Deer Farming News Investigation

[WesternNY]

Below is a recent news investigation.  It is interesting

 

http://www.indystar.com/longform/news/investigations/2014/03/27/buck-fever-intro/6865031/

 

 

Edited March 29, 2014 by WesternNY

[Doc]

I have a personal bias against genetically modifying any wild animal just to enhance the ease of taking a "trophy". That mindset is a self-enhancing notion that seems to not really have any end-point. There are deer being created these days that really don't even look like the initial species. They look more like freaks, or as someone in the article said, "caricatures of deer". I personally hope that these freaks do not find their way into the gene pool of the wild herd. If people want to create their own creatures to hunt within fenced in compounds, I suppose that there isn't a lot that can be done about the kind of perverted mindset that would actually call that hunting.

 

My gripe isn't so much with those that create the supply side of that kind of twisted version of hunting as it is with the people that have become the demand side of that market. Sometimes it can be hard to understand just what runs through the minds of people that would pay big dollars to hunt some artificially created lab experiment. But I have to admit that those kinds of people are slowly taking over the sport in all kinds of different ways, artificially manufactured deer-like animals included.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

I have a personal bias against genetically modifying any wild animal just to enhance the ease of taking a "trophy". That mindset is a self-enhancing notion that seems to not really have any end-point. There are deer being created these days that really don't even look like the initial species. They look more like freaks, or as someone in the article said, "caricatures of deer". I personally hope that these freaks do not find their way into the gene pool of the wild herd. If people want to create their own creatures to hunt within fenced in compounds, I suppose that there isn't a lot that can be done about the kind of perverted mindset that would actually call that hunting.

 

My gripe isn't so much with those that create the supply side of that kind of twisted version of hunting as it is with the people that have become the demand side of that market. Sometimes it can be hard to understand just what runs through the minds of people that would pay big dollars to hunt some artificially created lab experiment. But I have to admit that those kinds of people are slowly taking over the sport in all kinds of different ways, artificially manufactured deer-like animals included.

As is shown by the thousands of hunters that now use them and the numbers will continue to grow.  If you look at the groups fighting the growth you will see its the same groups whom's life styles are becoming a thing of the past.  Some on here cant handle the way the future is wrote out but there are hundreds in Ny and thousands across the country that do.  We will be the ones that prosper because we will grow with the present and the future. Many of us will and do have it great on both sides of the fence.

[Jeremy K]

Zero respect for high fence hunting and hunters .

[Paula]

I don't think all the farms are for high fence hunting.

I could care less how people hunt as long as it's legal

[NFA-ADK]

Zero respect for high fence hunting and hunters .

Could not have said it better myself. 

 

One of my hunting partners did it for wild boar in Penn.  But he knew it was just for meat and was basically shopping with a gun.  He wanted to test his fire arm and get some meat and experience a kill.  Funny how they ran the boar past them over 3 times before he got a shot off.  He ate all the meat and enjoyed every bit. 

 

He knows that it was NOT hunting.  And he knows how I disagree with it.  He is relatively new to hunting and was happy with the results of a perfect shot and meat for the family.  His nephew was able to go and they enjoyed themselves. 

 

It just makes me wonder if fair chase will eventually become a thing of the past. 

 

Deer and CDW is just to scary right now IMO.  Other spreadable diseases can cause other damage to deer.  Just like any fence sometimes animals find a way out.  Sometimes they do not have to get out to spread a infection! 

 

Unless you are a deer biologist or just do it for study I do not like "deer farms".

[ncountry]

Myself personally , I have 0 interest in a high fenced hunt. Before they closed up shop , I did enjoy going for a short little drive to view some of the monsters that were inside a fenced operation not far from me.If that is someone's idea of a hunt , so be it. It is still 100s of times closer to a real hunt than buying burger at the grocery. They are the ones missing out on the real deal not us.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

I'd like to see deer available at the supermarket. That's the only reason I could say I support the deer farm industry.

[Jeremy K]

I'd like to see deer available at the supermarket. That's the only reason I could say I support the deer farm industry.

