North American Deer Farmer Magazine Spring 2014

SPRING 2014

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North American Deer Farmer

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CONTENTS

106 18 86

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38

FEATURES 18

NADeFA Delivers Big 2014 Convention Wrap up

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Antler Competition Results & Photos

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Culinary Awards & Photos

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Conference Photos Spot Yourself, Friends or Family members at the Convention

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Venison Tasting Results

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Coloring Contest Winners

68

NADeFA Photo Contest

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Lifetime Members

86

Prevention & Management of Insecticide Resistance

114 Industry News

124

DEPARTMENTS 8 president’s Message by Ray Burdette 10 Calendar of Events 12 Executive Directors Message

by Shawn Schafer 42 outdoor patriot by John Meng 94 new Members 96 Cervid Livestock Foundation by Skip West 106 Legislative report

by Capitol Hill Consulting 122 Treasurer report by Hank Dimuzio 124 Farm & Technology by Mike Owens HEALTH & EDUCATION 60 Cassidy’s Corner by Dr Brandt Cassidy 99 Fawn Health by Dr Douglas Wagner 120 Deer & Wildlife Stories by Keith Warren PRODUCTS & EQUIPMENT 130 Advertiser’s index Cover photo by Cindy pagel 1st plaCe photo Fawn division

126 Venison Recipes 128 Cervid Research Schmallenberg Virus 2

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The NADeFA Way Convention success improves future projects After our annual national convention in Birmingham, your NADeFA and CLF Boards of Directors and staff have been busy assessing the results of this convention. This was one of our most successful conventions ever.

The attendance and vendor participation were great. The fund raising was the best in many years. My thanks to all the donors, sponsors, and buyers. Everyone who participated is to be congratulated. We are all pulling together for the good of our industry.

The NADeFA and CLF Boards of Directors have already taken action on several projects that were made possible by the success of the convention. They include: • Funding research for a CWD live test by awarding a grant for $76,000.00.

• Funding a positive Sportsmen’s Channel advertising effort for deer farming and scent collection for $13,000.00.

• Funding a positive 2 full page advertising and editorial on deer farming in a USA Today special publication (2014 USA Today hunt & Fish) for $15,000.00.

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• Sponsoring & assisting in fund raising for deer research for Texas A & M and Texas Tech. $33,000 • Continued sponsorship of Keith Warren’s Deer Stories. $55,000 • Assistance to New York Deer Farmers for a law suit of $50,000.00.

• Assisting the Missouri Deer Farmer’s with a “Town Hall” meeting and “Meet and Greet” at the capital. $5,000.00 These are a few of the efforts for which NADeFA and CLF are using funds raised through your donations and financial support to promote and support our industry. This is the “NADeFA WAY”. One member helping another throughout the country. Thanks from all of us at NADeFA. ray Burdette nADeFA president

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NADeFA CALENDAR

Kansas Cervid Breeders Association’s Summer Shrimp Boil July 12, 2014 South fork Elk Ranch Garnett, Kansas NAEBA's 24th Annual Convention & International Antler Competition July 31-August 1, 2014 Kansas City, MO Missouri Whitetails Breeders & Hunting Ranch Assoc Convention August 7-9, 2014 Lake Ozark, MO Texas Deer Association Annual Convention August 7-9, 2014 JW Marriott San Antonio, TX DeerFest 2012 August 8-10, 2014 Washington County Fair Park West Bend, WI Deer Breeder Corp 8TH Annual Convention/Fundraiser & Quality Whitetail Deer Auction August 22-23, 2014 Westin La Cantera Resort San Antonio, TX

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Whitetails of Louisiana Convention August 15-16, 2014 Lafayette, LA Illinois Deer Farmers Assoc Annual Meeting & Fundraiser August 23, 2014 Altamont, IL Whitetail Deer Sales Ohio Trophy Buck Auction August 28,- 30, 2014 Dalton, OH Pennsylvania Deer Farmer Fall Sale September 11-14, 2014 Altoona, PA Buckeye Fall Trophy Breeders Auction November 6-7, 2014 Mt Hope, OH Chupps Deer Auction December 10-13, 2014 TBD

- 2015 Top 30 January 2015 Collinsville, IL Texas Top 30 January 2015 Austin, Tx Midwest Select Sale February 2015 Wilmington, OH

Order online at www.superiormilkreplacer.com

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

NADeFA Is Working For You Through Funded Research Programs and Aggressive Marketing

2105 Board of Directors, not pictured are Scott Kent, Lamar Borkholder and Bill Pittenger.

This is my first message after a very successful NADeFA annual conference. First of all, I would like to thank our sponsors who make it possible for us to keep the registration cost at an affordable rate and to offer a significantly discounted price for the spouses and children, which helps to keep our conference a family event. Next, I would like to thank the members that donated all the lots for our fundraiser and as notable, those members that bought or bid on the items! I also would like to recognize Skip West, for coordinating the move-in and set up for the tradeshow, and his sons, Chip and Adam, for all the heavy lifting. Dr Cliff Shipley hit a home run, with his selection of speakers and topics for both the new deer farmer seminar (72 attendees) and conference breakout sessions. Last but not least, I want to thank the Alabama Deer Association for giving us that warm southern welcome, hosting our event and sponsoring the Polaris ATV that was given away at the end of the Friday night fundraiser. Congratulations and thank you to Paul Tyus, 4M Ranch, for buying so many items in the sale (and chances at the 4 wheeler) and staying until the end of the auction to be our lucky winner. Does anyone remember 12

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whose name was pulled first? No, because that person did not stick around until the end of the fundraiser!

The funds raised during the conference came at a much needed time as there are several states that are in need of financial assistance to fund their legal campaigns. New York The New York Deer and Elk Farmers Association, with the assistance of NADeFA has legally challenged the process the NY Department of Ag and Markets used to close their border and implement new rules. Indiana - The judge’s ruling last summer to legalize hunting ranches in Indiana was later appealed by the DNR and is now scheduled for an upcoming hearing. The Indiana Deer and Elk Farmers Association, NADeFA and the Indiana Farm Bureau have teamed up to provide funding to help the hunting ranch owners see this fight through to the end. Missouri - With the battle heating up in Missouri over new regulations and who should have the regulatory authority over the deer industry, NADeFA put together and funded a town hall meeting for landowners and sportsmen, and a “meat” and greet (we fed the Senators venison) at the capital, we brought in experts on EHD and CWD for both of these events to educate everyone about the NADeFA.oRg

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differences of EHD and CWD and which one really is killing all the deer in Missouri.

On the Public Relations front, NADeFA is once again a primary sponsor of Keith Warren’s Deer and Wildlife stories.

Keith Warren and all of his television shows have done more for establishing the farmed cervid industry and hunting ranches as a part of everyday mainstream society than all other PR projects combined. This year we are also excited to announce we are sponsoring a new television show that features our deer farming way of life and all of the various markets, hosted by Doug Roberts of Michigan. This new show, Conquest 200 will air on the sportsmen’s channel, which will round out our coverage of all the outdoor/ hunting channels.

We are also trying another first in marketing our industry by advertising and having an editorial in the USA Today, Hunt & Fish magazine. This should allow us to reach a whole new market of people that we have not targeted in the past.

Recently our industry took a major hit from a reporter in Indiana, and his series of articles about deer farming and hunting ranches. No amount of PR work in the world could have prevented this from happening, as the majority of issues he focused on truly had taken place at one time or another in our industry’s past (it blows my mind that they can twist old news into today’s headlines). We have all heard the phrase “truth hurts” and it really does apply in this situation. The best method of prevention to stop this type of damaging articles in the future is to not provide them with the story to write about in the first place! Not only must we all operate above the law, more importantly we must make certain that everyone we are doing business with is operating that way as well. The same goes for disease control and prevention. We are not a diseased industry and have tens of thousands of tests to prove it, but, that still does not override the fact that there have been several beef herds in recent years that have been infected with the cervid strain of TB. In each of these cases there has been a direct tie to exposure from a TB positive cervid herd. When we look back at the history of CWD in the farmed cervid industry you will find that “BEFORE” there was a certification program, we did move CWD positive animals between states and countries. So what is the answer?

Science! Science is the answer. It is not our fault that for years we relied on a TB skin test that everyone, including the regulators, knew did not work. So what did we do? We worked with scientists and researchers and supported development SPRING 2014

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and validation of a TB Blood test that will find and remove that last TB positive herd that may still be hiding out there somewhere. So what do we do about CWD? We insist on science based regulations and we support research to develop better tests, vaccines, and genetic resistance. On the regulation side, the state and federal programs are a pain, but the fact remains that we have never moved a CWD positive animal across a state line, from a certified herd!

On the research side, not only are we working congressionally to insure funding for CWD research is available to USDA Wildlife Service’s, the NADeFA Cervid Livestock Foundation is financially supporting CWD research at Kansas State University. In April we whole herd tested my own personal herd using the new TB Blood test and really enjoyed having to handle the animals only one time. We also took advantage of having the deer restrained in the chute by allowing Nicholas Haley from KSU to pull rectal biopsies and nasal swabs while we pulled an additional blood sample, all to be used in the development of a CWD live test!

So, will we have a live test in time to help work our way through this latest case of CWD in PA? No, but we are at least heading down the right path to finding a solution.

Back to the PR front, we also need to spread the word that we are not spreading disease because all of our herds that are participating in interstate commerce must meet the minimum requirements of the Federal Regulations that oversee interstate transportation. We also need to beat our chest that our industry is leading the way to development of better tests and is not just sitting back with our heads in the sand like so many of our wildlife agencies throughout this country.

I wish I had more to report at this time, but we are still very early in the research process. Many of you may remember a research project the NADeFA CLF funded at the end of 2103 that altered the diet to prevent CWD infection. I can report that results have been very slow to develop because the control group has been as healthy as the animals receiving the special diets; until now. The control group has finally started to show signs of disease while the specially fed animals remain healthy. We still have a little ways to go until the project is over but it does show promise. Please watch for future articles and e-blasts to update you and also as we look for volunteers to allow samples to be collected from their herds.

