This is an industry worth turning your Whitetails of Wisconsin attention towards. We are growing and invite you to grow with us. The people that you will meet in this industry are second to none. We are all here to help each other grown and learn. If you’ve come this far, you owe it to yourself to take the next step!

To find out more information on starting a farm, please visit the Whitetails of Deer Farming 101 Wisconsin website. There you will find useful information which will give you a better understanding of what to look Websites to help you get started: Deer farming is quickly forward to when you take that next step. becoming an industry that is Even if it is just a few questions that you Whitetails of Wisconsin need answered, W.O.W. is here to help. www.whitetailsofwisconsin.com worth turning your attention to.

Not sure where to start? Joining W.O.W. is also a great first step, as WI Department of , Trade & each member receives his or her own copy Consumer Protection (DATCP) Look no further. of our Cervid Farming Handbook. This http://datcp.wi.gov/Farms/Deer_Farming/ This brochure will enlighten you handbook is full of useful information index.aspx about the industry, from getting your farm with information and resources registered with the state, to raising those WI Department of Natural Resources about beginning a deer farm! first fawns, to marketing your animals or http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/captive/ for sale. It is one of the many captive.htm benefits of being a member of this great organization.

To get more information on our association or whitetail deer farming in Wisconsin, please visit our website or contact our office.

www.whitetailsofwisconsin.com 920.462.4528 [email protected]

Whitetails of Wisconsin www.whitetailsofwisconsin.com 2533 Southerland Circle Kaukauna, WI 54130 phone: 920.462.4528 email: [email protected] There is a great market for deer How much land do I need to start and how What about CWD? high must the fence be? Most deer farms are on a monitoring program and throughout the United Currently, a half an acre is the minimum allowed, through DATCP. When an animal over 16 months States. It is one of the fastest and the fence needs to be 8 feet high. If starting of age dies or is harvested, it is tested for CWD. growing Ag Industries in rural out small and your deer are tame, this will work Between the years 2002 and 2008, 20,623 CWD just fine. If you choose not to have tame deer, samples were taken from farm-raised cervids in the America! you should be thinking about a larger pen. Deer state of Wisconsin. Of those 20,623 samples, .09% - Texas A&M that are not tame need their “space”. They do had tested positive by Feb 07 2008. Some of the not like to be crowded. A minimum of 80 positives have been linked back to the wild herd. Whitetail deer are a passion to most of us, contiguous acres is required to operate a hunting Our industry continues to rack up numbers proving and to some of us, raising them is also our preserve. that deer farms are not the problem. As of 2008, job. This is an industry to consider. 499 herds were enrolled in the monitoring program Whether you raise these wonderful Who regulates deer farms? (info from the DNR website). To date, it has not animals for the pure pleasure of having Currently, all whitetail farms are regulated by the been proven where CWD came from and it very well them around to enjoy as a hobby, or Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer may never be. There is a strong feeling by many raising them for the challenge of Protection (DATCP). The Department of Natural that CWD has always been present in the wild, it is producing that first 200” buck on your Resources (DNR) regulates the fencing. just now being found. Remember, facts are what farm, it is an adventure. Never think that you need to listen for, not hearsay or speculation. you know all you need to know. You will What do I feed the deer? learn something new about these Some farms have their own “recipes” and some What’s the best thing about farming deer? magnificent animals on a daily basis. They feed corn. Straight corn is not recommended If you asked deer farmers what their favorite time of are full of surprises! however, as it may cause health problems. Deer the year would be, you would get mixed answers. need fiber, which they get from browsing, so they For some of them, it would be the anticipation of Who farms deer? need hay if browse is unavailable. There are the birth of the fawns. No one can resist a newborn Deer farming is not just for men! You numerous feed distributors out there who sell fawn with its spotted coat and big eyes. Another would be surprised how many women take feed that is pre-mixed and bagged. favorite time of the year would no doubt be an active role in deer farming. They are watching the bucks’ antlers grow, trying to figure involved in every aspect and take it It’s all up to you, and it’s part of the trial and error out which one will be the “monster”! seriously. You think the men can talk up a process. Whatever works! Oh, and deer love storm about deer, just get one of these treats! On a side note, deer are unlike cattle and Protecting the farm and farmland gals going and you’re in for a treat! And horses that eat consistently. A whitetail deer’s “It may be a well-worn refrain, but the family farm let’s not forget the kids! They come in real metabolism changes as winter comes and the remains an endangered species. Across the United handy when it’s time to feed the fawns! eating patterns slow down quite a bit for the States two acres of farmland are lost to Deer farming can be a bonding experience season. This is a nice break for the pocketbook if development every minute. In Wisconsin alone, over for the whole family. you have big herd! 550,000 acres of farmland were lost between the 2002 and the 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture. By What type of market is there in this diversifying their practices, farmers adding cervids industry? to their operations can blunt the highs and lows • Breeders associated with farming to some extent. Cervid • Hunting farming also helps protect open lands that might not be suitable for other farming purposes and • Sales to other farms for genetic which would in some cases be sold and developed, enhancements • further protecting the state’s natural resources. Semen The average cervid operation in Wisconsin protects • Meat & Food 69 acres of farmland.” • Antlers - 2011 Economic Impact Survey of the WI Cervid Industry • Urine