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Deer Farmers’ Digest Newsletter |
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May 2000 - Vol. 1, Issue 5 Welcome to the MAY 2000 edition of The Deer Farmers' Digest, a monthly electronic newsletter published by Deerfarmer.com - The Deer Farmers' Information Network. A copy of ALL the issues of this Digest can be found at http://digest.deerfarmer.com Please feel free to forward the Deer Farmers' Digest to other interested people. To ADD or REMOVE your name from our mailing list, please see Subscription Services below. IN THIS ISSUE 1. Getting the most from discussion forums 1. GETTING THE MOST FROM DISCUSSION FORUMS Soon after we set up Deerfarmer.com in the fall of 1998, we started getting e-mails with questions about deer farming. Rather than having to answer each question separately, we looked at some means to publish the questions and answers so that we did not have to continually answer the same questions. We established our "Ask the Expert" section on the website. This worked reasonably well but required the poor Webmaster (me) to manually code and post the questions and answers. There had to be a better way! Since we were using FrontPage anyway, I discovered that it had the capability to set up a discussion web. This would automate the postings and replies. So in September of 1999, we set up the Discussion Forum as part of Deerfarmer.com. We moved the postings from the "Ask the Expert" section to get discussions started. The Forum was a success with regular postings and responses, not only from our moderators, but from other deer farmers as well. The Discussion Forum became the second most visited section (after Classified Ads) of the website. However, we quickly became victims of our own success. As the number of postings approached 500, the Discussion Forum became very slow, and frequently would not work properly. The reason, I discovered, is that because of the way that FrontPage works, it has trouble managing webs with over 500 files. Well, Deerfarmer.com has several thousand files because each forum posting results in at least 2 files. Clearly changes were required! The first step was to find some off-the-shelf commercial discussion forum software that would do the job. I looked at literally hundreds of potential programs. Thankfully, there are a couple of websites that list and evaluate "groupware" software. Once I had narrowed it down to about a dozen candidates, I took a look at websites using that software. There were certain things I was looking for - it had to be simple to use, it had to be stable and responsive with a large number of postings, it had to have good management features and it had to be affordable. I settled on Discus Pro from Discusware ( http://www.discusware.com ). It appeared to have all the features that I wanted, and yet was affordable (the basic version is free, while the commercial version is only $99). It was being used by over 20,000 sites and had really good support information. It still took me a few tries to get it installed and working. (This is due to me not reading or following instructions). Next I moved most of the previous postings from the old Discussion Forum. I have set up the Discussion Forum on its own website at http://www.deerforum.com It is still linked directly to Deerfarmer.com, but has more space and flexibility. Eight forums were set up to cover the major topics. This will make postings and reading more manageable. Discus is a powerful program. You can read and post as you have done before without bothering to register. However, you can obtain an account with userid and password to access some of the more advanced features. Registration can be done instantly right at the site by clicking on the "Edit Profile" link. Once you have an account, you can have Discus e-mail you new postings in one or all of the 8 discussion forums (not just a notification, but the entire posting). Also with an account, you can search for all postings you have not read yet. Another easy way to find new postings is to click on "Last Day" or "Last Week". Discus is the only software that I was able to find that allowed advanced formatting (albeit using its own unique structure and code). This allows better organization and structure of the posts. You can even add images to your postings. Discuss has an extensive tutorial and instructions with it. Please take the time to learn its features so you can be more efficient and effective in your use of the Deerfarmer forums. The Discussion Forums are part of the "knowledge management" (KM) services provided by Deerfarmer.com. The various questions, answers and discussions are part of a knowledge database on deer farming. As time goes on (and even now), the Discussion Forums will become a significant knowledge and information resource on the various aspects of raising deer behind wire. The tools (e.g., search) available at the website make it easy to find the answers and data you need. So how do you get the maximum value from Deerforum.com and other discussion forums? Discussion Forums can serve two important purposes in your deer farming business: a) research and b) marketing. Here are some tips and suggestions about both applications. Our research shows that other deer farmers are the most valued and used source of information on deer farming. Therefore, Discussion Forums are a great place to get answers and information. The technology allows you to connect with hundreds of deer farmers all around the world - easily, and at your own convenience. To get the best information we suggest: 1. Look before you ask. Do a search of the postings to see whether your question(s) has already been answered. This can be done by browsing the topics in the relevant forums, or by using Search. 