I'm fairly new to the business,but I know enough not to move deer in the heat but what about the cold? Here in southeast Indiana it's hovering around zero now, and I have a doe on the farm here for breeding and want to move her back to her original farm. When would it be safe to move her back?
moving in the cold
- Thread starter Leatherwood
- Start date
I would wait until this cold snap breaks. I would think that the cold air and slowed heart rate of a drugged deer would be fatal due to the cold. Not real sure on my theory, just putting it there. Someone with more knowledge will respond
Joined Jul 2009
1,215 Posts | 0+
Deer Park, Alabama
Joined Apr 2009
1,562 Posts | 0+
cental Pennsylvania
Sedation drugs effect the deer's ability to regulate its body temperature. I prefer to dart when it's at least above 20 degrees. However if you do dart in severe cold, buy one of those emergency blankets at Walmart in the camping section. They are a very light silver blanket, they only cost maybe 2$, I have 6 of them from when I tb tested when it was 12 degrees one year. Lay the deer ( with its legs tucked in) on the blanket, the blanket will not allow the ground to pull the heat out of the deer, it instead will circulate under the deer. Also, because of the slow metabolism on cold days, they may take a while to get on there feet, so I recommend putting some bales of hay around the doe, for a wind break, while she is coming to.
Joined Apr 2009
2,617 Posts | 0+
Edgar, WI
Darting deer to move when it is zero? No way not me or my deer.
Live loading via a chute if NO chasing her is involved? Sure that I would do if NO chasing is done. Just my opinion.
Live loading via a chute if NO chasing her is involved? Sure that I would do if NO chasing is done. Just my opinion.
When me and one of my buddies moved some deer back in the day when we first started playing with deer farming it was 12 degrees. I think we moved about 15 that day. After we got them all on the trailer we had 4 dead. And the story goes on and it gets worse. We had about 110 miles to drive home we stopped and got gas about half way back looked it the trailer and every thing looked good so on we go. About 30 minutes later we arrived at the farm I told my buddy to open the door and stand back he did and we had 5 more dead all I had left was 6 out of 15 . That is my experience from moving deer in real cool weather.
The farm is only 15 minutes at the most from mine and i thought about heat in the box. She is tame and there is no chasing, she will be reversed ASAP wondering if I should give her a anti-botic while done in the cold also. I'm just trying to see the best way I will wait I believe. I would hate to lose someone else's deer because of my screw up