there are those that care about you and your success, and there are those that care about seeing their success at whatever cost my come. Do your homework, talk to many other farmers, and do not be scared to ask about other in the industry and obvious if you hear the same thing said by several do not ignore it. Visit as many farms as you can and do not just seclude yourself to one area, it is best to visit as many farms as possible even at further distances. Look at their health, look at the survivability of their animals, here on our farm we have only lost one animal that we started with

due to health and the other one we have lost was do to birthing issues. It is important to know these things about farms you plan to do business with.

As per our business plan we strive to grow profitable two-year-old bucks. We are averaging a 240” twoyear old, which is right were we like to be, they have the extra inches in the right places that the industry and the hunting world desires.

We also have the pedigrees that our industry like to see marketed and have the value along with the production not just the hype. We spend a lot of time with our animals, which sometimes can be challenging when running two other businesses but it is a necessity when you care about what you have and what you are trying to accomplish.

Science that delivers the health & productivity you require

G FORC E™

SCIENTIFICALLY FORMULATED NATURAL SUPPLEMENT TO HELP GROW LARGE, HEALTHY DEER AND BIG ANTLERS!

Nutrient rich formula contains highly bioavailable ingredients, including our proprietary calcium/phosphorous complex with Antler D TM, that are required to support body and bone growth, especially for fast growing bucks

Contains probiotics and targeted enzymes to support gut health and proper digestion

Available in pellet or powder that can be top dressed or mixed in feed. Great for antler growing season and young bucks, too

PeaceMaker

PRECISELY FORMULATED TO HELP MAINTAIN A NORMAL AND RELAXED DISPOSITION IN ALL CERVIDS

Provides optimal levels of magnesium, Vitamin B1 and inositol to promote calmness and provide help for restless animals

Contains no herbals, tryptophan or chemicals, eliminating concerns of unwanted side effects

Use PeaceMaker to “keep the peace” during pre-rut, rut, transportation, weaning and anytime destructive behavior may occur

ENTERIC HEALTH FORMULA

POWERFUL SOLUTION FOR HEALTH & PRODUCTIVITY

Helps maintain digestive health and productivity

Contains micro-encapsulated probiotics, targeted enzymes and a novel fiber complex

Use in does before fawning, during lactation and all cervids during times of environmental stress

FAWN ARRIVAL™ POWDER & PASTE

HELPS PRODUCE HEALTHY, FAST GROWING FAWNS

Helps maintain normal digestive health

Supports a healthy immune system

Feed powder for 14 days to bottle fed fawns

Paste is ideal for fawns left on does

FAWN & DEER XTR™

ROBUST FAST RESPONSE FOR FAWNS & OLDER DEER

Innovative formula delivers max digestive support, especially in newborns

Rapidly delivers help for GI health and a functioning immune system

May also be used post-tranquilization to support healthy recovery

Supporting the States

Alabama Deer Association

Illinois Deer Farmers

Indiana Deer And Elk Farmers Association

Iowa Whitetail Deer Association

Kansas Elk and Deer Association

Kentucky Alternative Livestock Association

Minnesota Deer Farmers Association

Missouri Deer Association

New York Deer and Elk Farmers Association

North Dakota Deer Ranchers

Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Association

South Dakota Deer & Elk Breeders

Southeast Trophy Deer Association

United Deer Farmers of Michigan

West Virginia Deer Farmers Association

Whitetail Deer Farmers of Ohio

Whitetails of Louisiana

Whitetails of Oklahoma

KALA CLASSIFIEDS

Fawn CradlesFor pricing and ordering contact Ace Whitetails at acewhitetailsky@gmail.com or text (502) 994-8656

Herd dispersal!

We are getting out of the deer business indefinitely. I have bucks, does, & buck and doe fawns available! Everything here is either DNA’d or can be easily as we pull samples from everything born here! We have been a closed herd for the last couple years, and are certified to ship out of state! Our CWD contract date is 09/05/2018 and our TB & BC certified status is good until 11/13/2026!! I would like to not have to renew permits for 2025, but will if necessary. I truly appreciate my customers, past and present! Thanks much, Ethan S. Woosley 270-230-7978

Your Ad Here!

If you would like to place an ad in the KALA Classifieds, please contact Ethan Woosley, or Josh Moore to place an Ad. It is totally Free advertising for KALA members!! If you have a business card and you would like to see it in the magazine section it is also free to KALA members, please contact Ethan Woosley to get those in!

MEMERSHIP DUES:

Regular Voting Membership $100 Out of State Associate Membeship $50 (non-voting)

I hereby make application for membership the Kentucky Alternative Livestock Assocation.

I agree to confirm to the bylaws and code of ethics governing the association.

