Deer as an Investment

Hello all, I have been thinking that there may be some money to be made in deer breeding. I have much experience with breeding horses, sheep, and cattle. In those industries line breeding can make some of the best stock, is this so with deer? My personal oppinion is that the female is just as important as the male, and when you can A.I. I think its about 90% to the female, because you dont need the buck just the semen, and let someone else raise that incredible buck. In a perfect world would this work? buy a doe and have a ranch/breeding facility feed and care for her and the fawn for a cost? You can with horses and cattle. I have land but do not want to spend the money on the fence. Or the time to take care of it.



I assume you can flush a doe for eggs and transfer them to other recip does just like I do with horses and cattle. I dont know how easy it is to raise a big buck but who knows I may want to give it a try. If you bought say a proven doe or a doe out of proven stock for 20k and then flush her (say you get 3 eggs transfered) and bred to some of the besk buck(s) whatever their names are. Spend about 5k a straw on semen (if that will buy good semen), and be out chute fee and other expenses. If you got 2 bucks what are the odds they would be good bucks and how good?



I know im dreaming about a perfect world and I dont know what some of this stuff costs/worth, also not planning on them kicking the bucket, but could you make the package deal work for 50K?



Im looking at it as an investment and not a hobby and maybe thats wrong way to look at it, I have no clue about the deer market. But I understand breeding and traits and feel you have to start with the best you can stand to afford. Maybe I would be better to put it in the stock market!

First thing is to hook up with a reputable farmer close to you and ask lots of questions, It is very expensive and Im learning takes years to really get good, Where you from? Im sure there is somebody close to you that will help. 50k is alot more then most of us started out with , but remember there are no guarantees, really educate yourself before making any moves, just a dumb dutchmans opinion, good luck Neeby

Jakeb, I should warn you that this industries of whitetail breeding is not quite ready for your way of thinking. Most of them have problems with selling semen for any ET work

and will and have put out contracts so you can't. I here now that contracts are coming on doe's so you can't use them in ET programs.

Thanks for the info, as I said I dont know much about deer, but I know about breeding and risks with livestock, not as much wildlife. I just assumed ET was a common practice, but now I see that may be hard to do.



I live on OK/TX line.



Does anyone have reports of what a 15-25k doe is capeable of producing if bred to a tip top buck.?

There are many variables so not very cut and dried. You could have someone raise your animal/investment then two years down the road (or maybe two days) dead deer. No answers, no explanations, and no return on investment. Now how do you feel?



If someone has secure enough fence and farm to do what you are proposing most likely they are doing it already with their own high dollar does.

you have a good idea just a little ahead of your self rusty is right. 15-25 thousand dollar with the right semen you bet you would hit a homerun every time------------ but what if you high dollar doe does'nt stix to your $19,000 staw of semen and you did'nt use a marketable back up buck ? then what just aswell burnt that money. say she does stix but dies during labor,gets an infection dies few days after and you have to bottle raise you'r highdollar fawns say she has fawns buck and doe.doe dies @ 12 weeks old you still have the buck great pedigree but never grows much of a rack have to sell him as a shooter say they pay you 3,500 not much return there! don't mean to be a nay sayer but there are alot of variables to deal with it's not a cut and dried senario it's LIFE in the DEER BUSINESS AND SOME TIMES IT SUCKS!!!!!!!! if all you'r in it for is to make money you may be dissapointed. so don't spend more than you are comfortable to loose like the guy's said get with deer farmers in your area learn a little more about what could happen to your money and if you are ok with those RISK GO FOR IT!!!!!!!

Sanctuary couldn't have described it any better than you did. You sumed up the whole thing in one paragraph.

Ok thanks for the answers. I fully understand the risk, I raise show cattle and a calf born in 100+F heat with 6 inches of hair often never gain enough strength to stand up and thats 2-5k down the drain. I have had cutting horses that have 3 years of time and training invested in them (30+K) that come up lame and cant be shown or sold.



Thanks for answers though.

jakeb, is your farm in OK or Tx

Texas is closed on the borders, I think .

no deer going in or out