Shawn Schafer NADeFA Executive Director North American Deer Farmer

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Executive Committee 2nd Vice President Scott Kent (2016) Gene’s Place 2079 US Hwy 69 Osceola, IA 50213 Phone: 641.446.3742 Email: scottkent@iowatelecom.net

R. Ray Burdette (2016) El Canelo Ranch P.O. Box 487 Raymondville, TX 78580 Phone: 956.607.7200 Fax: 956.689.1089 Email: ray@elcaneloranch.com

1st Vice President Bill Holdman (2015) Elam Whitetails 215 Industrial Parkway West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: 318.381.1534 Email: bill@amethystconstruction.com

Board of Directors

O. Lamar Borkholder (2015) O-La Jo’s 1070 E. 5th B Rd Bremen, IN 46506 Phone: 800.626.0661 Mark Cobb (2016) Gobblers Ridge Exotic Animals Rt. #2 Box 260 Eastwood Rd. Ravenswood, WV 26164 Phone: 304.273.0553 Email: mark.cobb@gmail.com Kevin Grace (2014) Whitetail Sales & Service 153 Hall Store Road Eldon, MO 65026 Phone: 573.392.8230 Fax: 573.392.8237 Email: whitetailsales@socket.net Scott Kent (2016) Gene’s Place 2079 US Hwy 69 Osceola, IA 50213 Phone: 641.446.3742 Email: scottkent@iowatelecom.net Carolyn Laughlin (2015) Laughlin’s Hilltop Whitetails 9025 Bachelor Rd. NW Magnolia, OH 44643 Phone: 330.866.5421 Fax: 330.866.5851 Email: carolyn@nadefa.org

Dr. Clifford Shipley (2016) Salt Fork River Ranch 2190 Homer Lake Road St. Joseph, IL 61873 Phone: 217.469.2669 Cell: 217.493.2958 Email: cshipley@uiuc.edu David Vanderzee (2015) Easton View Outfitters 175 South Cambridge Rd. Valley Falls, NY 12185 Phone: 518.692.9999 Cell: 518.210.8889 Email: vanderzees@aol.com Curt Waldvogel (2017) Waldvogel Whitetails 4070 Tradesville - Brighton Rd London, OH 43140 Cell: 937-869-0494 Email: cdwdeer@gmail.com Dr Doug Wagner (2017) Newport Labs 1520 Prairie Dr Worthington, MN 56187 Cell: 507-360-9730 Email: dwagner@newportlabs.com

James Moses (2016) Dakota Whitetails 26650 Basket Rd Quaker City, OH 43773 Phone: 770.329.4768 Email: jmoses0924@aol.com Bill Pittenger (2017) BP Whitetails 109 Glaize Holler Rd. Brumley, MO 65017 Phone: 573.793.2239 Email: bpwhitetails@hotmail.com

PHONE: 330.454.3944 | FAX: 330.454.3950 4501 Hills & Dales Rd NW, Suite C | Canton, OH 44708

info@nadefa.org

www.nadefa.org

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Dr. Hank Dimuzio (2016) LedgEnd Farm 1288 Munger St. Middlebury, VT 05753 Phone: 802.388.8979 Fax: 802.388.8979 Email: ledgendeer@comcast.net

Executive Director Shawn Schafer Schafer Whitetail Ranch 1223 18th Ave. N.W. Turtle Lake, ND 58575 Phone: 701.448.2002 Cell: 651.212.1315 Email: schafer@nadefa.org

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NADeFA

3rd Vice President Skip West (2017) Circle W Whitetails 54301 S. 351 Rd Maramec, OK 74045 Phone: 918.671.8669 Email: skip@circlewwhitetails.com

Treasurer

“

President

NADeFA is dedicated to the promotion of deer farming and ranching as an agricultural pursuit and serves it’s members through educational programs and providing leadership in setting and maintaining quality standards.

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CLF

Board of Directors

CLF Executive Committee Chairman: Skip West Circle W Whitetails 54301 S. 351 Rd. Maramec, OK 74045 Phone: 918-671-8669 Email: skip@circlewhitetails.com

1st Vice Chair (2016): Bill Pittenger 101 Cornett Branch Rd Lake Ozark, MO 65049 Phone: 573-216-0671 Email: bpwhitetails@hotmail.com

Treasurer: Dr. Hank Dimuzio LedgEnd Farm 1288 Munger Street Middlebury, VT 05753 Phone/Fax: 802-388-8979 Cell: 802-343-8848

NADEFA Cervid Livestock Foundation exists to serve the deer industry through educational, charitable and scientific purposes relating to deer farming and ranching and the use of deer products.

The Cervid Livestock Foundation seeks to influence industry trends and assure a healthy and expanding industry.

The Cervid Livestock Foundation's mission is to facilitate public education about the agricultural and economic value of raising deer.

MissioN: Educate the public as to the value and benefits of deer and deer products Disseminate information relating to the care and breeding of cervid species Conduct programs to support the education of deer farmers/ranchers regarding the deer industry and venison consumption support scientific research Promote the expansion of the North American Cervid industry

Mr. Ray Burdette (2015) El Canelo Ranch P.O. Box 487 Raymondville, TX 78580 Phone: 956-689-5042 Fax: 956-689-1089 Email: ray@elcaneloranch.com Mr. Brad Farmer (2016) Farmer’s Fallow Deer 120 East Robinson Viola, KS 67149 Phone: 620-584-6635 Fax: 620-584-6634 Cell: 316-772-7592 Email: bradshirlfarmer@sktc.net Mr. Kevin Grace (2017) Whitetail Sales & Service 153 Hall Store Road Eldon, MO 65026 Phone: 573-392-8230 Fax: 573-392-8237 Email: whitetailsales@socket.net Mrs. Carolyn Laughlin (2016) Hilltop Whitetails 9025 Bachelor Rd. NW Magnolia, OH 44643 Phone: 330-866-5421 Fax: 330-866-5851 Email: carolyn@nadefa.org Dr. J. Bradley Thurston Luke’s Run 2640 Ponderosa Road Spencer, IN 47460 Phone: 765-795-6406 Cell: 317-372-8493 Email: thurstonbrad@yahoo.com

Current initiatives - The CLF and NADeFA sponsor a wide variety of educational activities: adult programs, youth programs, scholarships, scientific research, public awareness and marketing of deer products.

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Samuel Samuel & Nancy Nanc y King King 717-768-0645 TB A Accred ccred Spring 2014

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B Bruc r uc C Cert ert CWD 3-02 North American Deer Farmer

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2014 NADEFA CoNFErENCE - AlAbAmA WrApup

NADEFA Delivers

BIG

in Birmingham

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31 yEArs lEADiNg thE CErviD iNDustry

Deer farmers from across the country gathered in Birmingham, Alabama for the 2014 nADeFA Annual Conference. The result was a record-breaking convention for the north American Deer Farmers Association, and more evidence that the deer industry is growing nationwide.

Attended by nearly 800 deer farmers and industry professionals, the event was the most profitable fundraiser ever! Thursday and Friday night auctions were lively and fun for the participants. The nADeFA open sale on Saturday recorded more than $1.7 million in sales.

In addition to the huge sales totals, the event’s New Deer Farmers seminar, which was held on Wednesday, had recordsetting attendance. The final attendance number of 72 was nearly double the number actually registered for the event.

Attendees also were treated to many informative seminars regarding just about every aspect of raising and owning deer. Two one-half day sessions were held providing information about EHD and CWD. Thanks to Dr. Cliff Shipley for organizing the speakers for this conference.

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The best smelling event of the conference award goes to the Thurston Culinary Competition. NADeFA’s Cervid Livestock Foundation sponsored the competition which was held in the exhibit hall with the opportunity for attendees to be judges and tasters.

Special thanks go out to the Alabama Deer Association for their assistance in planning and sponsorship of the conference. NADeFA expresses its sincere gratitude to Will Ainsworth and Brian Brumfield for their tireless dedication and service on the NADeFA board of directors, and welcomes Dr. Doug Wagner and Curt Waldvogel as the newest members of the board.

The support of sponsors and attendees this year is just another indication of how strong this industry is and how dedicated we all are to working together to help this industry continue to grow.

Don’t miss out on the fun at next year’s conference!

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dude 1sT place Typical yearling Bill Krusmark of Buck ridge Whitetails

sTriKe Force 1sT place non-Typical yearling Brent Brown of Brown Trophy Whitetails

logo 2nd place Typical yearling Jerry & Johnathan Bell of Hurricane creek Whitetails

Kid roller 2nd place non-Typical yearling John erwin stoltzfus of rocky ridge Whitetails

prince george 3rd place Typical yearling Brad Heath of orion Whitetails

Big guns up 3rd place non-Typical yearling randy Valentine of select Whitetails

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ANtlEr CoNtEst spoNsorED by

Tall Boy 1sT place Typical 2 year old ivan Hochstetler of double H ranch

eagle 1sT place non-Typical 2 year old James Vietenheimer of V-Tex Whitetails

dude 2nd place Typical 2 year old Bill Krusmark of Buck ridge Whitetails

BulleT prooF 2nd place non-Typical 2 year old des Woods of gsells Whitetails by WKT

BronKo 3rd place Typical 2 year old dale Boggs of Triple d Whitetails

aKa 727 3rd place non-Typical 2 year old david lapp of gap ridge Whitetails

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roBo 1sT place Typical 3 year old Bart littlejohn of littlejohn Farms

green 12 1sT place non-Typical 3 year old John erwin stoltzfus of rocky ridge Whitetails

perFecT dreaM 2nd place Typical 3 year old Theresa Mccomas of Texas M3 Whitetails

BoTToMs up 2nd place non-Typical 3 year old danny & lindsey lewis of silverstone Whitetails

dude 3rd place Typical 3 year old Bill Krusmark of Buck ridge Whitetails

roll-on Bill 3rd place non-Typical 3 year old david esh of Blue Mountain Whitetails

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ANtlEr CoNtEst spoNsorED by

Big sTiTcH 1sT place MaTure Typical chris Mcdaniel of T3 Whitetails

dreaM rolex 1sT place MaTure non-Typical scotty Hooper of H&H Farms

WHiTe oaK 2nd place MaTure Typical lynn coblentz of clear creek Hunting ranch

coMplex 2nd place MaTure non-Typical John ervin stoltzfus of rocky ridge Whitetails

BroW Tine BucK 3rd place MaTure Typical clark & shawn schafer of schafer Whitetail ranch

scorpion 3rd place MaTure non-Typical david lapp of gap ridge Whitetais

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sTriKe Force yearling BiggesT MainFraMe Brent Brwon of Brown Trophy Whitetails

BulleT prooF 2 year old BiggesT MainFraMe des Woods of gsells Whitetails by WKT

FlinT 3 year old BiggesT MainFraMe dean Borntrager of sundance Whitetails

Big sTiTcH MaTure BiggesT MainFraMe chris Mcdaniel of T3 Whitetails

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ANtlEr CoNtEst spoNsorED by

dude yearling longesT Tine Bill Krusmark of Buck ridge Whitetails

Tall Boy 2 year old longesT Tine ivan Hochstetler of double H Whitetails

dude 3 year old longesT Tine Bill Krusmark of Buck ridge Whitetails

dude MaTure longesT Tine Bill Krusmark of Buck ridge Whitetails

aksjhdf

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2014 NADEFA CoNFErENCE WrApup

dude longesT MainBeaM yearling Bill Krusmark of Buck ridge Whitetails

BulleT prooF longesT MainBeaM 2 year old des Woods of gsells Whitetails by WKT

roBo 3 year old longesT MainBeaM Bart littlejohn of littlejohn Farms

Big sTicH MaTure longesT MainBeaM chris Mcdaniel of T3 Whitetails

Thank you Antler Competition Participants!

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antler contest sponsored by

1St Place Sika deer kevin Grace of High expectations

Juble 2nd Place Sika deer roberta cahill of dream chaser Farm

Hombre 1St Place elk Joel espe of Hawks Hill ranch

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Avoid the summer performance

slump A Assist ssist y your our h herd’s erd’s p performance erfor through the h hot ot s summer ummer m months onths w with it Thermal Care™.

