American Cervid Alliance - Formed to Protect the Cervid Industry

Travis,

Thanks for your efforts on the behalf of all of us.....I hope everyone realizes how important it is that we support you guys......thanks again!

Travis,

Count Diamond K Ranch in for a 400 class bull hunt in Montana(yes it is legal as long as I don't receive any funds) and a 5 day king salmon/blackbear trip to our alaska camp.We will also send a check to Eric.Let's keep this going!

Well done to all those involved.



Cheers Sharkey

Well guys lets not let this thread get put on the back burner. We need to ask for help from all the people that support this industry. Feed dealers, Slaughter facilities, taxidermy guys and of course our fellow deer and elk farmers. Tell your deer and elk friends to help support this fight to make this a fair fight against the unjust CWD program. Really no funding for a herd that is just unlucky enough to have a CWD positive. Talk about playing russian roulette with our lifes savings and our family well being. These rules have to be made fair and all producers either cattle or deer and elk farmers have to be treated fair and equal. Help this cause please.

Yes Jack you are so right....this is just what we have needed for years.....let's make sure WE do our part to make it a success.......it is for all of our best interests!

Just found this thread. Great work ACA. Obviously we are in... Just as we always have been!

We're in as well!!

Count me in



Joe.

ACA, you can count on our support here at GMS software!



Thanks for your effort!



Mike Owens

President,GMS

254.717.8844

The American Cervid Alliance website can be found at www.americancervidalliance.org. The website is a work in progress but already contains information to direct supporters and contributors. Please help spread the word about this initiative and this site.



Also, please visit www.conservationhunting.com. This site was created to promote the merits of conservation hunting. The site features a short video and concise talking points of the positive aspects. This site was created by funds donated by several cervid and exotic associations and individuals last spring in the name of the National PR Campaign.

Come on Deer Farmers.......2000 plus views and only a handful of responses supporting this group........doesn't make sense to me.......if this is how we are going to support a group willing to fight for our best interests...we deserve everything that we get.......I understand there are some out there probably supporting this group and not responding on this post....but For the rest come on...this is what we need to turn things around......or we can just keep letting them regulate us right out of the business of deer farming!

The Minnesota Deer Breeders Association is proud to contribute $5,000 towards this great endeavor.

We challenge the other state associations to get on board and match our donation.

May I suggest that all breeders personally contribute $5 per animal on their farm.

This is the most important program we can be a part of as cervid farmers. The goal of the ACA is to save our RIGHT to farm deer. All the money we spend on semen, genetics, and facilities means nothing if we don't win this fight.



Gary Olson

Director

Minnesota Deer Breeders Association

Zumbro River Whitetails is Donating 1 straw of Bone Collector XL to Be sold at the Midwest Select sale in Febuary. This is the only straw that will be auctioned.

for more Info on Bone Collector XL go to www.zumbroriverwhitetails.com

Steve Dougherty

Were in for what i can we can do

David and Sanna Westbrook

Sorry guys, we have been busy with hunters. You can count us in!

Deer and elk breeders everywhere,

The phone calls and posts by breeders pledging their support for the ACA has been inspiring. Checks are already coming in. Hunts and buck semen are being donated and earmarked for the cause.



We are going to see what happens when this industry comes together for the first time.

This alliance is bigger than one person. This is bigger than one association. This is an industry rallying behind fellow breeders desperately fighting an injustice that we pray never shows up in our own state.



We are going to set a precedent that this industry is working together. That this industry is full of people that will stand up for their livelihoods. That we have private property rights.



We must stand together if we as an industry want to survive. There are too many ways we can be regulated out of business.



There are some people in our industry that do not believe in the ACA. To those people I would ask them to look at what happened to the horse industry in 2006. An industry was decimated by harmful legislation that banned the slaughter of horses which crumbled a major market output of their industry. It impacted their entire economy. Now horses are worth next to nothing.



What would have happened if three or four dozen horse associations came together under one flag to fight off that legislation? It could have made the difference.

Deer and elk breeders should take a lesson from our horse friends. We will share the same fate if we are not able to move our animals to utilize all of our markets, too.



And though the situations are different the message is still the same. This industry must stick together. This is about teamwork. Working together and coordinating efforts. Pooling resources together and sharing wisdom. Sharing experiences. Allowing every association to come to the table and be heard.



Please encourage people to support the American Cervid Alliance. Download and share the ACA flyer on the ACA home page at www.americancervidalliance.org. Please send people to the website.



