DEER FARMING.
This chapter is from Farmers' Bulletin 330, issued July 28, 1908, by
United States Department of Agriculture and written by D. E. Lantz,
Assistant, Biological Survey.
The term "deer" is here used in its general sense, in which it includes
the elk, the reindeer or caribou, the moose and other species, besides
those usually referred to as deer.
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY,
_Washington, D. C., June 3, 1908._
SIR: I have the honor to transmit the accompanying
manuscript on the subject of Deer Farming in the United
States, and to recommend its publication as Farmers'
Bulletin No. 330. As a result of the growing scarcity of
game animals in this country the supply of venison is wholly
inadequate to the demand, and the time seems opportune for
developing the industry of deer farming, which may be made
profitable alike to the state and the individuals engaged
therein. The raising of venison for market is as legitimate
a business as the growing of beef and mutton, and state
laws, when prohibitory, as many of them are, should be so
modified as to encourage the industry. Furthermore, deer and
elk may be raised to advantage in forests and on rough,
brushy ground unfitted for either agriculture or stock
raising, thus utilizing for profit much land that is now
waste. An added advantage is that the business is well
adapted to landowners of small means.
Respectfully,
C. HART MERRIAM,
_Chief Biological Survey._
HON. JAMES WILSON,
_Secretary of Agriculture._
INTRODUCTION.
The present bulletin discusses briefly the economic possibilities of
raising deer and elk in the United States. It is believed that when the
restrictions now imposed by State laws are removed this business may be
made an important and highly profitable industry, especially since it
will be the means of utilizing much otherwise unproductive land. The
raising of venison should be, and is naturally, as legitimate a business
as the growing of beef or mutton, and State laws should be so modified
as to permit the producer, who has stocked a preserve with deer at
private expense, to dispose of his product at any time, under reasonable
regulations, either for breeding purposes or for food.
The growing scarcity of game mammals and birds in the United States and
the threatened extinction of some of them over large parts of their
present ranges make the preservation of the remnant highly important.
Very important also is the increase of this remnant so as to make game
once more abundant. It is believed that by means of intelligent game
propagation, both by the states and by private enterprise, many of our
depleted ranges can be restocked with big game.
IMPORTANCE OF THE DEER FAMILY.
The members of the deer family (Cervidae) rank next to the cattle and
sheep family (Bovidae) in general utility, and are the most important of
the big game animals of America.
Wherever obtainable in quantity the flesh of deer of different kinds has
always been a staple article of diet, and under present market
conditions it is hardly necessary to say that venison is perhaps the
most important game, being a favorite with epicures and also having a
wide use as a substitute for beef and mutton, which meats it resembles
in texture, color, and general characteristics. Its flavor is
distinctive, though it suggests mutton rather than beef. In chemical
composition it is very similar to beef, though, judging from available
data, it is not so fat as stall-fed cattle. The following figures show
how it compares with beef and mutton: A lean venison roast before
cooking has been found to contain on an average 75 per cent of water, 20
per cent of protein or nitrogenous material, and 2 per cent of fat; a
lean beef rump, some 65 to 70 per cent of water, 20 to 23 per cent of
protein, and 5 to 14 per cent of fat; a lean leg of mutton, 67 per cent
of water, 19 per cent of protein, and 13 per cent of fat.
Venison, beef, and other common meats are very thoroughly digested,
whatever the method of cooking. Venison may be roasted, broiled,
pan-broiled, or used for making stews, in much the same way as beef.
Venison, particularly steak, to be at its best, should be eaten as soon
as possible after it is cooked.
The general popularity of venison is so great and the demand for it so
widespread that over-production is improbable. The other products of the
deer--skins and horns--are of considerable importance, and in countries
where deer are abundant and especially where large herds are kept in
semi-domestication, the commerce in both is very extensive.
THE DOMESTICATION OF DEER.
A number of species of the deer family have been proved to be
susceptible to domestication. The reindeer, however, is the only one
that has been brought fully under the control of man. The fact that the
European red deer and the fallow deer have been bred in parks for
centuries without domestication does not prove that they are less
susceptible to the process than the reindeer. The purposes for which
they have been held captive and the environment given them have been
markedly different. It must be remembered, also, that few attempts have
been made to rear and domesticate deer under intelligent management. The
work has been largely a matter of chance experiment. If they had been as
long under careful management as cattle, they would now, probably, be
equally plastic in the hands of a skillful breeder.
But raising deer for profit does not necessarily imply their complete
domestication. They may be kept in large preserves with surroundings as
nearly natural as possible and their domestication entirely ignored.
Thus the breeder may reap nearly all the profit that could be expected
from a domestic herd, while the animals escape most of the dangers
incident to close captivity. But the breeder who aims at the ultimate
domestication of the animals, and whose herd approaches nearest to true
domesticity, will in the end be most successful.
SPECIES TO BE SELECTED FOR BREEDING.
