PROUD TO BE A DEER FARMER

This article was originally printed in the February / March issue of Deer Tracking
This article is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

I am a little disheartened with the many negative comments directed at my industry of late. Yes, we have been faced with many problems lately in the game farm industry, but really they are no more or less hopeless than any other livestock/grain farmer encounters. Every livestock farmer deals with the threat of herd disease and sickness every day. Grain farmers handle new strains of hard to kill weeds or low grain prices as a regular part of farming life. But neither grain farmers nor traditional livestock farmers are misrepresented as badly or their problems overemphasized as much as those in our industry. Why is that? Wouldn't the media be better served to represent the facts accurately, positively and completely? Generally it is about money. Who can sell the most papers? Those with the most heated controversy seems to be the unfortunate answer. Well, I would like to challenge those in the media industry to rise above the perceived negatives and begin representing the reality in a positive, well represented fashion.

Why did we become deer farmers?

Because of our interest and obvious appreciation of the animal. For us, whitetail deer are an enigma and an enjoyment to have on farm. They are low maintenance, and require less labour and less to feed than the traditional cattle herd. Pastures can normally carry 6-8 mature does and their offspring for each beef cow/calf pair. (SAF, WTD Production and management, pg 8). They are hardy, intelligent and adaptable to our Canadian weather. They are highly productive and generally have twins and often triplets, making deer a good investment with an above average rate of return. And this investment can be maintained on less acreage of unfarmable quality. Yes, there can also be money made in this industry. Good! Finally a sector of agriculture that can be self-sustained, that may see some profit in a well-run farming operation. Is there money to be made in cattle? You bet, in a well run farming operation. In a province such as Saskatchewan, facing farm crisis, the economic benefits of diversification are a necessary and valuable source of saving the family farm.

Whether farmers raise cattle, pigs, goats, chickens, deer or elk, if the farming operation is ethically run and legal, it is all agriculture. I am proud to be a deer farmer.

Trophy Ranching- positive for our industry

Trophy ranching serves a great purpose in our fine province. It provides a final destination for those animals that have outlived their breeding potential. Slaughter on a harvest preserve/trophy ranch is a viable alternative to the traditional slaughter house idea. It is a humane and efficient method for slaughter of our commercially raised, domestic livestock. On farm slaughter occurs regularly in rural Saskatchewan. Who hasn't helped a neighbour kill and eviscerate chickens? Hogs are often killed on farm and added to the freezer in the form of chops or sausage. Goats are a sacred meat in some cultures and are sometimes killed on farm in a special ceremony with prayers said over the carcass. Consider the usefulness of a cow that has passed her productive prime. Has that usefulness been outlived? No. It becomes beef in that farmer's freezer. Where does the slaughter and processing occur? Usually on-farm. It is convenient and humane without the long trip to a slaughter plant. The deer that we raise are sheltered, well fed, and given every veterinary care necessary. Then, having lived a long and productive life, they are killed by hunters willing to pay the price for the meat, antlers and experience. Why not? Many creative farmers have incorporated the value-added benefits of pheasants, bison or wild boar to their agricultural game plan. As with all livestock, the purpose is to strive for quality production, which ensures a quality end market slaughter. In today's agriculture crisis, I applaud those who can develop new and creative diversification and investment value in their agricultural enterprise. Some might call it the ultimate marriage of the hunter/gatherer/farmer evolution in the tradition of the North American native peoples. Although the media and opposing forces would have the public believe this is a new and unacceptable venture, it truly is an age old tradition-we kill and utilize what we have produced. Call it hunting, harvesting or slaughter...I call it academic agriculture. And I am proud to be a deer farmer.

Environmentally sustainable rural development:

The raising of deer is not a new venture. Deer farms have existed in China since about 2000 B.C. Europe also has had a long history of captive deer farming. (SAF, WTD Production Information, pg1) Even QDM (Quality Deer Management), largely practiced in the US is a form of raising quality deer-without the fences. From an agricultural perspective, deer are some of the most "environmentally friendly" animals to raise. They do not contaminate the groundwater, they do not contaminate air quality, they don't require clear cutting or deforestation of farmland, and they don't require chemical sprays to encourage a higher than natural yield. Studies have actually been done on alfalfa hay pastures where the introduction of deer to the hay pasture has increased the quality and growth of hay over that of vacant alfalfa plots. As browsers, unlike grazers, quality growth in deer pastures lasts longer, is not chewed to the ground and allows for continual fresh growth. Since deer naturally eat less than cattle and forage in a manner less devastating to the pasture, deer farming is also up to three times as profitable as traditional livestock. (Nadefa.org, deer farming Q &A)

Virtually the entire animal has real value. Unlike traditional livestock raised specifically for the meat markets, deer have various uses. The creative deer farmer can find entrepreneurial merit in developing a variety of markets which may include the hide, urine, hooves, antler, pizzels (fly fishing products), taxidermy as well as meat and more! And then what about marketing the "experience"? That experience could mean a variety of different things to a variety of people. Perhaps it is an educational/interest tour, or a photo shoot, or a hunt. We truly believe that giving those impromptu tours is one of the best parts of deer farming. Few people have the chance for an up-close-and-personal look at a deer. The experience can be wrapped up in one word- tourism.

