Uppermidwest Summer 2023

SPONSORED BY WOO

LOUISIANA DEER FARMERS SHARE

IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW – WHAT I MAY HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY STARTING MY DEER FARM

Sponsored by wol TREASURING

by

Grant Carrolan

Hidden Hollow Whitetails 12820 Prosperity Road Marion, IL 62959 618-559-5952 gra5566@yahoo.com

Adam Helgeland Trophy Whitetail Deer 23209 470th St. Lake Mills, IA 50450 641-590-3410 adamhelgeland@gmail.com

2023 Membership Application

(Illinois) ILDFA: _____ Assoc. Member $25 _____ Active Member $50 _____ Lifetime Member $500

(Iowa) IWDA: Assoc. Member $50 Active Member $100 Lifetime Member $500

(Minnesota) MDFA: Assoc. Member $50 Active Member $75

(North Dakota) NDDRA: Assoc. Member $50 _____ Active Member $75

(South Dakota) SDEBA: Assoc. Member $25 Animal Owners $50

Total: ________________ Check: #___________ Credit Card ____

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a resident of any of these states and required to be an active member, please select the correct level above. If you are not sure of your membership status with a state and you sign up, your payment will cover you for the next year. *** These states allow anyone that lives in their state and not raising deer but have interest to supporting the industry to be at the Associate Membership Level. This level is a non-voting level.

Name: Spouse or Partner:

Farm Name/Company:

Membership Address: City: State: Zip:____________County

Main preferred listing phone: Alternate listing phone:

Fax: Email: WebSite:

Check which apply ___:Own Hunting Preserve ___Own Breeding Operation ___Industry Supplier Species Raised: ___ Whitetail Deer ___Elk ___Mule Deer Other Species Raised:

Products I Offer: __ Meat __Velvet Antler __ Industry Supplies __ Feed __ Nutritional Supplements ___Vaccine ___Graphic Design & or Web Design Other Products or Services:

I hereby make application for membership to these associations, agreeing to conform to the Code of Ethics and Bylaws governing the associations.

Signature: Date:

I give permission to have my contact information published in the annual directory and on the website Yes No

Please mail applications to:

ILDFA: Chet Hostettler, 510 S. Pine St, Arthur, IL 61911

IWDA: Tom Stumpf, 2045 270th St, Rockwell City, IA 50579

MDFA: Mark Volk, 9095 160th Ave, Royalton, MN 56373

NDDRA: Lani Schafer, 1223 18th Ave NW, Turtle Lake, ND 58575

SDEBA: Brian James, 30267 464th Ave, Centerville, SD 57014

EXECUTIVE

Grant Carrolan President

Hidden Hollow Whitetails (618) 559-5952 gra5566@yahoo.com

Rick Davidson

Dr. Clifford Shipley Vice President

Salt Fork River Ranch (217) 493-2958 cshipley@illinois.edu

Chet Hostettler Treasurer

Illini Whitetails (217) 246-8566 illwchet@gmail.com

Lisa Shepherd Secretary

Hidden Hollow Whitetails (618) 713-3799

lisa_shepard83@yahoo.com

DIRECTORS:

2020-2023 Illinois Dominant Bucks (217) 260-2825 rdavidson@vivecrop.com

Janine Harden 2020-2023

Harden Deer Farm (217) 415-7508 hardendeerfarm@myfam.com

Rusty Karr 2022-2025

Dominant Genetics (309) 275-9567 rusty_k2000@yahoo.com

Kyle Neal 2020-2023

Neal Farms Whitetails (618) 967-0076 nealfarms38@hotmail.com

Larry Hackethal

2021-2024 PO Box 655 Cobden, IL 62920 (618) 893-2252 pro1ab@frontier.com

Chase Baker 2022-2025 Baker Whitetails (618) 841-9776 bakerwhitetails@outlook.com

ILDFA Member Message from your Vice President - Chase Baker

Alison Reynolds

2021-2024

Rusty Gun Deer Farm 1706 W. Main St. Robinson, IL 62454 (217) 871-9657

Alisonmichelleoutdoors@gmail.com

Clint Shipley

I hope everyone has had a great fawning season. Our spring event was one for the books! I want to thank each and every person that donated their money, product, or time to help make it so successful. It was great to see so many people in attendance. I’m already looking forward to 2024 spring event!