The number of species of deer suited for breeding in inclosures in the
United States is great, though the chances for success are by no means
the same for all. As a rule those native to America are to be preferred,
since they are already acclimated. In selecting any species, similarity
between its natural habitat and that to which it is to be transferred
must be considered. Important, also, is its adaptability to varied
conditions, as shown by former attempts to acclimatize it.
Unless they have shown a peculiar adaptability to such change, deer
should not be taken from arid parts of the United States to humid parts.
To a disregard of this principle are probably due many of the failures
that have attended experiments in breeding the American antelope, the
Columbia blacktail deer, the moose, and other animals in places
differing widely from their natural ranges.
The history of attempts to acclimatize the several kinds of deer shows
that some readily adapt themselves to a great variety of conditions, and
efforts to introduce them into new countries have been almost uniformly
successful. Such has been the experience with the axis deer, the
Japanese and Pekin sikas, the red and the fallow deer of Europe, and
especially with the wapiti, or Rocky Mountain elk, and the Virginia
deer. While experiments with the foreign species named offer every
promise of success to the owners of American preserves, there are
obvious reasons for recommending the two native animals just mentioned
as best suited for the production of venison in the United States.
THE WAPITI, OR ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK.
The Wapiti (_Cervus canadensis_), including two related species and a
geographic race, and known in America as the elk, is, next to the moose,
the largest of our deer. It was once abundant over the greater part of
the United States, whence its range extended northward to about latitude
60 deg. in the Peace River region of the interior of Canada. In the United
States the limits of its range eastward were the Adirondacks, western
New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania; southward it reaches the southern
Alleghenies, northern Texas, southern Mexico, and Arizona; and westward
the Pacific Ocean.
For the practical purposes of this bulletin all the forms of the wapiti
are treated as a single species. At the present time the range of these
animals has so far diminished that they occur only in a few scattered
localities outside of the Yellowstone National Park and the mountainous
country surrounding it, where large herds remain. Smaller herds still
occur in Colorado, western Montana, Idaho, eastern Oregon, Manitoba,
Alberta, British Columbia, and the coast mountains of Washington,
Oregon, and northwestern California. A band of the small California
valley elk still inhabits the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley.
The herds that summer in the Yellowstone National Park and in winter
spread southward and eastward in Wyoming are said to number about 30,000
head, and constitute the only large bands of this noble game animal that
are left. Although protected in their summer ranges and partially
safeguarded from destruction in winter by the State of Wyoming, there is
yet great danger that these herds may perish from lack of food in a
succession of severe winters. Partial provision for winter forage has
been made within the National Park, but the supply is inadequate for the
large number of animals. Further safeguards are needed to place the
Wyoming elk herds beyond the reach of winter starvation.
In addition to the wild herds, there are a considerable number of elk in
private game preserves and parks, as well as in nearly all the public
zoological parks and gardens of this country. The herds in captivity
form the nucleus from which, under wise management, some of the former
ranges of this animal may be restocked and from which a profitable
business of growing elk venison for market may be developed. At the
present time this species affords a most promising field for ventures in
breeding for profit.
_Habits of Elk._
The elk is both a browsing and a grazing animal. While it eats grasses
freely and has been known to subsist entirely upon pasture, it seems to
prefer a mixture of grass and browse.
The elk is extremely polygamous. The adult bulls shed their antlers
annually in March or April, and new ones attain their full size in about
ninety days. The "velvet" adheres until about August. While the horns
are growing the bulls usually lead solitary lives; but early in
September, when the horns are fully matured, the rutting season begins.
Fights for supremacy then take place, and the victor takes charge of as
many cows as he can round up and control. The period of gestation is
about 8-1/2 months. The female does not usually breed until the third
year, and produces but one calf at a time.
Although the elk is less prolific than the common deer and some other
species that have been bred in parks, it increases fully as rapidly as
the common red deer of Europe. Moreover, it makes up for any lack of
fecundity by its superior hardiness and ease of management. It has been
acclimatized in many parts of the world, and shows the same vigor and
hardiness wherever it has been transplanted. In Europe it has been
successfully crossed with Altai wapiti and the red deer, and in both
instances the offspring were superior in size and general stamina to the
native stock.
_Elk Venison._
The flesh of the elk, although somewhat coarse, is superior in flavor to
most venison. That of the bulls is in its best condition about the time
the velvet is shed. By the time the rut is over, in October, their flesh
is in the poorest condition. As the open season for elk is usually in
October and November, and only bulls are killed, it follows that
hunters often obtain the venison when it is poorest. The meat is not
best when freshly killed, but should be left hanging for four or five
days before it is used. Of course fat elk are better eating than lean,
and it is said that venison from castrated bulls is superior to any
other.
_Domestication of Elk._
With few exceptions the early attempts to domesticate elk were made by
men who were wealthy enough to disregard all thought of profit in
raising them. They were usually placed under the care of servants and
the bucks were left uncastrated until they became old and unmanageable.
Soon the serious problem of controlling them outweighed the novelty of
their possession, and one by one attempts at domestication were
abandoned.
