How to Raise Deer for Profit

Mule and whitetail deer are important game animals in North America, where hunting is part of the American culture. Deer farming, or breeding, is a lucrative industry generating hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Deer are typically kept outdoors and do not need stalls or barns. These creatures use wooded areas for shelter, which you should include in their pastures. Supplement the diet of your deer, particularly during the winter months.

Things You'll Need

  • Permits, depending on applicable laws
  • Fencing, 8-foot high
  • Multiple camps, with natural or seeded pasture
  • Wooded areas
  • Hay
  • Commercial deer pellets
  • Grains
  • Veterinarian
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Instructions

    • 1

      Calculate start-up costs, which can be considerable and include expenses for permits, enclosures or camps, water pipes, feed, medicine and deer.

    • 2

      Check with the nearest wildlife department whether you need permits for keeping deer in your specific area. You may need more than one permit, including a deer breeding permit and a transport permit.

    • 3

      Erect 8-foot high fences to create your camps. Approximately 0.5 to 0.8 acre will support five deer females. The actual area required to support deer depends greatly on the quality of the pasture and whether you supplement natural grazing with commercial pellets. Create numerous pastures, so you can rotate the deer from one to another, as they graze down the grass.

    • 4

      Provide wooded areas within the camps for shelter. Deer do not require stables or stalls.

    • 5

      Place cement water troughs in a shaded area of the camp and make sure clean and cool water is always available for your deer.

    • 6

      Provide pastures for grazing. Supplement grass and foliage with hay and commercial deer pellets. Ensure the commercial diet provides selenium and minerals. Feed your deer commercial pellets, stored forage and grains during the winter months. Always remove the twine from baled forage to prevent the deer from ingesting it or becoming entwined in it.

    • 7

      Maintain some contact with the deer to keep them manageable for veterinary examinations, velvet antler harvesting and marketing. Beyond these activities, deer are typically disease resistant and self-sufficient animals.

    • 8

      House your deer in harems consisting of one male to 20 females. Wait for mature deer to breed, usually in November.

    • 9

      Monitor your herd for signs of disease. Request your veterinarian examine any ill deer as soon as possible to prevent outbreaks of diseases or infections.