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Selling Deer

Joined Jun 2012
3 Posts | 0+
Jersey Shore, PA
We are new to the deer farming business and we dont know how to begin selling deer. Any tips or information about how to sell deer would be appreciated. The herd is TB/Bruc. accredited and CWD 9/2002. Thank you for any help.
 

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You need to make contacts.....and just as in any business you need to advertise...advertise ...advertise........people can't buy something that they don't know exists.......so it's all about getting your deer out to the consumers...........good luck!!
 
You may use this websites classified section (vendor/sellers barn), many people look here. Whitetail Exchange is also an option, but you really need good pedigree's to grab bidders attention on there, a lot of bidders there are looking for good breeding stock, not saying your deer are not good, but if they don't have known pedigree's it will be tough to bring in a lot of bids.

In my opinion, the absolute best way to go about selling is to find a hunting preserve (or several) that shoots a lot of deer and that is paying decent prices for your bucks, and sell there yearly. If you are growing bucks like the one in your picture, and bigger, you will be able to sell to a preserve easily, it's just a matter of finding one that will pay you decent money. Get prices from several preserves before you sell, you can find a list of hunting preserves on PADFA.com
 
We are just trying to sell to whoever we can. We are just trying to keep a small herd as a hobby, but our herd is getting to big and we need to get rid of some. We have talked to some hunting preserves but we dont really know how much to sell the deer for. We were told that our deer were worth a lot more then we have been offered, and we are wondering if the figure we were told was even practical. What would some average prices for deer going to a hunting preserve be?
 
A lot of guys will tell you your deer are worth 3 times as much as they are, but you wont see them writing you a check for them.
 
If a preserve is buying your bucks to hunt them look at their website to see how much they charge for bucks scoring what your bucks score. Then sell your bucks for 50% of what the preserve charges for hunts in that size category. You might have to understand some deer aren't worth 50% though if there is something about them that are not desirable. Such as very narrow, 5x4 mainframe (A 4x4 could be worth more than a 5x4 but 5x4's are less valuable) Never tell a preserve what the pedigree is of the bucks your selling unless they want to pay extra for a buck to use as a breeder. Shooters are shooters and pedigree doesn't matter in this case. Breeding does on the other hand pedigree matters and you should try to keep great records. Prices depend on pedigrees and on previous production from that doe or doe line. Prices on does can vary GREATLY from $500 per doe to $50,000. It's all about the market place at that very moment. Pricing your does as you can see is much harder to do in any set scale. You have to advertise, you have to attend state and national deer shows. You have to meet folks and chat about what you have to offer. No one will walk up to your door and knock and offer you money for your deer otherwise.
 
Roger, for preserve does.. How can we make any money at 500 if we shoot them for 200. If they are bred its one thing but not open.
 
Matt, my opinions on pricing did not include "preserve does" as I am not a believer of selling preserve does nor putting does in a preserve on a regular basis as a normal practice. Many preserves simply don't have the acerage to avoid ruining the undergrowth from having too many head.
 
Some of us have to sell our unwanted doe's to the preserves as we simply don't have breeding stock nor do we attend sales , or conventions . I love to raise deer it's really fun for me but I hate going to sales and meetings , it's not for me. I do however love to hunt and fish , and would rather be in a boat or deer stand than some hotel attending some inside type convention . Even though I AI all my doe's I just don't have an interest in the breeder markets knowing as Roger says you need to attend all that inside out of town stuff , meetings , sales and conventions. I like to breed my doe's to high scoring bucks that have that basket type rack but need to keep my semen costs lower than the breeder guys simply because I'm only in the shooter markets .So selling does to a preserve isn't always avoidable , for me it's my only market for them .
 
Also if anyone has any """preserve does""" let me know. We bought 30 last year and are looking to buy more then that this year. Thanks
 
I completely understand that sometimes in order to keep breeder pens from becoming plump full of deer and then trying to feed all those critters with feed prices at an all time high everyone has to do what it takes to move them out. I want to explain why I hold the opinion I have so folks understand my thinking.

Not always but often times I hear of preserve does being sold bred. I just feel that this gives the preserves some very cheap potential buck fawns. And then 3 years or 4 years down the road that preserve needs less bucks to buy. That then comes back to haunt the breeder because he/she has bucks to sell and less demand is there for the stockers.

I do feel that an agreement between breeders and preserves to help move out the extra or cull does is a good idea. But I would hope that agreement provides the seller/breeder with an edge when trying to sell their stockers then also.

Something like the following as an example..... ( I will sell you 5 cull does open for this years hunt season, and in return you assure me you will purchase my coming 3 year old bucks at blah blah amount per inch. Here is what they looked like and scored this past season. )
 
I see your point Roger but we have to do something with them ..lol I used to sell them for meat to lots of people for the $35.00 that was the cost of the CWD tests , but we all know those tests are now $120.00 so that put the end to the people willing to buy them for the meat . I don't even use one for meat myself being I can go out and shoot a wild one during deer season with the boys for $30.00 ! So I sell them to a preserve and not only get something for them but it saves me the cost of the CWD tests. The bad thing for me is parting with doe's from fairly popular bucks we AIed to get , but I just can't keep them all as I'm sure lots of others can't either . Got a better plan ? I'm listening !
 
Wooden Acres..........I know ALOT of folks are listening for that same answer? It's another one of those 3000# Elephants in the room NOBODY wants to talk about !:(