 

You know the gov't and greed would screw that up 100%

 

[Larry]

Hey anyone read the new deer & deer hunting there is a good article on this subject in there also there is one in bow hunter along the same line. I don’t believe deer farming is good for deer hunting or the deer.

[Ford]

Could not really answer the first question. (so I did not vote)

 

Question 2 and 3, no.

 

[Doc]

As is shown by the thousands of hunters that now use them and the numbers will continue to grow.  If you look at the groups fighting the growth you will see its the same groups whom's life styles are becoming a thing of the past.  Some on here cant handle the way the future is wrote out but there are hundreds in Ny and thousands across the country that do.  We will be the ones that prosper because we will grow with the present and the future. Many of us will and do have it great on both sides of the fence.

Not much here that I actually disagree with in terms of fact. You have accurately laid out what hunting is evolving into.

 

For me hunting is an activity of culture, personal challenge, and heritage, not some test-tube situation that involves the mere slaughter of penned and genetically built creatures. I am not really interested in getting the best trophy that money can buy. That really doesn't do a lot for me. I have always placed the larger emphasis on the hunt over the kill. I tend to hunt the animals the way I find them in the wild in accordance with whatever situation of cunning and caution, survival skill set, and physical stature that nature has provided for them. To me anything else is just a variation of a slaughterhouse mindset and experience. I do not see wildlife as simply another variety of dumb farm animal chewing its cud and waiting for slaughter.

 

And yes I agree, all those thoughts are becoming outdated notions as each generation comes along. More and more so-called hunters are looking for the quick way to the kill with as little energy and effort invested as possible. I will also agree that any activity can become corrupted, polluted and bastardized to satisfy whatever foul motivations that some people can devise. I can only say that I still maintain some semblance of honor and tradition in my hunting, and I'm quite proud that I do. I will also agree that others can and will do whatever they wish to debase the creatures of nature where they can. I also agree that it is the profit motive that drives that, spurred on by those who would rather buy their achievements than earn them. However that becomes a part of their legacy, and their accomplishments will be cheapened accordingly and be met with total disrespect that such things deserve. That's all not something that I want to be associated with or take part in but certainly does fit well into your vision of ideal evolution of hunting.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

I find it so funny that someone had to dig back so many years to find dirt on the industry.  It also could tell the story of how a deer farmer made hunting so good in the state of Ohio. As you read, The deer were all but gone because of man and a farmer helped save the herd.

 This just happened again with 3 different cervids that were gone in the wild but living great on a ranch in Texas and thanks to that farmer those species will be saved.   As is happening all across the country, the herds are so messed up and about gone in some states that the deer on farms will save the day again and be the only place to find any kind of deer.

 

For any person in Ny State or any state for that matter that owns some open unused property and also having a hard time making ends meet or supporting their family is crazy not to be raising a few deer.

  A family can earn 20 to 80 grand a year of extra income with a hobby, by raising the greatest animal in the world, in the fastest growing industry in the country!   Just like cell phones and the internet, The people dictate what the future will be and for those that are not narrowed minded and can see the writing on the wall, Their/Our/Mine future is bright.

 

When you sit in a room in the middle of the country,with about every state in the union represented and watch 81 animals sell for a record 1.9 million dollars. Well you figure it out. Thats what scares the  many state leaders.Their set to lose millions in tag sales from hunters that no longer are satisfied by seeing a deer or two a day. There is a huge demand and huge power comes with that demand.

[SteveB]

We need to stop calling it hunting for all but a few enclosures in the states.

 

 

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Money+power= corruption. No thanks.

[Doewhacker]

A farm animal is still a farm animal no matter how big the fenced area is. There is zero hunting involved in fenced in animal killing. I have seen these trophy animals in these places and they lay around like pets, pretty sad.

It's only a matter of time before animal rights folks figure a way to shut it down. Or politicians will get wind and regulate and tax the hell out of the industry.

[mike rossi]

Here is the position statement of The Wildlife Society. Since they are not a political organization, this statement does not address whether these farms/preserves should be legal, but how the risks they pose should be managed.

