In no way could the study have been completed without the outstanding efforts of the members and leadership of the Texas Deer Association (TDA). We truly appreciate all of the members who took the time to complete and return the survey. In addition, we sincerely thank all of those who took time out of their schedules to educate us and let us see your operations first hand, specifically:  Scott Bugai, Dick Cain, and Lisa Barton of the TDA, Robert Williams of RW Trophy Ranch, Buddy Jordan of Indian Creek Ranch, Trophy Ridge Ranch (Dick Cain), Buck Naked Trophy Whitetails (Scott Bugai), Stephen Frisina of Celebrity Ranch, Tom Malouf of Malouf’s Trophy Whitetails, and Robert Gegenheimer of Cotton Mesa.

David P. Anderson, Brian J. Frosch, Joe L. Outlaw

Agricultural & Food Policy Center
Department of Agricultural Economics
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
Texas Cooperative Extension
Texas A&M University

APFC Research Report 07-3
August 2007
Web site: http://www.afpc.tamu.edu/

Executive Summary

• The deer breeding industry is, perhaps, the fastest growing industry in rural America.

• Over 1,300 industry participants were surveyed, with a response rate of 11 percent.

• This extensive survey, which asked detailed questions regarding inventory, size of operation, annual expenditures, revenue sources and production system, was performed in late 2006-early 2007.

• Breeding operations reported expenditures averaging $306,000 per year.

• The deer breeding industry has a direct economic impact of $318.4 million annually.

• When incorporating the indirect impacts of the industry, for example, the farm’s expenditures on feed, veterinary supplies, fuel and other purchases, the total economic impact of the industry is $523 million.

• One of the major customers of this industry is hunters. Estimating the impact of hunting dollars spent, with hunters as the consumer of deer breeding products, an additional $129 million is generated by the deer breeding industry.

• The total impact of the industry, combining the breeding and hunting components, is $652 million annually.

• The economic activity of the deer breeding industry supports 7,335 jobs, most of which are in rural areas of the state.  If this industry did not exist, those jobs would have to be supported by some other economic activity.

• These results highlight the fact that both the deer breeding industry is a growing and important segment of the Texas economy, contributing to the vitality of rural areas of the state.

Introduction

The scientific deer breeding industry is a vital and growing industry in the Texas economy, particularly the rural economy.  As traditional revenue sources shift away from rural communities, their economies increasingly rely on new industries such as this one. At the national level, the industry is governed by a myriad of state and federal laws, regulations, and jurisdictions. Since the overwhelming majority of industry regulation is left up to the states, a significant amount of variability in the regulations exists from state to state. This lack of consistency in laws and regulations may be a factor affecting future industry growth. The rapid growth of the industry and an array of policy issues led the industry to request this study of the size and economic importance of the deer breeding industry. In 2006, the Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M University was requested by former Texas Congressman Henry Bonilla to undertake this study. The primary objective of this study is to determine the economic impact of the Texas deer breeding industry.  Secondary objectives include providing a current description of typical industry participants and cost estimates for the major categories of expenses on deer breeding operations.

The Industry

Like any industry, the deer breeding industry involves the production and consumption of products. In Texas, the main product, or species, the industry is centered on is the whitetail deer. The production side of the industry is comprised of deer breeding facilities whereas the consumption side is represented by other breeders and trophy hunting preserves, or game ranches. Producers market breeding stock to other breeders and stocker deer to game ranches. With hunting as the end market the industry serves, producers selectively breed deer in an attempt to attain consistent genetics to produce trophy whitetail.

The Texas deer breeding industry represents a portion of the national cervid farming industry. The term “cervid” refers to any one of the various members of the cervidae family, including whitetail deer, elk, fallow, reindeer, axis, sika, and red deer among others.1 At the national level, the industry includes commercial venison producers and commercial urine collection operations in addition to breeding operations and hunting preserves. Figure 1 displays the estimated number of cervid farms per state. This inventory was compiled by the administrative staff at the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA®) through contact with the appropriate state agencies. Those states without an exact count provided their best estimate. Across the nation, the total number of cervid farms was 7,828, with Texas and Pennsylvania home to around 1,000 farms each. As an example of the growth the cervid farming industry is experiencing, there were 946 permitted breeding facilities in Texas in late summer 2006. However, when the analysis took place early in the spring of 2007, there were 1,006 permitted facilities.