As for the club, everything is business as usual. If you have any ideas/suggestions for ILDFA, please reach out to a board member. The new contact at Illinois Department of Agriculture is Matthew Konrad matthew.konrad@illinois.gov

The board has been busy behind the scenes preparing for our Fall Event September 9th at EKG Whitetails. Please email me your buck pictures for the slideshow. Cant wait to see everyone again!!

Thank you,

Chase Baker

8

NEAL'S WHITETAIL RANCH

Neal's Whitetail Ranch located in Ewing, Illinois. In 5 and a half short years of business they have grown to 72 Whitetails! Owned by lifetime ILDFA members Charles and Kyle Neal. Kyle is also a board member. Their favorite breeder is Freightliner(Y-16), Express Train/Wilderness Bucky/G36 son pictured below!

Their favorite part of deer farming is watching the newborn fawns and antlers grow.

Their favorite part of ILDFA is enjoying the camaraderie among all of the Illinois farmers. ILDFA provides a combined voice for our common interest.

They encourage anyone interested in deer farming to visit as many farms possible, ask questions, and take notes!

The Neal’s would like to welcome all new/existing deer farmers to join us at our Fall event September 9th!

They currently have adult does, doe fawns, and bucks available. If interested or would like a farm tour please call/text.

Kyle Neal 618-967-0076

BOARD:

Scott Fier President

Buffalo Ridge Whitetails 3788 260th Ave

Porter, MN 56280 507-829-3151

fierscott@gmail.com

Steve Uchytil Vice President Crow River Whitetails 14681 175th St NE Atwater, MN 56209 320-894-1914

crowriverwhitetails@gmail.com

DIRECTORS:

Gary Olson Olson Whitetails 34526 State Hwy 30 Lanesboro, MN 55949 507-269-9791

garypolson2005@yahoo.com

Deb Holthaus

320-360-4667

Deb@Benefits-MN.com

Ken Williams

320-291-3385

kwilliams7777@outlook.com

Mark Volk Treasurer Volk Whitetails 9095 160th Ave Royalton, MN 56373 320-232-3352

volkwhitetails@outlook.com

Steve Porter Secretary Porter Whitetails 1828 350th Ave Lake Bronson, MN 56734 218-526-0180

porterwhitetail@gmail.com

Steve Dougherty Zumbro River Whitetails 57479 375th Ave Zumbro Falls, MN 55991 507-269-7346

steve@zumbroriverwhitetails.com

Scott Salonek

612-850-8684

Scott@healthyelkmeat.com

Membership Notice:

Please update your membership to continue receiving these quarterly magazines.

If you have not renewed your membership for 2023, this will be the last issue you receive. Please go online to MDFA.wildapricot.org to renew or call Mark Volk at (320)232-3352.

(Paid members have access to our members only tab, forum)

We appreciate your support. BOD mDFA

Does the sound of antlers clashing make you cringe each fall?

PEACEMAKER™

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Use PeaceMaker™ to help “keep the peace” during pre-rut, rut, transportation and other key times during the year

Now available in a 30 lb resealable bag and 11.25 lb pail to help fit your operation’s needs

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Natural formula contains Encrypt®, egg proteins, enzymes, micro-encapsulated probiotics and a prebiotic

Top dress or mix in feed during fawning season, weather changes, times of stress and when top performance is desired

2023 ILDFA Antler Competition Winners!

Best Yearling - Baker Whitetails

2nd Place Yearling - Voss Whitetails

Best 2 Year Old- Illinois Dominant Bucks

2nd Place 2 Year Old - Neal Whitetail Ranch

Best Mature Buck - Neal Whitetail Ranch

2nd Place Mature Buck - Illinois Dominant Bucks

BEST OF SHOW - Neal Whitetail Ranch

Baker Whitetails

Mark Voss Nelson Waterer Winner!

Dave Mosely Winner of Sementanks.com!