A desire to preserve this important game animal has caused a renewal of
attempts to breed it in confinement, and at present there are small
herds under private ownership in many places in the United States. The
Biological Survey has recently obtained much information from owners of
herds in regard to their experience in breeding and rearing the animals,
and also their opinions as to the possibility of making the business of
raising them profitable. Of about a dozen successful breeders, nearly
all are of the opinion that raising elk for market can be made
remunerative if present laws as to the sale of the meat are modified.
[Illustration: Elk in Enclosure. Shelter in Background.]
One especially important fact has been developed by the reports from
breeders. It is that the elk readily adapts itself to almost any
environment. Even within the narrow confines of the paddocks of the
ordinary zoological park the animal does well and increases so that
periodically the herds have to be reduced by sales.
The fullest reports that have been received by the Department of
Agriculture from breeders of elk are from George W. Russ, of Eureka
Springs, Ark., through H. N. Vinall, of the Bureau of Plant Industry.
Mr. Russ has a herd of 34 elk. They have ample range in the Ozarks on
rough land covered with hardwood forest and abundant underbrush. The
animals improve the forest by clearing out part of the thicket. They
feed on buds and leaves to a height of 8 feet, and any growth under this
is liable to be eliminated if the range is restricted. If not closely
confined, elk do not eat the bark from trees, nor do they eat
evergreens. In clearing out underbrush from thickets they are more
useful than goats, since they browse higher. Goats, however, eat closer
to the ground; and as the two animals get along well together, Mr. Russ
recommends the use of both for clearing up brushy land and fitting it
for tame grasses.
The increase of elk under domestication is equal to that of cattle.
Fully 90 per cent. of the females produce healthy young. An adult male
elk weighs from 700 to 1,000 pounds; a female from 600 to 800 pounds.
The percentage of dressed meat is greater than with cattle, but, owing
to hostile game laws, experience in marketing it is very limited. An
offer of 40 cents a pound for dressed meat was received from St. Louis,
but the law would not permit its export. Mr. Russ says:
"From the fact that as high as $1.50 per pound has been paid for this
meat in New York City and Canada, and that the best hotels and
restaurants pronounce it the finest of all the meats of mammals, we are
of the opinion that if laws were such that domesticated elk meat could
be furnished it would be many years before the supply would make the
price reasonable compared with other meats. Elk meat can be produced in
many sections of this country at less cost per pound than beef, mutton,
or pork."
Mr. Russ thinks that large areas of rough lands in the United States not
now utilized, especially in localities like the Ozarks and the
Alleghanies, could be economically used to produce venison for sale,
and he regards the elk as especially suited for this purpose.
Another feature of Mr. Russ's report is of more than passing interest.
He says:
"We find from long experience that cattle, sheep, and goats can be
grazed in the same lots with elk, providing, however, that the lots or
inclosures are not small; the larger the area the better. We know of no
more appropriate place to call attention to the great benefit of a few
elk in the same pasture with sheep and goats. An elk is the natural
enemy of dogs and wolves. We suffered great losses to our flocks until
we learned this fact; since then we have had no loss from that cause. A
few elk in a thousand-acre pasture will absolutely protect the flocks
therein. Our own dogs are so well aware of the danger in our elk park
that they can not be induced to enter it."
Judge Caton, in his Antelope and Deer of America, also remarks on the
animosity of elk toward dogs, and says that the does always lead in the
chase of dogs that get into the elk park. If elk will attack and
vanquish dogs and coyotes and thus help to protect domestic animals
grazing in the same pastures, a knowledge of the fact may be of great
advantage to stockmen who desire to give up herding sheep and resort to
fenced pastures instead. The addition of a few elk in the pasture may
be an efficient protection from dogs, coyotes, and wolves. However,
outside of fenced pastures elk do not always show themselves hostile to
dogs and coyotes.
_Management of Elk in Inclosures._
Lorenzo Stratton, of Little Valley, Cattaraugus County, N. Y., began
experiments in breeding elk about sixty years ago. His plan of
management consisted essentially in taming the calves when very young
and continuing the petting process with the entire herd. He visited the
animals daily in the pasture and always carried dainties to feed them.
As the bulls became old and developed signs of viciousness, they were
castrated, younger animals being used for breeding. He thus developed a
thoroughly domesticated herd.
For economic reasons, it is not always possible to follow Mr. Stratton's
plan. Those who grow the animals for venison and in large preserves
would find it impracticable to tame all the calves. However, if elk or
deer are grown for stocking parks or private preserves, the tamer they
are the easier it will be to handle and ship them.
RANGE.--In choosing a range for elk, the natural food supply is
important. They thrive best in preserves having a variety of food
plants--grasses, bushes, and trees. Rough lands, well watered with clear
streams and having some forested area, are well adapted to their needs.
About as many elk can be kept on such a range as cattle on an equal area
of fair pasture. There should be thickets enough to furnish winter
browse, but this should be supplemented by a supply of winter forage.
