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Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Okay, I just don't understand this, and I read and re-read this article. With a gazillion deer already roaming not just rural areas, but cities and suburbs, why the heck would anyone need to raise deer in a farm setting??? I mean can't anyone who's a reasonably decent shot just go into the woods (with the proper permit, of course) and come back with a winter's worth of venision? I just don't get it. The article delves into a little detail, like the deer are being bred for their antlers or for hunters. I think if I were a hunter I'd be embarrassed to brag about bagging a buck that was raised on a farm when there are so many roaming the woods. Some Amish are very business saavy, while others aren't (just like non-Amish). A bunch of Amish got snookered by a pigeon-breeding scheme last year. This deer-raising business seems a little questionable to me.....anyone have any thoughts?
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
My son-in-law is from Canada and told me once that only the Indians are permitted to ice fish in Canada in the winter. I find that odd. (He didn't explain why!) Paula, do you know the reasoning behind that? ~Diann
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
There are other uses for deer farms besides just the meat. Someone mentioned "indians" in Canada being able to shoot out of season. However "Indians/Natives" better not do off of tribal land on the US side w/out a hunting license. Not all Natives live in the country and have access to deer but there is a huget market on the Native American "powwow trail" for deer antlers, skins, and sinew that most people are unaware of. You can make handles, and buttons and things out of them. The sinew can be used to hold just about anything together. The skins can be used for traditional style clothing and there is a whole category of traditional dance where it has to be buckskin since there is a separate category for "traditional cloth."
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Status Indians (and Metis I think) are allowed to hunt anywhere, any time up here. Farmers around here (us included) sometimes have a native hunter come in if there is a bear problem in the corn -so dangerous (not to mention destructive). The people around Ottawa have actually held a "deer hunt" out of season because it's so dangerous driving and the deer are so numerous. They called in the local Band because they couldn't get gov't approval.
Paula
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Paula,
Pretty interesting the differences in how Canada & the US deal w/tribal sovereignty and hunting. By Status "Indians" I'm assuming you mean those who are enrolled in according to their tribe and Canadian laws? We called it "carded Indians" here in the states. It gets interesting especially with tribes that live on both sides of the border but the rules change depending on where they're at even those it's the same tribe. Like the Cree of Montana and the Cree of Saskatchewan, same folks but different regulations w/the tribe having bands on both sides of the border. I'm familar w/the Metis. It's pretty smart of the people in Ottawa to call the tribe to help thin out the deer population. If that was done here it would start getting "ugly" to say the least. I can't imagine the jail sentence for anyone Native or otherwise caught shooting a bear w/out a license specifically for bears. I know they would be looking at federal time not just state charges.
Thanks for sharing how its done in Canada especially w/people no longer buying huge sides of meat to freeze. Is that because of economics or did the trend just change on it's own with different generations?
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Hi Moonstruck
Yes, a "carded Indian" is likely the same. A status Indian is an "official" Indian that usually lives on the Reserve and is entitled to all the money. etc that the government provides, as opposed to a person who is just of Indian descent (does that make sense, I don't want to talk about full or half blood). The people in Ottawa did it more as a protest than anything. They were fed up with the numerous car/deer collisions (daily) that were going on and the gov't doing nothing. Initially they threatened to have the hunt themselves, but the city of Ottawa really hates farmers so they would be tossed in jail real fast. So they went with the Indians doing for them. Same effect just less jail :)
Bears are such a problem up here and they do so much damage. They get in the cornfields, sit themselves down and just start rolling around knocking down the corn (sort of like crop circles). I worry about DH so much because it's the time of year he likes to wander through the fields to see how it's coming along. The corn makes so much noise you can actually sneak up on a bear -not a good thing.
