II. Experience in Raising Virginia Deer* 



BY 



C. H. ROSEBERRY, StELLA, Mo. 



1KN0W of no other branch of the live-stock industry that returns 

 as great a profit in proportion to the time, labor and capital 

 invested as that of deer raising. 



My experience is limited to the Virginia white-tailed deer (Cariacus 

 virginianus) and covers a period of 19 years. Doubtless, the raising 

 of elk or wapiti would be equally profitable — perhaps more so where 

 raised for venison, owing to the greater size. 



A tract of 10, 20, or 40 acres of rough brush land, enclosed with 

 a 6J^ or 7-foot woven wire fence, with provision for a constant supply 

 of water, either natural or artificial, is the chief requisite. It is better 

 if there be dense thickets of underbrush, coarse weeds, and trees of pin 

 oak, white oak, pig hickory, chestnut, etc. The twigs, leaves, and mast 

 of these afford an abundance of natural food as well as shelter and seclu- 

 sion. 



It is also desirable to have a plat of three or four acres of tillable 

 land on which to sow rye or wheat for winter pasture. 



Ag the underbrush is gradually killed out, as it will be as the herd 

 increases in numbers, unless the range is quite extensive, white clover 

 and orchard grass may be sown for summer forage. 



In the latitude of southwestern Missouri, feeding is not necessary 

 between April 1 and November 1. For the rest of the year a stack of 

 cowpea or clover hay to which the deer have free access, supplemented 

 by a light ration of corn and bran or other mill feed in severe weather, 

 is sufficient. 



Do not feed too heavily of shelled corn. If gorged with it, the 

 results are often fatal. 



If it is desired to raise venison it is, of course, not necessary that 

 the fawns be accustomed to handling while young in order to tame 

 them. But if raised for sale as breeding stock, requiring that they be 

 handled and shipped alive, it is necessary to take the fawns from the 

 does when they are ten days old and raise them by hand on cow's milk. 



This, of coursie, involves a great deal more trouble and expense than 

 to let the fawn run with the doe; hence the price received for breeding 

 stock is proportionately greater than that received for the venison car- 

 cass. For example, a yearling dressed for market may weigh 60 pounds 

 net, and could be profitably sold for 25 cents a pound, or $15; whereas 



*From the American Breeders' Association Report, 1909. 



