Michigan Spring 2024

Quest for Michigan’s Best

ROCKY RIDGE WHITETAILS

Focused on CWD Resistance and Quality Breeding

Sponsored by Rocky Ridge Whitetails

TOP 30 NORTH AND SOUTH AND CHUPP’S AUCTIONS OFFER

VALUABLE NETWORKING VENUES

Sponsored by WOO

FLORIDA DEER FARMERS SHARE

If I knew then what I know now

by SETDA

ADVERTISERS INDEX:

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

KEN BROWN

Hello to all members, their family, and friends.

Let me start by introducing myself.

My name is Ken Brown, and I’m the newly elected president of UDFoM. My wife, Casey, and I are owners of PR Whitetails in Leslie. We have been in the deer industry now going on six years. Prior to being in the deer world, I owned two grain elevators for 17 years.

I want to take this time to thank everyone that helped put together another great convention this year as well as all of our sponsors. It takes an immense amount of work from a lot of people to put together such a great event. The board strives every year to make our convention bigger and better and we know we have a few things to improve upon. We will be discussing all of these in our upcoming meetings and finding ways that we can build on and improve for the next convention.

During our convention we had our annual member meeting where we had three new board members elected. Please help me welcome new board members Nate Tacoma, Mason Rickle, and Dr. Anthony Klingler. I would also like to again congratulate and thank Gary and Terry Edwards for their lifelong commitment to the UDFoM. For those of you that were not able to attend or who may have missed it UDFoM gave Gary and Terry a plaque honoring them for all of their years of dedication to our industry. Since the creation of UDFoM one or the other has been a member of the board.

As you are reading this, we will be having two of our board members Mattis Decker and Mason Rickle taking time from their busy lives to represent UDFoM in Washington. For three days they will be

meeting with senators, congressmen or women, and representatives. They along with members of other state organizations and the DC lobbyists will be fighting for our industry while trying to gain more support for the issues that face us all daily.

All of you should have received a survey in the mail from Shepstone Management Company. This is our states economic impact study. It’s extremely important to fill this out. What this does is give us a tool when we go to the capital to show how vital we as an industry are in our state. During my last visit to the capital a few weeks ago this study was brought up and many offices we visited are looking forward to seeing it.

After talking with many deer farmers that attended our convention and NADEFA our state looks to have another strong year ahead of us. Prices for does, stocker bucks and semen are all at a great level! With all being said we are only a few weeks away from fawns hitting the ground. I hope and pray everyone has a successful season.

We will be having our first quarterly face to face meeting April 22nd at 2pm at the Doherty hotel in Clare. Following meetings will be posted on the website. If anyone has any questions or suggestions, please reach out to any of the board members and we will do our best to best to accommodate.

Thank you

Ken Brown UDFoM president

256-940-4020

FEATURE STORY

NOMAD WHITETAILS – TURNING PASSION INTO REALITY

By: Gail Veley

Though most deer farmers had a passion for hunting long before they ever erected fences, built facilities or bought their first deer, the love of the animal itself was always first. Kylar Damon, owner since 2022 of Nomad Whitetails in Grass Lake, Michigan, had picked up a rifle countless times in his life before he ever picked up a fawn and cradled one in his arms. The man who once stared a bull moose right in the eye with only a round bale of hay between him and what had to be a “now or never” shot, would embrace what it was like to stare into the eyes of a fawn and have his heart melted.

“In 2021 I found an abandoned fawn roaming around by the pond on my property,” Kylar’s story begins. “It kept coming back and I knew something wasn’t right. I tried to catch it and wasn’t able to. I came back the next day and found it bedded down by a rock wall. That day I did catch it, but I knew it was too late. After that I started thinking ‘what if I could raise deer?’”

The next year, with the help of mentors like Ryan Halfman of Black Label Whitetails and Dr. Anthony Klingler of Concord Veterinary Clinic, Kylar’s dream began to take shape. Today, his 10-acre deer farm is home to close to 50 deer, not including 40 fawns expected in May. While Kylar favors the look of a typical deer, he’s raising a little of both as a few non-typical deer are found among his herd whose pedigrees include The Fed, Sudden Express, Maxbo Ranger as well as home-grown crosses. While Kylar, 41, is focusing on raising attractive deer favorable to the hunting market, he is happy that his homegrown crosses “tested well” for CWD resistance.

