Our Bucks are Cookie Hogs

This is Mudbug and his dad, Rambeaux.  They love coming up to get their cookie fix.  My wife was throwing cookies and kept hitting Mudbug.  He walked up to the fence as if to say, "Please quit throwing them and just put them in my mouth"!

Mudbug, a Rambeaux son, is one of the prettiest bucks we've raised.  He's not the largest but he should produce the perfect deer hunters are looking for.  We're excited to put him in our breeding program.  Contact me for does bred to him or his dad, Rambeaux.

Mudbug at 3 in 2013

Rambeaux on 5/18/2013

Rambeaux
Picture taken 5/18/2013
24 points so far

Dixiebelle, our pygmy goat, pushing me in a wagon

Dixiebelle likes to push.  When I'm in my shop mixing feed for our deer she will push me all over the shop in a wagon.  She's a little goat but she's strong!! 

Max Factor Semen For Sale

Max Factor scored 260" on his solid 7x8 main frame in 2012 and 360" gross.  He was 27 3/4 inches wide. 

 

Max Factor was a hit at the 2013 Top 30 sale.  Seeing his antlers in person caused quite a few jaw dropping expressions.  Contact me by commenting on this post for semen pricing.

LOOK AT THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE PEDIGREE!
This is Double Flees Green 36!
Green 36 is the sire to 500+ Walks New Image and the sire to 500+ King of the Mountain's Mother.
King of the Mountain scored 523 4/8 and is 1st Place at NADeFA this year.

Max Factor:
Built for Production with Maxbo over the great Flees line of does!
Add Maxbo on top of these does and you get!
Production! Production! Production!

This foundation produces well!! Take a look at the stats: 

 

G110 BB
G110 womb sister (G112) is the grandmother to Battle Ridge’s Mobster

(291”@3, 230” Main Frame) Mobster is one of the largest framed 3 year olds ever. G110 + G112 are the infamous BB Does, they are Little Boomer daughters and some of the best producing does on the Flees Farm.

Dolly Y 10
Dolly is the Dam to Flees Rocky (400”+ @ 5) and Showtime (359” @2, 60points). She is one of the best producing does on the Flees farm. She has 5 sons; they score 230”@5, 269”@4, 404”@5, 230+@3, and 359”@2.Flees Primetimes (308” @3, 27 Inside Spread) mother is a full sister to Dolly!! Dean Borntrager has the twin sister to Primetime's mom. She has been a great producer for Dean.

Y0290
She is the Dam of Levi Weavers Road Runner (283”@4, 6x6 mainframe, and 24” inside spread).

Twizzler
She has produced 4 sons over 200” by the age of three, she is also the mother of Willy Swareys Palmwood (250 3/8” @ 2) and Will Ainsworths Déjà vu. (350+” @4). Lester Byler now owns déjà vu, he bought it from Will in the summer of 2011

Pretty Girl
This is Flees Green 36 Womb Sister! She has three sons over 240”. Green 36 has produced some giants such as New Image (500+inches) King of the Mountain (523 4/8") grandson, Reggie (294”@4) and 36 Special (261”@ 2).

Bred Does For Sale

Great Does bred to Great Bucks.
We have does live bred to Rambeaux and VooDoo.  Does will all be at least 250" genetics.  Our genetic lines produce big balanced main frames that are mostly typical with some kickers, stickers and splits to give higher scores and a little more interest.  In 2012, 80% of our 4-yr old bucks were over 200", including Rambeaux over 300".  Contact me for details on the does we have for sale.  These are pictures of the bucks we bred with. 

Rambeaux
300"+ at 4 yrs old

Rambeaux
300"+ at 4 yrs old

VooDoo
200"+ 10 pt.huge main frame @ 4 yrs old
VooDoo is a High Roller (418") grandson

EHD Hoof Damage

One of the problems seen after EHD is hoof damage often showing up months later. EHD causes swelling and sometimes it affects the hooves. This is Pixie, one of our favorite bottle fed does. She had EHD the worst of any I've saved. She had frothy blood coming from her mouth. The megadose Dexamethasone saved her in my opinion. She started having trouble walking in October. Now she's walking ok but you can see deep cracks in her overgrown hooves. They will slough off as the new hoof pushes it away.

