Species

While whitetail deer farming as a commercial venture has a relatively short history, records of whitetail deer farming have been found in the United States dating back to the turn of the century. At that time, whitetail deer populations were dangerously low due to mass habitat devastation and widespread hunting. In an effort to replenish the whitetail population, wildlife managers and interested farmers and ranchers began to restore whitetail deer habitats and implement population management programs. Today, whitetail deer management has grown considerably, with deer operations focused on producing quality animals.

Documentation of domesticated elk in North America dates back to the mid-1800’s, with Oregon and Montana recording specifics of those who bred and raised elk behind fence. These writings include information on the farmers, the husbandry and the source of these elk. Many of the elk farmed between 1892 and 1967 were wapiti relocated from Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. In the early 1900’s, interest in raising elk expanded form those attracted by hobby farming to those serious about domesticating elk as an alternative agriculture. During this same time, USDA published a Farmer’s Bulletin indicating correspondence with 16 elk producers in 14 states and recording management plans for wapiti. The author noted farming elk was a promising field for breeding for profit.

Sika deer were initially found in southern Siberia and the Japanese island of Hokkaido in the north along both mainland and island chains to southwestern China and Taiwan. They were located by western zoologists in the middle of the 19th century, when they found many (more than 70) subspecies, especially in the Asian continent. The Chinese chemists bred and cross-bred sika for centuries and used virtually every part of the animal. In Japan, however, herds ran free throughout the country. Those in the north had large body and antler size, while those in the southern region were smaller. The first sika were introduced in America to Maryland in 1916, and into Texas in 1939.

The origin of the red deer can be traced to western China where four different sub-species developed. The French, Persians and Romans practiced deer husbandry as early as the first century B.C., and France and England documented the mushrooming of the red deer population during that time period. Farming red deer for the production of velvet has been popular in China, Russia, and other eastern countries for 2,000 years.

Fallow deer are on of the popular exotic species raised in North America. Their domesticated history extends back to the 9th century B.C., when the Phoenicians domesticated them for quality venison. For centuries, the Europeans raised them for food, and today fallow deer continue to yield fine table venison. Their recent farming history can be traced to German farmers who sought an alternative and more profitable land use. Josef Kerckerinck, NADeFA’s founder, was the first to farm fallow deer commercially for venison in North America. He established his farm in New York in 1979, and fallow deer farming quickly spread throughout the Northeast, and today all throughout North America.

The axis deer can be traced to the foothills of the Indian Himalayas and island of Sri Lanka ( Ceylon). Their original habitat was open country at lower elevations in forested regions. They have been introduced onto other continents and are a favorite of zoological gardens around the world. Free ranging populations exist in the continental United States, Hawaii, and Australia. Axis deer were introduced into Texas in 1932. Texas has by far the largest population of axis deer in the United States.