Signature

Date: ______________________

Memberhip Application

Member Name: Farm Name: New Member: ________ Renewal: ________

Address: Phone:

Email:

Online application avaliable on our Website: kalaky.net

Mail to: Jason Becker 737 Finely Ridge Road Campbellsville, KY JasonBecker757@gmail.com 757-692-5820

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: : Singlecreekwhitetails@gmail.com

This gives KALA 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.

Please Note: Business Cards will be rotated as space allows, if you don’t see your card here it should appear in the next issue. If you have any concerns please double check that your membership is up to date and feel free to contact us or resend your card.

Magazine Deadlines / Event Calendar

Whitetail Deer Farmers of Ohio Winter Deadline & West Virginia Deer Farmers Association / New York Deer & Elk Farmers Association Winter Deadline

Whitetails of Louisiana Winter Deadline

Tri-State Associations Winter Deadline

Kentucky Alternative Livestock Association Winter Deadline

Alabama Deer Association Winter Deadline

Upper Midwest Winter Deadline Quest for Michigan’s Best Winter Deadline

SETDA Spring Deadline

IDEFA Journal Spring Deadline

Pennsylvania Deer Farmers Association Spring Deadline

Whitetails of Louisiana Spring Deadline

FLORIDA DEER FARMERS

FIND

CHALLENGES WITH STRONGER AND MORE FREQUENT WEATHER

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. “

LIGHTER WEIGHT. MORE EFFECTIVE. MINIMAL TRAUMA.

IF YOU HAVEN’T TRIED PNEU-DART’S RDD S , YOU’RE MISSING MORE THAN YOUR TARGET

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Pneu-Dart. When you can’t afford to miss.®

Crossword Puzzle

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.

OKLAHOMA FIRST STATE TO RELEASE FARMED DEER TO COMBAT CWD IN WILD HERDS

During the last legislative session in Oklahoma, Representative Nick Archer introduced House Bill 3462 called The Chronic Wasting Disease Genetic Improvement Act, and Senator Grant Green carried the legislation in the Senate. HB3462 is designed to address the urgent threat posed by Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) to our Oklahoma native deer population. With leveraging groundbreaking research, including that of Dr. Chris Seabury, this legislation proposes a scientifically informed, innovative approach to enhance the genetic resilience of our native deer against CWD.

HB3462 also represents a proactive, comprehensive strategy to mitigate the impact of CWD, by establishing a pilot program focused on genetic improvement and resistance breeding within our states whitetail population. This pilot program is based on many years of genetic research targeting the SS allele at codon 96, which is associated with reducing the susceptibility to CWD. It is widely known that combining Dr. Seabury’s genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV’s) with the SS allele, builds the most durable and CWD resistant deer possible.

This research underpins the bill’s strategy of utilizing CWD genetically durable deer to bolster the durability of Oklahoma’s native deer population against CWD. The Legislature required the rules to be prepared by November 1st of 2024, through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture working together with the Oklahoma deer industry and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife was also required to gather 1,000 whitetail deer DNA tissue samples from across the different deer zones throughout

Oklahoma to establish a baseline. This type of bill needs to be passed across the country.

The only reason any agency or association might oppose this type of legislation is because they know it will work. I believe they fear our research efforts will lead to the end of their CWD slush fund and expose state wildlife agencies across the country for culling valuable multi-million dollar farmed deer herds, destroying the farmers income and dreams. I think it’s past time to get started on working to pass this in your own state by attending the Leadership Meeting on Saturday afternoon February 8th, 2025, at the Whitetails of Oklahoma Convention and Southern Top 30 Auction.

The following is an outline of how our program works:

35:15-44-22. Chronic Wasting Disease Genetic Improvement Program (CWDGIP)

(a) The CWDGIP is only available to whitetailed deer producers who are Oklahoma Farmed Cervidae licensees.

(b) Producers choosing to participate in the CWDGIP shall register with the Animal Industry Services Division (AIS) of Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF or The Department) and remit a fee of $100 per year, payable no later than January 1.

(1) A late fee of $100 will be assessed for payment after February 1.

(c) An inventory of all participating deer shall be submitted to AIS at the time of registration.

(1) Participating deer shall be identified with an official USDA ear tag.

(2) Genetic testing information for the individual deer shall be submitted at the time of registration.

(3) Details of the alleles at Codon 96 and the Genetically Estimated Breeding Value (GEBV) of offspring of participating does shall be submitted to AIS upon receipt of the testing results.

(d) Beginning February 1, 2026 and ending April 15, 2026, white-tailed deer does of any age and bucks that are less than 24 months of age, born and raised in Oklahoma by registered CWDGIP producers may be released onto private land pursuant to the landowner meeting the requirements of Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation regulations as outlined in Section 1.