We cannot discount the value of a venison market as well. Venison has been the meat of choice for the gentry in Europe for centuries. Now venison is often the meat of choice for the health conscious. It now graces the menu plans for such well known health movements as Weight Watchers. Venison is low in cholesterol, fat and calories and high in protein. Many restaurants even locally are beginning to offer venison, bison and other specialty livestock meats on their menus. Even discounting our local markets, we in North America have not even begun to supply the demand for export of venison. According to the North American Deer Farmer's Association, "North American deer farms currently supply only one quarter of today's burgeoning North American venison market. Indeed, it has a very bright future." (www.nadefa.org) And I am proud to be a deerfarmer.

A Well Regulated Industry:

The deer farming industry in Saskatchewan is governed in joint effort by Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). So we answer not only provincially but federally as well and we adhere to The Domestic Game Farm Animal Regulations Chapter A-20.2 Reg 10 of the Animal Products Act. These regulations outline requirements for enclosure, identification, import/export, transport, processing and penalties for non-adherence. For instance, as deer farmers, we are required to purchase a game farm license, TB test our entire herd every 3 years, have 2 unique forms of identification on every animal (eartags generally), apply for and file transport forms every time an animal moves on/off farm and send in a yearly inventory of births & deaths for our stock. The latest addition to the regulations is the Mandatory CWD Surveillance program. This program requires that we send in heads of all deceased deer within 15 days for diagnostics testing, and do a yearly head count (bring all animals through for an approved inspector to record all ear tags). We also are required to follow humane animal management as outlined in the Recommended Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farmed Cervids (CARC). I would hazard to guess that the traditional sheep, cattle, or hog farmer would be shocked and appalled if this level of regulation were to be placed on their livestock industry.

Am I saying this level of regulation is bad? Well, it certainly is stringent...often too stringent. And that is where I believe that we need to work with the regulating bodies to help improve and make workable this system of regulation. We CAN be thankful, that here in Saskatchewan, because of regulations, we are largely supported by Sask Ag. who views our industry as a viable diversification model in the agricultural livestock industry. There are many states and provinces that do not have government support- generally the ones who disallow deer farming/trophy ranches. So, I can be proud to be a deerfarmer.

Media Hype and Misinformation:

We can not begin to count the negative articles and publicity our industry has received of late. Why is that? Again it is generally a ploy by the media to sell papers, market radio shows, and attract viewers. They thrive on the emotional rhetoric that will attract the uninformed public. Take CWD as one example. With all the publicity CWD has received, you would think it was Foot and Mouth or worse. Typically these types of headlines are reserved for diseases that have great consequence for human transmissibility. Consequently, CWD has yet to be proven to be directly transmissible to humans. As well, did any of these media outlets take the time to figure that out of 7500 farmed cervids put down due to CWD; 6500 of them were tested (1024 were not - elk calves: too young to be tested); 190 were positive (3%)- all elk and all in one single province; there were 38 infected premises. (CCC Report, Serge Buy) Now if you consider 28,000 farmed elk in the province (fall 1999 stats, SAF), 190 tested positive (not even necessarily clinical), that is less than 0.7% of the total farmed elk population in Saskatchewan (using old, low population totals)! So far this disease obviously is NOT the unbridled epidemic that the public has been led to believe. What about the numerous domestic (traditional) livestock diseases that can be transferred to wildlife populations. For instance, Johne's, liver flukes, or lungworm or even calf scours which are all more prevalent in domestic livestock farming than 0.7%. These can be found in farmed and wild populations. Deer (domestic and wild) can contract TB; but where does this form of BOVINE Tuberculosis originate? Without shutting down the entire domestic livestock industry, there is always going to be the possibility of transmission to the wild. Or, I pose also the possibility of wild to traditional livestock industries. Deer do not simply transfer deer diseases to deer, cattle to cattle, sheep to sheep......It is not a unilateral sharing within one species. Many diseases can be shared reciprocally between species.

It is time to be proactive:

It is time for our industry to step out and be on the offensive rather than defensive for a change. But we all need to work together. Expect opposition from those who continue to romanticize our livestock as "wildlife", from animal rights groups and from the general suburbanite public. Now is the time to be proactive.

It is time to make editors and writers accountable for the information that they choose to print. If you spot misinformation or one-sided negativity in articles depicting our industry, write, phone or email the appropriate people. We can no longer sit back and allow game farming to take the hits it has been taking.

Write "Letters to the Editor" and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Send in positive articles and letters promoting our industry. The more positive information submitted, the more informed and enlightened the general public will become.

Don't forget the radio stations. They also should be accountable for any damage they intentionally/unintentionally inflict on our industry. If you don't call in, call or email after the show to express your disappointment in the biased coverage game farming is receiving.

When talking on "coffee-row" be sure to point out misinformation and emotional rhetoric. Discuss the similarities with other agriculture livestock. Even trophy ranches are a form of agricultural expansion. We have a perfect model of farm diversification. As more of the general public hears the positives and benefits of deer farming, then more support will be generated. Agriculture on the prairies is our livelihood.

Finally we must work with our associations and with the CCC on creative promotional initiatives such as the CCC's "Good News Network" and the Cervid Farming Promotions Committee, or Public Relations Committee. By volunteering on these and at other public functions (Agribition/tradeshows, etc), you are helping to strengthen our industry. To those of you already participating in this promotion of our industry...thank you. Only with all of us working together and doing our own small part, can we overcome the backlash of negative publicity our industry has been receiving.

And I am STILL proud to be a deerfarmer!

Tara-Lynn Barks

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