ADM research has aggressively pu o help alleviate the perfo solutions to performance slump caused by summer heat stress. Thermal Car Our Rack Plus™ Deer and Elk Fee age the effects of heat stress. help manage Benefits of the Thermal Care tec • Better heat dissipation • Enhanced gut health • Enhanced immune function Thermal Care heat stress through e helps curb hea T hermal Car Vasodilation: asodilation: asod • V Plant extracts conta been shown to help facilitate heat diss are more comfortable in their environ foraging, which could have a favorable i performance.

• Immune modulation: The Citr Citr Thermal Care offers health perks. CitriStim is an AD whole cell yeast product rich in yeast mannnans and beta glucans.

—Y Yeast ma mannans have been extensively researched relative to their positive effects on the immune status us of animals. animals lower —In vitro data shows pathogen populationss were lowered due to CitriStim addition, which may help the animal resist gut level health challenges.

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Get the benefits of Thermal Thermal Care!

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2014 NADEFA CoNFErENCE - AlAbAmA WrApup

1st Place steven Graves

2nd Place John Washington

d Monica Burdette.

Judges Mark Cobb an

3rd Place robert White 32

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31 years leading the cervid industry

Culinary Competition Sponsored by the Cervid Livestock Foundation If you were walking around the exhibit hall Saturday morning or sitting in the NADeFA Open sale smelling some really great smells, that’s because something new was happening at the NADeFA conference!

For several years, the Cervid Livestock Foundation has sponsored the Thurston Culinary Competition. Attendees have always traveled to a local culinary institute to observe and taste the delicacies prepared by the participating chefs.

This year, the chefs came to the conference.

CLF Director Hank DImuzio and Doug Allen from the Birmingham Chapter of the American Culinary Federation organized the competition. Five teams of competitors from the Birmingham area prepared mouthwatering dishes for tasting enjoyment.

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Two professional judges and two judges from NADeFA tasted, observed and determined the winners. The judging rights were auctioned during the sale Friday evening. Mark Cobb and Monica Burdette were the judges from NADeFA. Attendees were able to purchase the rights to taste for $50 per person, with all proceeds going to the CLF. One professional judge tasted the dishes; the other judged the teams on the cleanliness of the kitchens, preparation methods and appearance of the completed plate.

Everyone that participated really enjoyed the competition, especially those that were lucky enough to be tasters! The CLF plans on continuing this competition at conferences for years to come. Don’t miss this great event next year!

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OUTDOOR PATRIOT SHOW

The “Wussification” of American Men How society is clipping masculine virtues It’s not often that I find myself in agreement with a controversial, radical feminist lesbian. But now I do. I actually agree. But not about being controversial, or about being radical or about feminism or even about lesbianism.

I agree with her outspoken comments about the state of masculine values in America, particularly when it concerns hunting and the future of our American outdoor traditions.

Camille Paglia is a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and she describes herself as a ‘dissident feminist.’ She’s well known for telling it like it is so even the other feminists don’t like her, and now it’s easy to see why — she makes good sense. She doesn’t let ideology blind her to the facts, and she’s not afraid to voice an opinion. Heck, I kind of like the term ‘dissident’. Maybe I’ll start describing myself as a ‘dissident sportsman.’

Paglia recently came out, blasting the Progressive Femi-Nazi-inspired society for not allowing “anything manly.”

She says society is neutering boys of their maleness at a very young age. She believes the feminists’ efforts to deny the biological distinctions between men and women is to blame for much of what is wrong with modern society.

Obviously, these are bold, radical statements from an elite feminist.

Plus, she believes the lack of people with military experience in important positions in our government is a recipe for disaster. She says, “These people 42

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don’t think in military ways, so there’s this illusion out there that people are basically nice, people are basically kind, if we’re just nice and benevolent to everyone they’ll be nice too. They literally don’t have any sense of evil or criminality.”

Again, she’s right on the money and it’s a great description of the current foreign policy in D.C. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, she also said that what we’re seeing is how a civilization commits suicide.

And the crux of the whole problem is that we do not teach our boys to be men, and men who are men are no longer allowed to be men.

Paglia explains the emancipation of masculine virtues is something that is beginning as early as kindergarten in the United States. She says primary-school education is a crock, and that it’s oppressive to anyone with physical energy, especially the boys.

Again, I agree. She may be a radical, dissident feminist, but she is dead-on target about this and I’m thankful we have another voice of reason out there.

What’s all this have to do with the outdoors? Bear with me, we’re getting there. It actually has a lot to do with it.

The old saying ‘Boys will be boys’ has been trashed by pro-tyranny teachers unions, Femi-Nazis and Ritalin pushers to create androgynous little drones who don’t talk in class and who line up quietly in the cafeteria. Today, boys can’t be

boys. Worse still, they are punished for being boys.

You may recall the story of second grader Alex Evans, which we covered on the Outdoor Patriot Show. Alex was suspended from Mary Blair Elementary School in Loveland, Colo., for a playing a make-believe game. During recess, the seven-year-old pretended to throw an imaginary grenade into a box that contained imaginary evil forces. He didn’t throw anything real nor did he make any threats against anyone. He says he was pretending to be a hero “so nothing can get out and destroy the world.” That’s too bad for Alex; he was suspended from school for his imaginary weapons. It’s too bad for us too because the world needs heroes like Alex.

How far have we declined in our society when a controversial radical feminist is warning us about the wussification of American men?

Two years ago, I reported to you how American men have been urbanized, feminized and demonized to the point we can no longer expect our boys to become men of principle, men who can lead this great nation, men who can make the tough decisions.

The decline in our outdoor traditions is a symptom of this bigger problem. Today, approximately 80 percent of our U.S. population lives in urban areas, and we as a people are more disconnected from nature than ever before. Our young men are focused more on lattes than land stewardship; nADeFA.org

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more on Kanye West than whitetail; and more on gangsta rap than gun rights.

If President Theodore Roosevelt — who we all know as an American icon for wildlife conservation and a consummate sportsman — were here today, I know that he would also agree with Paglia.

Because Roosevelt warned us about the exact same thing, nearly 100 years ago. He called it the “emasculation of the American male.” He said that American democracy was established and sustained by men who were self-reliant, willing to work hard to support themselves, their families, and American industry. Men with these values were committed to bettering themselves, and were willing and able to defend the nation and their communities from threats, both foreign and domestic.

However, men who were emasculated by urbanization would lose their willingness and ability to work, be unable to support themselves and their families, and fail in their commitment to their communities. Roosevelt said that without the outdoors and without hunting....the nation would be overcome by idleness.

Now, today, 100 years later, only about four percent of our U.S. population hunts.

We have men who have manicures and pedicures; Men who drink Appletinis; Men who watch Oprah; and Men who wear Snuggies.

We’ve embrace gender neutrality.

Being a man is not politically correct, and if you stand up for yourself, you’re called a bully.

We have youth sports that don’t keep score, so we don’t hurt ‘feelings.’

We have four-year-old boys suspended from school for ‘sexual harassment’ because they wanted to kiss a girl.

We’ve homogenized, sanitized and sterilized life so young boys cannot learn Spring 2014

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from adversity or face the challenges and obstacles that help prepare them for life.

We’ve even banned dodgeball.

If there’s one message I could deliver to parents or school officials or anyone that works with our nation’s youth, it’s this — Wimps deliver mushy mediocrity. Men deliver greatness.

Our society doesn’t have to commit suicide as Paglia says. We don’t need to accept the Progressive-pushed philosophy that there are no biological distinctions between men and women.

But we do need to teach our boys how to become men and the outdoors is part of that solution.

The outdoors could be our last hope to save future generations of American men from complete and irreversible wussification. Just as President Roosevelt warned nearly 100 years ago, we cannot afford to lose our connection with wildlife and hunting. If we do, our men will no longer be men, and we could all lose what it means to be an American.

John Meng is the host and executive producer of the Outdoor Patriot Show (www.OutdoorPatriot.com) and president of Meng & Company marketing firm.

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CASSIDY’S CORNER

“That is Impossible!” Or “How Is That Even Possible?”

Keep accurate records during breeding season Wow! What a tough winter! But now the anticipation of what is to come in the spring begins to build. Will your hopes and dreams be fulfilled in the new crop of fawns that are on their way? Did you get good conception rates on the AIs and will your choice of which semen to put with the right does prove to be the winning combination? It will be like Christmas all over again with fawns hitting the ground.

With all this in mind it is important to plan now for how you will prepare for DNA testing this year’s new crop of fawns.

Several people have told me that their preparations for DNA testing begin the day after a fawn is born (or at least before the fawn is too fast to be caught). They walk their pens and find new fawns in the grass. With envelope in hand, they pull hair from the fawn with a quick tug and put it into the labeled envelope.

Honestly, I believe that preparation for determining the correct sires and dams begins with your record keeping in the fall during the breeding season. Which does were in which pens, which bucks were where, what straws were used for AI, and who left which gate open (even for a minute).

There is no substitute for accurate record keeping on the farm. Start by making notes of anything you can think of that

“

It is not uncommon for a doe to have twins, triplets, or even quad fawns.

However, we have had a few cases with a doe having up to 9 fawns assigned to her, all with perfect matches…

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”

might help sort things out in the spring when the DNA does not come back with the results you expect.

It is also important to understand the limitations of the DNA testing. Fact - The DNA test can tell you whether a certain animal could NOT possibly be the biological father or mother. This exclusion is 100 percent accurate. If it doesn’t match, there is no way he could be the father. Fact it can only tell you that there is a possibility he could be the father or mother—not that it is, but this is a possibility. You cannot say, in human or animal genetics, with 100 percent certainty, that this is the only possible father with only the DNA information. But if there is a match at all the markers tested, then there is a very high possibility he is the father.

We rely on YOU, the breeder to supply the rest of the information to confirm that the correct sire and dam have been assigned.

One of the most important reasons we test the DNA of the deer is to correctly assign sires and dams to the offspring produced. This is the most accurate way to improve the genetics of your herd and provide confidence to a buyer when you sell an animal. This process is based on the science of genetics but requires sound herd management and record keeping if we are to produce the most accurate results.

Over the years we have had the opportunity to solve many challenging cases when it comes to identifying the true mother and father of a fawn. The case usually begins with a seemingly good DNA sample and good genetic profile.

Problems begin to arise when the comparison requested is done there are no matches found or it matches something not requested in the inventory of the deer breeder. We will then contact the breeder and explain the situation. The first question from them is always “How can this be?” followed usually by “That is IMPOSSIBLE!” At this point we begin asking a series of questions to help sort out the possible nADeFA.org

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reasons for an unexpected match: Could this fawn be from the pen on either side of where it was found? We have determined that fawns can get through the tiniest gaps in fences and wander quite a distance when first born for no apparent reason.

If AI was used, could the straws of semen have been mixed up? We have even discovered a few times that what was written on the straw as the buck was not what was in the straw. Always save your semen straws in the freezer after AI so if things do not match we have the opportunity to test the used straw to determine what was inside.

Could this fawn be from a bred doe you bought that you forgot about? Surprises about matches to bucks you don’t own or does from other breeders inventories often turn out to be from record keeping oversights. Make sure you always process a transfer of ownership when animals from other herds are delivered to your ranch.