FOOD.--Except when deep snows cover the ground, elk will keep in good
condition on ordinary pasture and browse; but a system of management
that provides other food regularly will be found more satisfactory. Hay
and corn fodder are excellent winter forage; but alfalfa hay has proved
to be the best dry food for both elk and deer. A little oats or
corn--whole or chopped--may be fed each day. Elk are fond of corn, and
feeding it affords excellent opportunities for winning their confidence
and taming them. The same may be said of salt, which should be furnished
liberally to all deer kept in inclosures. Running water, although not
essential, is of great importance in maintaining elk in good condition.
FENCE.--Elk are much less nervous than ordinary deer, and less disposed
to jump fences. When they escape from an enclosure they usually return
of their own accord. If tame, they may be driven like cattle.
Ordinarily, a 5-foot fence of any kind will confine elk. Henry Binning,
of Cora, Wyo., writes us that a 4-foot woven-wire fence is ample for
these animals. A small enclosure in which a vicious bull elk is to be
kept should be higher and of stronger material. Mr. Russ's report,
already partly quoted, states that where lumber for posts is cheap a
good elk fence may be built for $200 a mile. But the actual cost will,
of course, vary greatly according to style, price of labor, nearness to
market, and other circumstances.
COST OF STOCK.--The cost of stocking an elk preserve is not great.
Usually surplus stock from zoological parks or small private preserves
may be obtained at low cost, varying with the immediate demand for the
animals. At times they have sold for less than $20 a head, and with the
present restrictions on sale, low prices are likely to continue. A few
years ago T. J. Wilson, of Lewisburg, Ohio, paid $165 for three animals.
A Michigan breeder recently offered to deliver a dozen head, sex and age
not given, all fine specimens, for $500. This is, of course, a low
price, not more than cattle would bring and less than the venison would
be worth if it could be sold. If restrictions on the sale and shipment
of venison from private preserves were removed, prices of the stock
would, of course, soon advance, and necessitate a greater outlay in
starting the business.
VICIOUS MALE ELK.--The male elk is ordinarily docile, but in the rutting
season the older ones often become ill-tempered and dangerous. Several
tragedies connected with attempts to domesticate elk are matters of
history. One was recorded by Judge Caton in his Antelope and Deer of
America as having occurred in his own park. Another took place at Bull
City, Osborne County, Kans., in October 1879, and resulted in the
instant death of Gen. H. C. Bull, the mortal wounding of two other men,
and the serious injury of another, from the attacks of an infuriated
bull elk that had previously been regarded as extremely gentle.
Wild and unconfined deer and elk flee from man under nearly all
circumstances, but when wounded and closely pressed they have been known
to attack hunters. It is unlikely that, even in the rutting season, a
wild bull elk would attack a human being. But the tame or partially tame
animals that have become familiar with man are to be feared and should
not be approached in that season without extreme caution. A male elk or
deer that has once shown viciousness can not again be trusted.
The remedy for viciousness in the male elk is castration. It is unsafe
to keep an uncastrated male elk over 4 years old, unless he is in a
strongly fenced inclosure from which visitors are excluded. The effects
of castration are to make the animal docile and to greatly enhance his
value for venison. This is in accord with observed results in the
production of beef, pork, and mutton. Venison grown in domestication
under a system in which the male animals intended for slaughter are
castrated should be uniformly of the highest grade and far superior to
that obtained in the wild state during the usual open season for
hunting. This consideration is of the greatest importance in fixing the
final status of venison grown under domestication.
_Breeding the Virginia Deer._
The Virginia, or whitetail deer (_Odocoileus virginianus_) is the common
deer of the United States. Including the half dozen geographic races
that occur within our borders, it is distributed over most of the
country, except Nevada and the major portions of Utah, Arizona,
Washington, Oregon, and California. It is extinct in Delaware and
practically so in a number of States in the Middle West. South of our
borders a number of closely related species occur.
In view of the wide natural range of the whitetail deer, its
adaptability to nearly all sections of the United States can not be
doubted. Testimony as to its hardiness in parks and preserves is not so
unanimous as that concerning the wapiti; but the general experience of
breeders is that with suitable range, plenty of good water, and
reasonable care in winter, raising this deer for stocking preserves or
for venison may be made as profitable as any other livestock industry.
Not only do deer thrive on land unsuited for cattle or horses, but, like
elk, they may be raised to great advantage in brushy or timbered
pastures fully stocked with cattle or horses, as the food of deer rarely
includes grass.
Advocates of the Angora goat industry state that within the United
States there are 250,000,000 acres of land not suited to tillage or to
the pasture of horses, cattle, or sheep, which are well adapted to
goats. Much of this land is suited also to deer and elk, and can be
utilized for these animals with less injury to the forest cover than
would result from its browsing by goats.
The whitetail deer has often been the subject of experiments in
domestication. The beauty of these animals, especially the fawns,
appeals to every admirer of wild life, and early settlers of the country
soon learned how easily they could be tamed and how promptly they
attached themselves to the persons who fed them. The dangerous character
of the same pets, especially the males, when grown up was soon learned
also. It followed that the domesticating process usually ended with the
maturity of the first subject, which was soon disposed of or banished to
a safe inclosure.