In Texas, the majority of operations include both breeding and hunting. Hunting operations may be for private use only, corporate clientele, paying clients, or a combination of these. As the title implies, breeding operations raise and sell breeding stock to other industry breeders or the hunting industry. The trophy hunting segment only includes those operations that raise or purchase deer for release into a hunting operation, and represents the end market for the breeding stock industry. Trophy hunting, in this sense, involves hunting for trophy deer at high fenced game ranches.  These are usually hunt packages over a 3-6 day period, whereas the hunter is provided lodging, meals, and a guided hunt for a set fee. In addition to this fee, a trophy fee may also apply, for bucks that surpass a pre-set threshold or score.  Hunter expenditures included in this study only include those hunters that are related to this industry. In other words, hunters, in the context of this study, are only those that hunt at operations that either purchase or release deer from breeding operations into their hunting operations.

1 “Cervid.” The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 20 Jul. 2007. Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cervid

Methodology

In order to estimate the economic impact of the deer breeding industry, a survey instrument was developed to collect detailed operational information from industry participants. This information was then combined with the inventory of deer breeding operations to analyze the production side of the industry. In addition, an analysis was performed to determine the impact of hunters, but only the portion of hunters who are related to the deer breeding industry. These two components were then combined to perform the economic impact analysis of the deer breeding industry.

Data Collection

During the late summer and early fall of 2006, background information to develop the survey was gained through site visits to deer breeding facilities across the state. Interviews from these visits provided a base set of information that was then utilized to develop the survey instrument. The survey was then reviewed by industry participants, revised, and sent to over 1,300 members of the Texas Deer Association (TDA) over the fall of 2006 to early 2007. Overall, the extensive survey achieved a response rate of 11 percent. The TDA membership was selected to participate in this study because in addition to the hunters, sportsmen and sportswomen, and outdoor enthusiasts represented, they also represent a large number of scientific breeders.

Survey Development

The survey is outlined in the Appendix. For the purpose of the survey, the deer breeding industry was segmented into three operational structures: breeding only, breeding and hunting, and hunting only operations. Breeding only operations were defined as those that only involve the scientific breeding and rearing of deer. Hunting only operations relate to only those hunting operations that purchase deer from breeding operations as stockers or as breeding stock for release into the hunting facility.  Operations that manage their deer populations by selective harvest and nutritional supplements, rather than supplementing the natural genetics with deer released from breeding operations, are not included in this study. Breeding and hunting operations represent those that engage in breeding activities while also utilizing their own breeding stock, or purchased breeding stock, to supplement the genetics and/or populate their hunting operation.

The surveys proved to be quite extensive in order to capture an accurate picture of the industry and its impact. For breeding operations, the survey included questions regarding the operation in general, herd inventory, purchases, sales, capital expenditures, veterinary expenditures, labor, feeding rates and expenditures, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses. For hunting operations, the base operational questions remained the same, however, hunting related questions were included as well, such as the number of hunters, harvest rate, percentage of herd from breeding operations, hunt revenues, processing, and taxidermy.

 

Survey Results

General Operations

Of the 143 respondents, 50 percent were breeding and hunting operations, 36 percent were breeding operations, with the remainder being hunting only operations. On average, survey respondents have been in business since 2000.

Table 1 contains a summary of the average annual operational costs of survey respondents. As expected, differences due to the operational structure are reflected in the survey responses. Breeding and hunting operations were the largest, covering approximately 2,000 acres, with 20 acres dedicated to their breeding pens. Eighty–one percent of breeding only operations reported purchasing land, averaging 272 acres. These operations contained 9 pens on 16 acres.  Breeders will typically group deer together by age and gender and place them into separate pens, such as a pen for yearling does or four year old bucks. Pens, in this sense, are basically a high fenced paddock, as shown in Figure 2.  For those pens holding bucks, a protective screening is often placed on the fence to keep an antler from hooking in the fence accidentally in addition to the minimal shade it provides the deer. Screening can also be found on perimeter fencing as a visual barrier, particularly if the operation is near a road, to shield the deer from view from passers – by.