As farm plans progress, Kylar, along with his girlfriend Whitney, look forward to selling both stocker bucks and breeding stock in addition to building a new fawning facility and handler. “No more raising fawns in our living room,” he said. However, in his time as a deer farmer, another tiny helpless fawn found her way into Kylar’s life. “We had triplets last year and one was extremely small. We raised her. She hung out on the couch with us.” They named her, appropriately, “Tiny.” Today, Tiny runs the roost among all the other does her age and even enjoys going on walks with Kylar around the farm, which includes 90 additional wooded acres.

In Kylar’s spare time he enjoys mule deer hunting in Mexico and moose hunting in Alberta, Canada, utilizing both a gun and bow. He is very proud to be an active member of The United Deer Farmers of Michigan and for the support of his fellow deer farmers in an industry he is so grateful to be a part of. Check out Nomad Whitetails on Facebook!

You can contact Kylar Damon @ 734-660-1905

kylerross@gmail.com

2024 UDFoM Corporate Sponsors

Convention – Jays Sporting Goods

Auction – BR2 Whitetails

Cornhole – Springfield Whitetails

Antler Competition – Armada Grain

Silent Auction – Kalmbach Feed

Gun Safe – CG Financial Services

Golden Chairs

Conquest Scents

Raise ‘Em Right Whitetails

Whitetail Pines Farm

Klein Family Deer Farm

BR2 Fence Company

King Sire Ranch

Thank you for your support!

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

Science that delivers the health & productivity you require

GFORC E™

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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™

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

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

ENTERIC HEALTH FORMULA

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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

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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.”

2024Convention!UDFOM

2024Convention!UDFOM

Antler Competition

VENISON FAJITAS

The perfect sizzle for your early summer afternoons!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons seasoned salt

• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 ½ pounds venison, cut into 2 inch strips

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch strips

• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 2 inch strips

• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

• 12 fajita size flour tortillas, warmed

Instructions

1. Combine seasoned salt, garlic salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and oregano to make the fajita seasoning. Sprinkle two teaspoons of the seasoning over the sliced venison. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy frying pan. Cook bell peppers and onion until starting to soften, then remove. Pour in remaining oil, then cook venison until browned. Return pepper mixture to the pan, season with remaining fajita seasoning, and reheat. Served with the warmed tortillas.

Do you have a favorite recipe? Email it to deerassociations@gmail.com for a chance to be featured in one of our magazines!

Please list the ingredients, linstructions, and include a photo or two!

(Recipes don’t need to include venison!)

DD Deer Farms LLC, is comprised of 2 breeding farms, Bristol and Clio. We have been in business for over 30 years, breeding high quality genetics using AI and some Embryos. In the past years we have switched most of our breedings to Markers and GEBV.

some statistics of our farms

Bristol has over 70% of its animals with only 1 “G”. And 40% of its animals have no “G”s.

Clio, although behind Bristol has 60% of its herd with only 1 “G” and 25% of its animals with no “G”s.

Son of Venom / Judge’s Prodigy / Jumbo / Double Nancy

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 FOR CAPTIVE WHITETAIL HERDS

By: NexGen Pharmaceuticals

Part of the planning and preparation for a bountiful season with your whitetailed deer herd lies in providing them with the right resources at the proper times. One of the best ways to ensure that you’re helping to maximize their potential for the upcoming year is with a spring supplemental feeding plan.

While white-tailed deer are ruminants like cows, their optimal diet is very different. Cattle are grass-roughage eaters, whereas white-tailed deer are known as concentrate selectors.1 What this means is that their rumen is smaller relative to their body size as compared to cattle; thus, they’re not as well-suited to processing as much fiber. This is likely a function of their need to be on-themove, sometimes very quickly to avoid predation. Conversely, a bison (which can tolerate more fibrous fare) is better suited to standing its ground against predators than a deer.

Whitetail Digestion Dynamics

White-tailed deer and other browsers have evolved to digest the leaves and stems of trees, shrubs and broadleaf herbaceous plants. In the wild, their diet typically consists of 80% or more of these materials, and less than 5% grasses. Whitetails also consume about 15% of other native plants, such as fruits,

acorns and mushrooms.2

Deer typically need to consume about 2% of their body mass/day in forages that are more than 65% digestible. For maintaining muscle, they need a diet consisting of around 6% crude protein. For growth and reproduction, they need to forage 3%-5% of their body mass/day, with a protein concentration of 12% to 15%.1

Spring whitetail feeding should also address the special needs of bucks and does during the transitioning period from winter. With bucks starting antler growth and does preparing for the rearing of fawns, we need to be mindful that these changes require specific nutrients, rather than just an increase in their maintenance diet. Protein is also critical for the proper development of fawns.