(1) White-tailed deer shall be released only if:

(A) Their genetic testing proves they have the SS allele at Codon 96.

(B) Their GEBV is at or below -0.0560.

(C) They are identified with one (1) orange bangle ear tag in each ear that is at least 2” X 1 5/8” in size and the previously applied USDA official ear tag shall remain in place.

(2) The White-tailed deer that meet the genetic traits in (1) of this section may be released during the same time frame in subsequent years.

Ultimate Venison Meatballs

Enjoy these easy baked venison meatballs with your favorite sauce and pasta for a hearty, comforting meal. They’re tender and meaty without any gamey taste. A crowd-pleasing way to enjoy ground venison!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small red or yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup )

• 4 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

• 1 pound ground venison

• 1/2 pound ground pork

• 1 egg, or flax egg

• 1/4 cup oat flour or breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add onion to the pan and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.

3. Meanwhile, add the remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled onion mixture and using clean hands mix together until thoroughly combined.

4. Using a medium cookie scoop, roll the mixture into balls and place on the baking sheet.

5. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and golden brown.

6. Use as desired or freeze for use at a later date.

Send us your recipes! We want to hear your favorites! (Recipes don’t need to include venison - cookies, salads, breads, etc. are all welcome!) Send recipes to: deerassociations@gmail.com

Breeder Buck 2024 Showcase Magazine

We created this magazine in order for 2024 Breeder and Hunting Preserve advertisers to showcase their most recent photos of their bucks close to the last days of antler growth. We realize establishing a collective deadline for all states Fall magazines to publish on the same date to obtain last-minute photos would be impossible to achieve. With this magazine, advertisers have one more chance to showcase their bucks. ~ Thank you to all that participated!

Search

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.

Last Issues Puzzle ~ Answer Key ~

Last Issues Puzzle ~ Answer Key ~

KEEP YOUR DEER HERD ORGANIZED WITH A PROFICIENT TAGGING SYSTEM

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.”

44 ISSUES FOR 1 YR. (11 Publications x 4 quarters) - 18 State Associations

$180 / Issue ($7920. / Yr) ~ Full Page

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16 ISSUES FOR 1 YR. (4 Publications of your choice x 4 quarters)

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4 ISSUES FOR 1 YR. (1 Publication x 4 quarters)

$238 / Issue ($952. / Yr) ~ Full Page

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

Coloring pages can be mailed to: Samantha Uchytil 19291 59th St NE, New London, MN 56273 or emailed to: deerassociations.com for a chance to be featured in the next issue! Colored by

DEER FARMING

W H A T I S K A L A ?

Kentucky Alternative Livestock Association is a state organization dedicated to the promotion of cervid farming as an agricultural pursuit; serving members by maintaining quality standards and educational programs

W H Y R A I S E D E E R ?

Kentucky is one of the leading deer farming industries in the country. Many Americans love the animal’s majestic appearance and intriguing behavior However, economic potential is one of the driving attractions for many deer farmers. The progressive deer industry enables breeders to sell their livestock in several markets The farm breeder stock market and the preserve stocker buck market have been the major markets in recent years However, with recent situations involving diseases, the demand for semen straws from in and out-of-state farmers has heightened, leaving KY deer farmers with phenomenal opportunities Whitetail deer are the most sought after big game animal in North America, causing the demand for mature animals to accelerate as high-quality trophies become increasingly rare in the wild We have an unbelievably high demand for an animal that is fun to raise and extremely versatile With deep history, cervid farming is one of the fastest growing industries in America

K . A . L . A . ’ S O R I G I N

Herd Maintenance

State & Federal Regulations

Newer & Under-recognized Organization

Investment

Unforeseen Events

K A L A is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1999 to promote and protect the deer farming industry K A L A is dedicated to the promotion of cervid farming by educating our members and the general public about the benefits and opportunities available through industry participation K A L A ’s 11-member leadership team ensures quality standards by keeping an up-to-date deer farmers’ registry and guarding our farmers regarding any legal deer farming regulations, and providing educational programs (including quarterly meetings, quarterly magazines, an annual convention, and educational seminars). Our organization has grown immensely since K.A.L.A. was established

K . A . L . A . ’ S C O M M U N I T Y

Becoming a K.A.L.A. member is essential for connecting with other farmers, staying current with the deer farming industry, and establishing your farm K A L A meets quarterly in-person granting opportunities for farmers to develop relationships and the industry Our organization is also full of resources to help you including educational information, farmer contacts, and so much more The community within the organization makes your decision to get into deer farming easier! K.A.L.A. is here to help you! We are growing and are so excited to see the future of this organization WE NEED DEER FARMERS!

Profit Capability

Farm Preservation B E N E F I T S

Industry Growth

Supports Other Industries

Community

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