We now have recorded 3 sets of identical twins (out of the over 160,000 deer tested). In these cases, we have retested each animal to make sure there was not a sample mix up in the process. Obviously, we cannot distinguish these animals based only on their DNA so your record keeping will be critical.

It is not uncommon for a doe to have twins, triplets, or even quad fawns. However, we have had a few cases with a doe having up to 9 fawns assigned to her, all with perfect matches. There are actually a few possibilities as to how this is even possible. In one case we determined that an unhappy ranch hand decided to make his job easier and pulled a lot of hair from one animal and submitted it as 8 individual deer.

(We caught that right away because they were all identical).

Once, a buck had been misidentified as a doe so for all his offspring that year he was assigned as the mother. Finally, technology has advanced to the point where embryo transfer in whitetailed deer can be used successfully. If you do this, please let the laboratory know so we don’t spend time checking to see if a mistake occurred in the lab. Nine fawns out of one doe would normally indicate a problem somewhere but not if you do embryo transfer.

It is not uncommon for missing or incorrect information in the registry to be the cause of unexpected comparison results. Always check your certificates and inventory to make sure the information is complete and accurate. Double check Spring 2014

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the gender and year born. Make sure all transfers have been recorded and if an animal has died or been released.

There are several important lessons to be learned from these questions. The first is that when you get results back from the DNA analysis, please do not wait a year to look at it. It is easier to discuss surprises soon after they are discovered. It is better to rerun a sample when it is fresh in the lab. It saves us time and the DNA will be better to confirm the genetic data. Second, when requesting comparisons please be as specific as you can when listing the possible sires and dams. If you do request to compare to just your entire inventory you must make sure that all possible sires and dams are in your inventory. But honestly, unless you put all your animals in one big pen in the fall is it really possible that any of your bucks could be the possible sire? It is possible we could assign the brother or father of the correct sire instead without more specific instructions.

Many breeders have the misconception that DNA testing is infallible. The analysis at the lab, if everything is done right, is precise. It will always produce the same DNA profile, no matter how many times you run it. The problem is that nature and inbreeding cause problems. Breeders also need to realize that part of the responsibility for coming up with the correct answer lies with them giving the lab as much correct information as possible about the parents.

We have to have all the pieces of the puzzle if we are going to put it together. The more closely related the animals are, the harder it is. It is like working a puzzle that has all the same shape pieces (these are really hard!), so extra information is sometimes invaluable. It’s to no-one’s benefit when you don’t have good information or when your expectations are not met. DNA testing is a very valuable tool for the deer breeding industry but everyone should understand that it has its limitations. We look forward to working together with the breeders to achieve our common goal which is to accurately assign parents to all deer offspring.

Cassidy’s Corner Editorial is provided by Dr. Brandt G. Cassidy, DNA Solutions, 840 Research Parkway, Suite 551, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, (405) 271-6033.

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2,335 +/- Acres ~ Coke County

Deer Breeding Facility Game-fenced, Coke County, highly improved deer breeding and game ranch.

Main home, guest house, managers housing, AI barn, fawn barn, deer breeding pens, various other equipment /storage barns, 30 wells, 10 irrigation pivots, 2 lakes, ponds, wildlife food plots, some equipment conveys.

Sheldon Grothaus - Broker Spring 2014

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5833 CR 531 Hondo, Texas 78861 North American Deer Farmer Off:830-741-8906 Fax: 830-426-7145

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Deli MeatS - 1St Place Joel espe of Hawks Hill elk Ranch

JeRky - 1St Place Bill krusmark of Buckridge Farms

SauSage - 1St Place laruie Seale - Maple Hill Farms

Snack StickS - 1St Place Joel espe of Hawks Hill elk Ranch

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31 yEArs lEADiNg thE CErviD iNDustry

aDaM MilleR 1St Place coloRing conteSt

MiRiaM Joy king 2nD Place coloRing conteSt

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coRDelle nolt 3RD Place coloRing conteSt

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Joel eSPe 1St Place Bull

cinDy Pagel 1St Place Doe

HaRlan BowSeR 2nD Place Bull

anita coBB 2nD Place Doe

HenRy MaRtin 3RD Place Bull

HaRlan BRowSeR 3RD Place Doe

cinDy Pagel 1St Place Fawn BRaD HeatH 2nD Place Fawn HaRlian BRowSeR 3RD Place Fawn

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Joel eSPe 1St Place MiScellaneouS BRaD HeatH 2nD Place MiScellaneouS lauRie Seale 3RD Place MiScellaneouS

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Âť CERVID HEALTH: MIDGE CONTROL

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NADeFA & USDA Unite To Fight Midge Population The North American Deer Farmers Association and the United States Department of Agriculture – the Agricultural Research Service are working together to present methods to reduce biting midge populations on captive cervid farms.

Reducing the number of biting midges will reduce epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and bluetongue (BT) transmission.

The information presented here is from peer-reviewed literature.

Please personally evaluate if each method is appropriate to your situation, needs, and resources.

“Resistance is a genetically-based characteristic that allows an organism to survive exposure to a pesticide dose that would normally have killed it” according to the FAO report: Guidelines on prevention and management of pesticide resistance [EISBN 978-92-5-107348-3 (PDF) (September 2012)]. More detailed information regarding this review can be found in this report. Insecticide resistance is an increasing problem on captive Cervid farms. Many ranchers (a) continually and frequently use a single pesticide product and (b) treat above or below the label recommendation. Furthermore, (c) the treatment has poor coverage of the area or population of insects, (d) the target insect has a large population and short generation time, and (e) there are few no-chemical alternatives. These five actions result in Spring 2014

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heavy selection for insecticide resistance.

House fly (matte black colored) and blow fly (metallic green color) pesticide resistance has been reported on several farms.

Although insecticide resistance has not been reported to date in biting midges, it can quickly evolve because midge populations are large and they have a short generation time (risk d above). This article suggests several management techniques to minimize the selection of resistant insects.

Use more than one type of pesticide.

Pesticides kill insects by interfering with biological processes; how they do this is called the “mode of action”. Synthetic pyrethrins known as pyrethroids, kill by interfering with sodium channels in insect nerves. Organophosphates kill by acting on continued on next page »

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» CERVID HEALTH: MIDGE CONTROL

« continued from prevous page

the insect enzyme acetylcholinesterase also found in the nerves. Despite both working on insect nerves, they kill in different ways and therefore have complementary modes of action.

Resistance to one chemical does not confer resistance to the other. Therefore rotational use of differing chemistries allows you to minimize the possibility of developing a resistant population.

Most ranchers use synthetic pyrethroid.

This is the most economical and commonly used group of active ingredients.

However, organophosphate products allow you to change to an entirely different chemical class and mode of action. The “active ingredients” are the chemicals that affect the biological process as mentioned above or additional chemistries are chitin inhibitors that affect the structure of an insect’s exoskeleton.

You must make a

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significant change in the “mode of action” to be successful in combating resistance.

As a general rule, you can use the same equipment to apply both your primary and rotational products. For most people this is a ULV (Ultra Low Volume) fogging system. To change chemical classes begin by (1) emptying your spray system, (2) flushing according to label directions, (3) adding the alternate product, and (4) then calibrating the chemical pump system to deliver the appropriate rate for the acreage.

Please consult the chemical label for directions, flow rates, and safety precautions relevant to every product you use. The label is the law. You may also consult your chemical supplier for assistance in application or choosing complementary products.

Another method that has proven to be successful is utilizing two

different fogging systems, for example, the standard ULV aerosol generator and a thermal fogging system. This way you have two systems that can be utilized as needed for effective control. When properly calibrated, both systems deliver pyrethroids and organophosphates.

The ULV systems are best employed as a primary system for delivering pyrethroid oil or water soluble products. Thermal Foggers are typically lighter and able to be carried around small pastures and overgrown areas. The treatment cloud produced by thermal Foggers is very affective at staying close to ground level and flowing through heavy foliage and vegetation.

Apply at the recommended label rates. Under or over dosing of pesticides will lead to the selection of resistant individuals. If the dose is too low, the susceptible individuals will

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be eliminated but the partially resistant individuals will live and reproduce spreading the resistance mechanisms. The dose is calibrated to kill the susceptible and partially resistant individuals and maintain pest populations below economic thresholds. If the dose is too high, survivors of the high dose will be highly resistant and their genes will become established immediately leading highly resistant populations.

Furthermore, high rates will kill natural predators, which is counterproductive.

Eliminate larval midge habitat.

Within the Cervid farm or preserve, try to minimize standing water and muddy habitats. Biting midges live in a variety of habitats, including tree holes, rotting vegetation, mud, and animal waste. Eliminate muddy areas that may be contaminated with food or animal manure to reduce the number of midge breeding sites, particularly within your fence line.

Experience has demonstrated good hygienic practices control flies and biting midges much better than chemical applications. Keep the property clean and the animals will be much healthier and less exposed to disease. Larval habitats have been discussed several times in past reviews.

Combining all of these techniques and recommendations will help reduce pesticide resistance on your farms. Although pesticide resistance is a local problem for the individual farms, the biting midges have been known to move and pesticide resistant midges will be a problem for all farmers. Please do your part to reduce the evolution of pesticide Spring 2014

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resistance on your property for all captive cervid farmers.

Disclaimer: Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the

United States Government. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or NADeFA, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. The off label use of all chemicals is prohibited by law.

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NEW MEMBERS

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CERVID LIVESTOCK FOUNDATION

Thurston Retires CLF continues his legacy The Cervid Livestock Foundation sadly announces the retirement of Dr. Brad Thurston as the chairman of the CLF. His leadership and vast knowledge are irreplaceable. I remember the first time I heard Brad speak; it was in Missouri at their annual conference. He spoke of the carnivorous tendencies of white-tailed deer. I was blown away at his research findings. I began to repeat what I had heard to other deer farmers, about how the deer would eat the feet of ground nesting birds. Several deer farmers I spoke with confirmed that they too had witnessed this behavior. It was awesome information and I will never forget his talk.

Thanks for staying on the board Brad. The vast knowledge that you and Deb possess is priceless.

Many new and exciting ventures are unfolding in the CLF! Many presentations are being heard by the board for research dollars that will aect us all in the deer industry. A few include a live CWD test and vaccine, and reindeer research conducted by Cornell University.

The CLF is a 501(c)(3) organization; so research dollars can pass through the CLF earmarked for specific research and education, while the donor receives a tax deduction o

Doug Allen and Skip West at the Thurston Culinary Tasting Competition held at the annual NADeFA Conference.

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their personal or business tax returns. This is very important so help spread the word.

Once again the CLF conducted the Culinary Competition and Tasting Competitions at the nADeFA conference. The results were as follows: Tasting: Deli Meat: Joel Espe Snack Sticks: Joel Espe Summer Sausage: Laurie Seale Jerky: Bill Krusmark Cullinary: 1st: Steven Graves 2nd: John Washington 3rd: Robert White A donation of $1,000 was presented to the American Culinary Federation. Special thanks go out to Doug Allen; his hard work and dedication helped make the culinary competition the best yet.

