There’s money to be made in deer, says Stan Hall, president of the Saskatchewan White Tail and Mule Deer Producers Association.
Saskatchewan’s hunt farms can take all the white-tailed and mule deer the province’s producers can supply. The province could also supply animals to hunt farms outside its borders.
“In the United States, hunt farms offer many different kinds of animals, as well as other on-site recreation options such as golf courses. Some are top end with chalets and cabins for pampering one kind of client, while others are for those who want to rough it.”
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Hall wants Saskatchewan to one day be able to supply the needs of American hunters.
“At the end of the day, we’re in the tourism business. We produce what the tourists want,” said Hall.
Those who want to get into the deer industry should look at the facilities of existing producers, he said.
The animals don’t need a lot of land. He has 30 acres fenced for 65 animals on his grain farm near Strasbourg. Their need for cover and protection is basic. If there isn’t enough small bush, round bales suffice.
The animals’ nature, however, dictates a certain design of handling facilities needed to make the process “do-able,” he said. Experienced producers can point out the features that work best.
Fencing may be labor-intensive during construction, but is little trouble after that. Although a minimum 2.4-metre high page wire is required, a three-m perimeter fence is recommended.
“Farmed deer are used to enclosures and don’t know they can jump it,” Hall said.
His strongest advice for would-be deer producers, who should also know that all domestic game farms have to be licensed by Saskatchewan Agriculture, is about the need for patience with these animals.
“You have to spend time with them so they get used to you. They notice strangers, and they’re always alert to their surroundings. You can move deer into pens, for example, but it takes time.
“I really enjoy working with them, however.”
Hall bought his first white-tailed deer in the fall of 1996.
He and his wife have bottle-fed doe fawns because it makes the herd quieter. Even the fawns born to bottle-fed does are quieter.
On the other hand, bottle-feeding is labor-intensive, and bottle-fed bucks lose their fear of humans. When in rut, they can be dangerous because fear moderates their natural drive to charge interlopers.
Of utmost importance to Hall is genetics, which determine the size of the antlers and, in turn, the price paid by hunt farms.
In Saskatchewan, this size has increased significantly within the last three years.
In fact, he said, a Saskatchewan producer holds the North American record for an animal with the largest antlers.