The propagation of the Virginia deer has seldom been undertaken in a
systematic way. The animals have often been bred in parks for pleasure
or in large preserves for sport, but the economic possibilities in
raising them have received little attention. Recently breeders have
recognized the fact that they are profitable under proper management and
would be much more so were conditions for marketing live animals and
venison more favorable.
_Experiences of Breeders._
The Biological Survey has reports of successful experience in raising
Virginia deer from more than a dozen persons, located in different parts
of the country, who are now engaged in the business. The management of
the herds varies slightly with the surroundings and the object for which
they are kept.
Thomas Blagden, of Washington, D. C., began raising deer in 1874. After
an experience of over a third of a century he is confident that the
business can be made profitable. In his own herds he has carefully
avoided in-breeding by securing new bucks from time to time. His stock
is vigorous and of the large size characteristic of the Adirondack and
other northern deer. Consequently the animals are in demand for breeding
purposes, the bucks bringing $50 each and the does, $75. He feeds grain,
using corn and a mixture of bran and meal, and during the summer cuts as
much wild forage as possible. He finds that the animals prefer the
rankest weeds to the choicest grass. Of the various kinds of hay, they
prefer alfalfa. He provides abundant water at all times.
John W. Griggs, of Goodell, Iowa, writes that he has been engaged in
raising deer for about fourteen years. Until two years ago he sold all
his surplus stock for parks, but since then has disposed of about half
of it for venison. For park purposes he gets $20 to $30 a head, but they
bring fully as much or more when fattened for venison. As to management
of deer, Mr. Griggs writes:
"In raising a large herd the park should be divided into two or three
lots, and one plowed each year and sown to red clover, mustard, rape,
and seeds of different kinds of weeds. Bluegrass and timothy are
useless. Corn is the principal grain I feed. I feed it winter and
summer. In winter I feed also clover hay, oat straw, and weedy wild hay.
Deer when rightly handled are very prolific, and from 50 does one can
count on 75 fawns. They can be raised profitably for venison--very
profitably until overdone; but I would not advise one to go into it on a
large scale without previous experience with deer."
The report received from C. H. Roseberry, of Stella, Mo., although less
enthusiastic than others, is quoted because his herd approaches more
nearly a state of true domestication. Under date of January 13, 1908,
Mr. Roseberry wrote as follows:
"My experience in breeding the common or Virginia deer covers a period
of seventeen years, beginning in March, 1891, when, as a boy of 16, I
built a small inclosure of 1-1/2 acres to confine a single doe that was
captured as a fawn in the neighboring forest.
"A buck and other does were secured from year to year, until in 1900, by
purchase and natural increase, my herd numbered 25 head of all ages.
"From 1891 to 1901 I lost every year from disease an average of 20 per
cent. The climax came in the drought year of 1901, when my loss was 50
per cent from the disease known as "black tongue."
"I am convinced that, like cholera in swine, individuals recovering from
this disease are immune from further attack. Apparently all of my herd
were afflicted. The survivors and their progeny constitute my present
breeding stock. I have made no purchases since 1901, nor have I suffered
any loss from disease.
"For the last seven years my herd has averaged 70 per cent increase, all
of which I have sold at satisfactory prices. I began selling at $20 per
pair of fawns at 4 months of age and $30 per pair of adults. I now get
$40 and $60, respectively. I sell almost exclusively for pets and for
propagating purposes, although a few surplus bucks have been sold for
venison, averaging me 15 cents per pound gross weight.
"If we except the goat, I know of no domestic animal common to the farm
that requires so little feed and attention as the deer. My herd has a
range of only 15 acres, two-thirds of which are set to white clover,
bluegrass, and orchard grass. I provide also a small plat of wheat or
rye for winter pasture. With the above provision, in this latitude, no
feed is required between April 15 and November 15. During the rest of
the year a ration of corn, bran, or other mill feed somewhat smaller
than that required for sheep, in connection with a stack of clover or
pea hay to which they have free access, is sufficient to keep them in
good condition. Deer eat with relish nearly all of the common coarse
weeds, and for clearing land of brush they are, I think, second only to
the common goat.
"Probably the greatest expense connected with the business of raising
deer is the fencing. Another item of trouble and expense, when the
animals are raised for pets, requiring that they be handled and shipped
alive, is the fact that the fawns must be taken from the does when 10
days old and raised by hand on cow's milk. They are quite easily raised
in this way, with but slight percentage of loss, but require frequent
and careful attention for the first month. When they are allowed to run
with the does their natural wildness can not be overcome, no matter how
gentle the does may be.
"I have found the business profitable on the lines indicated. I believe
they could be profitably bred for venison alone--certainly with less
trouble and expense, since the fawns could be reared by the does and the
trouble and expense of raising by hand would be eliminated.
"My experience does not coincide with that of some other breeders in
respect to the weakening of reproductive powers of deer by the
confinement in parks. I have no barren does. Usually they produce a
single fawn at two years of age; afterwards twins, and in rare cases
triplets."