2. Post your question in the right forum. This will ensure that a moderator or someone familiar with the topic will see it. If a related question has already been asked, but does not completely give you the information you want, post a clarification question under that topic. This helps keep similar topics together and makes it easier for other people to get the information they need. 3. Be specific and reasonable. It is very difficult to answer a question such as, "what do I need to know to get into deer farming?" That type of information is available on Deerfarmer.com and other deer sites. Also, it is not reasonable to expect a moderator or another deer farmer to take all that time to tell you everything you need to know. However, if you ask a very specific question, you are likely to get one or more good answers. 4. Be critical. In the deer farming industry, as in most others, there may not be one correct answer. People are expressing their opinions, and relating their own experiences. This does not mean it will work for you. Discussion Forums should not be considered a replacement for situations where professional advice - legal, financial or veterinary - is required. Deerfarmer.com is not liable for the results of any advice given in the Discussion Forums. 5. Provide contact information. I strongly recommend you provide your real name and an e-mail (or other contact information). Some people may not be comfortable in posting an answer but would be more than happy to send you a private e-mail or phone you with some great advice or suggestions. 6. Be patient and thankful. You may not get an answer to your question within a day or so. It may be that no one visiting the forums has an answer. Remember that there are other Internet sources, universities, government resources that you may have to use. If someone does provide you with useful or valuable advice, be sure to send them a thank-you e-mail. 7. Contribute and share. Do not wait for someone to ask a question to share your knowledge and expertise. Remember our concept of the Discussion Forums is one of a knowledge database. Therefore, we all must contribute to "populating" (don't you just love all these computer terms) the database. So if you have found a way to keep bird droppings out of your deer feeders, post your solution! I plan to use the Discussion Forums as an information repository (not suppository) for news, announcements, research findings and so on. We all benefit if you contribute and share as well. The second important (but often less recognized) use of Discussion Forums is marketing. Commercial on-line services such as the AOL and CompuServe prohibit direct advertising in forums other than in designated areas, or sending unsolicited electronic-mail messages that contain any advertising or solicitation for goods or services to discussion group members. This is also holds for the forums at Deerforum.com. Other than the Vendors forum, where "infommercials" are permitted, we strongly discourage blatant advertising in the other Discussion Forums. However, there are ways you can do some effective marketing on forums if you follow these suggestions: 1. Do respect the rules against solicitation, but learn how you can legitimately market on-line within these limits. When you respond to forum messages in your area of expertise or ask questions of your own, be sure to mention your name and business in the text of the message, or at the end. If you're asked for more information about your business, including prices, it's legitimate to provide either in a public forum message or private mail - but only if you are asked first. 2. Do offer constructive and substantive information in forum messages, and you'll soon be known as the forum's expert on that topic. Other forum members are likely to refer inquiries and questions to you. 3. Do develop a friendly and outgoing forum personality. Be polite and pleasant. 4. Do remember there are many people in forums who are "lurking" - just reading messages but not participating. You will receive private e-mails from some of these folks asking for information on your business. 5. Do know that the marketing experts say people need to hear about a name or business seven times before they feel comfortable taking action. Developing a strong forum presence is a good way to make the seventh time arrive sooner. 6. Do use your real name and provide contact information. The culture of Discussion Forums and chat rooms has been to use fictitious names or "handles." However, here you are networking and trying to establish an awareness and credibility of your deer farm. Using your real name, your farm/ranch name and providing contact information (e-mail, phone and website) on every post is a good way to do this. 7. Answer your e-mail and customer inquiries. If people are asking for more information about your products and services, send it to them; otherwise you and your deer farm will lose credibility. The successful deer farmers use a wide range of tools to manage and market their businesses. Discussion Forums are one of these powerful tools. Are you using them to get the maximum benefits for your deer farming business? 