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Let's Be Honest What would you Change?

M

Memory Lane Farms

Joined Aug 2012
503 Posts | 0+
Waynesville, Ohio
Okay,

I have found that in what ever adventure I undertake I become more than obsessed. So this is one of the things I do, I go around and find the most successful and knowledgeable people and ask them to be honest with them selves and me. If you could go back before your first deer was in the pen or even change the design's of your first pens, But take all that wisdom that is acquired from trial an error WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE AND WHY? I'm wanting to gain as much as I can from you all. I thank you for taking the time to be honest. I will be honest this is a road I have never travelled but have a very deep passion to be a helpful patron in our industry. Again I thank you kindly for your time!!!
 
One thing I wish I would have done. Start with bred doe. Don't start with fawns! It is easier to learn how to raise them if they are adults and can take care of them selves mostly. And then when it comes time for them to fawn you have the option to leave on the mother if you dont want to bottle feed all of the fawns. Second part of that is you can multiply your herd quickly. Make sure you buy the best couple bred doe you can afford so that their doe fawns are marketable. Once you get into this you will quickly find out that low end doe fawns are not worth anything. So as to recoup your money from feeding that doe all year (if she has twin doe fawns) they better have a good pedigree or you are going to be loosing money on that doe for the year. Also be realistic in your goals. Are you going to try and chase the breeder market (do you have the money to) or are you just going to try and consitantly produce solid shooters. Even if you plan on just raising shooters dont buy low grade doe. For one its going to take you more years to get those buck to the score you want to sell them at ultamitly cutting into profit. Just a couple quick tips.
 
Jared,

thanks for your response these are all things I have taken into consideration but please let's be honest surely I'm not the only that's gonna make a mistake an look back an go.... You know I would do that different next time.... Any body else......
 
Buy only what YOU can afford to loose! Everyone says buy the best does and that's true. But don't think that that will always translate into a new windfall of cash. Set your sights on producing QAULITY offspring and DO NOT get caught up in chasing "HYPE" instead focus on proving your herds production! This will save ANYONE having to ask for "A DO OVER".

Fence,gates,post are all easier to move than unwanted deer!
 
I am new, I started with New Borns! Wow, overwhelming, but, I have learned much about babies. You have GOT to have a vet.. that likes or believes' in what you are doing. You will need some meds. that you have to get a Rx for. That has been my down fall. And the babies were very hard. Had no help, with feeding, illness, ect. And I would plan a field or pen for new arrivals and sick deer. Best of luck. It Has been a Ride! Get what you can afford to loose!
 
Very helpful information an definite things I'm planning or have already done. Ie the cwd an tb acred an as far as does over fawns we will have.... Well tba lol keep them coming anything that you all share is always a pleasure. On a side note an maybe I should start another thread but I see it time an time again about the importance of your doe herd. Well how exactly do you build the magic doe herd an how do you decide if the doe fawns are actually going to produce better than their proven mother? So tell me about building your doe herd....
 
Buy what YOU like to look at. I have some $10,000 does, and I have some $200 does....they all eat the same, and they can all die the same. But some of my $200 does are producing triple buck fawns with 130" first racks (18 months) that came from stock I really wanted but found someone getting out and bought them cheap. I also agree with starting with bred does, but at least get a yearling that you breed with the following year until you decide if you'll go the AI route. As I always say too....the bucks are always worth money, while the does are more like new phones or computers, what's hot this year isn't so hot the next...
 
By the racks that they produce. Hunters could care less about a pedigree. After alll, if it weren't for the bucks, the does wouldnt be worth squat. If your does are producing what you are happy with on the buck's first, or maybe even second years, rack then you have a good doe herd. My advise is this (take it for what its worth) find your niche. You will see that the big money in the industry is ran by few. Unless you have a money tree, then you cant compete with them on breeders and super does. They will dictate how much a certain doe or breeder buck is worth. Been to auction, seen what happens. If they got something that they want you to like, they bid against each other and jack the price up to make you think that it is the top thing at the time. People have this thing about prices; if it costs more then it must be better. In some cases that is true but not always. Back to my point about finding your niche; if you can buy half interest in a doe for $86,000 then go right ahead. Im sure that it will be jam-up. But if you cant, then work on a blood line that will produce does that produce what you want on a bucks head by at most two years old. I concur with the earlier post. Shooters are always worth something. This is what i have done and im sure that most others do it the same way: aim for breeder bucks. If you dump good semen in good does then its bound to happen. Everything else that falls short of the mark will hang on someones wall. And you will be able to get something for your does.
 