Please stand up for this industry. Everyone must wake up and realize that these agriculture industries are in danger. It is our duty to protect the legacies left to our families by our industry pioneers and the traditions that shaped this land.



This is not an alliance based on legal offense.



This is an alliance to unite breeders and when necessary defend ourselves from over-regulation. This is an alliance to ensure science is the basis for our regulatory standards and not political agenda and bias.



This is an alliance of industry supporters. Deer and elk breeders alike. State and national associations. A team. An alliance. This is the American Cervid Alliance.

Travis, can you list who the members of the team are. This sounds like a great thing for all of us and I am willing to support it, but honestly I don't know you and need some assurance that my donation is going to be used wisely and not for your own benefit.

We need to support this. Strength is in numbers. Gary Olson



Here is a list of supporting associations that have signed on:



Alabama Deer Association

Colorado Elk Breeders Association

Wisconsin Commercial Deer & Elk Farmers Assoc.

Deer Breeders COOP

Exotic Wildlife Association

Florida Deer Association

Idaho Elk Breeders Association

Illinois Deer Breeders Association

Indiana Deer & Elk Farmers Association

Iowa Elk Breeders Association

Iowa Whitetail Deer Breeders Association

Kansas Cervid Breeders Association

Minnesota Deer Breeders Association

Minnesota Elk Breeders Association

Missouri Elk Farmers Association

Missouri Whitetail Breeders & Hunting Ranch Assoc.

New Jersey Deer Farmers Association

New York Deer & Elk Farmers Association

North American Deer Farmers Association

North American Elk Breeders Association

North Dakota Elk Growers Association

Northeast Deer & Elk Farmers Association

Pennsylvania Deer Breeders Association

Pennsylvania Elk Breeders Association

Texas Deer Association

United Deer Farmers of Michigan

West Virginia Deer Association

Whitetails of Louisiana

Whitetail Deer Farmers of Ohio

Whitetails of Oklahoma

Whitetail Deer Breeders of Oklahoma

Whitetails of Wisconsin

ER Whitetails,



Thank you for your response. The participating associations are listed on the alliance website at www.americancervidalliance.com.



This alliance is a leadership council, in which 33 different association leaders have a forum to review the current industry problems, seek educated advice and then execute a well coordinated plan to try to fix the issue.



Donations are being collected from a combination of individual donations, donations from associations and auction items donated to benefit the ACA.



It will be up for the alliance to decide how that money is spent. Is it not up for one person or one association to call the shots. We want input from ALL the different associations and we do not want people to be lost in the shuffle.



The ACA has a conference call regularly in which every association has a representative. Usually this representative is their association’s president or executive director or board member. That representative should be the liaison between the ACA and their respective association board to ensure communication is conveyed both ways.



For example, right now there are several industry “fires” we are watching. It is the ACA’s job to ensure all these member associations know what is transpiring, know what can be done, the logistics of our options, and so forth. But we have to have participation for the process to work. If one of these fires need action from the industry to fight a specific injustice, then the ACA will utilize its funds IF that is what the members want to do.



The ACA is being setup as a 501 organization. All participating members have a right to know what is happening with the money and status of the various initiatives. The good thing about this alliance is we have dozens of well seasoned industry people weighing in on the issues and options. We seek advice from experienced professional lobby /legislative officials, attorneys, and so forth. Then we can determine the best route.



This is an alliance of 33 different associations. We have never had deer AND elk leaders meet together regularly to review issues like we are now. I personally serve as the Kansas representative on this alliance. It is incumbent upon me to convey the Kansas Cervid Breeders Association’s support and opinions. It is a pleasure to converse with my counterparts in other states and work on issues together.



I look at this as an industry driven process. Doing what is right for the industry. We need everyone on here to make sure their association is committed to this. Some people might be skeptical but they would be singing a different tune if they had CWD found on their farm tomorrow morning. We all need to be industry driven. We need to be leaders, not cervid industry politicians.



I apologize for the verbose response. I was attempting to answer some other questions I’ve heard were being asked as well. Thank you again!



Travis Lowe

Travis,

Thanks for the reply I will be donating.

Previous to my question to you I forwarded your original post to some anti Internet deer farmers and was met with some scepticism and I was surprised to hear that none had heard about ACA and what they are working for. A great job is being done on here to communicate to the forum readers. I am sure that the same will be done at upcoming auctions. There are a lot of deer farmers and businesses that support the deer farming industry that don't read the forum or attend auctions.

Along with giving, everyone should help spread the word by forwarding Travis's message to everyone in their phonelist.