Voss Whitetails

Neal Whitetail Ranch

Illinois Dominant Bucks

EXECUTIVE BOARD:

IOWA WHITETAIL DEER ASSOCIATION - BOD'S

Adam Helgeland President

Trophy Whitetail Deer

15425 450th St

Leland, IA 50453 641-590-3410

adamhelgeland@gmail.com

Tom Stumpf Treasurer

God’s Country Whitetails 2045 270th St.. Rockwell City, IA 50579 712-830-2358

godscountrywhitetails@hotmail.com

Mike Hine

DIRECTORS:

Fred Huebner Vice President

Circle H Ranch 2575 Iowa Keokuk Rd. North English, IA 52316 319-530-7824

Roger Strunk Secretary

Strunk's Whitetail Haven 508 Franklin 3rd St West Point, IA 52656 319-470-2413

rlstrunk@yahoo.com

Mick Tonderum

Timberghost Ranch PO Box 545 Mediapolis, IA 52639 319-394-9876

mike@timberghost.com

Nate Hippen

Honey Creek Whitetails 100 13th St. Aplington, IA 50604 319-240-8197

Jake Lahr

Hopkinton, IA 52273

GMT Farms Inc. 2008 5th St. Emmetsburg, IA 50536 712-260-7310

gmtfarms74@hotmail. com

Chad Machart

Prairie Antler Ranch

Anamosa, IA 52205

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.

Thank you to all the supporters of the Illinois Deer Farmers Association!

2 Base Down Whitetails

A&B Laser Engraving

A&W Whitetails

Aftershock

Alfahay

Allison Reynolds & Family

Awesome Antlers Unlimited

Awesome Whitetails

Baker Whitetails

Behme Whitetails

Bekaert

Black Label Whitetails

Blue Creek Whitetails

Broken Arrow Whitetails

Cargill Feeds

Cedar Breaks Ranch

Cold Spring Whitetails

Copper Creek Whitetails

Cougar Ridge Whitetails

Crooked Horn Whitetails

CuddliEZ

D&K Design

Deepwoods Whitetails

Divine Whitetails

Dominant Genetics

Dr. Ray Favero's Whitetail Genetics

EzID

Fox Valley Nutrition

GNK Whitetails

High Roller Whitetails

Illini Whitetails

Illinois Dominant Bucks

Indianhead Whitetails

Iron Whitetails

J&L Whitetails

J&S Scents

Larry Hackethal

Maple Hill Farms

Microchip ID Systems

Moultrie County Monsters

Moxy Ranch

Moxy Ranch

NADEFA

Ndesign Leather

Neal Whitetail Ranch

Nelson Manufactoring

NexGen Pharmaceuticals

Niese's Whitetails

Nold Farms LLC

Phoenix Whitetails

Pine Creek Deer Farm

Pneu-Dart

Real World Wildlife Products

Red Wire Ranch

Ripple Run Whitetails

Thank you for your support!

Rocky Ridge Whitetails

Rodenkirch Whitetails

Royal Whitetails

Rusty Ridge Whitetails

Ryan Tegmeier

Salt Fork River Ranch

Sementanks.com

Shedville Whitetails

Sinking Creek Whitetails

Snyder Whitetails

Springfield Whitetails

Stay-Tuff Fence

Stutzman's Feed

Tajada Whitetails

Tri County Veterinary Clinic

Tripp's Shawnee Whitetails

Trophy Whitetail Deer, Inc

Tyler Aker

University of Illinois

Voss Whitetails

Weaver Two Whitetails

West Creek Whitetails

Whetstone Brothers

White Pine Whitetails

Whitetail Dreams

Woodard Whitetails of Kentucky

BLUE CREEK WHITETAILS FOCUSED ON PRODUCING ELITE WHITETAILS

By: Gail Veley

Blue Creek Whitetails Manager

Jimmie Neeley pauses at the pen of Royal, his favorite doe on the farm he breathes life into seven days a week. As Royal approaches him, it isn’t so much the treat he’s holding that she’s interested in, but rather, the affection he offers along with it. She nuzzles and licks his hand as he strokes her neck and softly talks to her. Her sheer delight in seeing him is obvious. And vice versa. And just like the farm itself, there is a lot to appreciate about Royal, whose pedigree includes Blue Chip, Freeze Frame, Shadow and Tasha among others. This four-year-old doe is also perhaps a symbol of what is good and right in the deer industry and at Blue Creek Whitetails. Their superior animal husbandry skills combined with breeding superior genetics, finds Blue Creek Whitetails producing some of the most elite whitetails in the industry.

