Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-03
Raising Venison
BY Frederic ]. Haskin

WllU Oeer, tuuS saving 10 IuCuTe gen.
Ierations the sport Of deer hunting,
which is one of the manifest in the
world, and has trained American rife
men since colonial days.
In addition to the meat and sport
which the propagation Of deer will pro-
vide. the hide, commonly known as
buckskin, is fine durable leathe.
which has many uses. In some Europ-
can countries pair of deer skin
brooches are handed down from father
to son for several generations, while
the toughness of the buckskin cloth.
ing Of our pioneer forefathers is mat
ter Of record. Shoes have doubled in
price during a comparatively few
years. A large supply Of new kind
were fed to the rats, leaving the cat
skins clear profit.
But there is joker in the deer farm
ing business. In many of the states.
the laws provide that game may not
be shipped or sold, and no exception
Is made in the case Of game which has
been domesticated. New York state is
an exception to this rule. There game
which has been raised In enclosures
may be killed and sold by the owner,
but he must accompany each shipment
with certificate showing where and
how the game was produced. Some
other states make concessions in favor
of the game propagation. Arkansas has
a law much like that of New York; in
Colorado the owner may sell his deer.
but must pay fee for each sale: In
Illinois deer raised in captivity may
be bought and sold Just like cattle;
In Indiana the owner of deer park
Is exempt from game laws and much
the same Is true of Massachusetts;
Minnesota requires q nominal fee for
each animal kept and permit must
be taken out for each sale and Mis-
souri, allows sale by certificate like
New York. In most of the other states
deer farming for profit would now be
impossible because Of the legal restric-
ti0ns. The growing Importance OF
game farming Is being generally recOg-
nized. however and the need for ex-
empting the propagation from the oper.
alton of game laws should be brought
to the attention of all state legisla-
lures.
The Virginia deer. although the best
species for propagation throughout the
United States and the easiest one of
which to obtain stock, is by no means
the only member Of the deer family !
which may be profitably raised. There
are q number of European varieties
which have been raised in deer parks
for centuries and which thrive in this !
country, while one of the finest stays |
In the world Is the American elk or
wapiti. This animal weighs as MUCK |,
as thousand pounds, and has meat of |
fine quality 1t thrives and breeds /
over a great part of the United States |
and even in the small paddocks of the |
geological gardens, 1t multiplies so
fast that the herds have to be reduced
by sales. This animal might be raised |
almost anywhere in the eastern noun
tain regions. Unless very large tract
ID available. the smaller deer would
probably prove more suitable. for the
elk Is very destructive of forage,
breaking down limbs and small trees.
Where there is large range, how.
ever, this great western stag would be /
an excellent animal for propagation. |
Stock may he purchased at from fifty |
to one hundred dollars head. Elk |
are not good jumpers and do not re-
q,iire as high Tense as deer. Ave feet
of woven wire being enough to keep
them in an eclosure. During the rut-
ting season the bulls are dangerous
and combative. Some western ranch
men assert that few elk in sheep
or cattle pasture are sure protection
against dogs. wolves and coyotes
That deer farming is business OF
great possibilities there can be no
doubt: but no one should 90 into It
without the fullest information. First
obtain the opinion of some naturalist !
as to the suitability of your range, and |
then see what your state laws are.
II both are favorable, you may be
reasonably sure of success. !: