Deer Farming

[DaveS]

Recent talk within the TWRF, is the possability of "Deer Farming" in Tennessee. This would be for the commercial production of Venison.

Would you be "For" or "Against" it, and why?

I would be for it, if it was controlled properly (deer health/USDA inspected) and not "OVER REGULATED" by the TWRA! I think it would allow people access to healthy Venison, who may otherwise not be able to get it.

Private deer farms could provide trophy class animals/breeding stock for release in WMA's and Refuges.

I think the positives outway the negatives!

[whiskey]

Reindeer farming is big business in Alaska. I would rather have a deer farm next door than a hog farm next door.

[Mdunntn]

Reindeer farming is big business in Alaska. I would rather have a deer farm next door than a hog farm next door.

especially if some of the deer escaped right? Haha

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

[DaveS]

especially if some of the deer escaped right? Haha

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

The question was; would you be "For" or "Against" and why?

[Guest lostpass]

I can't imagine why I would be against it. If you have a bunch o land and want to raise animals indigenous to that land and later harvest said animals I don't see the problem. I'm actually puzzled why it wouldn't be allowed already. There's probably a good reason that I am unaware of.

Or maybe you meant deer actually farming. That I am totally against. First off they look ridiculous in overalls, second, they eat the seed corn and third those things can't work a tractor for jack.

[DaveS]

I found out from talking to one of our officers, that it is actually more for the farming of trophy deer to be sold to "high fence, pay as you shoot" farms. Officers claim now that deer farming would destroy decades of restoration efforts and be a conservationists nightmare!

Maybe they could develop a "super" deer, to replace the millions of scrawny ones we have now!

[peejman]

Seems like managed areas with food plots and such already are "farms" to an extent. I wonder how a farmer would contain the deer, a 10 ft high fence would get expensive real quick. If for "trophy hunting" purposes, I wonder about how "sporting" it would be. Seems like the deer would get used to people and hunting them wouldn't be real sporting. A friend raises elk, the bull came right up to the fence and let me scratch his nose.

... Maybe they could develop a "super" deer, to replace the millions of scrawny ones we have now!

You're just not feeding them well enough. Dad had a nuisance permit last fall. They took a 175 lb doe and 160 lb doe from his property. They opened the stomachs to see what they'd been eating and Dad said... "Hey! There's my flower bed!"

Edited February 10, 2012 by peejman

[KahrMan]

Got this email today. Not sure if it is old or new. IT says they are voting on the bill this Tuesday. WD, do yo know if this is accurate or not?

From: Chris Anderson [mailto:chris@cpanderson.com]

Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 2:11 PM

To: Chris Anderson

Subject: URGENT! Deer Farming Alert

Dear Tennessee Deer Hunters:

You may recall that a bill to allow commercial farming of whitetail deer was introduced by Rep. Frank Niceley last year. Due to broad-based opposition from concerned sportsmen and the diligent efforts of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, we were able to gain enough support amongst the Conservation and Environment Subcommittee members to force Rep Niceley to withdraw his bill during the last legislative session.

Unfortunately, the bill is back in a new and even more sinister form.

Rep. Niceley has filed a new deer farming bill (HB3164) to the FULL House Agriculture Committee (which he chairs), apparently bypassing the General Subcommittee of Agriculture and completely avoiding the House Conservation and Environment Committee. This new bill is attached; it is much more broadly written than last year’s, and appears to propose the complete privatization of a public resource (certain native species, based on the department of agriculture’s rules, according to the bill).

Rep Niceley has repeatedly used underhanded tactics to get this dangerous legislation rammed through committee without debate or opposition. In his latest maneuver, he has scheduled the bill to be voted upon on extremely short notice (next Tuesday) in the committee which he chairs and apparently without any discussion.

We need to mount a full-out effort to defeat this bill. If you are unclear on why deer farming in Tennessee is a very bad idea, you can read the background information below. If you already understand the issue and are ready to help take action, please contact the members of the House Agriculture Committee listed below who will vote on the bill next week.

Time is of the essence. Please call and email the following Committee members ASAP. Click on each name to go to their house directory page which contains email address and phone numbers. You can copy and paste the attached letter if you would rather not compose one from scratch.

Thank you for your support.

Regards,

Chris Anderson

President, QDMA Middle Tennessee Branch

Committee Officers

Dale Ford, Vice-Chair

Curtis Halford, Secretary

Members

Eddie Bass

Sheila Butt

Jeremy Faison

John Forgety

Andy Holt

Kelly Keisling

Steve McDaniel

Bill Sanderson

Johnny Shaw

Terri Lynn Weaver

John Mark Windle

Background Information on Deer Farming and Rep. Niceley’s assault on the TWRA and Tennessee Sportsmen

Information on problems associated with deer farming are located here http://www.tnwf.org/camo-a-casting-coalition/11-section-listing/239-research-on-issues-associated-with-farmed-deer

Also of note are two recent stories from Missouri – first, chronic wasting disease was found in a captive facility there, and next, news that they found the disease in the wild herd within two miles of the facility. CWD is 100% fatal to cervids, there is no live test, and hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent across the country trying to eradicate it with little success.