Dexamethasone and EHD in Whitetails

I’ve spent many hours researching Dexamethasone over the last couple of years.  Most of my time involved the search for how dex might benefit us in the deer industry with EHD.  Please consult your veterinarian before trying any of the following drugs and dosages.  Also note that using Dexamethasone in pregnant does can cause abortions.  In pregnant does, a small dose of 0.25 ml of Banamine may be a better choice.  I’d personally prefer to lose the fawns and save the doe with dex than take a chance on losing the doe and fawns by not using dex.

EHD, short for Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, is a viral disease that infects certain animals including white-tailed deer.  The virus causes inflammation, swelling, fever, internal hemorrhage and significant damage that can result in serious secondary infections.  The virus often results in death. 

Like many in the industry, my protocol was Draxxin and Banamine.  The year 2011 was a very bad EHD year.  What we saw in many of the deer that died in Texas and other states was considerable GI tract damage.  Banamine is irritating to the GI tract so it is no longer the drug of choice for the fever and inflammation caused by EHD because it exacerbates the damage.  Dexamethasone has similar effectiveness for reducing fever and inflammation.  Dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid which is produced normally in the body.  As a steroid, it has other advantages over Banamine.

My wife, Annette, is an asthmatic.  She has taken dex for severe asthma.  I started researching human uses of dex.  If an asthmatic has a viral infection in the lungs, dex is given because it has been shown to stop the virus from replicating.  I’ve found numerous articles that stated this fact.  EHD is a different virus but I was intrigued with the possibility that dex may work for it.  Dex has also been used to stop brain hemorrhage.  Since EHD is a hemorrhagic disease causing internal hemorrhage, it made sense to me that it might be beneficial.

The problem with using dex is that the concentration (mg/ml) is low and giving a dose to a grown deer takes a large volume.  I discussed dosage problems with my veterinarian and asked him if it could be compounded to a stronger concentration.  He checked and let me know that it could be.  Most dex that veterinarians carry is either 2 mg/ml or 4 mg/ml and is either in a propylene glycol or sodium phosphate base.  The dex sodium phosphate (Dex SP) acts quicker but lasts less time than the propylene glycol.  Dex SP is easier to concentrate.

I chose to use dex SP at a 12 mg/ml concentration.  I wanted a strength that I could use in a 2cc dart for remote delivery.  The SP is also thinner so delivery in a dart is easier.  I experimented with different combinations and strengths.  My veterinarian is very good about working with me to try something new when standard protocols don’t work.  I used dex in combination with different antibiotics like Draxxin, Exceed, Baytril and Nuflor.  My vet recommended using an antibiotic with the dex since dex is an immunosuppressant.  The general opinion is that since dex suppresses the immune system, an antibiotic should be given with it as a prophylactic to prevent infections.

I used about 80 darts for drug delivery during the EHD season of 2012.  My veterinarian initially suggested a decreasing dose program for dex.  I started by using 12 mg dex on day one then cutting the dose in half for the next 3 days.  12 mg on day 1, 6 mg on day 2, 3 mg on day 3 and 1.5 mg on day 4.  I gave antibiotics on day 1 and followed up if needed on day 4.  After many combinations, I finally found the best success was using a single 48 mg dose of dex SP without the use of antibiotics.  The following is why I think I was experiencing success with that final dosage. 

