What would you pay for him???

I was wondering what are deer farmers getting for a 160+ 12 point buck. Please give import on what you would either pay for this guy or sale him for.

I'll jump in here with both feet-need a place to vent, actually. I have this same deer, basically, and I got offered $3,000 (shooter price) for him today and he comes with a package of 4 shooters.



Does anyone else feel they are running a nonprofit deer farm? I guess I should be thankful I actually had an offer.

$3000 in Oklahoma----SOLD, and be happy.

I was just wondering what other deer farms were getting for their shooters. This buck is the first one I have to sell. My husband and I don't have a big deer farm --we are just looking to sell a few shooters each year. But I would like to make some money on them. I am new at all of this and don't know what shooters are going for here in PA. I didn't want to start anything --just trying to get some input on what other farmers are getting or being offered. The offer that was made my husband said we will keep the buck for another year. This buck went from scoring 120 last year to 160+ this year. So if we don't get what we want --I guess we will keep him another year. --Thanks for everyones input.

3000-4000 is about the going price for a non-pedigreed 160 class buck these days.

I would say 2500-3500 would be a good offer depending on what he finishes at. That would be all I would pay.

Well Scott & Liveoak to bad I don't live in LA or TX.



Scott the buck that I have showing in out of a 200 class pedigree. His sire scored 200 at 5 yrs. old. I know that there are deer out that score that before 5. Not sure if anyone of mine will. But in the process of breeding and purchasing I stayed with in that class pedigrees. I will just have to wait and see what I get. I am just want to make sure I get a fair price for the buck when I go to sell.

I may have overreacted on the price I got (Reed68) so probably the bigger issue is the overabundance of deer for sale these days, the recession causing the demand to plumet, and "those guys" who are able to raise and shoot their own deer on the same farm. Add all of this to a newer farmer trying to get his foot in the door and you've got a recipe for financial disaster.

Watch the Ohio sale online or go, and you will get a feel of were the market stands. I usually wait until that sale to price my shooters.

As a breeder and a buyer I'll give my two cents worth here on this subject because its really coming to it this year. Barrs, it wouldnt matter to me if that buck is maxbo bred to a bucky daughter, I see an upper 150/lower 160 buck, doesnt matter if he's 24 inches wide or 15 he still pays the same amount of bills for me. If he's 3 he's worth top dollar for his size, 4 a little less, 5 even less at this time of the year. My personal preference is that a buck thats released in august or september needs to be shot that fall, a buck thats released in late winter can get to 4 or 5 before he's a shooter. I prefer the bucks I release late summer to be 3's at the oldest 4 but I have had to release 5's and older at the end of summer before and usually one of two things happens, they die without ever a hunter having an opportunity at them or they disappear and a hunter never has a chance at them, 90% of the time I'm out the money I paid for said deer.

A 3 on the other hand easily adapts(within reason) and "participates" in the fall activities thus enhancing my hunters chances of harvesting them.



Which brings me to my next point, I as a buyer cant help it if you spent $5000 on a straw of semen, fed him top of the line feed, built the best pens and handling facility on earth and got a 160" buck out of it. That deer is still only worth x amount of dollars to me. To me the best way to purchase bucks is on a scale, the same theyre shot on, by the inches of horn on their head individually. Agree on a price scale and when you knock the deer down to move measure him and thats your price. If you have a group of animals and can agree on a price then thats good but to me that only works well for groups of 10 or more bucks. Even then I would photo each one from different angles and have an idea within an inch or two what each buck will score before I agree to a price.



Barrs, to me, if you can produce bucks like that each year you can sell them and make money in the long run if you dont over extend yourself on genetics. Not saying your genetics are bad but theyre stocker genetics and you're stuck with that markets prices. The best thing you can do is find ads, brochures, websites for outfitters near you that have preserves, look at their prices and figure your buck is worth 40-60% of what they get for that size hunt. Be proactive and call them to let them know what you have and see if they want to make an offer for it.If its a year where hunter numbers are down like this I'd say if I got offered 50% I'd jump on it. To me a stocker/shooters best value will be at 3. Remember too that if thats the only buck you have for sale theyre probly not going to drive 4 hours to pay top of the line price for it if they can pay $500 more and get it in a package of ten 15 minutes from where they are.



To me, this is where so many people that get into this industry are misled or misguided into buying things that arent going to pay out in the end. With every straw of semen you buy you have to be willing to throw that money away even if deer are concieved because theres a 60-75% chance(thats low) that bucks going to only be a shooter. Most people dont seem to prepare themselves for that. I'm not saying thats the case here, I'm only saying it seems to be the case most of the time I go to look at a group of 150" 3 year olds, I dont care what their pedigrees are, just the horn on their heads and what I can sell them for.........