Putting it All Together

So, how does all this translate into formulating a viable spring supplemental feeding plan? Obviously, in the case of deer farming (as opposed to the supplemental feeding of wild deer, which may or may not be legal where you are), it’s more of a question of diet composition versus feeding methods. According to those in the field and the available studies, an increase in protein is the key to successful spring supplemental feeding. In addition to the forage you’re making available year-round, experienced farmers and biologists alike recommend supplementing with a higher-protein deer feed than you may already be using. While the whitetails’ macro- and micromineral needs can be filled by vegetation or eating the soil in natural licks, you can’t go wrong with a feed that has a higher mineral content as well.

Looking to results, one Texas study found that bucks fed a 16% crude protein diet grew antlers that scored 20 inches

...bucks fed a 16% crude protein diet grew antlers that scored 20 inches higher than bucks fed 8% crude protein.

higher than bucks fed 8% crude protein.2 Some veterinarians also recommend alfalfa pellets or a combination pellet to supplement a hay diet, and many advise against overfeeding grain. The whitetail’s digestive system is not adapted to highlyfermentable grains, and enterotoxemia has been seen in deer fed only 1% grain.3 What’s worse is that larger, more aggressive deer may engorge on the grain, increasing their risk for enterotoxemia.

Finally, it’s important to remember that the protein requirements of deer also depend on things like age and sex. A combination of habitat management practices and maintaining reasonable population deer densities can always help in sustaining whitetails in top condition. There should be a herd management component to pretty much every aspect of deer farm management; how your age and sex ratios factor into any diet plan should be included in this. Mature adult deer don’t have protein requirements that are quite as high as what fawns and young bucks need when they’re growing, so you’re likely to have some latitude with the numbers we’ve discussed here.1

1Hofmann, R., 1988. Anatomy of the Gastro-Intestinal Tract. Pages 14-43 In: The Ruminant Animal. Digestive Physiology and Nutrition. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

2Hewitt, D.G. Biology and Management of White-tailed Deer. Danvers, MA: Taylor & Francis Publishing, 2011.

3Ullrey D.E., et. al. Dietary husbandry of captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the Northern USA and Canada must consider effects of day length, age, and gender on tissue energy reserves. In: Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition, AZA Nutrition Advisory Group, Omaha, NE., 2005.

If you would like your farm or business featured on our business card pages, email a digital pdf file or scanned image (must be readable resolution) of your business card to:

Quincy Querfurth

quincyquerfurth97@gmail.com

COYOTES ON THE DEER FARM

By: Mark Neely

Iguess there are several reasons why someone would choose to trap, and there are many methods to use when you do. Biologist trap animals of all kinds to study, track their movements and better understand them. Some trappers enjoy the art of trapping to collect furs to sell in the clothing market. Still other trappers do ADC (Animal Damage Control) for others who are having problems with animals on their property. The last form of trapping (off the top of my head) that comes to mind is predator control trapping. This is a form of trapping to remove predators that are destroying the animals on game preserves and deer farms, both adults and offspring.

I fall into a couple of the above categories; I do some ADC work in all the neighborhoods around town, but I mostly enjoy the predator control aspect on the Deer Farms, Game Preserves, Exotic Ranches and Cattle Ranches. This involves mostly trapping coyotes, but sometimes bobcats find their names on the request. Although beavers are not considered predators, their activities can flood crops and pastures so I am sometimes called on to remove them. If given my choice of it all, I’d rather match wits with the coyote.

Coyotes are true survivors and are very smart when it comes to carving out a living in their home ranges. They will time their breeding and birthing seasons to match the times when fawns are born. In Florida, the coyotes are usually birthing (FebApr) & raising pups (May-Jun) when fawns are hitting the ground. Many deer farms will lose several fawns a year because the local coyote populations are trying to raise up their pups. This is very costly to the deer farmers, as each fawn can potentially bring thousands of dollars when sold at market. An average litter of pups may be six to seven with a survival rate around four or five, if the parents can find enough food for them. Studies have shown that a mating pair of coyotes can bring down as many as 19 fawns in the wild while raising a family. Now imagine if those fawns were being raised in a pen and the coyotes found them.

When I trap on cattle ranches, it’s usually during the winter months (Dec/Jan) because if you’re after coyotes, that’s the best time. This would hold true for Deer Farms, Game Preserves, & Exotic Ranches too. I know this is not the time when your fawns are born, but it is the best time to remove the most predators. Not only coyotes & bobcats, but raccoons & possums are predators too. They will destroy and eat the eggs of every turkey nest they find and can even attack/stress deer if cornered.