Smaller doses of dex will control fever and inflammation in general.  I wasn’t having success at the lower doses so I continued increasing them.  Even when I started using an initial 48 mg dose, decreasing over the next 3 days and combining this with antibiotics, I was having some success but not enough to satisfy me.  The single 48 mg dose without antibiotics worked best.  High doses may last longer and decrease more gradually than multi-day doses.  For instance, Baytril used for cattle calls for a multi-day dose of 1.1-2.3 ml/100 lb daily for 3 days.  A single dose of 3.4-5.7 ml/100 lb can be used instead of multi-day doses.  By using the higher dosage it takes longer to metabolize the drug and therefore stays in the body longer.

I believe that the higher dose finally was enough to stop the virus from growing as found in asthmatics.  The success may also be due to the immunosuppressive quality of the dex.  I had been trying to counteract the immunosuppression of the immune system caused by dex by giving prophylactic antibiotics.  I had also been giving decreasing dosages over a total of 4 days to gradually reduce the amount being used and wean the animal off more slowly.  Then I learned about the effects of an overactive immune system.

Cytokines are present in a normal animal’s body.  They are triggered by an antigen like a virus to send immune cells to the site of infection.  One problem with an antigen like the EHD virus is that it can cause an over responsive action of the cytokines known as a cytokine storm.  In a cytokine storm, an overabundance of immune cells is sent to fight the infection resulting in normal healthy cells being destroyed.  The immune system is actually killing the animal.  In the case of pneumonia, a cytokine storm can send so many immune cells to the lungs that it can actually cause the animal to die of suffocation. 

I believe, without the scientific evidence of EHD in deer to back me up, that Dexamethasone works.  The dex stops the virus and/or suppresses an overactive immune system.  We need more scientific research but without it we have to be innovative in searching for new ways to fight the disease until a vaccine or other solution is found.  I’ve talked to people all over the nation suggesting they try the high dose of dex and the ones who tried it had good results also.  Not all vets are open-minded.  Someone in Oklahoma told me his vet wouldn’t even order the strong concentration of dex for him.  If we’re losing large numbers of animals with current therapies, we must try something different.  I hope that this long description of my results using Dexamethasone therapy for EHD in white-tailed deer helps others.  I’ll remain open-minded as well.  We need to continue to share information so that we can all learn from each other’s experience.

Charles DeerMan Black

200"+ Bucks for Sale

I only have 3 more bucks for sale, all over 200". Let me know if you're interested. They won't last much longer.

Bobwire estimated 202"

Sarge estimated 214"

Winchester estimated 203"

X-Factor Semen $2000

X-Factor Semen on Sale $2000/straw We are running a special on X-Factor semen. Just $2000/straw. That's for a buck that scored 500"+ 3 years in a row!!! Reply to this post for details.

Deer Man Consulting

I offer consulting for the deer industry through my Deer Man Consulting. The best choice is for an onsite evaluation. This starts at $500 plus expenses. I wish I'd had the opportunity to get advice before getting started. It could have saved some costly mistakes. Let me know if I can help.

Louisiana Buck For Sale

This buck is for sale for the Fall of 2012. He should score in the 190s and as you can see his extreme width makes him very desirable to hunters. His body is huge. He's tall, long and heavy. He's the biggest bodied buck we have. Contact me for details.

How to Keep Deer from Being Afraid of Darting

Make Darting Deer Easier I pulled a dead doe and dead fawn out today. More EHD. Getting used to the stench of death. Darted 7. One young buck comes up for cookies. I darted him out the front door with it barely cracked open after I through him a pile of cookies. As a note for those who dart, everyone knows how difficult it can be to dart multiple times. Even others in the pen start to get nervous. I like to shoot from inside the truck with the gun propped low on the door frame in an open window. As soon as I dart I start throwing cookies. Often the darted deer comes up with the dart still hanging out to eat them. I get out with the gun while they are eating so they can see it while they are getting treats. I studied deer behavior for two masters degrees and that education included studies on many animal behaviors. I took two courses on training horses through behavior modification. Darting is a negative stimulus. Feeding cookies is a positive one. Feeding cookies after darting reinforces a positive influence that will help override the negative one. I'm getting plenty of practice but I'd like for it to be over!!!

