BRC Fallow Deer

Our trip down to Texas to pick up our doe, Blue 2110 (Amelia), from 4T Fallow went perfectly. It was a quick trip and we are now so excited to have her home and settling in. She will play a major part in our plan to integrate premium genetics into our herd. Amelia is the perfect addition to BRC Deer.  

In the fallow deer world, the important deer within the herd earn names. This is one of the best parts for me! One of the first lessons I learned when we bought cattle was to NEVER name them, as you didn’t know when one would have to be sold. I love that this is different in the fallow deer world! We have chosen to name this special doe, Amelia. This was done as a nod to our northeast Kansas roots as well as our love of aviation. Amelia Earhart was a famous American pilot that was born in Atchison, KS. She was the first to fly solo and nonstop across the United States as well as the second to fly solo and nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. She tragically went missing while attempting to fly around the world. This strong Kansas female pilot was a great inspiration to naming our fallow doe. 

Our deer Amelia has 4T Extra in the top half of her pedigree and she was A.I. bred and backed up to 4T-SFR-Big Easy. Both of these bucks have proven genetics and will take the quality of our herd to the next level. It’s extremely important when choosing genetics to buy from reputable ranches that have produced quality animals, and who also will provide guidance and assistance along the way.

The logistics of this deer purchase proved to be a little more cumbersome than anticipated. Sorry for the trouble, Beau! We have learned a lot on how to manage an out of state deer purchase with this experience. Kansas regulation requires two separate TB tests be completed 90 days apart but not more than 180 days prior to moving the deer across state lines. These TB tests had to be completed by a vet in TX, coordinated by Beau Thompson at 4T Fallow as they were still in possession of the deer. This seemed to be a challenge when we were two states away and unable to just run down the road to help. Once the tests were completed it was all submitted to the State of Kansas and we were granted a permit to bring her home. Now that we know exactly how this works it will be much easier to make another out of state purchase in the future.   

We purchased Amelia back in late summer of 2022 knowing we wouldn’t be able to pick her up until after the rut (breeding season). We also delayed the pick up of this doe as we wanted to make sure she was far enough into her pregnancy that the stress of the six hour trip back to Kansas would not cause her to abort the pregnancy. We know that stress can cause a doe to abort during the early part of pregnancy and we wanted to reduce those chances. When moving any deer, (or any animal for that matter), you have to take into account the risks involved and choose the safest plan possible. 

In order to reduce the amount of stress placed upon Amelia during travel Brendan worked with Impact Dog Crates to design a new high quality deer crate that fits perfectly in the bed of a truck. We have the first ever prototype and this trip served as our chance to workout the kinks. We want to ensure that any deer’s travel experience within this crate is as comfortable as possible. 

The main features of this crate were carefully thought out to provide versatility and easy deer transportation. 
-a powdered coated exterior in a light color to help reduce heat build up in the crate
-small vent holes to increase ventilation while reducing the deer’s visibility thus reducing stress
-small side windows for easy darting, doctoring, or just checking the welfare of the animals along the journey
-removable center divider
-forklift risers that double as lifting points for ease of removal from a truck bed
-Anti-rattle latches to reduce noise during transportation. 
-We installed a 3/8’ rubber mat for the floor of the crate to provide traction, reduction of noise and provide comfort 

This crate made the transportation of our doe so much easier (AND CHEAPER!) then pulling a trailer all the way to Texas. Our fallow doe walked right in with only minimal coaxing. We were able to easily lift the crate, with the doe inside, with only four adults.  Amelia was so comfortable in this crate that she only stood one time during our drive home. She also didn’t immediately get out when we opened the door. Brendan had to gently direct her to turn around and exit the crate. We are thrilled with the efficiency of this new deer crate.  

Thank you 4T Fallow for working with us on this doe purchase. We had been anxiously waiting for the go ahead for this trip and we are thrilled to have it completed. We know she will be a perfect addition to our fallow deer herd and we can’t wait to see her future Kansas fawns.

~The Deer Wife
BRC Fallow Deer