I was thinking about the business and the natural flow of the business and wondered, is the supply of shooter bucks enough every year at this point to fill all of the preserves hunts at this point? Is there a surplus of shooter bucks, or is it nearly impossible to find shooters come fall if you call around. Vague questions but I think you all get the general picture. Clearly this where the price of shooters and everything within this industry is affected most. Thanks for the replies in advance!
Your opinion on demand for shooter bucks?
- Thread starter Whitetails
- Start date
There is way more shooters than there needs to be. This is the reason for the low prices. It cost more to feed them than most reserves want to pay. Just raising shooters is not the way to go. If you are going to do it you need to get into the breading end and buy top genetics to get started.
Good info guys! Keep em coming! I wonder if there will come a day soon that we can't book the hunts for the shooter bucks we have available? Only thing that makes me not think that will happen is that there is less and less 'huntable' land with each day as our towns and cities grow bigger and develop on what was once 'huntable' land.
Anyone else have a take on the demand/supply of shooter bucks? What were your all's average prices this year anyways? I clearly have seen a steady drop in shooter prices from 6 years ago.
Anyone else have a take on the demand/supply of shooter bucks? What were your all's average prices this year anyways? I clearly have seen a steady drop in shooter prices from 6 years ago.
Joined May 2009
2,369 Posts | 0+
Chillicothe, Missouri
In my opion thier will ALWAYS be a demand for QAULITY bucks! I think if you do your homework and talk to preserve owners I think they would agree!
I think the shooter buck market will be good this fall. We may not get the prices we did 5 years ago but I think there will be demand for quality bucks. Most of the farmers I know of got their bucks sold last year. I know of one preserve here in Ohio that already has over 100 hunts booked for this fall.
Joined Apr 2009
1,428 Posts | 0+
Northeast Wisconsin
Supply and demand - if the economy is picking up more people will be booking hunts and more deer will be needed. The closed border states just create an artificial market - the best is a true, honest open market which will reflect true pricing. Those preserve owners in closed border states have to pay a premium for their shooters causing them to have to charge more for their hunts - which means they can't compete.
We feel things are picking up on the hunt side of things as well.
We feel things are picking up on the hunt side of things as well.
I think the shooter prices will be about like last year.There still was alot of shooters left over from last year.
The private sales I have seen this last year coupled with the increasing overhead prices will drive more deer farmers out of the business this coming year. This will produce whole herd liquidations that will drop the price of shooters to new lows as people are forced to sell. Good luck to us all!
I feel we might be in for a pleasent surprise this fall. I have seen more bucks sold this spring for the upcoming season than I ever remember before. To me that only means the preserves look for a great year. Why would a preserve be buying bucks in February if they expected to be able to buy them for the same price in October? They know there will be a demand for bucks in the fall and want to buy them a last year's price. I personally talked to a preserve owner last week that told me they have more hunts sold than normal for this time of year and will be buying all the deer they can find next fall. I know they were still looking for bucks in January and could hardly find any. Also at the start of our January sale we announced that we know of preserves still looking for bucks abd to let us know if anyone still had bucks for sale. Not one person came up to us with bucks still for sale.
Getting in to the deer business to raise shooters and make a profit is just plain crazy. You will loose money!!! It is just plain impossible with the high cost of feed. This industry is flooded with shooters and you practicly have to give them away. This is why preserves are buying now cause many are getting out or can not afford to pay their feed bill. The reason preserves are selling more hunts is cause their prices are lower now than in the past cause they are buying deer cheaper. Every preserve that was still looking for deer did not want to pay jack crap for their shooters hardly enough to pay for that deers feed. Their prices on internet say one thing but when you call in person they are willing to come way down on their prices for a hunt .
If you want to do it for a hobby and raise a few deer that is great. It is a good time and very enjoyable. On the other hand if you want to make money you will need your own preserve and you should buy the best breeding stock you can find. This way you can sell your good stuff at auction and shoot the rest at your preserve.
If you want to do it for a hobby and raise a few deer that is great. It is a good time and very enjoyable. On the other hand if you want to make money you will need your own preserve and you should buy the best breeding stock you can find. This way you can sell your good stuff at auction and shoot the rest at your preserve.