2. A SEARCH FOR WHITE DEER SKINS My name is Jonathan Brooks and I am looking for deer skins from white or albino native American deer. My family is Hupa, Yurok and Karuk Indians living in northern California. The deer skins are needed to replace existing ones that are estimated to be 400 to 500 years old! The white deer skins are used in our most religious ceremonies. The ceremony itself is what people now call a "world renewal" ceremony. It lasts from 5 to 10 days at different locations around the Klamath and Trinity Rivers here in northern California. We believe that the ancestors are present at these ceremonies, and that if the ceremony is done right and people participate with good feelings, then the upcoming year or two will be pretty good with plenty to eat and no major calamities. I've heard that the white deer are used as they were the first creatures created on this world. They are also very rare. The people who put on these ceremonies, and the medicine people, have inherited the right and responsibility to do so, so not just anyone can put one on. My wife's family is responsible for the deerskin dance at the old Karuk village of Tshunik along the Klamath River in Humboldt County. The village site and dance grounds were washed away by the miners in the 1800's with their big hydraulic water canons. What was left was the slag, just rocks mainly. Later, a man built a lumber mill on the site. That was washed away in the big flood of 1964. That flood also deposited a lot of soil, so now the dance grounds are pretty nice again. Last August, we got the okay from the landowner to put on the first ceremony there since about 1900, and hope to do one every other year from now on. Over the years, we have helped out other people with their ceremonies at other locations, and they in turn, help us out. I hear that the down river Yurok Indians are planning to have a deerskin dance this year, for the first time in maybe 100 years, and we will be there to help out. So gradually, these ceremonies are coming back. We are thankful that a few were kept going over the years so that the ceremony was continued, even though it was not in as many places as before. The ceremony is done outside, and the albino deer are held out on fir poles while a singer sings and the other participants keep time. There are a lot of other regalia used to outfit the participants, but the main thing is the deer. These are the entire hide, from head to hoof, which are brain tanned and trimmed out with red woodpecker scalps, feathers, shells and beads. One part of the ceremony is to dress the dancers and put them in redwood dugout boats along with the deerskins. Then, they sing and keep time while they get paddled down the river about a half mile or so to the dance grounds. This is pretty impressive to see and hear, and it's kind of a happy, joyous part of the ceremony, with lots of visiting going on and people socializing in a relaxed way while they watch. Younger people run along the banks to follow the boats as they go down the river. People say if the boats turn over or someone falls out there will be some bad luck coming. I've never seen it happen though. Quite a bit of the regalia was taken by soldiers in the early days, and sent off to museums or wherever. Some Indians sold or traded things to traders, for food or other things they needed to live, as traditional ways of living were destroyed. Also, the miners would burn out whole villages, so a lot of regalia was lost that way too. Since then, after people started to get along, Indian people have been gradually getting and making newer stuff for replacements. I've heard of a white man shooting a white deer back in the 1880's, who then sold it to a Karuk headman. It was shot just before the ceremonies, and was used without any tan or trim, still raw, the first time right after it was shot. So, I figure it must have been a pretty big deal to use it that way. The next deer I know of was shot by an Indian right after WWII, with another in the 1960's. So, that's only three deer over the last 120 years or so. There are probably a few others, but as far as I know there are only about 25 to 30 white deer skins around in total. Many of these are very old, maybe 400-500 years old or even older. We just don't really know. Even more rare is a black deer skin. I've only seen one of these, and as far as I know, there are only two in existence. Not really black, but a very dark gray color. Basically, any deer that is not a typical color can be used, with some just very pale but not quite white in appearance. No piebald style deer are used, but some kind of white ones with light brownish patches are. Every so often, I hear of a non-Indian that will shoot an albino deer, but most often they will have the head mounted so the hide part is not really usable for us. Some people have talked about using the fallow deer or sika deer, but it doesn't seem quite right to use the non-native, non-albino deer in this ceremony. I think these are just white colored, from Europe or Asia. We use a lot of the modern conveniences and materials in the regalia, like thread, scissors, cloth, glue, and other stuff, and also use modern camping gear when we stay out at the dance grounds. That's something we talk about a lot, where does using something other than the old materials and methods start to take away from the meaning of the ceremonies. Many of the things that were used, like some of the feathers, are now illegal due to the environmental laws. So we do the best we can to keep the older things, but still live in the modern world that we are in. Seems like all people in this world are struggling with this same type of thing, not just Indians. But the deerskins themselves, it just seems better that they should be a species native to the US. That's why we wanted to get some newer native deer hides. We prize the old ones, but are afraid that with use they will get worn out sooner or later. Some of the real old ones are already starting to fall apart or lose a lot of their hair. With new hides, we can bring out the old ones only for the last, most important day of the ceremony, and make them last that much longer. The best deer are yearlings, as older deer get so big they make heavy and hard to handle. We could use a few fawns, but prefer yearlings. Light colored hooves are best. We can't afford to pay the prices I've seen for white deer on the hoof. However, if a white or albino deer is being culled or dies accidentally, we would be willing to buy the hide. If you can help, please e-mail me at brooksap@humboldt1.com or phone me at 707-822-1341. 