It seems so many people don't have big chest freezers any more. I don't really think it's economics (they certainly aren't downsizing their tvs). I think it's more people don't have/won't take the time to cook for themselves anymore. They seem to think cooking is too hard or takes too long. Everyone wants the "meals in minutes" type roasts and meals. I don't get it, with all these fancy ovens these days, you can just pop in a roast before you leave for work and tell it when to come on and be ready when you get home. It doesn't help that there are so few women that are happy to be a keeper of the home.
Paula
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Paula,
We have a chest freezer, it's a smaller one, what we could afford at the time. I wish it were bigger! It doesn't take much to fill it. We don't purchase sides of meat, but we do buy bulk freezer items at Costco. We are in a busy stage with our children, dance and Tae Kwon Do are in the evenings, so I fill it with things like premade meatballs and a few other items that can be made into a meal quickly. I also break down other bulk items like packages of tortillas, luncheon meats and bulk shredded cheese. This helps reduce the number of trips to the grocery store, I certainly don't have the time to be running around for supplies all the time!
I too, find it disconcerning that women are not happy just being keepers at home too. I love it and would not trade my homemaker, homeschool child rearing job for anything! Here in the 'burbs I'm really an odd duck! I read your posts usually with an, Amen, you truly are a Sister after God's own heart!!!
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:5
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
KJunebug
I've noticed too that we are often of the same frame of mind :) I too would not trade being home for all the money in the world. I used to work for a stockbroker in Toronto, before getting married. I tell my DH that he's my knight in shining armour for getting me out of there. It's funny how women think it's terrible that I am submissive/obedient to my husband but think nothing of how obedient they must be to their bosses. My DH would never speak to me the way my boss did and he certainly would never throw pencils, stapler or piles of paper at me (all true). Paula
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Rachel and I actually have a freezer chest in our basement, it came with the home we bought....We've never used it, but, to the best of my knowledge, it works....I think one time the power went out for an extended period of time, the ice inside the freezer melted and it just got all mildewy inside....So now it just sits unplugged in a dark corner of our basement, and to be honest, I'm too chicken to open it...haven't opened it in a couple of years...I just imagine it being some awful petri-dish cesspool....Um...if it works can a mildewy freezer be rehabilited? Is there an easy way to get such a freezer clean again or does it just take a lot of elbow grease?
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Bleach kills everything, that's why you find it even in your dishwasher soap. Spread the dishwasher soap around the inside and let it sit for a while. You can then wash the inside out. Use an old toothbrush to clean out the corners and creases found around the door. If this doesn't kill all of the black mold, do it again. Time, old toothbrush, rags and dishwasher soap will do the trick. (FYI I've even used dishwasher soap on toliet seats to get rid of those 'you know what' stains).
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Please be careful. Bleach can be very dangerous (and fatal) if mixed with the wrong detergents. Be sure to check and make sure they can be safely mixed. Some actually say not to mix them. There's been many a dairy farmer who've given themselves "chemical pneumonia" from mixing cleaners and some have died (dropped on the spot).
I would suggest a new freezer too (if you can afford it). It's just the easier and safer way. Paula
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Ah but again I'm saying to use dishwasher detergent, it has a safe amount of bleach already in it. It's also great for stains on counter tops!!
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I realize you said dishwasher detergent, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't just a "language" difference (like pop/soda). So many people just aren't careful enough when using chemicals. Paula
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
That is a good question. Sounds like you might need a hazmat suit to even open it up. Once it is open, you could clean it with a vinegar and water solution, or some baking soda. My guess is that you probably cannot get out/kill all the mold spores. So junking it might be best. Our little chest freezer was reasonably priced at Sears. I think it cost between 150 & 200. It is a Kenmore brand, a brand that has been around a long time and is trusted. We have had ours for about a year and a half, I defrosted it after our trip this year, as we had emptied it before we left.
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:5
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
I think it is true that deer season is for only a short time. Some farmers are taking advantage of out of state hunters and use their land as controlled hunting. You can't hunt on the ground unless you pay. They do this especially with pheasants .They release pheasants out before the hunters come so that they are pretty much guaranteed to get some birds . I believe they up the number of deer that you can shoot because the deer are getting to be such a problem here .
