Thursday, February 16, 2006
So, You Want To Own A Deer Ranch?
The weather never ceases to amaze me. Just when we decide we want to do something, and get it done ahead of time, the weather changes.
My ranch foreman was trying to fill all the deer feeders today before the storm hit. He didn’t quite make it.
We have a large wagon we tow to take feed to each area. The ranch roads are a mess as a result of continuous freezing, thawing, rain, snow, and freezing again.
I was at the archery shop when the call came in. Gary was having problems, and needed help.
“My truck and the feed wagon slid off one of the roads,” he said. “Can you break away and come with your truck and pull me out.”
I jumped into the truck, headed for the ranch, went through the gate, and found him where he said he’d be. I was jockeying for position to pull him out, and my truck slid off the road and was instantly stuck.
I walked 400 yards through that snarling cold wind to get the tractor. It slid around some but I was able to get to Gary, the feed wagon, and my truck, and pull all of us out.
These things happen, and nothing can be done to prevent such problems. One deals with them as best as possible.
It took twice as long as normal for Gary to fill the feeders. Each time he stopped he wondered if he’d get stuck or get going again. Some of the areas get really bad, but with a storm like the one that hit today, we must feed the animals.
This is a business where the animals must come first. They must be fed daily, and we have to take the feed into areas where they can move easily to get to it. The feed will only rot if the deer can’t reach it.
This means that some of our food sites are more difficult to service than others, and there have been times when we’ve had to carry the feed in five-gallon buckets, with one in each hand. At the end of the day both arms feel like they are six inches longer than before.
Gary was able to finish the feeding during the storm. It was a combination of rain, sleet and snow, and for a change of pace, it was a winter thunderstorm. Some people don’t believe in winter thunderstorms, but they are real and do exist. They also are nasty.
The wind came up, pushing wet, sloppy, slippery snow ahead of it, and it came down hard. At times it was impossible to see 50 yards, and yet the deer had to be fed. Deer, like cattle, require feeding every day even though there are times during a savage storm, when they stay bedded down until it blows through.
Whether they choose to feed or not, it still requires that someone or even two people spend two or three hours to feed all the sites during nice weather. Add a mix of mind-driven slop like we had today, and it’s easy to spend twice that amount of time on this must-do project.
And, as often as not, one of the feeders will require some work. That slows down the process, but it makes for a very long day when you are out there trying to stay dry. It’s impossible to do.
Our deer got their feed today, but it’s such days with stuck trucks and feed wagons, that makes me wonder about the wisdom of having a deer ranch. But, if the sun shines tomorrow and the roads freeze up for reasonably safe travel, it will have been worth it.
I take tremendous enjoyment out of watching and studying whitetail deer, and I also understand the obligation I have to care for them and make certain they are well fed.
I take this responsibility seriously, and the next time I have the opportunity to study the animals, it will erase all of today’s problems.