In closing, I would like to thank the NADeFA members who had the confidence to choose me as the chair of the CLF. With all the misinformation spewed by our adversaries, it is very important we set the record straight and show the general public we are Americans and that we demand the respect that all American farmers receive in our great nation.

Together we can all be stewards of our animals and the land.

The CLF will lead the way and strive to make deer farming better for us all.

Skip West CLF Chairman nADeFA.org

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S booee Us th n at N um ADe ber FA 527 .

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» FAWN HEALTH

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DIARRHEA TREATMENT

&

CARE By Dr Douglas Wagner, DVM Cervid Health at Newport Labs

and moderating the diet generally resolves the problem. If the diarrhea is not dealt with in a timely manner the fawn’s health can deteriorate or they can become dehydrated to the point they become critically ill. Always remember a dehydrated fawn is hours away from death.

A physical exam should be performed on the fawn before any treatment is started! Gathering all the information you can and then making a decision on a course of treatment is always the best course of action! Fawns who have Osmotic Diarrhea as stated above generally look relatively normal, the only thing generally noted as being abnormal on a physical exam is the presence of diarrhea and the diarrhea smells like normal fawn manure (yes you need to get down and stick your nose close to it and determine what the odor is!).

A common course of treatment for Osmostic diarrhea is OsmOtic Diarrhea to pull the fawn off milk for 12 to 24 hours. We do this to Osmotic diarrhea occurs when too much water is drawn give time for the undigested lactose to pass through the gut into the bowels. This is a common form of diarrhea that we and for the amount of fluid being pulled into the bowels to deal with in fawns (milk scours). When we over feed our decrease. When the fawn is pulled off milk we need to keep fawns, undigested lactose (the type of sugar found in milk) them hydrated and have an energy source available to them, can produce osmotic diarrhea and distention of the bowel. we accomplish this by feeding them electrolytes that contain The undigested sugar (lactose) pulls fluid into the bowels and the result is diarrhea. These fawns seem healthy overall continued on next page » I was asked to write an article on fawn care for the upcoming magazine and I began to consider different topics and issues we all face. One topic that kept coming up over and over in my mind was diarrhea. We all deal with it every year and we all have our methods of treatment which may or may not be successful, but do you truly understand what it is and why it is happening to your fawns?

Diarrhea is defined as having three or more loose stools per day, or having a stool produced that contains more liquid than normal. There are several different types of diarrhea and understanding the difference between them can help you determine the best course of treatment.

The two most common types of diarrhea we deal with in the cervid world are: Osmotic and Inflammatory.

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» FAWN HEALTH

« continued from prevous page

dextrose. The electrolytes help keep them hydrated and the dextrose is a sugar that gives them energy. Sub-cue fluids should also be considered when dealing with a fawn with Osmotic diarrhea, by giving them sub-cue fluids we can help ensure they do stay hydrated and decrease the chance of them becoming critically ill.

Electrolytes with dextrose is a short term treatment option, this does not contain all the essential nutrients that a fawn requires. If there is no improvement in the consistency of the manure within 12 to 24 hours your treatment plan needs to be reevaluated. If the consistency of the manure improves start the fawn back on milk gradually. Feeding smaller amounts milk every hour or two hours helps give the gut time to readjust to the presence of milk, and helps prevent a relapse.

Inflammatory DIarrhea

Inflammatory diarrhea occurs when there is damage to the lining of the gut. In fawns it is most often caused by bacterial, viral or parasitic infections. The infection causes damage to cells that line the gut and these cells are no longer able to perform their normal function of digesting milk and absorbing the nutrients. The resulting manure contains more fluid than normal and most often has an odor that is abnormal (again you need to get down and smell it!) and blood may be present.

As always when you notice the fawn has diarrhea perform a complete physical exam before you start any treatment.

Generally when a fawn has inflammatory diarrhea the overall appearance of the fawn is depressed, they may be weak or unable to stand, fever may be present and in most cases they are dehydrated. These fawns are critically ill and if the appropriate treatment is not started they will be dead in a very short frame of time (hours to days).

A manure sample should always be collected and tested for parasites, if no parasites are found the sample should be tested for the presence of bacteria or viruses. Knowing what is causing the diarrhea is incredibly important since this may not be the only fawn affected and knowing the cause of the infection can help establish treatment protocols or prevent infection of other fawns.

Stabilizing the fawn by addressing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, generally present if the fawn is weak or unable to stand) and dehydration is the first step in treating any critically ill fawn. Until you get the results from the manure sample you 100

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collected you will not know if the infection is caused by parasites, bacteria or a virus, treatment with AB at this point in my opinion is appropriate (once the fawn has been stabilized), to either treat a bacterial infection that is present or to help prevent a secondary bacterial infection if the primary infection is caused by parasites or a virus.

If you kept accurate records from last fawn season and know what caused Inflammatory Diarrhea in your fawns previously, this information can help you chose treatment options until you get the results back from the manure sample.

If you did not keep accurate records from last year you need to start NOW! Accurate records are helpful on many levels of management but knowing what caused disease last season can help you prevent and treat disease this season more effectively.

Administering probiotics to fawns with this type of diarrhea is always recommend especially if you give the fawn antibiotics, remember the fawn has a population of bacteria in its gut that is necessary for normal digestion and absorption of nutrients. The infection can eliminate these beneficial bacteria and antibiotics can always kill these good bacteria along with the bacteria that are causing the inflammatory disease.

A physical exam should be performed several times a day on these fawns as their condition can change very quickly, nutrition is of paramount importance and these fawns should be fed small meals every few hours. Fawns have little or no body reserves, if their nutritional intake is below their energy needs when they are critically ill they will die very quickly from starvation!

Once you receive the results from the manure sample you should have a better understanding of what is causing your fawns to experience Inflammatory Diarrhea, work with your veterinarian to determine the best course of treatment for this fawn and how to prevent future infections.

Knowledge is power, know your enemy and make no mistake diarrhea is the enemy! Having a better understanding of the different types of diarrhea that affect our fawns can help you make better decision treating and limiting this disease in your fawn crop. Take the time to educate yourself about this disease and work with your veterinarian to have a plan in place of your treatment options if and when you have a fawn that experiences diarrhea.

If you have questions or would like to discuss this or other health issues affecting your herd please feel free to contact me at 507-360-9730 or email dwagner@newportlabs.com.

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CAPITAL HILL REPORT

Washington Fly-In NADeFA members meet with Federal Officials

Greetings from Washington, DC! It is that time of year again…. spring has sprung in Washington. And for some that means cherry blossoms and birds chirping. For us, springtime signals the beginning of that annual process of allocating the U.S. federal resources (the polite way of saying money) to various federal agencies and programs. AND, it means it is time for the annual NADeFA Legislative Fly-in to Capitol Hill, where NADeFA members from around the country get a chance to meet with federal agencies officials, other sportsmen’s trade associations, and their elected officials and their staff to discuss policy and funding issues of importance to the deer farming industry.

The Washington Fly-in was held February 25th-27th, and 15 NADeFA members traveled to DC to represent their state and regional associations. After reviewing the policy priorities and related talking points and hand-outs for the meetings, the group had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Foundation, Safari Club International, and the National Rifle Association to discuss sportsmen’s issues and federal

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regulatory and legislative actions that could potentially impact NADeFA and the larger agriculture/conservation/ hunting communities. We then met with USDA-APHIS to discuss cervid health research activities (such as EHD and CWD research and the TB/Brucellosis test), the national CWD program, CWD indemnity implementation, and the breakdown of how the $3 million in Fiscal Year 2014 monies are being spent.

Over the course of February 26th and 27th, NADeFA and CHCG covered a lot of territory on Capitol Hill. There were approximately 70 congressional meetings over the two days, with NADeFA members seeing either their Senators and Congressmen or their agriculture staff people.

We also met with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and the Agriculture Appropriations subcommittees of each chamber.

The purpose of these meetings was to inform Congress about the deer farming and hunting ranch industries. We used this opportunity to personally thank the Members of continued on page 108 »

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NADeFA Executive Director Shawn Schafer and other board members met with several asscociation leaders and federal agencies in two days.

« continued from page 106

At the writing on this article, Congress is in the middle Congress who supported NADeFA in the Fiscal Year 2014 of Easter recess, a two week break, and will return to DC at appropriations process by rejecting the USDA’s budget the very end of April. When Congress comes back from proposal to eliminate federal contributions to the national spring break they will have a limited amount of scheduled CWD program, and instead, reinstated $3 Million to Cervid legislative days to work with. While the Senate calendar is Health Activities at USDA-APHIS. We expressed the less specific, the House only has 59 scheduled days in session industry’s appreciation for this funding, explained how the left before the Midterm elections. We expect each party to funds are being used ‘on the ground’, and reiterated the need play to its base with a number of messaging bills, but highly to maintain a continued funding level in Fiscal Year 2015. We contentious issues – for example, comprehensive tax reform also thanked the many Members and congressional staffers – will probably be avoided. Bipartisan cooperation is who were supportive of our initiatives in the Farm Bill. expected on a handful of the annual authorization and We would like to thank everyone who took the time and made the effort to come to DC for the fly-in. While we are funding bills, as both parties try to demonstrate credibility. proud to serve as NADeFA’s voice on Capitol Hill, it is also Both chambers have conducted many budget hearings, and imperative that Members of Congress, staff people, and the House is moving forward with its annual appropriations congressional committees learn directly from you, their (funding) bills with a calendar of subcommittee and constituents, about this industry and how the federal committee mark-ups that are set to wrap by the end of June. government’s actions (or inactions!) impact you, your farms The Agriculture Appropriations bill for next year is expected and families and the industry. We would also like to to be considered at the subcommittee level in early May, and encourage more NADeFA members to consider joining us we’ll be watching it very closely. for next year’s fly-in. However, even if you don’t think a trip In closing, we would like to congratulate NADeFA on to DC is in your schedule, don’t hesitate to reach out to us another successful convention! We really enjoyed being in to discuss how you can become involved at the local level. Birmingham and having the opportunity to visit with Meeting with congressional field representatives NADeFA members from across the country. (congressional staff in the state/local offices), hosting a farm tour, or arranging a meeting with your elected officials while Congress is in recess and Members are back in their home Jack Victory and Amanda Hill states are all great ways to get involved.

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» FAWN HEALTH

FAWN CARE

GUIDLINES

By Dr Cliff Shipley

These are general guidelines for raising whitetail and mule deer fawns. There are diseases and conditions that may be specific to certain areas or where these guidelines don’t work! As always, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Always consult your local veterinarian for area specific conditions and to see if certain antibiotics or other medicaments may work better in your area or at different dosages.

Colostrum is the most important thing in the fawn’s life. It contains antibodies to the diseases that the does have been exposed to or vaccinated for. It also contains vitamins, protein, energy and laxative to get their intestinal tract working. We also believe that it contains factors that help prime the immune system to work properly.