[Illustration: Tame Deer Eating Watermelon.]
_Management of Virginia Deer._
As to the management of deer little need be added to the statements from
practical breeders already given. Virginia deer are polygamous, like
cattle; the rutting season is in November; the period of gestation is
about seven months, and the fawns are born in May or June. Young does
usually breed when about 17 months old and have but one fawn the first
time; afterwards they commonly produce twins. The fawns are spotted
until the first shedding of the hair in the fall.
While deer are chiefly browsing animals, in captivity they eat nearly
every kind of vegetation, including most kinds of garden stuff. They are
fond of acorns, beechnuts, chestnuts, and other mast. Lily pads, leaves,
lichens, and mosses are freely eaten. With plenty of range and an
abundant variety of plants there need be, therefore, no apprehension
concerning the deer's food. A good supply of running water must be
provided, and the animals should have access to rock salt. If the browse
and pasturage are scant, a small ration of grain should be fed. Of the
grains, corn is generally recommended as a food; there is no waste, as
the deer pick up every grain. Coarse hay full of weeds is preferable to
timothy or other tame hays, except alfalfa. Of clover hay, deer usually
eat the blossom heads greedily, but waste the other parts. In winter
feeding is necessary everywhere, and in the northern half of the United
States shelter of some kind should be provided.
The remarks about castrating elk apply as well to the common deer. A
number of vigorous bucks, however, must be kept with any considerable
herd of does, for a single buck can not serve an unlimited number.
Frequent changes of blood by introducing new bucks should be practiced
to avoid in-breeding.
_Wild Deer in Private Game Preserves._
Individual owners, as well as associations, have established large
private preserves in many parts of the country and stocked them with
deer and other big game. The objects have been to preserve the animals
and to provide sport for the owners. In the free life under the
protected conditions generally provided, deer do remarkably well, the
increase being even more rapid than in small parks. There can be no
doubt of the success of ventures in propagating the Virginia deer under
natural conditions as wild game, as is proved by the experience of a
large number of hunting clubs and private owners.
Deer in Buckwood Park, a New Jersey preserve of 4,000 acres, belonging
to Charles S. Worthington, increased in the ten years between 1892 and
1903 from 19 to about 400 head, and the number was then lessened because
it was thought too large for the permanent sustaining capacity of the
park. The St. Louis Park and Agricultural Company have about 1,000 deer
and 400 elk in their 5,000-acre preserve in Taney County, Mo. The
Otzinachson Rod and Gun Club six years ago placed about 90 deer, mostly
does, in their 4,000 acre park in Clinton County, Pa. These have
multiplied to nearly 2,000 head, and a further increase of about a
thousand fawns is expected during the present season (1908). Doubtless
these experiences are not exceptional.
The good effect of such preserves on the supply of game in the State
should not be overlooked. While they may temporarily restrict the
hunting privileges of a few citizens, they ultimately become a source of
game supply secondary in importance only to State preserves or game
refuges. Already a number of private reserves have become overstocked,
and game has escaped or been turned over to the State to become the
property of the people. The success of private enterprise in propagating
large game in inclosures has thus become an object lesson for State game
commissioners and others, and suggests the feasibility of the State's
undertaking a similar work for the people.
GAME LAWS IN RELATION TO DEER FARMING.
The chief obstacle to profitable propagation of deer in the United
States is the restrictive character of State laws governing the killing,
sale, and transportation of game. Many of the States, following
precedent, lay down the broad rule that all the game animals in the
State, whether resident or migratory, are the property of the State. A
few States except game animals that are "under private ownership legally
acquired." A few others encourage private ownership by providing a way
in which wild animals--deer and the like--may be captured for
domestication. Generally, when private ownership of game is recognized
by law, the right to kill such game is granted, but the owner is
hampered by the same regulations as to season, sale, and shipment that
apply to wild game. One by one, however, State legislatures are coming
to recognize the interests of game propagators, and game laws are
gradually being modified in accordance with the change of view.
The chief source from which deer and elk may be obtained for stocking
preserves is from animals already in captivity. These must be
transported from place to place or there can be no commerce in them, yet
the laws of many States absolutely forbid their shipment. The laws as to
possession and transportation of deer carcasses make the shipping of
venison also illegal. General export of venison is legal from only six
of the States, and three of these have no wild deer left to protect.
The laws concerning the season for killing and the sale of deer are
often equally embarrassing to those who would produce venison for
profit. The owner of domesticated deer can not legally kill his animals
except in open season. Owners of private preserves are similarly
restricted and are limited to the killing of one or two animals in a
season. More than half the States and territories absolutely forbid the
sale of venison. A few forbid the sale of venison produced within the
State, but permit the sale of that imported from other States, a most
unjust discrimination against home industry.
The following States have recently modified their laws so as to provide,
under regulations, for the sale of deer from private preserves.
Transportation and even export are included in some of them.
ARKANSAS.--Possession, sale, and shipment of deer or fawns is permitted
when they have been raised in captivity for domestic purposes and are
accompanied by an affidavit from the raiser.