mulberry river whitetails said:
By the racks that they produce. Hunters could care less about a pedigree. After alll, if it weren't for the bucks, the does wouldnt be worth squat. If your does are producing what you are happy with on the buck's first, or maybe even second years, rack then you have a good doe herd. My advise is this (take it for what its worth) find your niche. You will see that the big money in the industry is ran by few. Unless you have a money tree, then you cant compete with them on breeders and super does. They will dictate how much a certain doe or breeder buck is worth. Been to auction, seen what happens. If they got something that they want you to like, they bid against each other and jack the price up to make you think that it is the top thing at the time. People have this thing about prices; if it costs more then it must be better. In some cases that is true but not always. Back to my point about finding your niche; if you can buy half interest in a doe for $86,000 then go right ahead. Im sure that it will be jam-up. But if you cant, then work on a blood line that will produce does that produce what you want on a bucks head by at most two years old. I concur with the earlier post. Shooters are always worth something. This is what i have done and im sure that most others do it the same way: aim for breeder bucks. If you dump good semen in good does then its bound to happen. Everything else that falls short of the mark will hang on someones wall. And you will be able to get something for your does.
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Beautifully Simplistic and spoken from true experience Thank You all for advice and patience for silly questions!!!!
 
All good advice! I've purchased $25,000/straw semen and $100 semen. I keep detailed pictured records of doe line production and look for common desireable traits. I've found putting on bone is easy in one generation, width a little harder and long 14"+ tines the hardest to produce. As hunting preserve owner, width is the hunter's dream. You'll have a thinner wallet by far after selling your 200" non typical 18" i.s. verses selling a 24" wide fairly clean 180-200".



One program I've enjoy providing is setting up a farmer with "free" well-bred does, provide semen each year during contract length and "payment" is a certain number of buck/does fawns back over a 3 or so year period. In the end, you've provided the care, feed and AI costs and built a herd that has not cost you $5000-$10,0000/doe in start-up costs.



Always welcome to calls...



dakota-whitetails.com

dakotaoutfittersllc.com
 
When a deal seems soooo good watch out. Biggest mistake I have made. Be very careful who you deal with. There are many many great people, and this is a wonderful industry but unfortunately money makes some crazy. Watch out for the ones that have everything figured out for you. Do your homework. Talk to everyone and make no decisions until you have thought it through alone with no one swaying your thoughts. You have a particular taste in deer so that means there are others in the world that have the same. Raise what you want to see everyday. Make it be YOUR farm not somebody else's. The most wonderful thing about deer is you will never figure everything out. Have fun with it, be careful.



Dan
 
jbfarms said:
When a deal seems soooo good watch out. Biggest mistake I have made. Be very careful who you deal with. There are many many great people, and this is a wonderful industry but unfortunately money makes some crazy. Watch out for the ones that have everything figured out for you. Do your homework. Talk to everyone and make no decisions until you have thought it through alone with no one swaying your thoughts. You have a particular taste in deer so that means there are others in the world that have the same. Raise what you want to see everyday. Make it be YOUR farm not somebody else's. The most wonderful thing about deer is you will never figure everything out. Have fun with it, be careful.



Dan
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I do encourage you to call around. I guess you think no one can be decent or honest in this industry.
 
Dakota said:
I do encourage you to call around. I guess you think no one can be descent or honest in this industry.
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Ouch lol Mr. Moses I will be calling you shortly an yes details are always needed to be discussed. An I appreciate the offer regardless if I accept thank you!
 
Mr. Moses that was not a direct response to you at all. You and I have spoke a few times and I think you are a great person. I am sorry that you may have though my comment was directed at you. My comment was about my experience when I bought my first group of deer. I had taken the advice of someone that "had my back" and " don't worry you will double your money in less than five years". I ended up killing them all. I have talked with many many people in this industry and no they are all not dishonest and most are decent. This post was about making the mistakes we wish we hadn't and my biggest mistake was think the first couple guys I talked to were the best. The second mistake I made was thinking I knew more and how hard could it be. I do not want others to make the same mistakes. Again I am sorry.



Dan
 
Dan,

Thank you for the advice an there is nothing wrong with taking a second look at any decisions you make! Anyone else feel free to keep your mishaps an mistakes coming lol.
 
Slow down boys! Nothin wrong with building your own herd it just takes a little longer! Before you know it your feed bill will be 800$ or better! Fun.?
 

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