Overall, breeding and hunting operations had more area devoted to breeding pens, more pens, and more deer (Table 2) than breeding only operations. This was expected as the breeding and hunting operations tend to supply their hunting operation from their breeding operation, and are not necessarily relying on sales or transfers to move deer off the operation.

Lodge, fencing, and improvements were the top three expenditures, in terms of the capital cost, for both breeding and hunting and hunting only operations, while breeding operations spent the most on buildings, fencing, and improvements.  The category of improvements includes expenditures on land clearing, roads, tanks/ponds, and forage development among others. Large equipment, ranch vehicles, and implements were reported as the highest equipment expenditures across all three types of operations. Of all the respondents, 68 percent reported hiring labor, while 52 percent reported outsourcing labor and/or consulting needs. Breeding and hunting operations reported using approximately 3.5 times the amount of outsourced services than breeding only operations, or $17,356 versus $4,881. Examples of outsourced services include those of operational management, nutritional consulting, bottle feeding services for newborns, annual herd maintenance/vaccination services, and accounting services.

Figure 3 illustrates the annual expenses for a typical breeding operation. Survey categories, such as those shown in Table 1, were combined into four primary expense categories: capital, operational, feed, and general. Across the state, breeding operations spend an average of $306,000 per year, with capital expenditures consuming the largest amount at 47 percent. These expenses refer to annualized capital costs for items such as land, improvements, fencing, buildings, breeding stock, feeding equipment, ATV’s, and implements. Items that are generally not financed comprise the operational costs, such as supplies, labor, utilities, insurance, advertising, and travel. Feed refers to the annual feed costs, including supplemental feed, hay, and bottle feeding supplies. Lastly, general costs cover the remainder, such as food plots, artificial insemination, veterinary, and disease monitoring.

Table 1: Average Annual Operational Costs of Deer Industry Survey Respondents

 

(in dollars)	Breeding	Breeding & Hunting	Hunting
Operation
Year started	2002	1998	1997
Area of breeding (acres)	22	93	NA
Area of hunting (acres)	NA	2,086	1,429
Land purchased (acres)	272	2,081	1,253
Purchase value ($/ac)	2,506	1,546	1,433
Facilities
Capital cost of lodge(s)	NA	192,039	174,226
Number of pens	9	13	NA
Area of pens (acres)	16	20	NA
Fencing	33,318	157,088	109,537
Shelters	11,496	15,735	NA
Improvements	29,169	98,009	79,032
Buildings	33,371	94,214	63,517
Working pens	22,231	20,008	NA
Percent with Handling Facility	37%	43%	NA
Cost of Handling Facility	32,795	30,577	NA
Maintenance and Repair	4,556	22,706	15,377
Equipment
Large equipment	50,645	102,769	65,856
ATV(s)	10,876	21,088	14,111
Ranch vehicles	31,240	60,775	39,407
Implements	10,906	28,369	21,374
Trailers/crates	7,855	15,917	9,763
Bulk feed bins	6,848	15,581	8,783
Feeding equipment	6,391	18,869	10,515
Watering equipment	2,851	11,239	10,229
Video equipment	2,126	3,766	2,096
Rental equipment	1,526	5,211	3,855
Sedation equipment	1,349	1,838	NA
Veterinary & Supplies
Operating supplies	4,029	4,345	NA
Medical supplies	2,676	2,768	NA
Veterinary expense	2,711	3,995	NA
Lodge supplies	NA	5,318	5,135
Lodge food and beverages	NA	5,522	5,215
Labor
Employees paid salary	2	2	2
Employees paid hourly	3	3	2
Total salary wages paid	45,667	64,382	36,957
Annual salary per employee	27,344	28,403	20,230
Total hourly wage paid	11,003	25,923	13,363
Annual hourly expense per employee	6,500	9,349	10,415
Outsourced services	4,881	17,356	11,858
Utilities
Utilities	2,380	8,844	4,946
Fuel	3,340	11,517	5,686
Miscellaneous Expenses
Insurance	2,637	6,189	3,632
Advertising/marketing	2,862	8,776	6,046
Travel	2,520	6,500	4,490
Property tax	2,646	7,305	4,443