3. THE INS AND OUTS OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION [This article was written by Russell Sawchuk based on notes taken at Dr. Martin Wenkoff's presentation on AI at the Alberta White-tail and Mule Deer Association Convention and from Dr. Harry Jacobson's presentation at the NADeFA conference in Oklahoma City.] Within the last two years, there has been a significant growth in interest and use of artificial insemination (AI) in the white-tailed deer farming industry. There is even a website (http://deerfarmer.net/Extreme ) dedicated to selling white-tailed deer semen. Why the interest? There are good reasons why the use of AI has increased: 1. Access to genetics from superior bucks - the current market pays a premium for high scoring B&C bucks. The fastest way to improve your herd genetics is to breed with high scoring bucks. 2. Greater convenience and fewer obstacles in using semen - breeding your does naturally with the best bucks is not always possible. There are a host of regulatory and logistical problems to overcome. Using semen from superior bucks makes breeding much easier. 3. Improved technologies and knowledge - we now have individuals and companies that are experienced in both extracting semen and doing artificial insemination. Processing and storage technologies and facilities have improved and are accessible to most deer farmers. Workshops are being offered by experts so that you can learn how to do the insemination yourself (see Section 6 below). 4. Economic and revenue reasons - selling semen at $500 to $1,000 per straw is an attractive way to significantly increase your deer farming revenues and profits. Artificial insemination started in the deer industry with the freezing of elk semen in 1986. It came about due to pressures to improve certain traits in the animals, e.g., velvet production. White-tailed bucks are usually darted to draw the semen. This can be done every 7 or 8 days for up to 6 to 7 times until as late as mid February. However, great care must be taken as the darting is stressful and hard on the bucks. Some 20 to 180 straws (average 70) of semen can be obtained from yearlings, and 70 to 275 straws (average 125) from adult bucks. The semen must be collected, processed, handled and stored properly. If frozen under proper conditions, it will last indefinitely. The does are inseminated using the semen during the breeding season. The prime time is November 15 to December 10. The does can either be held in a deer handler, or tranquilized. The doe must be in heat. Estrous can either be chemically induced, or the doe is watched until she comes into heat naturally. One straw of semen is usually sufficient. Despite its advantages, there are certain risks associated with the use of AI, both for the sellers and buyers. For producers of the semen, the risks are: 1. Bucks may die from being darted for semen extraction. I personally know of at least 4 cases of where quality bucks have died. Since semen is typically drawn from your best bucks, this could be a significant loss. 2. The economic potential may be illusionary. Based on the data provided above, it should be possible to obtain up to 1,500 straws (250 x 6) from one adult buck. At a $1,000 per straw, this could potentially result in $1.5 million in revenues - not bad! However, if we take that one step further and say that 500 deer farmers are selling 1,500 straws of deer semen, this makes for a supply of 750,000 straws of white-tailed deer semen. Now, we all know that there are nowhere near that many farmed white-tailed does in all of North America! 3. A potential loss of credibility and consumer confidence. There is no guarantee that the off-spring of your best buck will inherit his traits. As indicated in last month's Digest, the probability that some traits will be passed on is quite low. All your buyers may not understand this and may accuse you of misrepresentation or false advertising, and refuse to do any more business with you. 4. There will be significant costs associated with hiring the people and facilities to extract, process, store and deliver the semen. If you are a buyer of semen, here are the risks you face. 1. There is no guarantee that the traits will be passed by the buck to the offspring. Even worse, the industry has not established any EPD (Expected Progeny Differences) so there are no objective measures of the buck's ability to pass on his traits. 2. According to Dr. James Kroll, the conception rate for AI is in the range of 38% to 68%. You could be wasting some pretty expensive semen. 3. Stress affects conception rate; does under stress can lower conception rate to as low as 20%. Tranquilized does have better conception rates - up to 65%. Bottle-fed does also suffer less stress from handling. 4. Chemical or drug synchronization does not work very well as there is great variation in estrous times. If you are going to catch does in their natural cycle, this will take a lot of careful observation and work. 5. The quality of semen is very difficult to measure; motility does not necessarily equal fertility. It is only one measure. 6. How can you be sure that the buck's semen you purchased is the one you have received? You can't - unless you have DNA with which to compare the offspring. 