Consulting is Satisfying

I did some consulting this week for a family planning to start a deer breeding and hunting business. We went over many issues such as pen location and design. The reason for the design to promote smooth flow when moving the deer in the breeding pens. Other issues discussed were health, behavior, death loss, fawn additions, etc. We looked at a 4-yr outlook to determine what the outcome should be based on the first year investment. Even with the realization of death losses it was wonderful to see the excitement in their eyes. I hope I will always provide an honest assessment of my client's goals but instill in them the love of working with these awesome animals.

Consulting for the Deer Industry

I offer consulting service for the deer industry. Topics include: Handling facilities Pen design Behavior How to handle deer Health EHD/BT Nutrition

Does bred to 500" genetics for sale

We will have some does bred to 500" genetics this year. The does are out of some lines that have produced very nice mid-200" main frame typicals. Adding 500" genetics will increase the inches while maintaining some very nice mainframes. Contact me to put down a deposit to hold them. Delivery can be arranged.

EHD Continues to Gain Ground in Research Importance

I met a young woman at the TDA convention who is working on her Ph, D . She is taking on a big task in the big state of Texas. Her research will determine the distribution of the Culicoides. She has a daunting job but it shows that EHD is continually getting more attention. I put her in contact with Dr. Lane Foil at LSU. Dr. Foil is an expert veterinary entomologist with a long background in work with the Culicoides. Good news for all of us in the deer industry.

Dart Location for Whitetails for Drug Delivery

This is an ideal location for dart impact on a deer. Good muscle mass to absorb the impact. Good blood supply for drug uptake. More margin for error.

Darting deer with more than one drug using 2 darts

You're not supposed to mix drugs even though some seem to work well. Did you know you can piggy back darts? Put the first dart in with one drug then stick the next one behind it with a different drug. I learned this from Keith Amass DVM, founder of Safe Capture International.  You'll have to practice playing around with pressures to see what your POI will be. The second dart will likely be slightly lower than the first. That's a lot better than shooting a deer with one dart then trying to get close enough for the next.  If you're treating for EHD, you could use a compounded Dexamethasone strong enough to put in a small dart and then follow that with a second dart of antibiotics.

EHD Research Funding for Louisiana State University

LSU is conducting extensive research on EHD and how the vector Culicoides sp. causes the virus to infect whitetails.  This work is extremely important to deer breeders and sportsman alike because large numbers of deer can die from EHD and Blue Tongue each year whether they are in breeding operations or in the wild.  The deaths in the wild may go largely unnoticed because when a deer is sick it seeks out dense cover to hide in.  If they die there, within days the carcass is reduced to bones in the heat of summer.  In the fall during hunting season the remains would seldom be discovered.

LSU has taken a different approach to their research at their newly established Wildlife Institute.  Vaccines produced so far have been largely unsuccessful.  Instead of culturing the virus from infected deer to produce a vaccine, they will determine why the virus doesn't infect the deer if injected into them.  For the deer to become infected it seems that the gnat has to bite them.  They believe that there may be a component of the saliva that is triggering something that allows the virus to become infectious in the animal.  If they can isolate what causes the infection, they can produce a vaccine that can be challenge-tested.  If successful, this may be the first vaccine that is actually effective in controlling these devastating diseases.  If a vaccine can be produced and made for oral use, it may prove to be very important in preventing catastrophic deaths in the wild.

Any sportsman that loves the whitetail and wants to keep a healthy population to hunt should be interested in this new research.  If you know of anyone, a company or organization that can help with funding please contact me and I'll get you in touch with someone at LSU that will be happy for the assistance.  Their research facility will not be a fancy new building.  Their money will go to staff and equipment.  It will not be wasted.  They have been very eager to work with our Whitetails of Louisiana organization.  We hope to form a close working relationship with them because we see first hand how devastating this disease is.  Thanks for your interest in this new era of EHD research.