 

 

Table 2 provides a summary of production data across all respondents. Breeding only operations averaged 77 deer on their 16 acres of pens. Respondents reported an average 5 breeder bucks, 20 stocker bucks, 30 does, and 33 fawns.  These totals may be off slightly due to differences in survey responses, as some respondents did not break down their inventory. Feed represents approximately 9 percent of total annual expenditures for breeding operations. Much care is directed towards proper nutrition, as this is an essential component to bringing out the true genetic potential while also maintaining the physical health, development, and overall well being of the deer. Forty-four percent of breeding only operations indicated bottle feeding their fawns, while only 25 percent of breeding and hunting operations did. On average, adult whitetail males were fed close to 4 pounds of supplemental feed per day, while does consumed slightly over 3 pounds. Respondents indicated paying around $300 per ton for both supplemental feed and hay. Hay costs were extremely high during the study period due to severe drought conditions across the southern plains. In addition to purchased feed, 69 percent of all respondents reported planting food plots on their operations. These plots were typically planted in some type of supplemental forage, such as clover, oats, or different pea varieties, and ranged from half an acre to 500 acres in size.

 

Table 2: Average Production Data of Deer Industry Survey Respondents

	Breeding	Breeding & Hunting	Hunting
Herd Inventory (Final 2005)
Total deer	77	141	NA
Breeder bucks	5	10	NA
Stocker bucks	20	42	NA
Does	30	54	NA
Fawns, 2005	33	52	NA
Fawning rate, 2005	1.32	1.24	NA
Fawning rate, 2006	1.48	1.29	NA
Mortality rate	5%	6%	NA
Feeding
Fawns
Percent bottle feeding	44%	25%	NA
Percent of fawns bottle fed	71%	42%	NA
Average bottle feeding days until weaning	96	89	NA
After weaning
Daily protein feed rate (lbs)	1.9	1.7	NA
Daily hay feed rate (lbs)	0.7	0.8	NA
Does
Daily protein feed rate (lbs)	3.1	3.1	NA
Daily hay feed rate (lbs)	1.2	1.4	NA
Bucks
Daily protein feed rate (lbs)	3.5	3.9	NA
Daily hay feed rate (lbs)	1.3	1.5	NA
Area of food plots (acres)	25	98	NA
Seed	1,636	3,292	NA
Fertilizer	2,518	3,921	NA
Protein feed price (per ton)	320	290	NA
Hay price (per ton)	313	299	NA
Hunting
Annual number of hunters	NA	27	26
Total annual harvest	NA	48	43
Total number of deer in area	NA	237	216
Percentage of herd from breeding	NA	42%	43%
Stocker buck release	NA	18	17
Does released	NA	11	11
Stocker bucks purchased for release	NA	12	10
Stocker buck expense	NA	44,683	38,339
Does purchased for release	NA	13	8
Doe expense	NA	19,625	12,938
Annual management harvest	NA	14	13
Receipts per management buck	NA	2,207	2,207
Annual trophy harvest	NA	10	9
Receipts per trophy buck	NA	6,439	6,372
Processing cost	NA	110	113
Percent for taxidermy	NA	63%	66%
Taxidermy cost	NA	491	485

 

Survey results indicated that 66 percent of all breeding operation respondents had some type of breeding stock purchase.  This would include purchases of breeder bucks, stocker bucks, bred does, open does, buck fawns, doe fawns, or semen straws. Some reported purchases of deer, while others reported purchasing only semen straws. For the 38 percent reporting the purchase of breeder bucks and the 35 percent reporting the purchase of bred does, an average of $65,000 was spent. In addition, 23 percent of breeders spent an average of $51,000 for semen straws, with most straws going for between $1,000 and $3,500.