If they do not get colostrum, they are more likely to get scours, pneumonia, necrotic stomatatis, become chronic poor doers, succumb to other diseases and die. Colostrum can be obtained from milking out does that have lost their fawns (trust me, it’s tedious but worth it) or from someone that has cows, goats, sheep. You just need to be aware of the disease status of the place you get the colostrum from as you may lose your TB status or infect your fawns with Johne’s or other diseases. A tip that may be useful is to go to the drug store and get a breast pump to help you obtain colostrum from a doe.

Heat treating or pasteurizing this non-farm colostrum may be your best bet to make sure you don’t spread disease. The following are suggestions for things that you can do to help make your fawning season more successful and hopefully raise healthy fawns.

If you have vaccinated your does pre-fawning for some of these diseases, you may not want to or have to give some of these things to the fawns.

Birth/Day 1: Allow fawn(s) and doe to bond/nurse If cold, multiple births, or doe fails to claim fawn(s) or they don’t nurse a. tube with colostrum (cow/doe; goat/ewe) or give First Catch Fawn or allow fawn to nurse colostrum from bottle b. pull fawn and bottle raise (make sure it gets colostrum either via tubing or nursing from bottle) graft to another doe 8 hours- 18 hours (8-12 works best for me) a. tag (each state may have different requirements, try to get a herd tag and a “state” tag in so they can be identified properly. Microchipping and tattooing may also be options for some producers.

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b. give First Catch Fawn or E. colizer + C (2-5 ml orally) or E. colizer (2 -5 cc orally) plus C&D antitoxin orally/SQ (use lamb label dose). I do this to ensure that the fawns get colostrum and protection against E. coli and Clostridium Type C&D. If the does have been vaccinated and you’re sure the fawns got plenty of colostrum, you can skip this, but for the most part it’s pretty cheap insurance on those expensive fawns. c. antibiotics are optional, but in high risk fawns (cold, small, no colostrum) you may want to give prophylactic antibiotics or if certain diseases are common on your farm/ranch. I recommend SQ (under the skin) because I don’t want to hurt any muscles on that delicate fawn and most medications are absorbed as well SQ as they are intramuscularly (IM). The FDA has recently outlawed all extralabel use of Excede so depending on how you or your veterinarian interpret the rules, you may not wish to use. I haven’t decided yet myself!

Excede 0.15 ml SQ or Draxxin 0.1 ml SQ or Nuflor 0.6 ml SQ d. Vitamin E/Se (if in deficient area: make sure you consult with your local veterinarian) 1cc BoSE SQ e. ProbiosR or similar product: lamb dose or 1/10th to ½ calf or foal dose. There are many probiotic preparations on the market. Many also have some vitamins and minerals as well. There are some deer specific ones that you may want to use that may be easier to titrate the dose on. f. Vitamin AD 0.05-0.1 ml SQ optional. If does have had poor nutrition or under lots of stress probably need to do. If fawns are weak or slow probably need to give. g. pull hair sample for DNA. Put in a paper envelop and label appropriately h. may want to consider giving plasma/transfuse fawns if unsure of colostrum intake, weak, sick, extremely valuable. Also can test for failure of passive transfer by your veterinarian doing a total protein test. Transfuse all that fail.

24-72 hours: Pull fawns that you are going to bottle rear. Everyone pulls fawns for bottle rearing at different times. Do what has worked best for you in the past. Once fawns are 24 hrs old or so, their gut “closes” so that they probably won’t absorb any more antibodies from the doe, so that is a good time to pull them. Some people like to wait longer, but the longer you wait, the more difficult it is to start the fawn on the bottle. I personally like to wait till they are 24-48 hrs old and pull them late afternoon/early evening and then try to feed them once before I go to bed. If they eat, fabulous, if not, they are hungry in the morning and usually take right off on the bottle. For those of you who don’t want to bottle raise, some people are trying to “imprint” their fawns to make them “semi-tame”. This is a technique that horse people have been using for years. Simply catch, hold, play, rub, pet the fawn early and as often as you can to “imprint” on it that humans aren’t all that bad while letting mom do the feeding! Early reports are that the fawns aren’t as tame as bottle babies, but tame enough that they are happy with the results. continued on next page» Spring 2014

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» FAWN HEALTH

« continued from previous page

Bottle feeDing guiDelines First week or so: 2-4 oz 5 times a day. I feed @ 6am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm and 10-11 pm. You can feed more often and smaller amounts, but you should try to get 10-20% of the body weight of the fawn in them per day in milk. So if your fawn weighs 6 lbs (96 oz), then 10% is approximately 10 oz and 20% is 20 oz. This rate will allow the fawns to grow at the rate you want. If using a good formula designed for fawns or goat milk replacer, then the fawns should not scour using these guidelines. Fawns do not scour generally from feeding (unless the formulation is wrong), they scour from disease (E. coli, Salmonella, rota or corona virus, Clostridium, coccidiosis, etc). If properly cared for and clean equipment used, then you shouldn’t have scour problems. If you have scours, then something is wrong and you need to adjust accordingly. I generally encourage the use of milk replacer.

Use one that is formulated for fawns and mix according to the label directions. If you are having problems with this, then you may want to have your water analyzed as it may have bacteria or mineral content that is causing the problem.

If you do feed goat milk, make sure that your source doesn’t have Johne’s Disease, Caseous Lymphadenitis or other diseases you don’t want on your farm and has the same TB status that you have. I know people that have successfully raised fawns on lamb milk replacer, whole cow’s milk and other formulas. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but if you look at all the data, fawns should and usually do better on species

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specific milk due to the fat and protein and sugar content being most similar to the doe.

Fawns will need to be stimulated to defecate and urinate the first few weeks of life. I generally recommend that you use rubber gloves and baby wipes and stimulate while feeding. This is what the doe does and usually you get good enough at the technique that you can catch and don’t have much “wiping” to do! You may want to change gloves between fawns so that you don’t spread anything from fawn to fawn in case of a disease outbreak.

I usually recommend decreasing the number of feedings every 10 days or so by 1. So at 10 days, drop to 4 feedings per day (6 am, 12 pm, 6 pm and 10-11 pm) and all they can eat. Yeah, I know this is heresy and most people calculate things out to the ounce, but about 20% of body weight is all they can consume, and I’ve not had any problems. Once again, if you are doing something that works for you, don’t change! I’m lazy and want my fawns to grow as fast as they can. Generally following this schedule, at 20 days or so, three times per day (6-7 am, 2-3 pm and 10-11 pm), 30 days of age ( 6-7 am and 6-7 pm) and by 40 -50 days once a day at whatever time you like to feed! You can wean them as soon as you think they are consuming enough dry feed and greens or you get tired of feeding them. I have several producers that feed three times a day from the start and don’t have any problems. I’m probably going to try that this year due to my “free” help starting to disappear!! I may even be so bold as to go to twice a day after the first 3-5 days due to the fact that while doing some research, I found a couple of articles on normal (non-captive) deer feeding behavior and it indicated nursing activity of 2-3 times per day. . I’ll let you know how that turns out Offer fresh, clean water everyday to them in a small bowl.

Also offer small amounts of “creep” feed or your regular deer ration. Keep it fresh and clean by cleaning the bowls every day and offering new feed. I generally recommend a 18% ration for fawns, but if you’re feeding a 20% and getting along, that’s fine. I also hand feed select “greens” to the fawns every day. That is, hand picked alfalfa, clover, dandelions, etc. that the fawns will nibble on. You can also use very good to excellent quality alfalfa or other legume hay, but I think that they eat the fresh stuff better. Some people offer “clean” dirt in a bowl from birth on. The theory is that they get some nutrients from the dirt to help them and their intestinal tract function better. I know lots of people who do this and they nADeFA.org

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get along fine. I know lots of people who don’t and they get along fine as well.

I keep fawns in separate pens and isolated from other fawns for several reasons. They will “bond” better to humans (may want to get them used to multiple people) if kept separate and it greatly decreases the chance of spreading disease between the fawns. Think like a dairy farmer raising calves in calf hutches. I generally mix the fawns in small groups depending on numbers and fawn growth and conditions at 3-6 weeks (or more). If they start to nurse/suck on each other (ears/tail/navel) then I either take them apart or spray vinegar or Chew Guard or Bitter Apple or Bitter Orange on the fawn part they are sucking on. The latter two products can be obtained from your veterinarian or catalog source.

Fawns could be weaned as early as 60 days or so following these guidelines, but it is usually best to base weaning on feed consumption and body condition. Bottle feeding is time consuming and milk replacer costs lots of money. You will have to use your best judgment and do what fits your situation best. Many people like to feed longer to keep the babies tame and used to humans. Some just like to feed the babies (so do I, but it does get old after a while!).

Pens should be on dirt (if possible) or the new raised decks may work well (I haven’t tried them). The dirt should be covered with 2-4 inches or so of crushed limestone and then have shavings (or straw) on top. I think shavings work better and I am fond of cedar chips as I think they tend to keep flies away a little better plus I like their smell! Pine shavings or chips are fine but try to get kiln dried (cleaner with fewer bacteria in them) and try to stay away from sawdust on the really small fawns (gets in their eyes). I usually sprinkle some barn lime in every once in a while or when changing the shavings/straw as this changes the pH and tends to keep the bacteria down and the area “sweet”.

Especially as the fawns grow and start urinating enough to keep it wet. Make sure that you have good ventilation so the there is air circulating, but no drafts. This will also help keep the area dry.

Milk Replacer: Fawn specific such as Superior, Zoologic, Fox Valley, etc.

Goat milk replacer: several companies make it. If it doesn’t cost a lot, it’s probably not any good! Some milk replacers are cheap…. They are made from non-milk products and are less digestible. You generally get what you pay for in this case, so don’t buy the cheap stuff.

Purina, Land-O-Lakes, ADM etc. are usually good sources. There may be others, but make sure to read the label and if in doubt, make sure you check with your veterinarian or nutritionist to make sure. If you are using a product that has a lamb/kid label, mix at the kid rates usually.

Pritchard nipples: fawns generally take off on these better than others. They are available from a variety of sources. If in doubt, check Nasco.

Ear tags: some states require a special ID…. I also like to use the sheep/goat tags so they are double IDed. Needles, syringes, medications.

Disinfectant for bottles, navel cord Fawn cradle Fawn masks Put everything that you need in a “tote” or tool box for easy use Record book: the shortest pencil is better than the longest memory!

I hope some of these suggestions help you have a successful and fun fawning season! By the way, I’m not Some products that are commonly used that you may endorsing any of these products, just using names that I am familiar with and have worked for me. If you are using other want to obtain prior to fawning are: products or there are other products out there that work for First Catch Fawn and First Fawn milk supplement from you, by all means, use them! I’m not getting a kickback from anyone!

Labelle Inc. Spring 2014

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» INDUSTRY NEWS

6th World Deer Congress Worldwide Congress of Maral Breeding Dates 28-29 August 2014 Arrival and registration of participants; 30-31 August 2014 meeting of the Worldwide Congress of Maral breeders; 1-5 September 2014 cultural study tours, visiting Deer Farms (Maral farms) in Kazakhstan and Russia.

Venue Republic of Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan region, UstKamenogorsk.

Congress theme “Maral breeding - green vector of economic development”.

Key Benefits This congress is unique cultural and professional event that brings together industry professionals and academics of deer breeding branch from different regions of the world.