I hope you don't mind if I chime in here . If the buck above goes for a shooter here in Wi he'd bring about $2700.00 as a 160 class buck . If he grows out a bit larger and makes a 170 he'd bring about $3800.00 to $4000.00. For a breeder ? Gosh not many people looking for a 160 breeder these days . Just for an example if you took $3,000.00 and went on the Exchange you could probably buy close to 10 straws of semen from close to 300 in class bucks . No they'd not be the big name bucks but they'd be much much bigger than 160 thats for sure and real close to 300 and sons of some fairly well known bucks. I don't mean to sound harsh but I'd think a 160 is a shooter in todays market . I really wish I was wrong because it would make this business much easier for all of us me too . Reeds right watch the sales and the Ohio sale is coming up soon . Just my thoughts nothing more .

Very well said, Steven... Very well said!!

Barr, are you a member of the PA Deer Farmers? There is the annual fall auction and breeder sale comming up in September in Johnstown at the war memorial arena on September 11-12. There will be a lot of shooter bucks there and it would give you a chance to see the going prices and you might be able to sell them there as well. The consignments are closed but you could make a side deal. He is a nice shooter buck. For information on the PA show, contact Jerry Campbell at (847) 778-8327

First of all I would like to respond to some of your replys.



Steven--thank you so much for your reply I am going to print it out--you were very straight forward to me and gave it to me on this is how it works for the buyers and also gave me the advise on being a seller and deer farmer. I do completely understand as a buyer is doesn't matter it I paid 5,000.00 for the staw or breeder buck for this guy --you look at the antlers. My husband and I got into deer farming because we have 25 acres of land and wanted to use it to make a few extra dollars for when it comes time for my husband to retire. So we set a goal that we would like to gave 3-5 shooter bucks to sell each year. I am not out to raise that munster buck. If by chance one would turn out that way then great for us if not and I can raise nice shooters and get 2,000-4000.00 for them then I met my goal . Thank you again for your reply



Wooden Acres: There is no way I would try to sell this buck as a breeder. But on the other hand I used him for my breeder buck for the fawns that were born this spring. His pedigree is a nice one for what my husband and I want to raise. The buck fawn he sired last spring is looking really nice this year matter afact his yealing son is bigger than what he was as a yearling.



Antler Valley: You are right on your reply--I am just a new deer farmer trying to get a foot in the door. And for some reason it seems hard to do that but I will keep at it--hopefully with the grace of God my husband and I will meet our goal on what we are hoping to do.



Alpha & Omega whitetail--Yes I am a member of the PA Deer Farmers I know about the auction coming up --I am hoping that my husband and I can attend it. Not sure if I am going to purchase any thing but it will give me an idea on what shooters are going for. My husband and I did attend the auction in the spring at Johnstown and meet talked to some of the deer farmers there. We did donate a doe fawn for the sale but it didn't sell. Our CWD status isn't high enough for other farmers (3yrs) We are not TB or Bros cert. so that hurts us too.



Well thank you all again for your input.

I think everyone is right in line with the guesses that they have made. I was waiting to see what everyone else was going to say, but my first thought was from $2500 to $3500 depending upon who, what, and where the deer was being marketed. Preserves will usually pay half of what they sell a hunt for in that class of buck. Their explanation is based on the argument that they are supplying room and food for the hunter, the staffing maintenance of their ranch and also taking a chance that this deer may die before he actually gets shot.



Here is the other side of the argument. You may be unhappy with the offer, but a bird in the hand is how I think of it. What if this deer gets sick or dies in the next year? Then you may be left with no income at all. The other thing, what if the deer breaks an antler next year and has no value to a preserve?



I wish you luck while you wrestle with yourself over this issue. Its always damned if you do and damned if you don't.

You know Jack you are right--dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. You have also brought up some good points too. I will have to mention them to my husband. I will have to start doing my research and see what hunts are going for and contact some perserves closer to me & see what I come up with. I am glad I did this trend--you have all been very helpful and I am grateful for all of your input. I would love to sell this deer this year.

Our selling prices (in our area) are as follows:



We actually have a chart that is a 4 level chart that takes into consideration clean to trashed out look. That is why there is such a variance in prices to sizes. This is just the prices that were figured for selling out of our region / area.



154 to 163 .......... 2250 - 3000

164 to 173 .......... 2750 - 3500

174 to 183 .......... 4250 - 5000

184 to 192 .......... 5250 - 6000

193 to 201 .......... 7500 - 8250

202 to 211 .......... 9000 - 10500

212 to 221 .......... 11500 - 13000

222 and up are quote only

Aaron--Thanks for the price list since you are from Indiana I will print this and compare it to PA prices.

I would be interested to see how the prices compare. This is not to say that all buyers pay these prices either. It is just a guideline that we use when selling.



An example on how the chart works is this



For the 154 to 163 range buck

Level 1......2250 (Very Trashy) Level 2......2500 Level 3.........2750 Level 4......3000 (Very Clean little to no trash)



I hope this explains how it works.

Aaron---I figured something like that when you said it all depended on the look of the rack. I will let you know what I come up with for prices here in PA.