Hunting Operations

As Table 1 indicates, operations with hunting reported other expenses in addition to those of breeding operations.  Seventy-nine percent of all respondents of operations that reported to be involved in hunting had a lodge on the premises for their clients. In addition to the cost of the lodge, these operations also accrued expenses in maintaining and supplying the lodge for their clients. Labor costs were reported to be higher than those of breeding operations due to an overall larger operation as well as seasonal hunting guides. Food plots in the hunting areas tended to be larger, along with more feeders, waterers, and fencing, all contributed to the higher reported expenses. Although the majority of hunting operations accepted paying clients and corporate clients, 17 percent reported their hunting operation as personal use only.

Hunting only operations reported an annual average of 26 clients harvesting 43 deer per year. As with the herd inventory, individual harvests and total harvest may not add up because doe harvest is not shown and reporting differences existed between survey respondents. Harvesting a management buck cost an average of $2,207, while a trophy buck would cost the client an average of $6,372. For both management buck and trophy buck hunts, fees typically begin at a set level for a base threshold or score and increase as the score of the harvested deer surpasses that threshold. The buck’s score is measured in inches, symbolizing the size of the deer’s antlers. As the score increases, so does the cost.  With hunting being the end market, the primary goal of breeding operations is to develop quality genetics in their deer herd that will consistently produce high scoring bucks.

 

Economic Impact

IMPLAN® (Impact Analysis for Planning), an input/output model, was used to estimate the economic impact of the deer breeding industry on the national economy. Originally developed by the USDA Forest Service, the IMPLAN model is now managed and maintained by the Minnesota IMPLAN Group (MIG). The model is, arguably, the most used and cited model for performing economic impact analyses in the United States.

The IMPLAN model is driven by purchases of final goods and services in a certain region, such as a state, a group of states, or the entire nation. These purchases represent the dollar value of the increase in finished goods and services demanded, and create an impact that ripples throughout the economy.

Industries produce goods and services for final use and purchase goods and services from other industries.  These other producers and industries buy goods and services as well, which IMPLAN designates as indirect purchases. In addition, each step along the cycle pays wages and salaries to employees, who, in turn, make additional expenditures into the economy of the region.2

In determining the overall economic impact of an industry, the IMPLAN model uses a set of multipliers, separated by sector, to estimate the direct, indirect, and induced effects (induced being effects of household spending) of the economic cycle. Over 500 sector codes are included in the IMPLAN model, where each code represents a unique industrial sector that a specific product or category of products is represented by. The multipliers that are derived for each sector quantify the ripple effects of a dollar increase in final demand, thus resulting in an estimation of the economic impact.3

Deer Industry

In determining the economic impact of the deer breeding industry, the categories of the survey were prepared for input into the IMPLAN model. This was accomplished by extrapolating the survey results against the inventory of operations to arrive at total industry expenditures for each category. These totals represent the value of final goods and services demanded by the industry, and were the baseline inputs for the IMPLAN model.  Categories from the extrapolated survey results, such as supplemental feed or fencing, are then assigned a sector code according to the underlying industry the category relates to. Table 3 provides an example of category inputs and their multipliers from IMPLAN, with each category belonging to a different sector. Differences between the multipliers for each category demonstrate how dollars move throughout different industries. For instance, a $1 million change in final demand for supplemental feed will generate a total of $1.77 million in total industry output, $1.06 million in value added economic activity, and will support 18.23 jobs. In this example, total industry output would include the output generated by the supplemental feed industry and those industries

that supply it. Value added from this industry includes employee compensation, proprietary income, other proprietor income, and indirect business taxes that are generated.4 The employment multiplier represents the number of jobs that are supported per million dollar change in final demand.