Not to say that you should not trap during the time your fawns are born, because it will be another way to protect them, but here’s a couple thoughts on winter trapping. If you catch more predators from your area during the winter, there will be

less of them to kill this years fawns. When trapping in the winter, there a good chance that you’ll catch the breeding pair and therefore stop the production of more coyotes. With all this being said, if you can safely trap during your fawning season, I would.

In all the above scenarios, I will first set up traps around the pens where the fawns will be born, never inside those pens. Then I will work my way out away from the pens towards the property boundaries looking for the most likely routes coyotes will take to and from your fawns. I will also be looking for sign (tracks, scat, scratch offs, etc...) left by the target animals. If the sign changes (and it probably will) I would possibly have to change my strategy by moving or adding traps. A trapper who keeps his eyes open will be more successful; keeping in mind that the coyote will also notice the changes in activity and probably change his tactics.

Every day, I will be riding around the property watching for any coyote sign. I continually ask myself, “have their movements/patterns changed?” “Has one area gone cold while another area is now active?” I have to always be watching what’s going on so I can make changes where needed to take advantage of the opportunities that are given me. The coyotes are also noticing changes, like traffic in areas that are usually not traveled, or some of their local population is no longer around. This problem of outwitting each other is survival for them, and protection for your animals, for me. Needless to say the deer farmer is pulling for me.

Continued From Page 44...

For example, just the other day a game preserve manager called and told me he found another yearling buck (recently released onto the preserve) that had been killed by coyotes just outside of the breeding pen where he was born. When I arrived, I noticed it was a fresh kill and figured the culprits would be back to feed again. I moved the carcass to a safer location (where I wouldn’t disturb anything going on inside the pen) then wired it to a stump so it wouldn’t be dragged away. Five leg hold traps were set in areas of approach and on the first night I picked up a rather large male coyote. The set was remade and caught a mature female the second night. Who knows if this was a breeding pair or even if they were the ones that killed the buck, but it is two coyotes that won’t kill any more of his deer.

Trapping coyotes is not as easy as most would think, especially if you’re after all of them in a given area. Most trappers can pick up the young ones, or the ones that

have never had trapping pressures put on them, but the smart and/ or educated ones are always a challenge. I keep my notes on where and when I’ve made catches. I watch the movement patterns and make notes of areas of activity. When I make a catch, I watch to see if the sign dries up, or if there is another coyote still there. I believe that a good trapper will work hard for his client and do the best job he can. When you complete the job, and pull all your traps, the deer farmer will not only be satisfied, he’ll know who to call next time. A bonus of a good working relationship is that the client you just trapped for will pass your name and number around to his friends.

As I wrap up my thoughts on this, I should also share with you a couple more challenges to overcome when trapping coyotes that kill your animals. Every farm is different.

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Each deer farmer or ranch owner has his own thoughts of what he/ she wants or expects the outcome to be. Each location has its own challenges and every coyote population has their own way of doing things. I enjoy everything involved with trapping these animals and assisting the owners in keeping as many fawns as possible. The people I meet are always interesting; the trapping is a challenge and there’s never an end to the beauty of Mother Nature.

Word 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.

Fawn Bottle

Milk Bucket

Blanket

Doe Planting

Tractor Garden

Fence

Greenhouse Ranch

Seed Vineyard

Windmill

Lamb Chick Calf Foal Piglet

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

Species - Specific for Whitetail , Mule Deer & Elk “Better Than Mother’s Milk”

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.

For oral use only. These feeding directions are guidelines. As each animal is an individual, the feeding rate may be increased or decreased according to the needs of the neonate.

Feeding directions for other species can be found on our website.

• All-Milk Protein from Premium Food-Grade Milk Ingredients

• Essential Vitamins and Complex Minerals

• Balanced Fatty Acids

• Improves Digestion

• Promotes Growth and Performance

• 24/7 Technical Advice & Support DAY ONE FORMULA

• No Refrigeration Needed

• Easily Palatable

• 18 Month Shelf Life

• Available in 20# & 8# pails

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” for a chance to be featured in the next issue!

Last Issues Puzzles

United Deer Farmers of Michigan Membership Application

March

Would you like to volunteer for any of the following UDFoM committees (check all that apply): Board Auctions

Lifetime Membership - $500 This will be a full registration & includes voting privileges, with a maximum of one vote per year per application.

Full Membership - $50 annually This will be a full registration & includes voting privileges, with a maximum of one vote per year per application.

If you would like to pay with a credit card please enter your information here:

Signature

I hereby make application for membership to United Deer Farmers of Michigan, agreeing to conform to the Code of Ethics and Bylaws governing the Association. Signature Date