Not many industries can boast of a 73 percent increase in output in one year.
But farmers attending the recent annual conference of the Saskatchewan Whitetail and Mule Deer Producers Association could do just that as they evaluated the state of their industry heading into 2004.
“We grew by 73 percent in the trophy ranch industry from 2002-03, in terms of the number of trophy animals taken,” said association president Stan Hall, a grain farmer and white-tailed deer producer from Strasbourg, Sask.
“When agriculture is going the other way in Saskatchewan, a growth rate like that is phenomenal.”
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While the rate of growth may be impressive, that’s partly a function of the fact that the industry is still small.
The total number of animals harvested and exported through hunt farms in 2003 was 140, up from 81 in 2002.
The number of producers remained stable at around 130, roughly the same level it’s been for the past three years.
Hall said the industry generated about $10 million in economic activity last year, about the same as the much more established sheep and honey industries.
“We’re just getting going,” he said. “The potential relative to some of the other sectors is excellent.”
The industry’s success is based on the status of white-tailed deer as the most sought-after trophy animal in North America.
American hunters are willing to pay big bucks to spend three or four days at hunt farms in search of their trophy, and they’re willing to do it year after year.
“We have a product that they want,” said Hall, adding that bookings are up for 2004. “We just have to get out and tell the people we’re here and then they’ll come here.”
The three-day conference in Saskatoon at the end of March included guest speakers from across Canada and the United States, a trade show and an auction.
Sherri Dobbs, livestock development specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and a panelist during an industry bear-pit session, said the deer industry will likely remain a niche market for the foreseeable future.
The association members are “an optimistic bunch” she said, and with good reason.
“They’re in a relatively new industry with a limited supply and a strong demand,” she said. “It’s a nice place to be. If you spend some time and money on marketing, generally you’ll get a good return.”
Hall said while there is good profit potential, it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme. A sizable capital investment is required, including land, fences and ideally a lodge for the visiting hunters, and animals are generally hunted at age four or five years.
“This is a long-term investment,” Hall said. “You have to be in the business for a while before you start turning a profit.”
There are about 600 licensed game farms for elk and deer in Saskatchewan, including about 90 for white-tail and mule deer.
Licensed game farms can be breeders, hunt farms or both, or antler velvet operations. Last year, 48 farms ordered export certificates from the provincial government, indicating they were operating as hunt farms.
Dobbs said there are probably eight big commercial hunt farms that do the bulk of the business.
