Deer handler?

Just curious how many farms are operating without a handler. We are in our third year and haven't used a handler to date. We have tested and handled many deer without any issues thus far.

I have been around a few farms that used a handler and found the deer to be very wild and stressed.

Any thoughts would greatly appreciated.

We have never had a chute. We have had deer for over 10 years and dart everything. I don't have anything against a chute


It is just that our pens are not together, where one chute would catch them all. I guess that is our fault, when we started we never gave a thought about a chute.


We able to dart with just using compounded rompum.

5 years without and agree they get very stressed going through the chute.  However, if you AI, you need to dart to place CIDRS, to pull them, and then to perform the actual AI.  It's times like those I wish I had one.

We also dart to AI. We run around 85% conception rate. 2 years ago we got 100%

Thanks for the input. We have stressed over this since the beginning. The more we handle the deer the better we feel about not having a chute. I'm not crazy about darting so many times to AI but still feel that's a better option than the chute. Out of 18 breeding does I could use a jab stick on half of them and the others are thirty footers at the most. We will be building a handling facility this spring and plan to leave room for a chute if the situation every warrants, however hearing from just a few others that it has worked for you puts us more at ease.

Jada1060441453125890



Thanks for the input. We have stressed over this since the beginning. The more we handle the deer the better we feel about not having a chute. I'm not crazy about darting so many times to AI but still feel that's a better option than the chute. Out of 18 breeding does I could use a jab stick on half of them and the others are thirty footers at the most. We will be building a handling facility this spring and plan to leave room for a chute if the situation every warrants, however hearing from just a few others that it has worked for you puts us more at ease.




Yup same here. State made us build one but have darted for 5-6 years now. Running like 90% on Ai. Problem is that your does will get to know that noise and that thing in your hand and they will be on the other side of the pen. A chute will almost be a must after a few years darting them.

Some of our older girls already know what the gun is. We have long narrow pens so that I can access them with more ease and less stress. We also keep our numbers down so as not to effect as many deer in each pen. I do plan on ordering a pistol for next fall to help keep it concealed longer.

We have a papa chute and for running does and fawns you cant beat it for time and cost of darting!  I wouldnt be farming with out it  Vaccinating, tagging, A I ing a chute is the way to go!  But what do I know I raise deer!  HA HA 


 


Good luck with whatever way you go!  JIM

I had darted for twenty five years but it just got to be too much for A.I in my opinion.  I build a handling facility with cubes and a drop chute.  Everything has worked so easy with that in place I don't know how I worked with deer without it for all those years.  I wouldn't go back to darting for A.I. for nothing.  I do still give antibiotics or sedate for emergencies.