 

 If anyone thinks TWS (because of its name) is an anti-hunting organization you need to do some back-ground reading, they are not anti hunting and are not political.

 

http://joomla.wildlife.org/documents/positionstatements/33-Ungulate%20Confinement.pdf

Edited March 30, 2014 by mike rossi

[gfdeputy2]

did not vote not enough info for me 

1) I would support if managed correctly 

2) yes I think it could if not managed correctly & think there are cases where it has transferred CWD to wild deer I could be wrong on that

3 nope don't really care if I shoot a deer from a farm & would never pay that kind of money to hunt

but to each is own 

I am not one that would bash anyone for the way anyone wants to hunt if it is legal go for it

[HectorBuckBuster]

Four Seasons - How is someone making $80,000 grand on a few deer? Is that from hunting of deer, selling breeding deer off, or sell the meat ?

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Four Seasons - How is someone making $80,000 grand on a few deer? Is that from hunting of deer, selling breeding deer off, or sell the meat ?

For my farm its breeding animals. I dont have a ranch or hunt in my 5 one acre pens.  Some have no clue on what a person can make/Do On/With whitetails. In todays market every person that has a few extra acres should be raising a few and enjoying life. 

 Dairy farms dont cut it any more unless you have 2000 of them and then the numbers for 100 deer and 2000 cows would be close to the same at profit time.

 I know it wont be done but i would like to know how many on here voted No for the poll but have hunted other animals behind fence?

 People are blind when it comes to Bambi...Its ok to to kill a pig,fallow or bird but not a whitetail. I wont ask because i wont get the truth.

 

As far as CWD im sure 99% of the people do not even know how cwd came into our state and thats sad.  The facts are starting to show the true movers of CWD and when it does come out. You will be the fools!  We test our deer and now that we farmers have gotten together and paid the million plus to come up with a live test for CWD, Well..Fools Again.

 

As far as shutting down. Good luck with that. What a person does on their own private property with the animals they own is their business and no one elses. groups like QDMA. NRA and many others have tried for years because they are not stupid and they see the writing on the wall.  Way to much money and power is involved in high fence and now we even have a legislator in the seat in Alabama that owns 3 ranches and 2 breeding farms in 3 different states. There are many,many wealthy people that have millions in Ny alone that have whitetails.  Wont be long and our state will be in court for shutting our border down illegally, stay tuned. It will be in print soon.

[Doc]

Way to much money and power is involved in high fence and now we even have a legislator in the seat in Alabama that owns 3 ranches and 2 breeding farms in 3 different states. There are many,many wealthy people that have millions in Ny alone that have whitetails.  Wont be long and our state will be in court for shutting our border down illegally, stay tuned. It will be in print soon.

I'm not sure there are a lot of people replying here that will say that there isn't money to be made. Hell people have gotten rich selling pet rocks...lol. So what? A lot of people have gotten rich doing things that I would never consider to be anything that I would ever get involved with. It's just a business that supports the worst elements within our hunting community. Sorry, but I don't think I would want to be associated with it no matter how much money was involved. If you enjoy supporting that kind of thing, great for you. You can try to justify almost anything with a good bank statement, but that doesn't mean that you have convinced very many people that your endeavor is an honorable one.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

I'm not sure there are a lot of people replying here that will say that there isn't money to be made. Hell people have gotten rich selling pet rocks...lol. So what? A lot of people have gotten rich doing things that I would never consider to be anything that I would ever get involved with. It's just a business that supports the worst elements within our hunting community. Sorry, but I don't think I would want to be associated with it no matter how much money was involved. If you enjoy supporting that kind of thing, great for you. You can try to justify almost anything with a good bank statement, but that doesn't mean that you have convinced very many people that your endeavor is an honorable one.

I guess thats your choice. We all have one but with someone like you with age on yourself..As Myself..You have seen where we had deer hunting back when there were camps and such and great hunting on all property, without even having to ask permission.  Those days are long gone never to be seen again. We all have a choice to grow with and where the sport is going and make alot of money on the way or sit back and watch it crumble around you.  Again, Your Choice.  Me, Im staying on the cutting edge and enjoying this great animal 24-7 and making a very good living doing so. My Choice!