7. If you are ordering semen from a faraway buck, how do you know the described traits of the buck are accurate and truthful? For example, there is a natural human tendency to exaggerate the B&C scores of the bucks. 8. Unless you really know what you are doing, you will have to hire someone to AI your does. No doubt the use of AI will continue to increase in the deer farming industry. Semen sellers will have to take extra steps to establish their credibility and reputations. This means being completely truthful about the buck's traits. It also means putting in place no-hassle guarantees to protect and increase confidence in the buyers. The industry as a whole needs to get its act together and establish EPDs. Semen buyers need to be careful buyers. Stick with reputable sellers who are willing to guarantee their semen, and are willing to provide you with DNA marker scores should you want to confirm the sire. Be realistic in your expectations knowing that the passing on of certain traits is based on probability. 4. CHALLENGES TO DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE DEER FARMING INDUSTRY In 1998, Kaji Kado completed a study on specialty livestock for the Canada-Saskatchewan Agri-Food Innovation Fund. This study identified a number of significant challenges and obstacles facing developing alternative livestock industries including deer farming. Here is my summary of some of the issues identified by Mr. Kado. 1. The industry is too capital intensive. Producers have to invest a lot of money to get breeding stock. In addition, considerable investment is required for fencing, equipment and facilities. In some places (e.g., Alberta and Saskatchewan), this is becoming a major barrier-to-entry and is slowing the growth of the deer industry. 2. Industry infrastructure does not exist. Other than in the case of bison, in which existing livestock infrastructure is usable, most production and marketing infrastructure has yet to be created to support deer farming. 3. There are no production standards, weights or conformation. This is extremely difficult in an industry that starts with a breeding stock frenzy. Almost everyone appears to be interested in breeding any females to any males just to increase numbers. Little concern is being paid to size, conformation, rate of growth, and especially to the fact that the livestock will eventually have to be marketed as meat, fiber of hides. 4. Farmers and non-farmers jointly participate in the industry. In many ways, this is a first for agriculture. It is the first time in which many non-farmers have joined with farmers to develop an industry. While it is good to have outsiders bring new equity into agriculture, it has also brought misunderstanding, instability and discontent. 5. Production units are generally too small. Most producers have sufficient livestock numbers to make their operation more than a hobby, but insufficient to make it a business that would require investment in infrastructure and management. Most producers are only dabbling. Few producers are at a stage where they have production economies in feed purchase, haulage, etc. 6. Production has not specialized. Current producers are trying to do everything themselves. This is not the case in mature industries such as cattle and hogs. 7. Farmgate selling not an adequate way to develop an industry. Many producers are selling a considerable portion of their product themselves. While it is adequate for an individual, it is no basis for an industry. 8. Marketable volumes have been too small. There is inadequate venison production to supply even small markets. Where venison is available, meat managers complain about unavailability of requested volumes, lack of selection and inconsistent quality due to lack of grading standards. 9. Producer associations are not strong. Many associations don't have the funding or resources to provide strong leadership, programs or support to their members. This in turn makes it difficult to attract and keep members, and thus represent and speak for the industry. 10. Transportation is a problem. Because of the nature of animals, transportation to, and handling at, slaughter facilities have to be refined to preserve the quality of the meat. More research needs to be undertaken in this area. In addition to Mr. Kado's observations, here are several additional issues I see facing the deer industry. 11. Lack of financing. Deer farming is considered a high-risk venture by financial institutions. Therefore, lenders require a considerable amount of owner equity and investment in the business before lending money. This obviously is a major obstacle to new farmers entering the industry, and for existing farmers to expand. 12. Jurisdictional obstacles. Deer farming is regulated by the provinces and the states. They all have different laws and regulations. This makes the movement of deer across borders difficult, and in some cases impossible. 13. Market saturation. At some point the market for breeding animals and trophy hunt bucks will be saturated. How soon this will happen, no one knows. Fortunately, potentially significant huge markets exist for venison and value-added products. However, as an industry, we better start developing those markets now! I once had a client tell me he didn't want to hear about the problems he had - he already knew he had problems. What he wanted to hear were solutions to his problems! Unfortunately, I don't have any quick solutions to the challenges described above. It will take the combined efforts of individual deer farmers, deer associations, universities and governments to guide the industry towards sustainability and maturity. Let's get started! NADeFA's Cervid Livestock Foundation will host its 4th Annual Summer Deer Farming Seminar on August 5, 2000 in Indiana, Pennsylvania USA. The