Deer and Elk farm

deer_handler · 02-18-2007, 09:16 PM

Can someone tell me what is involved in to raise deer and elk? I was thinking about starting this and trying to see what is involved. I have checked a few sites and need to get some basics for the laws of Pennsylvania to raise a few deer at first. Is there a link someone can post to get me headed in the right direction? I would like to raise my own animals and maybe go in couple directions over the years. Maybe sale them as breeders or slaughter them for a wild game restaurant. Any info on the rules for farming these animals would be a great start. I have posted this on other sites also to get the most replys and info as I can. Thanks alot in advanced all. Great sitealso.

Hiawatha · 02-18-2007, 11:02 PM

Whats the market like there for this type of venture? Elk and bison used to be a big thing here about 10 years ago then everyone and their dog got into it. Now guys are selling off there stuff and practically giving the animals away. What is involved is fencing and plenty of it. That fence is not cheap either i cannot remember what it cost my uncle to fence a quarter but it was retarded. Lots of work putting up that fence also. Land with water or get watering bowls put in. Correls, loading areas, metal pannels, head gates,pens,lanes, shutes etc. Hay, grain feed etc. Tractor with a wall type of setup on the loader for pushing them up into a pen. Can be rewarding but alot of sweat.

DelawareJim · 02-19-2007, 07:37 AM

I think one of your biggest hurdles other than capital is going to be CWD. Definitely do your research. If CWD is ever found in PA the type of business you are looking into will be crushed. With CWD in West Virginia and New York, I am not sure I would put my whole life into something that is potentially so volitile. Good luck. And I think there are something like 800 game farms in PA.

R.S.B. · 02-19-2007, 07:41 AM

You will need to contact the Department of Agriculture to find out what is required and how to get set up.

The Game Commission used to handle the permits for cervids but the Legislature gave the cervid (deer & elk) propagation regulations to the Dept. of Ag. last year.

R. S. Bodenhorn

deer_handler · 02-19-2007, 02:18 PM

Thank you for the info all. I know theres alot of work involved. If it was that easy I think everyone would be doing it. Hard work pays off if you put it in though. Thanks for the info all. Thanks for the direction where to start legal at R.S.B..

PA Mountaineer · 02-19-2007, 04:52 PM

There isn't any market for the meat. If you want to sell meat, get yourself a hundred head of black angus and make yourself a butcher shop. We just built our deer fence last spring. A relative works at Verizon, so we got the telephone poles for free, however the fence was $330 per 300 foot roll. Really expensive.

The only chance you're going to have at making money, is if one of the bucks end up over 200" in score. If that happens, you can sell him for around $25,000 or sell his sperm to many places and possibly end up with more than that. That being said, the chances of getting a buck to grow that big are extremely rare. We currently have two bucks, a 1.5 year old 9 point that would be around 100" if he wouldn't have broke the one antler, and a button buck.

You need all the necessary paperwork before you do anything or you may get a $10,000 fine. Go the PA Department of Agriculture website and get yourself a phone number. You want to contact Mary Martin because she's the one who handles all the cervid stuff there.