COLORADO.--Owners of private preserves under a license are permitted to
sell and ship deer or other quadrupeds that are accompanied by an
invoice. A fee is required for each animal sold.
ILLINOIS.--Any person who raises deer for market may kill and sell them
at any time in the same manner as other domestic animals.
INDIANA.--The provisions of the law as to possession and sale do not
apply to persons who have under ownership or control any deer raised in
a deer park.
MASSACHUSETTS.--The owner may sell his own tame deer kept on his own
grounds.
MINNESOTA.--Persons who desire to domesticate deer, moose, elk, or
caribou may secure a permit to do so from the State board of game and
fish commissioners by paying a fee of 50 cents for each animal in
captivity and a like fee for each animal added later by natural increase
or otherwise. The animals kept in captivity may be sold or shipped
within or without the State, by permission of the commissioners.
MISSOURI.--Deer or elk, alive or dead, may be shipped from any private
preserve and sold in the markets of the State when accompanied by a tag
furnished by the game warden of the county, showing whose property it
is, where killed and to whom shipped.
NEW HAMPSHIRE.--The Blue Mountain Forest Association may kill elk, deer,
or moose in their preserve for one month after the open season, and at
any time may transport them outside the State.
NEW YORK.--Deer may be sold during the open season; and moose, elk,
caribou, and antelope from private parks may be sold during the same
period. Common carriers may transport animals into the State for
breeding purposes, but may not transport venison unless it is
accompanied by the owner.
NORTH CAROLINA.--Seventeen counties permit the owner and keeper of an
inclosed game preserve, who raises deer for use or sale, to kill, sell,
or use those raised or kept in said inclosure.
PENNSYLVANIA.--Owners of game preserves who hold a game propagating
certificate may sell and transport deer or fawn alive for propagating
purposes only, after securing the written consent of the president of
the board of game commissioners.
In three or four other States game "under private ownership, legally
acquired," is supposed to be exempt from general provisions of the game
law; but in a test case as to its sale or export it is doubtful whether
the courts would so hold without more specific provision legalizing such
commerce.
SUMMARY.
The domestication of deer and elk offers an interesting field for
experiment, as well as remunerative returns for the investment of
capital.
The wapiti and the Virginia deer can be raised successfully and cheaply
under many different conditions of food and climate. The production of
venison and the rearing of both species for stocking parks may be made
profitable industries in the United States.
Instead of hampering breeders by restrictions, as at present, State laws
should be so modified as to encourage the raising of deer, elk, and
other animals as a source of profit to the individual and to the State.
Safeguards against the destruction and sale of wild deer in place of
domesticated deer are not difficult to enforce. For this purpose a
system of licensing private parks, and of tagging deer or carcases sold
or shipped, so that they may be easily identified, is recommended.
It is believed that with favorable legislation much otherwise waste land
in the United States may be utilized for the production of venison so as
to yield profitable returns, and also that this excellent and nutritious
meat, instead of being denied to 99 per cent of the population of the
country, may become as common and as cheap in our markets as mutton.
* * * * *
[Illustration: The above illustration shows the front cover of
Hunter-Trader-Trapper, a monthly magazine, published by The A. R.
Harding Publishing Co., Columbus, Ohio, who are also publishers of books
on Trapping and Out-o-Door Sports, bringing out new ones continually.
Their latest booklet descriptive of their magazine and books published
will be sent free upon application. See following pages.]
* * * * *
Hunter Trader Trapper
As its Name Indicates is a Magazine of Information for Hunters, Traders,
Trappers and Out-o-Door People.
If you are interested in hunting, trapping, raw furs, ginseng, raising
wild animals, taxidermy, etc., you will find this magazine of interest
and value. The magazine is published monthly and treats on the following
subjects: Steel Traps, Where and How to Set; Baits and Scents; Proper
Season to Trap; How to Skin, Stretch and Handle Furs; New Ways to
Capture Mink, Fox, Wolf, Marten, Beaver, Otter and Other Shy Animals;
Raising Fur Bearing Animals; Growing Ginseng and Golden Seal; Training
Night Hunting Dogs; Leading Fur Markets; London Raw Fur Sales; Fox
Hunting and Hounds; Coon Hunting; Letters From Old Hunters and Trappers,
etc.
The Editor is a man of long experience in handling raw furs and
trapping. The articles published and photos used are largely from those
who have had actual experience with trap, gun and dog--you will enjoy
them.
The magazine contains from 128 to 200 pages each month, averaging about
160 each month or 2000 pages a year. About 700 illustrations are used
each year. The magazine is printed on good quality paper and the
subscription price is only
$1.00 a Year
Single Copy
TEN CENTS
A. R. Harding Publishing Co., Columbus, O.
* * * * *
[Illustration: GINSENG PLANT.
Showing Root, Stock, Leaves and Seed.]
This is only one of about 75 illustrations shown in "Ginseng and Other
Medicinal Plants" as described on opposite page. The illustrations are
of actual "gardens," as well as some fifty of the most valuable
medicinal plants true to life. After reading this book and looking
closely at the illustrations you should be able to distinguish the
various plants. The paper used is of good quality so that the
illustrations are clear and distinct.
