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Reccomendations on drop chutes

J

Jessefisher

Joined Jan 2013
21 Posts | 0+
Honey Brook Pa
Hello,


I'm a new deer farmer, well I started with 2 bred doe a little over a year and now I have 16 deer with only 3 of them yearling buck so after vaccinating this spring with darting all the deer twice I decided I have got to get a drop chute of some kind! I would like to start with a good used chute if any available!!?? If no used chutes what would you recommend going with??
 
I have worked around several different kinds and would choose the Papa Deerhandler. I have owned one since 03. It is showing the some age. Several of the welds have broken loose. The back press should have been better reinforced at its base. I have never seen big northern deer ran through the Priefert deer squeeze handler. I don't think it's long enough to handle big 300 lb.northern bucks. If you can find a used Papa Deerhandler that would be my recommendation. It will quickly pay for itself.

Good luck
 
I had a friend build a wooden chute for me. It's the best I've ever seen,love it.
 
We have a Graber chute.  Would not recommend for adult bucks but great for does.  As I always say keep it simple stupid.  Not many parts that can go wrong and it is around 2K.  We hardly run bucks thru if ever.  When we cut antlers in fall we knock out with bam , worm and vaccinate and apply tags if necessary, to me it is less stress on them.  We do not want to take the chance of the bucks hurting each other.  Now Bell will run anything thru his and gets along great.  It's a matter of personal preference, how much help you have and how tame your deer are. 
 
I had one of Wayne Pederson's drop chutes and am having another one built,  bought another chute and was nearly impossible to run antlered bucks through. The original chute worked well on 350 lb antlered bucks as well as 50 lb fawns, tb testing, foot trimming, etc,  didn't AI with it but the second squeeze chute works for that,  think you can still buy blueprints for $60 and make it yourself.  My 2 cents worth
 
We do try to run everything through our Papa Deerhandler but notice I said we TRY. I have had several bucks racks that were to wide to fit into the top of the handler. I have also had about a dozen bucks whose legs were so long they could still reach the floor even after it was dropped and that is what destroyed our back press. Allstar was the main culprit. All four of his feet would reach the floor after it was dropped. I have only had one doe ever with legs long enough to do this my white #9. Sometimes my fawns will also go under the squeeze. I do have my trusty old dart gun and with 130 deer I use less than 2packs of darts per year. Thanks to the Papa.
 
Get a chute don't screw around. Darting deer is a pain in the butt, they bounce off the fence, they don't get close, they get stressed out, and they can die! Too many deer farmers in this industry should not have deer because they do not have a chute and they rely on a dart gun.... We have a papa chute it works great for us! If you can't afford a chute get plans to build one if you can't do that maybe you should not raise deer...
 
Thanks for the replies,


Bell I heard the most good about the deerhandler but the price is making me a little hesitant at this time, I'm quarentined and lost my seemingly healthy breeder 2 month after I got him this winter, I'm thinking it can only get better here out!!:)

Weber u have Petersons contact?


Thanks Jesse
 
18px calibriWe have the Papa and it works great for us. We run almost everything through it, when running antlered bucks through we separate them immediately. I have no problem with running antlered bucks through as long as we have plenty of help, usually at least one on the head and maybe 3 at the chute. I like plenty of help in case something goes bad then you can man handle most any situation (really haven't had many of these).


 


 


18px calibriBell, for the fawns going under the Squeeze, we screw a piece of wood or whatever at the bottom where they enter the chute, this makes them jump into the squeeze and blocks the hole so they can't go under.


 


 


18px calibriLove the Papa on our farm, can't say we've been issue free but a few welds and some bracing plus a couple calls to Len and we have it better than new...


 


 


18px calibriWe've had ours since 2005 and we've done 4 whole herd TB testing through it...
 
They also bounce off the fence, get stressed, and die using a chute also. I've only darted since 2005. We are just putting in a chute this year for limited use. The chute and dart gun are both important tools for a farm but if I could only have one it would be my dart gun.
 
The chute has meant a huge cost savings for us with the size of our herd. If we only had 20 deer or less I too, would recommend just the dart gun.

Jesse,

If your not in a rush. Keep an eye out. You may find a great price on a used handler. I had a friend in southeastern MI who had a new Papa in his barn he never used and we bought out the last of his deer last winter. I don't know if it is sold yet or what he was asking for it. His name is Tom. His farm was Trademark Whitetails. I don't have his ph# with me.
 
So according to ryan, all of u deer farmers without chutes, sell your deer...guess ill be selling too


I have used both dart gun and chutes systems.. ran deer around for hours one night trying to get them into the chute system. Can u say stressed out? Not my pen or deer. (I would have called quits and got my DARTGUN) Then the next morning run the deer in the chute, drop the floor only to have almost every deer franticly run in place for 25 seconds while giving shots and inserting cidrs. Then release the deer from the chute only to have it fall on its face because their feet where still running in place...


I DO NOT have a chute. I RELY ON A GUN!! DO IT RIGHT know your animals.. A buddy has raised deer for over 10 years without a chute of any kind. Darted all his deer. Not many deer died if any that I am aware of.


I agree with jason e. Both are important tools..
 
redgolds918571399819715



So according to ryan, all of u deer farmers without chutes, sell your deer...guess ill be selling too


I have used both dart gun and chutes systems.. ran deer around for hours one night trying to get them into the chute system. Can u say stressed out? Not my pen or deer. (I would have called quits and got my DARTGUN) Then the next morning run the deer in the chute, drop the floor only to have almost every deer franticly run in place for 25 seconds while giving shots and inserting cidrs. Then release the deer from the chute only to have it fall on its face because their feet where still running in place...


I DO NOT have a chute. I RELY ON A GUN!! DO IT RIGHT know your animals.. A buddy has raised deer for over 10 years without a chute of any kind. Darted all his deer. Not many deer died if any that I am aware of.


I agree with jason e. Both are important tools..




Guess we better sell ours also. I have never used a chute. I will have one this year to try and save on so many dartings of the breeding age does. I myself cant stand the racket and banging that goes on when deer are in a chute but with both tools at hand any farm can make it work!
 
Jessefisher917351399393190

Thanks for the replies,

Bell I heard the most good about the deerhandler but the price is making me a little hesitant at this time, I'm quarentined and lost my seemingly healthy breeder 2 month after I got him this winter, I'm thinking it can only get better here out!!:)

Weber u have Petersons contact?

Thanks Jesse
Whitetaildeerfarmer.com if you need any thing else or can't get hold of him let me know I can swing by his place I know his health has been down lately
 
Did I say sell your deer? Hmm nope... Sorry that spoke how I feel... I'm sorry that I'm a young next generation deer farmer 30 year old punk who gets under the skin of old men... I'm sorry :)
 
And u should also be sorry to shoot your mouth off LIKE a 30 year old punk... And I'm sorry I am a 33 year old, old man...
 

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