The importance of the event Modern international cooperation in deer breeding industry began in 1993 at the festival of reindeer breeding in Tromso (Norway). Other congresses were held in New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Norway and China.

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organizers This event is organized by maral breeding association of Kazakhstan, together with the regional government of the East Kazakhstan region.

Support Provided by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the governor of East Kazakhstan region, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Altai Republic of the Russian Federation, the governor of Altai Region of the Russian Federation, the Russian Research Institute of reindeer antlers. participants Maral-breeding industry representatives from different countries, industry leading experts, scientists; laboratory and veterinary services experts, representatives of international and national organizations, public and political figures; equipment manufacturers, veterinary drugs manufacturers, producers of various supplementary products, exporters and importers of maral-breeding products; journalists, representatives of health resorts and health centers, medical scientists, alternative medical specialists.

For more information visit http://maralworld.kz/en/ index.html nADeFA.org

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» INDUSTRY NEWS

Velvet Season Ends Well The 2013/14 velvet season is now complete with all Velvet sold. Overall the season has been as smooth as we could have asked for with demand above supply. Most importantly are better returns for producers around 8% above last year’s overall weighted average price. Those suppliers that have remained in Velvet and continue to be challenged by other land uses and direct costs can now see the way forward.

Leading up to the season there were changes made to the grading guidelines to improve the overall quality of NZ Velvet, especially the emphasis on rounded, shorter velvet. In retrospect and comparing volumes over the past two seasons, producers have taken up the challenge and responded well. The better short grades e.g. SAT, RG1 and 2 have shown a definite lift, which must have a positive impact on returns.

Recent pRices (gRoss $/kg) CDN:NZD : 0.95 May 2, 2014

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SA, A and B Grades:

$112 to $131 /kg NZD

$48 to $56 CDN / lb

Damaged

$90 to $112 /kg NZD

$43 to $48 CDN / lb

Spiker

$120 to $180 /kg NZD

$52 to $78 CDN / lb

Regrowth

$109 to $180 /kg NZD

$46 to $78 CDN / lb

North American Deer Farmer

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DEER & WILDLIFE STORIES

The Fight Is On Missouri battles for future of industry

As I write this I’m boarding a plane heading back home from a near week long road trip that I hadn’t planned on.

Typically my schedule is filled up months in advance. Heck, I’ve already got things on my 2015 calendar. But, this particular trip, like many was necessary (in my opinion) in order to help protect our industry.

You see folks there’s a non stop battle out there against the cervid industry. And it’s all political. Many times I think most deer farmers don’t even recognize there’s a battle at all.

Or if they do, they don’t care enough to get involved. They could also be too busy to get involved. Yeah right! Everyone can get involved and they should.

Involvement is really simple. You are a member of NADeFA and we appreciate it. I am grateful to NADeFA for their support of our show but more importantly for their support of our industry. But your membership in NADeFA is just a start. Additional involvement includes things like time, talent and treasure. It’s really simple as that. Find at least one of those things and give it to our industry. We need it.

Lots of it. And it if you are giving any of these in addition to belonging to NADeFA, thank you! If you aren’t, please consider getting involved at a higher level. We need all the support we can get.

Many of you may not be aware of a recent slam on our industry in both print and video. This negative exposure was a deliberate smear campaign on all of us and if it doesn’t make you angry, then you’d best not come around the folks I call friends. I choose not to give the name of the source of the negative publicity as to not give them any more acknowledgment as to what they did. All I can say to my fellow deer farmers, “You’d better wake up”!

If you think that it’s your right to be able to raise and care for deer, then you need to be smart enough to know that

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there are lots of folks that think that you don’t have that right.

Worse yet, they are working damn hard to make sure your future in the deer farming industry is eventually taken away.

These people that are against us are just as passionate about winning as we are about keeping our farms open and operating. Some that are against us are much more committed to seeing us close our operations down. And they are working around the clock to accomplish their agenda.

Fortunately, for all deer farmers there are leaders in our cervid industry that will stand up and fight for us all. I admire these people because it literally is a thankless job. It’s also a non-stop job. All of us deer farmers owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to those who take up the fight on our behalf.

I am aware that there’s folks that have issues with NADeFA and that’s a big the reason that the ACA has come about. Yes, it’s hard to believe. But there are some people that think maybe we should agree all the time. However, I can tell you from experience that there’s nobody that I agree with all the time. Yet I have good relationships with them anyway. I can honestly say, division doesn’t surprise me a bit and I don’t like it. Division? Yep. Look at Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan, Florida and other states where deer farmers have more then one organization. Division is not good. We must stand united and when we do, we are stronger.

I’m asked quite often, where I stand on this apparent divide of our industry. My reply is that I am and will always be on the side of the deer first. If we focus on what’s best for deer before we look at our own personal agendas, then in my opinion we can all justify what ever we do to protect the industry.

I think that most people in our industry have more in common then not in common and I encourage everyone to

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try to find that common thread that can bring us together.

After this trip, I’m worn out. But, I also feel like we as an industry are on the right track. Things (in spite of the recent negative publicity mentioned above) are going in the right direction. Albeit slowly. We’d all like to see more progress more often. But, trust me when I tell you that from all the signs I see out there, we are moving ahead.

This trip for me started in Florida. The attendance at a deer farmer seminar was exceptional and the mood was upbeat. This enthusiasm is great and it is contagious.

Next stop was Missouri where the fight is on people. If you aren’t aware of what’s going on there you’d best start paying attention. Because the results of what happens in Missouri could affect each and every deer farmer no matter where they live.

In Missouri, deer farming is under the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and deer farmers want to see it moved over to Agriculture. I can’t say I blame them.

There are lots of reasons why. Certainly, too many to go into here. But just ask any deer farmer from the “show me state” and they will fill you in.

I had a chance to sit down with folks from the MDC and visit at length about what’s going on and why. Also, what their plans are for the future. From what they told me it’s clear, we aren’t seeing things quite the same. Matter of fact, what they see is down right the opposite of what I’ve seen.

Missouri has had recent cases of CWD in both wild and captive herds. They have commenced to killing the deer in what they call “the containment zone” in hopes of eradicating the disease. This slaughter of deer is being done on private land with the permission of landowners. How could this be?

According to MDC, the landowners in that area are very supportive with their “removal” of deer. When I’m talking “removal”, it’s exactly that. On much of the land in that area the landowners say there are no more deer at all. Worse yet, MDC says they aren’t done killing deer. This is their way to make sure that the deer aren’t sick with CWD and they hope to avoid a devastating loss to the deer herd in the future.

What? Let’s see what that means. Let’s kill all the deer to make sure they won’t get other deer sick and die. Can someone explain that to me?

Like I said above, I’m on the side of the deer first and what’s going on here is crazy. Two weeks ago at a town hall Spring 2014

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meeting in Macon County Missouri, a group of landowners, hunters and concerned citizens gathered to discuss what’s going on and try to get a direction on what to do. In the crowd was a representative of the MDC Federation. I’m glad he came because he saw first hand how the actions of the MDC are impacting the landowners. Nobody. Not one single person was happy with the MDC. When I say that I mean it.

Not a single person supported what MDC is doing. There were people in the crowd swearing at the MDC Federation.

Yes, there’s no question that landowners are upset.

Yet, according to the folks with MDC, the landowners are happy. Yep. What a crock. This is a down right lie and they know it. I simply can’t understand how MDC is getting away with it either. But, it appears they are.

But, thanks to a strong group of deer farmers and outraged landowners in Missouri, they are fighting back as best as they can. And it’s my pleasure to join in on the fight.

I ask myself quite often, how can something that is so obviously wrong happen and nobody cares. Well there are lots of us who do care. But, still things go wrong. How can this be?

Answer is simple. It’s politics folks. That’s what it all comes down too. It is a political firestorm right now in Missouri for deer farmers. They need our help. Please get involved some way. I don’t like politics. But, it looks like many of us have to learn how to operate with this political system.

It’s a thankless job when you have to get down at the level these people are and go head to head with them. But, it’s a battle that has to be done and fortunately for this industry, there are some of us that won’t quit no matter what.

What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. I was brought up to do the right thing . To me, the right thing is always doing what’s in the best interest for deer. Please help us by joining in on this fight.

Keith Warren is the host of Deer & Wildlife Stories, a weekly half hour television program that promotes deer farming and conservation that is sponsored by NADeFA. This program is now broadcast globally 24/7 and can be seen online @ www.deerandwildlifestories.com. Keith can be contacted via email keith@highroadhunting.com.

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TREASURER REPORT

Conference Generates Success Greetings From Your Treasurer A heart felt thank you to all who attended the NADeFA convention in Birmingham, AL. It was a smashing success! Although we are still paying a few bills and receiving payments, we will once again be over the million dollar mark for income in this fiscal year. The graphs indicate information for the second fiscal quarter through April 30th.

The NADeFA and CLF boards are grateful to all of you, as your generosity has enabled us to fund four research projects (Kansas State, Texas A&M. Texas Tech and Dr. Lee's EHD project) and 2 political actions (NY and MO). Hope your fawning season is just as successful.

Hank Dimuzio treasurer nADeFA

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Spittin Image

Moe

SPRING 2014

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Gladiator

Maxbo

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FARM & TECHNOLOGY

The Best Time For Record Keeping

It’s that time of year once again. Fawning season is upon us and preparations are being made for the new little ones, and what a wonderful time it is for the industry. All of the hard work and strategizing that goes into the producing these deer is either rewarded or found to be a big disappointment over the next couple of months.

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All of the questions begin to emerge at this time of year – What will the conception rate be? What will be the final total of the fawn crop? What will be the mortality rate? Are we prepared for any diseases? Will we finally get the big monster buck that we have been working so hard for this year? And on and on. Of course, the answers can only be found with time. nADeFA.org

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In addition to those questions, a whole new set of issues arise as these little ones hit the ground. How do we keep up with all the information that is created during fawning season?

I am often asked when is the best time to begin keeping records on the deer. The obvious answer is: the first day your first deer arrives at your farm. Or, in some cases, the day you purchase your first deer, regardless of whether it is on your premises.

Keeping accurate records is paramount in this industry, more so than ever before. Believe it or not there was a day not too many years ago that folks simply kept up with only the basic information by memory alone. Information such as tag number, name and who the deer’s sire and dam was.

That’s simply not the case today and regardless of “how” you keep records, whether it is still with a pen and paper or some type of technology, the amount of data per deer has become almost overwhelming.

In addition to tag ID, name and first generation information, deer farmers should record and maintain records on DNA information, generational data as far back as possible; this could mean hundreds of deer and their specific information all for a single animal!

And it doesn’t stop there. Historical information on medical treatments and conditions, bottle feeding, AI, conception rate, production rate, offspring, previous ownership, purchase price, sale price, semen collected, semen sold, birth weight, and single birth are just a few examples of the types of information that is important to retain.

This sounds overwhelming, but in fact it isn’t. Utilizing a proven method such as software designed specifically for the deer industry can make this task very easy and is the best way to keep all of this data in an organized easily accessible form.