program chairmen, Dave Griffith, Whitetail Ridge Trophy Game Ranch, Huntingdon, PA, and Tom Morgan, Birchwood Whitetail Deer Farm, Union City, PA, will offer both an introductory and advanced track. The basic section will cover general start-up procedures such as handling facilities, animal health, fencing and marketing your end product. Preliminary plans for the advanced track include TB testing, record keeping and herd accreditation; the Foundation will post the program as it is confirmed. The evening of August 5th will feature NADeFA's Cervid Livestock Foundation's 3rd Annual Panache d'Or Venison Cooking Competition and Banquet. The Competition is pursuing sanction by the American Culinary Federation to raise both its caliber and marketability. The Foundation extends Banquet invitations to all Summer Seminar attendees and their guests. To find more information on attending the Summer Seminar or sending a chef to the Panache d' Or, please contact the NADeFA at 9301 Annapolis Rd. #206, Lanham, MD 20706, 301-459-7708, fax 301-459-7864, or email info@nadefa.org Here is a list of upcoming events of interest to deer farmers. CHEMICAL IMMOBILIZATION OF ANIMALS, 16 hour multiple-species workshops by Safe-Capture International will be held on May 16-17 at the Holiday Inn, Orangeburg (Near NY City). For a complete list and more information, contact Safe-Capture International atsafecaptur@aol.com or visit their website at http://safecapture.com or phone (608) 767-3071. THE TEXAS DEER ASSOCIATION REGION 3 MEETING will be held at the Grimes Ranch on May 20. Call J.N. Grimes at 903-586-3648 for more information. THE TEXAS DEER ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONVENTION will be held on September 8 and 9, 2000 at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel on the River Walk. For more information visit the TDA website at http://www.texasdeerassociation.com WORKSHOPS AT MORGAN'S BIRCHWOOD DEER FARM in Pennsylvania. Artificial insemination of white-tailed deer on Oct. 19, 2000, Chemical immobilization of deer on Oct. 20, 2000 and Advanced Hoofstock Immobilization on Oct. 21, 2000. For more information contacttjdoe@aol.com or safecaptur@aol.com or phone (608) 767-3071 A TWO-DAY WHITETAIL WORKSHOP will be held on Nov. 11-12, 2000 at Gibbons, Alberta Canada. This workshop is sponsored by Extreme Whitetail Genetics and will be taught by Dr. Harry Jacobson. For more information see http://deerfarmer.net/Extreme or e-mail bucks@telusplanet.net or phone 780-942-4527. The biggest change at Deerfarmer.com has been to expand and move the Discussion Forums to their own site at http://www.deerforum.com The rationale, new features and how to best take advantage are discussed above. We have also set up a permanent chat room at Deerforum.com for your use. If you and your deer farming friends want to do a live chat, this facility is now available. A more subtle change in our corporate identification also took place. Some of you may have noticed that we have changed our logo from "The White-tailed Deer Farmers Network" to "Deer Farmers' Information Network". We feel this more accurately reflects what we do. Although white-tailed deer will continue to be a primary focus of our websites and services, we also feel that the information applies to other deer farmers as well. Our new slogan is "Deerfarmer.com - A B2B (business to business) Knowledge Management Company Serving the Deer Industry." Our next big project is to expand and move the Deer Farm Directory. We will create a new website called Deerdirectory.net - Deer Farm and Ranch Directory - to provide information on deer farms from all over the world. The new directory will be for ALL species of farmed deer and elk and will be organized by country, state/province and species. Much more information on each deer farm or ranch will be available. Each listing will be on a separate web page and will include one or more photographs. This means that you will have to fill our a new, much more detailed form shortly. The listings in the Deer and Farm Directory will continue to be free. The Directory will also have listings and links to appropriate Associations and government resources as well. We respect your right to privacy. If you wish to be removed from our mailing list at any time, simply send an e-mail to editor@deerfarmer.com with REMOVE in the Subject line. If you want your name ADDED to our mailing list, please sign our Guest Book form that can be found at http://www.deerfarmer.com/forms/guest.htm As per Privacy Policy, your name, e-mail address and any other information you provide us will only be used by Deerfarmer.com. This information will not be shared with any third party unless we get your permission first! We are always looking for articles and news about deer farming that we can print in this newsletter. To suggest or submit articles, e-mail the Editor at editor@deerfarmer.com For more general information, comments and suggestions, please contact: Russell Sawchuk E-mail: editor@deerfarmer.com ©2000 Deerfarmer.com. The Deer Farmers' Digest may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Permission from the editor must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Deerfarmer.com is a division of Steppingstones Partnership, Inc. DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for general information only. It should not be relied upon to make health, business or personal decisions without first obtaining professional advice. Accordingly, we cannot accept liability for loss or damage arising directly or indirectly from any advice, opinion, representation or omission, whether negligent or otherwise, contained in this newsletter. |
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