Has to be a better way!!!

Checked my pen Friday night before the HS football game, found this 2yr old dead. Looks like he got spooked and hit a tree damaging his right side causing internal injuries. Now I get the fact, that if your in this business dead deer are just a part of life. Who knows, maybe there will be a silver lining show up, but I don’t think I will ever get used to that feeling of weather to cry or through up, but hey #@!* happens. What rubs me wrong is the fact that you have to hack off his head and take to a vet which is the last thing you feel like doing. I know I‘m stating the obvious, but there has to be a better way.

I feel your pain RTT. One puts his heart and soul into his deer, then...there they lay...hopes and dreams for that particular deer smashed. And ya can't fix it all or make up for it next week...maybe in 2 years, but more than likely not at all as it relates to duplicity. Someone told me yesterday ''If you have livestock, you're gonna have dead-stock.''

My agony comes from when I lose a deer, it's most always at the top end, and all to often at 'thee top'. But...time heals and you begin to once again see the light at the end of the tunnel. But what I want to know is this - Who keeps moving the light???

Sorry for your loss RTT.

RTT:



Sorry to hear about your buck! He was a great looking 2 year old and I am sure you can relate to what Mark said about it always being the "top end" that we lose. I had over twenty fawns born this year and lost one...well need I say it? Yes, it was a buck fawn out of my best doe. Out of all twenty, that had to be the one! And I can definately relate to the cutting the head off, unfortunately, there is no other way that I am aware of. It really sucks to have to do it right after losing something so near and dear! I don't know much about your program but if you are producing 2 year olds like the one you lost then you are definately doing something right.

You grew a very nice 2 year old. That kind of loss really hurts. I have visited a number of farms. I see quit a difference in enclosures. Some are bare with no completely open with no hide aways and some have many trees and some cover. Does anyone have experience with the best layout for enclosures. I have some trees in all but one pen. When the deer get frightened or alarmed they can seek a bit of cover and watch what is going one from a ways off. the pen with no trees we put up a shade roof with one wall to give them cover and wind protection but i think we will add another walled structure like we saw on a couple other farms without trees so they can take cover behind it in the far end of the pen. My deer are generally very calm but there are thinks like a flock of turkeys or different noisy vehicles that come down the drive that can get then excited especially if we happen to be working on the opposite side of the pen when another new occurrence happens. I put several large round bales in one pen and they like that also. My pens are about 375 feet long I don't know if there is better length or do they just get running faster then.

Sorry for your loss. He was a Great looking 2yr. old.

We have ehd here in Pa and the dept of ag makes you cut a deer head off to test cwd that has never been found in farm deer to my knowledge!!! Whats wrong with this picture!



Scott Neeb

Chanlow Farms