Curiosity about buying plans post EHD

IndependenceRanch · Nov 8, 2012

A post in another discussion has my mind wondering what folks would say to the following questions.

Assuming YOUR FARM incurred losses this year associated with EHD, will YOU be buying deer to replenish YOUR HERD?

As a follow up question. If you are looking to replenish your herd in some way will it be with,

1. bred does?

2. doe fawns?

3. buck fawns?

4. adult bucks for use as breeders?

In an effort to keep the topic on track I prefer this topic be discussed by only those who incurred large losses in their own herds. For instance I lost 2 animals at a breeding farm out of state so I will not participate in the discussion.

Thanks in advance.

BMAYES · Nov 8, 2012

I lost about 40% of my herd with the majority of that being does plus my breeder buck. I plan on trying to buy some bred does, BUT I feel like I have been forced to change the direction of my program. Last winter I was trying really hard to chase the breeder market. I can't make that my priority now. EHD dosn't discriminate. It kills them all regardless of pedigree and cost. I lost 4 of the 5 best does I had. I am back to where I started, just trying to grow good looking, marketable bucks. I still have some Cardiac Kid and other higher end bucks and hope that I can use those genetics to start rebuilding. As for now I need some bred does with proven production genetics not the genetics needed for the auctions. Cheap price is number one.

Bill Mayes

IndependenceRanch · Nov 8, 2012

Bill you are the farmers I am interested in hearing from (large losses such as your 40%) thank you for your input. Informative post.

ddwhitetails · Nov 8, 2012

I don't know know but it seems like you are participating in the discussion....Roger.....I too lost a couple animals too EHD this year but didn't want to participate cause I didn't think I qualified........just sayin

BMAYES · Nov 8, 2012

I feel fortunate to have only lost 40% of my herd. I know of several well established operations that were just hammered beyond belief. Some may never recover. Other may thrive again but I think it will take them a few years. There has been a ton of bucks lost in this area. I don't see how shooters won't be in short supply over the next 2 or 3 years around here.

Midwest Deer Sales · Nov 9, 2012

Roger

I lost 77 head out of 104. Lost 11 shooter bucks that were already sold. Lost 34 does, and 32 2012 fawns. That makes a total of 83% of my bucks, 63% of my does, and 81% of my fawns.

With this said, I feel that if you have deer farming in your blood which I do, I will find a way to still buy deer. It just makes you wonder what next summer holds in our future.

I have a lot of thoughts but not enough time to discuss them all right now.

One thing is for sure, shooters will be in short supply over the next few years!

Eric Pinkston

Four Seasons Whitetails · Nov 9, 2012

Midwest Deer Sales said:
Roger

I lost 77 head out of 104. Lost 11 shooter bucks that were already sold. Lost 34 does, and 32 2012 fawns. That makes a total of 83% of my bucks, 63% of my does, and 81% of my fawns.

With this said, I feel that if you have deer farming in your blood which I do, I will find a way to still buy deer. It just makes you wonder what next summer holds in our future.

I have a lot of thoughts but not enough time to discuss them all right now.

One thing is for sure, shooters will be in short supply over the next few years!

Eric Pinkston

Holy Crap Eric! You are a strong man thats for sure. If i lost that many i believe i would make due with what i had and call it a day. Sorry bout your losses and i would hate to even ask what some of the bloodlines were. Wish ya the best whatever way you go!

Wild Rivers Whitetails · Nov 9, 2012

If you lose everything you were going to sell, how do you have money to buy more deer? I guess more of you folks will have to move to northern WI where we don't have EHD, at least yet.

ddwhitetails · Nov 9, 2012

Yeah wild rivers be careful...don't jinx yourself.....

Midwest Deer Sales · Nov 9, 2012

Jane

That's a good question? Well I had to start somewhere, when I didn't have any deer in the first place. At least I have a few left over to start with for seed now. I will pick up a few here and there. It will be hard but I love the deer.

Scrapelineranch · Nov 9, 2012

Rog, I wouldn't expect too many replies from Texas but that would more than fill out your inquiry. Not just this year, but regularly. I know from the past that thousands would be lost annually in the wild; they were/are? considered natural deaths. Again, don't expect any candidness from the Lone Star State. I would have to look at my records over the last 12 years to be exact but I'm guessing 80+ losses (I once had an all Northern herd). I have had an all Texas herd for the last 3 years w/o a loss. I'm not promoting this, just being statistical. p.s. most years when I lost pen deer I would also have losses in my hunting area with native deer.

crocket · Nov 9, 2012

Wild Rivers Whitetails said:
If you lose everything you were going to sell, how do you have money to buy more deer? I guess more of you folks will have to move to northern WI where we don't have EHD, at least yet.

theise/those f-ing bugs you can run but cant hide, sandy,snow,migets whats next for us in nj ?????

Hy-5 · Nov 9, 2012

I lost 75 out of 111 and won't be replacing them at this time....until the state of Missouri figures out how they will continue handling cwd....until we have adequate supplies of EHD vaccines that are proven to help reduce losses....until the hunting ranches decide that they better pay more for deer today because tomorrow when farmers sell out there may not be any.....that's when I will start buying deer again.

Jbseltmann · Nov 9, 2012

This is my first year in the deer business, I lost 30 does of 43 to ehd and 63 out of 75 fawns... I had planned on doing ai for all does this year had semen bought but now just bought a breeder buck that fits well over my does and holding off on buying does or ai to see if anything lives through next summer and hopefully if any money shows up I'd like to buy bred does.

ohdeer · Nov 10, 2012

Well Roger, we incurred huge losses in our herd...but not from EHD. Wiped out due to gov't policy on CWD instead. There is no recovery from that. But on the topic of EHD, We just completed 3 articles on EHD surviving farms and their strategies to continue following the aftermath of EHD. You'll find the stories of Marsh Valley Whitetails, Kentucky Whitetails and Blosser Whitetails in this Winter issue of Deer Tracking (in the mail this week). Maybe you can include those 3 in your research after you read their stories.

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Curiosity about buying plans post EHD

IndependenceRanch

BMAYES

IndependenceRanch

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BMAYES

Midwest Deer Sales

Four Seasons Whitetails

Wild Rivers Whitetails

ddwhitetails

Midwest Deer Sales

Scrapelineranch

crocket

Hy-5

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