* * * * *
Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants
This book contains about 300 pages and 75 illustrations (see opposite
page for one of them) with chapters on the following: The Story of
Ginseng; Something About Ginseng; Cultivation of Ginseng; Marketing
Ginseng; Seeds and Roots; Letters From Ginseng Growers; Government
Reports; Ginseng in China; General Information; Habits of Ginseng;
Ginseng Prices; Diseases of Ginseng; Medicinal Qualities; Golden Seal
Cultivation; Plants as a Source of Revenue; List of Plants Having
Medicinal Value; Gigantic Mint Farm in Michigan.
The publishers say--A Book of Valuable Information for Growers and
Collectors of Wild Medicinal Plants--Tells How to Grow, Medicinal Uses,
Value, Etc.
Much additional information is also given about other Plants which
furnish Root Drugs, such as: Male Fern; Wild Turnip; Skunk Cabbage;
Sweet Flag; Helonias; American Hellebore; Aletris; Bethroot; Wild Yam;
Blue Flag; Lady's Slipper; Crawley Root; Canada Snakeroot; Serpentaria
(Southern Snakeroot); Yellow Dock; Pokeweed; Soapwort; Goldthread; Black
Cohosh; Oregon Grape; Blue Cohosh; Twinleaf; Mayapple; Canada Moonseed;
Bloodroot; Hydrangea; Indian Physic; Wild Indigo; Crane's Bill; Seneca
Snakeroot; Stillingia; Wild Sarsaparilla; Water Eryngo; American
Angelica; Yellow Jasmine; Pinkroot; American Colombo; Black Indian Hemp;
Pleurisy Root; Comfrey; Stoneroot; Culvers Root; Dandelion;
Queen-of-the-Meadow; Elecampane; Echinacea; Burdock.
A good photograph of each of these is shown with the description.
Considerable money can be made collecting and preparing for the market.
This book explains in detail.
Price, cloth bound, postpaid, $1.00
* * * * *
Land Cruising and Prospecting
Is a valuable book for homesteaders, hunters, trappers, guides, etc. The
writer--Mr. A. F. Wallace, an experienced surveyor, land cruiser and
prospector--in his introduction says: "To the men who follow the
compass, the trap and the trail this work is inscribed. It is not
intended for the "Professors" who can tell you all about things after
they are done (by somebody else)."
The publishers say: A book of Valuable Information for hunters,
trappers, land cruisers, prospectors and men of the trail--tells how to
locate one's self on the map, etc.
This book contains about 200 pages 5 x 7 inches, is printed on good
quality paper, with nearly 40 illustrations and contains 20 chapters as
follows:
I. Maps.
II. The Compass.
III. Examining and Locating.
IV. Early Surveys.
V. Corner Marks.
VI. Miscellaneous Information.
VII. Points for Homesteaders.
VIII. Prospecting for Gold.
IX. Sampling Ore.
X. How to Locate a Claim.
XI. Poor Man's Ore Mill.
XII. Prospecting for Fur.
XIII. Prospecting for Pearls.
XIV. Prospecting for Bees.
XV. Rations and Camp Cookery.
XVI. Camp Kits.
XVII. Guns, Axes and Pack-straps.
XVIII. Building Cabins, Tanning, Etc.
XIX. Getting Lost.
XX. The Red River Trapper.
This book is practical and may be worth many times the price to you.
Remember it is written by one who has had many, many years of
experience.
Price, Cloth Bound, Postpaid, 60 Cents
A. R. Harding Publishing Co. Columbus, Ohio
* * * * *
Bee Hunting
A BOOK OF VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR BEE HUNTERS. Tells How to Line Bees
to Trees, Etc.
_The following is taken from the Author's Introduction to BEE HUNTING_
[Illustration]
Many books on sports of various kinds have been written, but outside of
an occasional article in periodicals devoted to bee literature, but
little has been written on the subject of Bee Hunting. Therefore, I have
tried in this volume--Bee Hunting for Pleasure and Profit--to give a
work in compact form, the product of what I have learned along this line
during the forty years in nature's school room.
Brother, if in reading these pages, you find something that will be of
value to you, something that will inculcate a desire for manly pastime
and make your life brighter, then my aim will have been reached.
_The book contains 13 chapters as follows_:
I. Bee Hunting.
II. Early Spring Hunting.
III. Bee Watering--How to Find Them.
IV. Hunting Bees from Sumac.
V. Hunting Bees from Buckwheat.
VI. Fall Hunting.
VII. Improved Mode of Burning.
VIII. Facts About Line of Flight.
IX. Baits and Scents.
X. Cutting the Tree and Transferring.
XI. Customs and Ownership of Wild Bees.
XII. Benefactors and Their Inventions.
XIII. Bee Keeping for Profit.
_This book contains 80 pages, paper cover._
_Price, postpaid, only 25 cents._
A. R. Harding Pub. Co., Columbus, Ohio