[nyantler]

I'm not sure there are a lot of people replying here that will say that there isn't money to be made. Hell people have gotten rich selling pet rocks...lol. So what? A lot of people have gotten rich doing things that I would never consider to be anything that I would ever get involved with. It's just a business that supports the worst elements within our hunting community. Sorry, but I don't think I would want to be associated with it no matter how much money was involved. If you enjoy supporting that kind of thing, great for you. You can try to justify almost anything with a good bank statement, but that doesn't mean that you have convinced very many people that your endeavor is an honorable one.

Exactly.. much like the Heroin and Meth industry... lots of money and two growing industries that don't make for honorable livelihoods... It's not even the hunting behind a fence that I have a problem with as much as the Frankenstein like genetic mutants that are artificially created by some of these farmers for the sake of profit. But even worse are those that patronize these "evil laboratories" creating a market for such a perverted use of an animal. First, to claim that this business has any claim as helpful to conservation and the future of hunting is ridiculous... then proclaiming how deer farms can somehow be the savior of a threatened whitetail population is just delusional. One can say that as many times as one likes and still be the only one that believes it.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Exactly.. much like the Heroin and Meth industry... lots of money and two growing industries that don't make for honorable livelihoods... It's not even the hunting behind a fence that I have a problem with as much as the Frankenstein like genetic mutants that are artificially created by some of these farmers for the sake of profit. But even worse are those that patronize these "evil laboratories" creating a market for such a perverted use of an animal. First, to claim that this business has any claim as helpful to conservation and the future of hunting is ridiculous... then proclaiming how deer farms can somehow be the savior of a threatened whitetail population is just delusional. One can say that as many times as one likes and still be the only one that believes it.

Well i guess we will see when the smoke clears!  I know you are not that lost not to know how screwed up the deer herd is in just about every state, including ours. Just read the states hunting site like this one. Complaint after complaint with people even giving up because of no deer to hunt. 

 

If you only knew how many people in Ny i have sold deer to that fenced in their 300 to 500 acres of woods just to have a great population of deer for their own family and friends to hunt. No selling hunts. Just good healthy high genetic deer. That my friend is because of hunters and the DEC. Nothing will change in the future. More implements to hunt with equals more money for the state to take in. Their only concern.

 

You say you dont think deer farms will be huge in the future?   What do you think will happen when they say people can catch the CWD bug by eating positive meat.

 We have tested animals with testing getting even better.  They will come to the clean high fence deer for venison.

 

Edited March 30, 2014 by Four Season Whitetails

[nyantler]

 

Well i guess we will see when the smoke clears!  I know you are not that lost not to know how screwed up the deer herd is in just about every state, including ours. Just read the states hunting site like this one. Complaint after complaint with people even giving up because of no deer to hunt. 

 

If you only knew how many people in Ny i have sold deer to that fenced in their 300 to 500 acres of woods just to have a great population of deer for their own family and friends to hunt. No selling hunts. Just good healthy high genetic deer. That my friend is because of hunters and the DEC. Nothing will change in the future. More implements to hunt with equals more money for the state to take in. Their only concern.

 

You say you dont think deer farms will be huge in the future?   What do you think will happen when they say people can catch the CWD bug by eating positive meat.

 We have tested animals with testing getting even better.  They will come to the clean high fence deer for venison.

Like I said... delusional ... anything I thought you knew about hunting, conservation or whitetails just got shot down by your last dozen or so posts... actually it is possibly the most nonsensical rant I have ever heard by a so called hunter... your "business" has nothing to do with hunting, conservation, or the future thereof... in fact it has no place on a hunting forum at all. For the record what you know about CWD is another delusional version that you somehow concocted from listening or reading something  written by someone that obviously knows nothing about it either. There is no intelligent argument here no matter how much you have tried to make one... beyond this anyone that wastes their time responding to such nonsense has either lost their mind or lives in the same fantasy land as you.