The sprawling 250-acre farm in Falfurrias, Texas, is home to approximately 1,150 deer including bucks and does. What that number does not include is the 400-500 fawns expected this season. And while those sheer numbers of deer may seem overwhelming from a management perspective, Neeley, who always keeps the big picture in the back of his mind, lives by this decree. “We take things one step at a time and one deer at a time,” he

explained. “You don’t only focus on the big picture. You learn to slow down and simplify and to keep your goals clearly defined. We have a great team of employees that always goes above and beyond in every circumstance.”

Neeley and his wife Kayla are as devoted as anyone could be in their positions. Yet, both realize how lucky they are to have the dedicated team of employees working right alongside them. “We have one gentleman working here that no matter what time you decide to start that day, he always the first one there. He refuses to show up second to work,” Neeley, 41, shared. “We also have an employee who’s a licensed veterinarian in Mexico. After seeing to the deer, he’s not one bit scared to work hard and pick up a weed eater or get on a tractor. He’s 70 years old and he’s amazing. All of the employees here are amazing and work together seven days a week. Every one of them is a valuable asset. We deeply appreciate everything that they do.”

Neeley, along with farm owners Billy and Alice Oehmig, also appreciate the partnerships they have on a few prized breeding bucks. These include Ice Man with Jade Webster of MVP Whitetails, Simply Irresistible and Wanted with Brad Hassig of Prime Acres as well as Are You

Ready with MVP Whitetails, Prime Acres, Jesse Boger of Limitless Genetics, Kiser Creek and Billy Sage. “With our business partners and production record, we believe we are moving in the right direction,” Neeley said. “Our customer base is growing immensely. They are extremely important to us along with building and maintaining good relationships. We do everything we can to make things right. And we are always looking to improve and make the herd better.”

In their spare time the Neeley’s enjoy going to the beach and also going to the gym to workout. Yet, coming back home to the farm is a feeling unlike any other. At the end of the day, crimson colors cascade as the perfect backdrop to a pen with 100 does thriving among evergreen live oak trees endemic to the Texas terrain. From his back porch Neeley takes the sight in, which never gets old. He lets out a grateful sigh that another day has gone well at this deer paradise. As he lays down next to Kayla and prepares for a good night’s rest, his last waking thought has been known to be “How can we grow bigger deer?” Check out Blue Creek Whitetails on Facebook as well as their website www. bluecreekwhitetails.com.

Iceman

NORTH DAKOTA DEER RANCHERS ASSOCIATION

FACEBOOK: NORTH DAKOTA DEER RANCHERS

Directors

Mike Ryckman

President

Ryckman Whitetails PO Box 565

Linton, ND 58552

Lani Schafer

Secretary/Treasurer

1223 18th Ave NW Turtle Lake, ND 58575

Chris Ryckman

Ryckman Whitetails

6160 Hiway 1804

Bismarck, ND 58504

Butch Dick Board Member

6379 123rd Ave SE Lisbon, ND 58054

Bob Miller

Evolution Whitetails

10801 52nd St NE

Bismarck, ND 58503

Micr ochips

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277772 Elbow Canyon Road Edgemont, SD 57735 605-685-3376 markholl@gwtc.net

Whitetail Farms 48474 257th Avenue Garretson, SD 57030 507-227-6328

gleenderts@alliancecom.net

James Whitetails 30267 464th Ave Centerville, SD 57014 605-660-6280 Jamesfam13@outlook.com

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.

Coloring Activity!

Send in this picture with your childs name and age for a chance to be featured in the next magazine or on our facebook page!

All ages welcome to participate!

Pictures can be emailed to deerassociations@gmail.com or mailed to Samantha Uchytil

19291 59th St NE New London, MN 56273

Be Creative and add in a background for Bunny!