Hi There,
Not sure about the shooter buck market. Seems like the actual hunting population is shrinking and lots of hunters are against high fences. Having said that, I may buy 40 shooters this year, looking for deals now.
Hardpan
Not sure about the shooter buck market. Seems like the actual hunting population is shrinking and lots of hunters are against high fences. Having said that, I may buy 40 shooters this year, looking for deals now.
Hardpan
@foodplot. I don't own a preserve myself. I run Buckeye Whitetail Auctions. I do however talk to a lot of preserve owners as we do a shooter buck auction in the fall. Most of the preserves I have talked to have already sold a good number of hunts. I should have kept quiet here. I just wanted to let people know that the industry actually looks pretty good for the upcoing year. I for one have had more luck selling bred does etc off my own farm this spring than ever before.
let me ask you guys a question, I first off I am not in the market to make money on deer I have one pet deer because they facinate me. I do however have a few goats I make money off of. If I had to feed them commercial feed yr around I would not make money off of them either. So my question, for the market of "avg shooters" why couldn't you just put them to pasture with supplemental feed and mineral as needed and give them a little more time as in shooter at 3 instead of at 2 ? what is time to a deer? With my goats ( and they eat a hell of alot more than my deer does ) I spend about $60 per yr per goat on feed. The only time they get it, is when lactating and the babies get it when I wean them. The rest of the yr they are on rotation with free choice minerals.
Mark,I have bought shooters from your sale a few years ago.For some reason I thought you had a preserve.
Joined Apr 2009
530 Posts | 0+
West Salem, Ohio
I for one believe the shooter market is stronger right now than in the last 2 years. That being said I believe I can move any shooter bucks that I might have but they will not bring the same price that they may have brought 3 or 4 years ago, this to me is a no brainer to some extent, economy, more 200" plus deer, more breeders, competition, etc......
On the flip side you can buy breeding does to produce shooter stock much cheaper than 3,4 or 5 years ago so your investment is not near as high. Obviously you are not going to spend 5,000.00 plus for semen in hopes of producing only shooter stock, but you can produce your own breeder buck and have him breed your does at no expense other than food, up keep, etc.
( A Hunter Does Not Care About An Animals Pedigree )
I for one do believe you can produce profit only selling shooter stock if that is the market you desire to be in, you just have to spend according to your desired end market. I do not believe you will become wealthy but you can suplement your income by producing desireable animals for the shooting industry.
As more and more preserves are being built and clients are being established the shooter market should remain strong as long as we do not have a collapse of the US economy. If that happens it doesnt matter what industry you are in...
On the flip side you can buy breeding does to produce shooter stock much cheaper than 3,4 or 5 years ago so your investment is not near as high. Obviously you are not going to spend 5,000.00 plus for semen in hopes of producing only shooter stock, but you can produce your own breeder buck and have him breed your does at no expense other than food, up keep, etc.
( A Hunter Does Not Care About An Animals Pedigree )
I for one do believe you can produce profit only selling shooter stock if that is the market you desire to be in, you just have to spend according to your desired end market. I do not believe you will become wealthy but you can suplement your income by producing desireable animals for the shooting industry.
As more and more preserves are being built and clients are being established the shooter market should remain strong as long as we do not have a collapse of the US economy. If that happens it doesnt matter what industry you are in...
Joined Apr 2009
624 Posts | 0+
*******, PA
I am with rick on this one. You are never going to make money on shooters if you are AIing or buying deer. You need a solid breeder buck and just breed your own doe. This just like buying show cows to be put into a milking operation. It dont matter what the cow looks like only how much milk she gives. The same goes for deer pedigrees it dont matter what they look like its what they put on their head when it comes to shooters. If you are a budget minded individual and set goals and limits you can and will make money on your shooter bucks.
Rick said:
I am with you 100% Rick. What I was trying to point out earlier is that we still have a very strong hunting market. It may not be like it was 5 years ago but there is still money to be made raising shooter bucks if a person operates his farm the right way.
