Want to start deer farm

I live in North Dakota and was thinking about starting a little hobby deer farm. I don't know anything about raising them. I was wondering where I could get just some cheaper ones just to start out then maybe stick more money into it? Also how much feance would I need to have maybe 4 does and 1 buck? Do I need more then 1 pen for like breeding? Do I keep the buck away when the fawns are born? Anyone know any of the laws in North Dakota? Thank you for any help.





Corey

Corey,

your in the right place. Browse the forums here. Answers to your questions are in the forums here somewhere. You will also read things that will answer questions down the road...feed,marketing your deer, pest control and a Alot of other things. Have a pen and paper handy while browsing for jotting down notes as you read. Take your time and visit deer farms and make friends. Good luck


I browse the forums Alot and read things that I haven't read before.

Cory : Your statement to get cheaper ones will lead you down the wrong track. I have never seen where cheaper was better.It cost the same to feed a normal deer as it does to feed a deer with great genetics.It will pay off when you start to sell your fawns. You can build a suitable pen for your 5 deer with 2 330 foot rolls and local peeled cedar post for a reasonable price. Check with the DNR & Dep;t of Ag. for requirements needed in your state and visit deer farms when ever you can.

Thank you guys for getting back with me. I just wanted a cheaper deer or 2 to start with for a year or two. So I could get the hang of it. I know cheap is not the way to go I raise cattle and buy good bloodlines. But I just know nothing about raising deer.



Thanks, Corey

Corey998251417231752



Thank you guys for getting back with me. I just wanted a cheaper deer or 2 to start with for a year or two. So I could get the hang of it. I know cheap is not the way to go I raise cattle and buy good bloodlines. But I just know nothing about raising deer.



Thanks, Corey




If you are raising cattle and doing fine then you will do fine with whitetails. Thay all need the same really. Food,Water and shelter. Your biggest task will be trying to sell females. Thats where blood comes in and then it can still be tough. You can sell the boys about anywhere. You are right to start small and learn but start small with the best blood you can afford to buy...AND LOSE!  Good Luck!

I think starting out in the past few years is a little different than it used to be. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get "good does". In the past, cheap used to mean lesser quality genetics, According to recent auction prices, the difference between the lesser quality genetics and "good does" isn't much money. Do lots of research on the genetics. It appears there are lots of "good does", cheap.


 


Find some farmers that are close to you and have been in business a while, and have some farm visits. These will be some of your most valuable resources.

Ok sounds good you all been a big help!



Thanks, Corey

Anyone know any farms that are in or around North Dakota.

Hello Cory, anything we can offer on health or nutrition questions please feel free to ask and will be happy to help you.

Buy Does that are out of PROVEN..................Sires and Dams!............."cheaper" is NOT what it used to be! PERIOD!!!!


 


I bought a fawn for $ 11,000 had her 4 yrs and only got a son last year!


 


Sold her BRED to a 300" Buck 6x7 with 30" Beams that has SEVERAL............160" + Sons on the ground and 2 yr old sons 200" - 300"+ ..........


 


 


..................For $500


 


Do some "Homework".........................I'll have some fawns out of last years latest and greatest that will go to the burger pile as will MANY others.................Just ask around!   


 


SAD............But TRUE! -_-

You can always count on Wayne to sugar coat things. LOL. It is great advice.

Show Me Racks998371417313644



You can always count on Wayne to sugar coat things. LOL. It is great advice.




Yep Brad if folks didn't know better they would probably think I was Willy Wonka ???  LMAO

Good luck with your deer farm.  Proceed with caution, I heard the guy that bought Wayne's doe for $500 is going broke in the deer business!

I hate to be Debbie downer but I really do not see how anyone would want to start in this business right now.  All the issues with CWD, tracebacks and quarantines makes one very nervous.  One  purchase and the ending could not be good.  If I knew now four years ago what I know now, I likely would not be in the business.  Its like living on pins and needles.


So my suggestion would be at this stage to start very small and stay small until all the CWD issues sort themselves out.  The latest Ohio cwd issue has been eerily quiet and I have a feeling that that is not good.  Hope I'm wrong. 


 


 


You can get you some very solid does right now for next to nothing and either upgrade with reasonable semen or get a GOOD breeder.  Wish you the best of luck.  Lets face it we are all in the shooter market one way or another.  If you want to be in the breeder market you will have to spend a ton of money on animals and advertising.

Thanks for all the info. You guys are really a big help on here! Very good info on the fourm!

BMAYES998431417363711



Good luck with your deer farm.  Proceed with caution, I heard the guy that bought Wayne's doe for $500 is going broke in the deer business!




 


Bill, If "HE" does go broke?.  ......... :wacko: ................He's Certainly in the "Right" Business!   :lol:   LOL

After starting out I would say be extremely careful on what you buy as proven does.  If you can't afford to compete with millionaires at auctions then why buy $10,000 deer?  If it is just a hobby I wouldn't spend over $1000 on an open doe.  For one simple reason, regardless how much help you get from everyone and how much research you do you will not know everything and chances are if you loose a deer it will be your best.  I'd be shocked if anyone didn't loose deer their first 2 years. If it is just a hobby just buy 1-2 decent does to start or even a couple fawns to try to raise.  I studied every pedigree in every auction and read every post on this forum for a few years before I bought a single deer.  I decided on 2 lines I wanted. (The bad part was I started with the higher priced line first because I was trying to get my deer in Florida before big money got the boarders closed, I failed so thankfully I had family willing to move to Oklahoma to help. I work away from home about 300 days a year so my animals are more my family's than they are my own.) Although I'm focused on 2 lines half of my deer are well breed deer that were reasonably priced.  If you aren't committed to a specific line then you can buy good deer at fair prices. If you are you pay what you have to.  You might get lucky, I bought a $600 doe who I thought was nothing special but well breed for heavy framed typicals. Her womb brother ended up a clean typical 27" inside and 270+  at 2. Then I got unlucky as she fought EHD for 3 months before I lost her, but thankfully I bought her 3/4 sister that for $600 too.  If I were to do it over again I would probably try to buy does 4-5 years old. A lot of people that breed aggressively don't keep many does that long so they sell them at a fair price because most people want a young doe that has been breed with what is hot now.  The other thing is my 2year old does constantly fight while my older does just mosey around looking for treats.  I hope you understand I'm not saying buy cheap or be overly concerned about proven does, I'm saying study and buy smart. I believe EHD reaches North Dakota as well and that is not a fun experience.  The other thing is make sure you have help, doing this on your own is impossible if you are not retired.  Also buy a breeder, before worrying about AI it's almost guaranteed breeding, and if it's a breeder that is for sell as a shooter then it's not going to cost much more than AI plus you can possibly sell it as a shooter in December.