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CitiStim®, an ADM proprietary feed ingredient, is a proven, truly unique, whole-cell, inactivated yeast product that may help the animal strengthen its defense against health challenges by supporting and optimizing gut function, gut integrity, and body defense responses.

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For more info, contact Troy Bjorge at 320-412-9957

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www.ADMAnimalNutrition.com/wildlife

FALLOW DEER GAINING IN DEMAND AND POPULARITY

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by WOO

Fallow deer, known for their hardiness, adaptability and apparent resistance to contracting CWD and EHD, are gaining popularity as perhaps a more low-risk animal to raise, compared to whitetails. Although whitetails are and always will remain the Number One animal in North America to hunt, producers and hunters alike are increasingly intrigued by fallow deer with their unique paddle or rack with tines. “I’ve had hunters willing to pay $50,000 to $500,000 for the right fallow buck,” shared Lance Clawson of Caveman Wildlife in Austin, Texas. Credited as being one of the first in the U.S. to raise high-end pedigreed fallow deer, Clawson maintains a herd of approximately 150 in a partnership with Jason Milligan of Cross Canyon Whitetails. Clawson also partners with Chris Ezell on a herd numbering approximately 160 at Ezell’s farm, Dangerous Whitetails of Oklahoma in Adair, Oklahoma.

Originally from Europe, fallow deer were brought to the U.S. during the 19th century as domesticated animals

and as such, no license is currently needed to raise them, said Ezell, who has raised fallow deer for nine years. Having originally bought them to merely help keep the grass “mowed” on his expansive farm, Ezell started appreciating more and more their calmness and their ability to take stressful situations in-stride. Even better was “a combination of three very important things. Their hardiness, they adapt to any environment, are CWD non-susceptible and don’t get EHD,” Ezell emphasized. “They are very efficient animals and usually have only one fawn in June with an unbelievable success rate.”

Clawson, who’s efficiently raised fallow deer for 20 years, first promoted them as a viable choice for hunters from his booth at a Texas Deer Breeders Association show in 2015, after CWD started becoming a more prevalent issue for whitetail breeders in Texas. Pleasantly surprised by the response he received, Clawson said he “just kept going with it.” He began to work steadfast towards developing a registry and later found support through The Exotic Wildlife Association in Kerrville, Texas. “I feel a strong allegiance toward the EWA for coming through for those of us who raise fallows and want to continuously improve them through quality genetics and pedigrees,” Clawson said. More recently, The North American Deer Registry (NADR) began a fallow deer registry as well.

While Clawson, 54, admits he may not be a professional at marketing his fallow deer, he appears to be a professional at producing world-record bucks. “We are creating a species that has never been seen before” said Clawson, whose farm sports

“The 400” Club” with the likes of American Made, Lightening and Bullwinkle, the fallow buck unofficial world record holder. “Everyone who visits our farm immediately wants to go and see Bullwinkle,” Clawson said. “They are immediately drawn to him and intrigued by his size and stature.”

Under the right setting and super genetics, fallow deer racks (or palmate racks as they are called) can be four to six inches wide, Ezell said. “With superior genetics, they could be 10 to 15 inches wide. Fallow deer can also be a variety of coat colors and look different from each other.” Since he began promoting his fallow deer, Ezell has shipped them to states such as Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maine, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. Using embryo transfer, he and Clawson and Milligan have helped improve the genetics on both of their farms in a continuous effort to make a science out of raising fallow deer. “They are also good eating and big for the meat industry,” Ezell said. “The future for fallow deer is very bright.”

Word Search

Autumn

Acorn

Apple Leaves

Colors

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Maize

Scarecrow

Turkey Antlers

Buck Harvest

Cider

Cranberry

Hayride

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Hibernate

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Frost Season

Crossword Puzzle

LOUISIANA 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 WOL

The deep coolness and darkness of night shifts as an eastern predawn sky begins its deep blue transformation to ultimately welcome the sun in northern Louisiana. And while Kristina Rothschild, owner of All in Whitetails in Eros, Louisiana is up and preparing to leave the house for her full-time job, she pauses and looks out at perhaps her most favorite thing – the deer farm she’s shared with her husband Steve since 2017. A sense of contentment is felt about their herd they strive to maintain as conscientiously as they can. From focusing on a smaller herd of 60 to having a farm that’s functional, Rothschild is grateful for all of it. Yet, she remembers times in the beginning when things weren’t always so.