Given that this time of year is “fawning season”, deer farmers should have most of the data on the parentage already recorded using some method. So back to the question of when should you begin keeping records on Spring 2014

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your deer? The answer is, in this case as soon as they hit the ground.

Being present when a fawn is born, or at least within a few hours helps you get ahead of this record-keeping game.

Being able to identify its dam is crucial and we have all heard the nightmare stories that come with misidentifying a fawn’s mother. Tagging the fawn, naming if desired, pulling hair for DNA purposes, identifying gender and administering meds can all be done in one fell swoop. The more time that passes, the more difficult the process becomes and the chances of inaccurate information increases dramatically.

So, why is collecting all of this data important? There are many reasons to collect the data. In my opinion, one of the most obvious reasons is it creates the most value for your herd or an individual animal.

Once, a person’s word and handshake was all they needed to trust that the animal or semen purchased was, in fact, who or what it was said to be. Unfortunately that is no longer the case. With the price of deer being what it is today, folks want more proof that what they are spending their hard-earned money on is in fact what the seller says it is. Having data that will prove the claims of where the animal came from allows you to maximize the potential worth of that animal.

When you see advertisements from farms claiming “Proven Genetics” my guess is that these folks have done their homework and can prove this claim through data that they have collected over time. Don’t be afraid to ask for it.

If they don’t have it, you may want to reconsider your intentions.

Be prepared for the task at hand this fawning season, and your record keeping system will prove to be an invaluable tool in your arsenal in developing and achieving your desired goals.

Mike owens owner and founder of Game Management Solutions. Mike can be reached at (254) 717-8844 or email him at gamesolutions@sbcglobal.net North American Deer Farmer

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Pan Fried Sandwich Steaks ingredients • • • • • • • •

4 venison steaks 3 tbsp butter or margarine 4 medium onions, sliced thin 4 green peppers, sliced thin 2 tbsp parmesan cheese 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated 1/2 tsp garlic salt 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

Super Simple Slow Cooker Venison Roast ingredients • • • •

1 (3-5 lb) boneless venison roast* 1 standard size packet brown gravy mix 1 standard size packet hidden valley ranch dressing mix 1 (1 ounce) packet Italian salad dressing mix (Standard size pkt) • 1 cup water • 1 large Vidalia onion

1. Place butter or margarine in large heavy skillet; turn heat to medium. Add onions and green peppers; saute until tender, being careful not to over cook.

2. While onion mixture is cooking, combine remaining ingredients in small bowl. Remove cooked onion mixture from skillet and set aside.

3. Add steaks to skillet. Fry one minute on each side; turn heat to medium low. Spread onion and cheese mixture evenly over steaks. Cover and cook until cheese is melted. Serve hot on fesh bread or roll.

Serves 4

*Will work with larger venison ham, bone in, (just double the brown gravy, Italian salad dressing and water).

Directions 1. Rinse and place roast into large slow cooker.

2. Pour all three mix packets over roast.

3. Pour water over roast.

4. Slice onion into 1/2" slices and spread over roast.

5. Cover slow cooker.

6. Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or high setting for 4 hours.

You could always add carrots or double the water and add 4 russet potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes, but not until the last hour of cooking time.

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Venison Parmesan ingredients

Garlic & Pepper Venison Steak with Onion Sauce

• • • • • • • • • •

4 six oz portions of venison ¾ cup fine breadcrumbs ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper 1 egg beaten 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 cup tomato sauce 24 oz. diced tomatoes 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 (1 1/2 lb.) venison round steak 1 large garlic clove, minced 2 tsp ground pepper 1 1/2 lbs. onions, thinly sliced and halved 3 bay leaves 1 cup dry red wine 1 tbsp safflower oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp red wine vinegar salt pepper

Directions

1. Place each piece of venison between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Flatten each with a meat mallet to approx. ¼ inch thickness.

2. Combine breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Dip venison in beaten egg and coat with breadcrumbs.

3. Place on baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from refrigerator and sauté in oil on medium heat 5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove venison from skillet and place in baking dish.

5. Spoon sauce and diced tomatoes over venison. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the venison pieces.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

7. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly.

8. Place over cooked spaghetti noodles for serving.

1. Place venison steak in a large glass baking dish. Combine 1 garlic clove and pepper. Rub each side of the steak with 1/2 the spice mixture. Sprinkle with onions and bay leaves. Pour wine over steaks. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Remove steak from marinade and reserve marinade. heat safflower oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add marinade and remaining 2 garlic cloves. Cook until onions are just tender and all of the liquid is absorbed, stiring frequently, about 35 minutes.

3. Stir in sugar and cook 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Taste and add more vinegar if desired. Season onion marinade with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves.

4. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat or preheat the broiler. Add the venison steak and cook to desired doneness, 8 to 10 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove steak from skillet. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut diagonally into thin slices. Serve immediately with onion marinade.

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Âť CERVID RESEARCH

Bottle-Fed Deer Needed!

By Shawn Schafer With Congress finally passing a budget, many back-logged research projects are now progressing.

One such project deals with the devastating "Schmallenberg Virus" which impacts the unborn offspring in many species including cervids.

This virus has yet to be discovered in North America, and there are many unanswered questions of how it would impact the livestock and wildlife of North America, and what would be the host and reservoir species.

I have had a request for healthy and calm bottle raised deer, (does and fawns, but I am sure bucks are needed as well, if you have one that has not turned out or has damaged his antlers).

If you have excess animals that you would like to get off the farm and out of the breeding industry so you are not competing against them, please give me a

call. The researchers would like them donated if possible.

While this is a virus that we do not have, it would be a great project to build our working relationship with USDA lead researchers. It also is spread by the same vector (midge) as EHD so there is a possibility of developing new vector control techniques. This important research will complement the EHD and CWD research already taking place within USDA Agriculture Research Services and Wildlife Services.

The more researchers we can support working with cervids the better, as it will spark that interest and help build and maintain the infrastructure and knowledge required to work with our non-traditional livestock.

If you have excess animals and would like to support this research project, please contact me at 651-212-1315 or email schafer@nadefa.org

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is a recently discovered livestock disease that was first detected in Europe, November 2011. It has been isolated from cattle, sheep, goats, roe deer, and bison, although other species may be susceptible as well.

Infections in these species can result in abortion, severe malformations, and/or stillbirths in newborns. Symptoms in adult cattle appear to be brief, but can include high fever, a decrease in milk production, and severe diarrhea. Viral transmission can occur across the placenta, causing infected females to infect their ospring, and horizontal transmission could potentially be vector-borne. Extremely high exposure rates ( >95%) has been documented in ruminant species located near the center of the epidemic.

Schmallenberg has been detected in multiple biting midge species in the Culicoides genus. The peak of Schmallenberg virus transmission in sheep lines up with peak bluetongue virus transmission, suggesting a similar route of infection.

Whether or not deer play a role in transmission is also being explored. Initial surveys indicate a high number of SBVantibody positive red deer, roe deer, and wild sheep.

It appears this is truly a newly emergent virus. Archived samples from Europe revealed no evidence of Schmallenberg virus infection prior to 2011. This is supported by data showing a decrease in milk yields, feed intake, etc. that occurs in regions when the virus first arrives.

There is a concern that Schmallenberg virus could cause large economic losses for deer, cattle, and sheep producers if it shows up in the United States. While it looks like wild deer in Europe have been exposed to the virus, no one knows how the deer are infected or what the consequences of infection are. We are proposing to experimentally infect adult whitetail deer with Schmallenberg virus to determine if deer are susceptible to the disease and to catalogue what clinical symptoms they exhibit.

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ADVERTISER’S INDEX 7 Oaks Whitetails ....................................36 ADM Alliance Nutrician .........................31 Arrowhead Creek Ranch ......................105 Bio Tracking ..........................................115 Blue Mountain Whitetails .................46-47 Brazos Valley Whitetails .......................132 Buckridge Whitetails & Preserve...........37 Cross Canyon Whitetails/ Cougar Ridge.....................................IFC, 1 Dakota Whitetails .............................84-85 Deepwoods Whitetails/Shock Effect.....44 Deer Guardian Misting Systems ............91 DNA Solutions ........................................92 El Canelo Ranch .....................................83 Fertile Aid ................................................80 Garland Animal Wellness .....................103 GMS Wildlife Management Software ....88 H & H Farms............................................28 Head Gear ................................................48 Honey Brook Whitetails .........................82 Honey Creek Whitetails .......................102

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Illini Whitetails........................................49 J4 Fencing & Services..............................89 JK Reid ..................................................101 Kennen Northern Whitetails ..............IBC Kentucky Whitetails ...............................70 Lone Wolf Ranch.....................................35 LoneHollow Whitetails....................4-5, 45, 57, 109,123 Marsh Valley Whitetails .......................130 Mossy Rock Whitetails......................72-73 NADeFA.............................................56, 95 Newport Labs ............................................9 North East Whitetail .........................64-65 PBS Animal Health ...............................117 Pneu-Dart ................................................93 Precision Pharmacy ................................97 Premier Deer Company ..........................58 Purina Mills..............................................71 Rio -Rojo Rancho - Priefert....................43 Rockstar Whitetails ........................6-7, BC

Rocky Meadow Whitetails ......................59 Rocky Ridge Whitetails ..........29, 118-119 Rocky Top Whitetails..............................17 SCI .........................................................104 Sendero Whitetails..................................11 Shakaree Red Deer Farm .....................101 Stay Tuff Fence.........................................15 Straight Shooter Deer Farm - Fence ....107 Swihart Sales ............................................44 Tajada Whitetail Ranch...........................30 Texas Deer Association ........................131 Texas Whitetail Breeders ........................63 The High Road Group.............................62 Trailer For Sale ......................................101 Useful Farm Products ...........................117 Venison - CLF ........................................131 Weaver Two Whitetails ...........................90 Whitetail Sales .......................................129 Wildpoint Whitetails ............................117 Wise Co Amimal Clinic - Enableizer........3 X Factor Whitetails..................................34

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TEXAS DEER ASSOCIATION Defender of Hunting & Private Property Rights in Texas PROTECTING OUR HERITAGE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS…

The Texas Deer Association supports a hunter’s individual freedom of choice. Every hunter has personal preferences on how and where they like to hunt. The TDA will work to ensure hunters always have the liberty to choose.

Today, there are many who believe the state should dictate how you manage your land and its resources. The Texas Deer Association is a staunch defender of private property rights, and the TDA will always fiffiight so your land remains YOUR land.

The Texas Deer Association is a member-driven association, dedicated to sharing ideas and methods to improve the management and harvest of deer. Our members always have a voice; and your voice is heard, individually and collectively.

The Texas Deer Association is a very active organization with events and activities all across Texas. Our annual convention, regional meetings, banquets and seminars held in every region of the state, make it easy and fun to get involved.

The Texas Deer Association understands that overregulation is not a sound wildlife management practice and too often leads to unintended consequences.

“Trust the landowner!”

amsey,, Suite 204 • San Antonio, TX 792 amsey 2 210.767.8300 10.767.8300 | 403 East R Ramsey, 79216 16 w www.texasdeerassociation.com ww.texasdeerassociation.com Spring 2014

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