BRC Fallow Deer

“Sure, Let’s do it.” It seemed like such a simple phrase when I agreed with my husband’s idea to start raising fallow deer. “It can’t be that hard right?!” When we started our deer farm, 2.5 years ago, I felt like we jumped in feet first. There just wasn’t really a good way to only dip our toe in. Our motto became, “If we are going to do this we might as well take the time to do it right.” So with faith (and friends) being our guide we would tackle one step just in time to start the next. At times, we wondered if we had bitten off more than we could chew. And at other times, we KNEW we had. Time, energy and money; it all went into the fencing, the barn, the equipment, feed and of course the animals. We, well mostly Brendan, worked his tail off getting us up and running. The kids and I helped out whenever we could. Some days it felt like we were climbing the tallest mountain, and looking back now, that’s exactly what we did. BUT Oh what a journey so far! We have accomplished so much. All it took was hard work, faith and trust in the process. I can’t wait to see what the next several years bring.

This past fall we put our trust in yet another new part of deer farming; artificial insemination. Oh what an experience. Let me tell ya…. Well, I already did in the last magazine issue, so I won’t dive into too much of it this time. The most challenging part of the artificial insemination process for me was the WAITING. Trusting that the attention to detail, and complete adherence to each step in the process, would pay off in fawns that could really push our herd forward. Did we do everything right? Did we keep the does stress free, as instructed? Was our nutrition program on point? Did we make any mistakes? I learned that once AI is completed there is not a safe way to pregnancy check fallow deer without causing stress and potential pregnancy loss. They say patience is a virtue. The wait for summer fawns was a true act of trusting the process. We felt confident that we had completed the A.I. process to the best of our ability; relying on the protocol shared from other fallow farmers, utilizing a veterinarian knowledgeable with fallow deer and praying for success. Shortly after AI season, during a discussion with Lance Clawson, I mentioned that everything went so well, that if we did poorly, I don’t know what we would do differently next year. And you know what his response was? “Trust the process”. But only time would tell… 

I marked the calendar and we waited and waited …. and waited… This was a true test of faith in our operation. It’s true, good things come to those that wait. We were thrilled when we stumbled on our first AI fawn. And then another, and another, and another.  By the time our AI fawning window ended, nine of our thirteen fawns were on the ground! That’s a 69% take rate (later confirmed by our DNA testing through the EWA). AMAZING! Expected A.I. success rates for fallow deer range from 30-70%. Needless to say, we are ecstatic. Can we do it again this year? We hope so. We know what we did last year and we plan to use the same protocol this year. Trusting that our plan will work again. 

Two and a half years into this venture we are happy to report our first sales. We started with a herd of yearling fallow deer. This meant that it would take us a couple of years to build up our herd numbers, and grow out our animals, before we would be in a place to start selling animals. We planned accordingly, set appropriate expectations, and kept up with the daily chores. But DANG that first buck delivery felt good. It made it feel like all the pieces were finally fitting together. 

We have some of the greatest mentors. The deer farming community is absolutely amazing in its ability to help one another. One of the smartest things we did as a new deer farmer was joining our local Kansas Elk and Deer Association as well as EWA and NADeFA. We have learned so much from attending conferences and talking with fellow deer farmers. They truly are a wealth of knowledge and always willing to share processes, ideas, suggestions, protocols and stories. If you are thinking about starting your own deer farm, I would highly suggest getting involved in these great organizations. The connections and camaraderie are worth their weight in Bullwinkle straws.

In the beginning, when our original herd of fallow deer shot out of the trailer, Brendan commented “I sure hope they will calm down and settle in because you know how much I hate working wild cattle.” In our quest to set our deer farm up for success, our favorite talking point at conferences became how to calm or mellow out our fallow deer. We have been given so many great suggestions and ideas. Many of which we have set into motion. One of the most common and time intensive suggestions was to bottle feed some doe fawns in an effort to desensitize the herd to humans. What an undertaking! But oh so rewarding! This past summer we pulled four of our first doe fawns and started our first bottle feeding program. It was the most awe inspiring as well as the most tiring project I have completed on the farm to date. I have to take a moment to give credit to this process. We put trust into this process hoping it would help mellow out our herd and reduce stress levels and I have to give it full credit. It did! But, in ways I was not expecting. The confidence I have gained in my ability to work with and around the deer is astounding. There is a new level of assuredness in my approach that wasn’t there prior. It was not just the deer that needed to be acclimated to us but we also needed to become accustomed to them. The hours the kids and I spent in the deer barn and pen this past summer were numerous. My children LOVED it. I LOVED it. We built a rapport with the deer that is amazing. The herd no longer runs for the back corner the second we rattle the gate. They wait to see if we brought any snacks or if one of my kids were going to be a little too excited or loud before they run now. They are all still skittish but definitely more mellow than when they first arrived. It was overwhelming and a little scary to think we were putting in all this time and effort with the chance that it wouldn’t have any effect. I am happy to report that it had a positive impact on our herd and I am hopeful that the improvements we have witnessed in the deer temperament so far will continue to carry forward…. at least as long as we keep sharing snacks consistently. 

Anything can be accomplished with a good plan. All you have to do is take it one step at a time. Our drive and desire pushes us daily to strive for the best on our farm. We are always willing to work hard and learn something new. As we are completing our third year of deer farming, we have progressed through many of the parts of fallow deer farming and know what our processes entail. When we encounter something new or questionable, we know exactly who we can call. This is such a great place to be; working hard and trusting the process to carry us forward. 

~The Deer Wife
BRC Fallow Deer