While the Rothschild’s had initially built a barn for handling deer, their runs going into the barn were wider rather than narrower. “We only had four deer at the time, and I told my husband we needed to run these deer,” Kristina, 45, reflected. However, rather than going forward into the barn “one of the deer turned back on us and I ended up on the back of it and rode it about 10 feet.” The very next day the Rothschild’s installed a slide wall for pushing them forward into the barn. “It was a very enlightening experience,” Kris said. “We just didn’t fully understand at first. If I

had to do over, I definitely would have looked at more designs and gathered more information on how to process deer,” she said.

The mistakes made in processing deer are realized by every deer farmer at some point in time, and perhaps felt most poignantly with darting. “The very first year we darted deer we accidentally broke the leg of a doe fawn,” Kris shared. “We had the right yardage and right amount of pressure, but she stepped forward the moment we released the dart. Of course, we were devastated and talked to other deer farmers who had similar experiences. We put a rod in her leg. Today that doe is seven years old and uses that leg.”

Should a health situation ever arise for James Clark of Seldom Seen Whitetails in Greensburg, Louisiana, he calls Daniel Thomas of Daniel Thomas Whitetails in Springhill, Louisiana for additional advice. Thomas, who Clark admits was completely responsible for inspiring him to begin deer farming, sold Clark some of his first deer in 2014. “I picked up a Whitetails of Louisiana magazine and saw his two-page spread and called him out of the blue,” Clark said. “I wanted to see if I could grow deer that big and was all about getting good doe pedigrees.” Those purchased deer, along with others from Bill

Holdman of Elam Woods Whitetails in Winnsboro, Louisiana, were the foundation of Clark’s herd. While he first began his deer farm in Vidalia, he later moved to Greensburg in 2019 and bought enough land to also have a hunting preserve.

Gleaning off the insight of Josh Kaplan of Golden Ranch Whitetails in Gheens, Louisiana, Clark had Kaplan design his entire barn from pen layout to building locations. Looking back, what would he have done differently? “Absolutely nothing,” Clark, 68, said. “I’ve talked to lots of deer farmers and 98 to 100 percent said they would have done this or that differently,” Clark said. “But I can’t say I wish I had done this or that. I tried very hard to do it right the first time. And maybe facilities at other farms are finer, but my stuff operates just fine. I’m very satisfied.”

The Rothschild’s also feels very satisfied with how well their farm is doing today, and also credit Thomas for getting them off on the right foot by selling them high quality bred does. “The biggest thing for us was buying quality deer,” Kris said. “We were grateful to have Mr. Daniel to turn to. Every new deer farmer should have passion for whitetails and turn to those more experienced for guidance. It really pays off.”

VENISON MUSHROOM SWISS BURGERS

Have you ever had a burger so good that you couldn’t set it down? Yeah? This is one of those burgers. The secrets to a perfect venison mushroom swiss burger are a little bit of time and a whole lotta cheese. Perfectly caramelized mushrooms and onions are an exercise in patience but once you have them paired with a deliciously cheesy, juicy venison burger, you’ll want to make them over and over again.

IngredIents

Caramelized Mushrooms and Onions:

• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced

• 4 cups onions, julienned (cut from root to tip)

• 2 tablespoon butter

• salt and pepper, to taste

Burger Patties:

• 1 lb ground venison (or elk, moose, antelope, beef, etc.)

• 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 4 slices Swiss cheese, cut into ¼” squares

Other Ingredients:

• 4 slices Swiss cheese

• 4 brioche hamburger buns

• mayo (optional)

• ketchup (optional)

InstructIons

1. Carmelize Mushrooms and onions in a large pan over medium-low heat. The timing varies on the freshness of your ingredients but should take about 7-10 minutes.