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
There are certainly plenty of deer BUT, they're on private land. If you don't own land with a deer population or don't belong to a hunting club, your're out of luck. There are lots of city dwellers that like to hunt.
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Hi Kevin
I don't know about in the US, but deer season is only 2 weeks long (unless you are Indian or a farmer shooting a "nusance deer"), and most folks don't get one. There are a number of deer/elk/??? farms in Ontario. The main reason for these farms isn't to supply whole deer to a hunter, but to supply various "cuts" of meat to the consumer, a lot like we do with our farmgate sales. Most people these days don't have huge chest freezers and don't buy wholes or halves anymore they just want meat as they need it (and will fit in their fridge freezer).
Paula
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
I live 80 miles southwest of Dodge City. when did you come? I got hooked with Lovina's weekly news from the Dodge city globe several years ago. When I found this site I quit reading dodge globe news and automatically click this site. I donated to it help keep it running. Bought your book so I do hope this will run for many more years. Do they still carry her weekly writing in the dodoge city globe?
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Thank you for your support, Irk, I think the column will be around for a long time...stay tuned for some good news soon....I was last in Dodge about two years ago, I just love it there... And, yes, the Globe does still carry the column
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
Restaurants or meat markets are NOT allowed to sell "wild" meat -- it must come from a licensed source (e.g.-the deer farm). The reason is public health/sanitation regulations -- do you want to be eating road-kill?
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Fair enough. I think BK's explanation about not wanting "gamey" tasting meat makes the most sense, so this is just farm-raised venision which is a more succulent, juicier less "wild-tasting" meat....Still seems strange with the overabudance of deer in this world, but, thanks for the explanation!
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There used to be a deer farm about 7 miles from our home, and around the corner was a buffalo farm. The deer farm is a neighborhood, the buffalo farm is mostly likely going to become a shopping center. The land values was just too much for livestock farming. I'm pretty sure that the deer were raised for meat.
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:5
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
I don't think it would be called hunting. Maybe "Getting".
Let's go GET a deer.
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Deer farms are quite common in the Shipshewanna area some are owned by Amish and some are owned by others. Their purpose is obvious, trophy bucks, venison and hides. Melba
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
There is no need to have any deer farms in western kansas because the deer are so thick that they are getting hit by car or pickup. I know last year I hit one with our car and 2 weeks later my husband hit one with his pickup. . We had a neighbor try raising elk and spent a lot of money putting in a fence high enough they couldn't get out . They had plans of selling the meat to the stores and restaurants but hardly anyone would buy them so they had to give that idea up.
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Hey, Irk, where in western Kansas are you? I've been to Dodge City two or three times and just love that part of the state.....
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift... that's why they call it the present."
Some people around here raise them as a hobby, like a pet. They may raise them for the meat, which would be prized in certain (probably high-end) restaraunts because it is tender and very lean. There are people out there who collect and pay big bucks (pun intended) for large, trophy-sized racks.
My uncle recently sold his land and home to a man who owns many acres of surrounding land where he lives in rural MO. This man has the land fenced and rents it out to celebrities and big-spenders for hunting trips. Regular, honest-to-God hunting is sort of hit and miss. The guys may sit out there for 12+ hours and not see a thing. If you do see one, you have to get a good, unobstructed shot to actually get a chance at hitting it.
Re: Um...Amish Deer Farms??
My son's ex-girlfriend's family raised deer too. They sold them to places like the zoos and wild life parks for the 'meat eater's' dinner. They also sold them to some people who wanted the deer meat to eat but they didn't like the 'gamey' taste of the wild deer (see our previous thread about this). They had a pen that had 10 feet fencing and talked about some of the deer jumping it not so much to get out, but some bucks getting in to the breeding does
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