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/10/19/deer-with-chronic-wasting-disease-found-in-missouri/#.TyreLWNaZEE.gmail

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/01/24/infected-wild-white-tailed-deer-prompt-protocol-contain-chronic-wasting-disease-wild/

Finally, for perspective on Niceley’s assault on sportsmen and the TWRA this session, please see the following link that includes the bills he’s filed… particularly the ones related to wildlife and the wildlife agency/commission.

http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/sponsorlist/default.aspx?id=H170&ga=107

[DaveS]

That's the one. I think that TWRA is afraid to loose thier monopoly on deer management...

[jimic]

Good idea. I think Ky has a program for farming deer.

[Guest lostpass]

I read through the links a little and the argument against seems to be that they are worried about chronic wasting disease spreading from farm deer to the wild population. It was a cursory reading so I might have missed something. Tell me if I did.

I'm not sure I fully understand the objection. Is it that farms cause CWD? Or is it that it provides a vector for the disease to spread more easily?

I'm not a fan of canned hunts and so forth but my dislike for them doesn't mean I don't think they should be legal. Is this really about the health of the population or is about something else?Anyone have the insight into the issue?

[DaveS]

Disease is what they are afraid of. In my opinion, wild deer cannot be treated effectively for diseases or the prevention there of. Domestically bred/reared deer can and could be effectively treated and rendered diesease free, and done so with very little human contact. They can be certified disease free and release in areas in need of more/bigger/better deer. East Tennessee kinda comes to mind. The current deer "gene pool" in most parts of Tennessee rivals that of most species of Rabbit!

The TWRA doesn't want to loose their control on "Deer".....plain and simple!

[Guest lostpass]

Disease is what they are afraid of. In my opinion, wild deer cannot be treated effectively for diseases or the prevention there of. Domestically bred/reared deer can and could be effectively treated and rendered diesease free, and done so with very little human contact. They can be certified disease free and release in areas in need of more/bigger/better deer. East Tennessee kinda comes to mind. The current deer "gene pool" in most parts of Tennessee rivals that of most species of Rabbit!

The TWRA doesn't want to loose their control on "Deer".....plain and simple!

Yeah, those wild deer tend not to keep their appointments with the vet! I can't honestly imagine how you might go about treating seer in the wild.

Funny thing you said about the deer in E Tenn. I was at cases cove earlier today and saw, I bet, twenty deer. I don't know much about deer but I did notice some does that looked pretty big to me. I also saw some bucks with decent antlers that looked scrawny. Well, they looked like bad body builders, they'd have these fairly impressive racks but they seemed small in comparison, like that guy who just rips on his biceps all the time and doesn't work out any other part of his body. I thought it was weird that bucks were hanging with other bucks (cause I didn't see a cooler full of deer beer) but the wife (who knows more about this stuff) said it was past time for them to be fighting and such.

When I was at Norris last year camping we saw a bunch of deer, a group of six or something. They were really small, I think they were full grown but weren't much bigger that a lanky dog (and probably weighed less). A photo taken from a honda pilot of an average deer at Norris:

Rabbit sized is right. Any idea about why they tend to run so small?

[DaveS]

Last year I ran into a couple hunters here who drove out here from Greene County to deer hunt. During our conversation, I asked why come here to hunt deer? Ya'll should have more bigger and better deer out there. He said "no". Thier deer were small and not as numerous. He sujested it may be due to our bean and corn fields here. Can't plant that stuff in the mountains I guess.

That may be why our area of the state has such a liberal deer season compared to other parts of the state. We also have "too many" deer here, they're not obtaining the sizes they need to get. That's why I like shooting "scrubs" so the few big boys we have can pass their genes on into the herd.

I.E.: I shot a spike buck this year as he tried mounting a doe. He had gray on his face and neck. His age was estimated to be 3-31/2 year old. I did not want his genes spreading!

The wildlife folks around here are doing more work and spending more money working with NON-GAME species such as hogs, that deer are kinda taking a back seat right now. Let TWRA/TWRF farm "super deer" (deer the size of our Northern Species) and trap and release the fawns/yearlings into the wild. They need to STOP wasting so much money on pork and invest in VENISON!

For the purposes mentioned, I'm for Deer Farming, and not in favor of "high fence" hunting.