2. Preheat grill to 350°F.

3. In a medium bowl, add ground meat, worcestershire sauce, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

4. Mix with your hands until spices are well-combined with the meat. Add in diced pieces of Swiss cheese and gently incorporate them into the meat.

5. Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Roll each piece of meat into a ball, then form into a patty by squishing it between the palms of your hands. Patties should be about 4.5-5” in diameter. Using your thumb, place a small dimple in the middle of each patty.

6. Carefully place burger patties on grill and cook for 4-5 minutes.

7. Flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove to a foil-lined flat grill pan or small sheet pan.

8. Top burgers with mushrooms and onions, then top with cheese. You can save some of the mushrooms and onions out to place on top of the melted cheese too, if desired.

9. Place pan back on grill and cook for 4-5 minutes, using indirect heat (not directly over the flame).

10. Remove pan from grill when cheese is melted.

11. Spread mayo on buns if desired, then add burgers to the bottom bun. Drizzle with ketchup if desired and place top half of bun on top. Enjoy!

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TREASURING HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES SHARED MEMORIES WITH JAKE ANDERSON

By: Gail Veley • Sponsored by KALA

The clock was close to striking midnight when Jake Anderson set out for an eastern Kentucky elk hunt in September of 2013. This trip would be one of several he would take in an effort to not waste the coveted elk tag he had drawn from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife lottery earlier that summer. His plan, along with packing his hunting bow and camping gear, was to arrive at daybreak to scope out promising areas for the harvest.

“The maps provided by fish and wildlife were terrible,” Anderson, who was 25 at the time, said. And even though he stopped at several places to ask the locals about elk sightings “no one could tell me anything,” he added. “This was all on public land with no guide.” It took five trips. The first was with one of his hunting friends. Although on that trip Anderson squarely landed an arrow into a really sizable bull, the big elk was completely unfazed by the shot and continued on chasings cows, until completely disappearing from sight. His fifth trip found him shooting a fatal arrow into what Anderson still

considers his “once-in-a-lifetime” freerange elk. Luckily, the elk had expired on a dirt road on land formerly used for mining, and Anderson was able to bring his truck into the exact location and load the entire body into his truck bed.

Ironically, as he arrived to this particular spot to gather his elk, he found five elk standing right there, all bigger than the one he had just taken down. “I thought ‘you gotta be kidding me. This is just my luck,” Anderson said, even though he was really happy with his hunted treasure. During another hunt, a whitetail hunt in Kansas, both Anderson and his uncle had shot an arrow at a buck. Anderson, however, had taken and landed the first shot. Both men, upon searching for their deer, thought that their arrow had certainly been the fatal one. However, when they found the buck, only one arrow was in it. “That was another memorable hunt that really stands out for me,” Anderson said.

Yet, in all the hunting adventures he’s enjoyed throughout the years, Anderson has noticed one thing. Public land for hunting decreases every year.

According to internet research, rapid urban sprawl has been responsible for close to 14,000 square miles of land development between 2001 and 2019, which comparatively is an area roughly five times the size of the State of Delaware. Real estate values for farmland have also increased substantially throughout recent years, making selling the land more enticing particularly in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Florida. Other states experiencing the most accelerated urban growth have included Texas, Illinois and North Dakota. “Unless you own land or are leasing it, our opportunities to hunt in open range are going to be gone,” Anderson, owner of Anderson Whitetails in Guston, Kentucky, said. “There is less and less land to hunt and we are going to get to a point where there will be no place left to hunt. This is where we are lucky to have high fence hunting. You could hunt your whole life and never have the opportunity to shoot one like you have in a preserve.”

“Without high fence hunting, it is so hard for an individual to find somewhere to hunt that’s not developed or leased out,” Anderson emphasized. “If I visited a preserve, I’d like to get another elk. Same for other hunters. It wouldn’t have to be just a whitetail. You might be sitting in a deer stand an elk goes walking by and you change your mind and want one of them instead. And you wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of entering a lottery and getting a special tag. Preserve owners are playing a vital role in current and future land conservation, and in providing the sustained opportunities to enjoy unforgettable hunts.”

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