2 Lindall, Scott A. and Douglas C. Olson. “The IMPLAN Input-Output System.” Minnesota IMPLAN Group. Available online, accessed February 5, 2007.  http://www.implan.com/

 

Table 3: Deer Industry Multiliers

	Output	Value Added	Employment
Supplemental Feed	1.77	1.06	18.23
Food plots	1.95	1.12	40.54
Veterinary	1.75	0.85	21.92
Utilities	1.59	1.00	4.51
Insurance	1.62	1.14	13.60
Maintenance and repair	1.89	1.01	17.58
Handling facility	1.87	1.07	18.91
Fencing	1.91	1.05	18.11
Large equipment	1.62	0.57	7.57
ATV's	1.80	1.11	15.90

Hunter Expenditures

An additional component in determining the economic impact of the industry is to evaluate and include the role of hunter expenditures in the consumption of industry products. Not all hunting is related to deer breeding, but some is, therefore it is important to estimate only that which is related to this industry. In other words, the hunting product of deer breeding is a small part of all deer hunting in Texas. Yet the hunting component or economic activity associated with deer breeding is an important part of the economic activity generated by the deer breeding industry. While overall hunter numbers in the state are down, the demand for trophy hunting is increasing. Dollars spent on hunting, assorted gear, and travel, continue to grow. Time is increasingly the limiting factor for many industry participants, as they have the money to participate, but not the time to invest in traditional hunting. The growth of this segment of the industry is expected to continue, therefore, it is important to include this aspect of the industry in this study.

In order to determine this impact, the number of hunters per operation was taken from the survey, extrapolated against all hunting operations, and combined with a report that outlines hunting expenditures on a per hunter basis. This report, entitled “The 2001 Economic Benefits of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Watching in Texas” 5, was based on the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Census Bureau. These retail expenditures were then combined with other hunt related expenditures (trophy fees, venison processing fees, taxidermy fees, etc.) and assigned sector codes for the IMPLAN model. When totaled, close to 2 percent of the report’s estimated 860,000 deer hunters are attributed to the deer breeding industry. However, this small percentage of hunters account for over 8 percent of the report’s estimated $900 million in retail, travel, and hunt related expenditures.

 

Results

Table 4 below provides a summary of the economic impact of the Texas deer breeding industry. Deer breeding operations generate an estimated $318.4 million in direct economic impacts on the Texas economy. This value represents the estimated increase in final demand of all goods and services consumed by the industry. These industries include feed suppliers, farm and ranch supply stores, veterinary services, medical and sedation product suppliers, construction, utilities, advertising, insurance, and numerous others. As these direct expenditures are multiplied throughout the economy, the deer breeding industry generates an estimated $523 million of economic activity. This value represents the total industry output generated by the deer breeding industry and those industries that supply it in Texas. In addition, deer breeding operations contribute over $177 million of value added in the form of employee compensation, proprietary income, other proprietor income, and indirect business taxes. Hunters supply an additional $73 million in direct economic impacts. This number represents annual retail (clothing, guns, hotels, food, fuel, etc.) and hunt related (venison processing, taxidermy services, etc.) expenditures of hunters that consume the products of this industry.

When combined, deer breeding industry generates $652 million of economic activity for the Texas economy. In addition, the industry provides the economic activity that supports 7,335 jobs in the economy, most of which are located in rural areas of the state. If this industry were to disappear, these jobs would have to find support from some other sector of the economy.

 

Table 4: Economic Impact of the Texas Deer Breeding Industry

	Direct	Output Value	Added	Employment
All Operations	318,450,195	523,161,605	177,394,148	5,942
Hunters	73,194,309	129,328,387	30,325,353	1,393
Total	391,644,504	652,489,992	207,719,501	7,335

Conclusion

With over 1,000 operations, the deer breeding industry has an established presence across the state, with the majority of operations located in rural areas. In addition, while traditional forms overwhelmingly dominate the hunting industry, the small niche of hunters this market serves continues to increase. This increase in demand is fueling the growth in the breeding industry. Over $391 million in direct expenditures are poured into the state economy each year by the deer breeders and sportsmen of this industry. In turn, this generates $652 million of economic activity while supporting 7,335 jobs. All told, these results highlight the fact that the deer breeding industry continues to be an important and vital contributor to the rural economies of Texas.

Appendix: Economic Impact Survey

---

 

Economic Impact Survey

Please indicate type of operation

 Scientific Breeding Only ______    Scientific Breeding and Hunting ______     Hunting only ______

 Instructions and clarification are provided at the end of this survey. For Hunting only operations, please skip to the hunting section. Include annualized 2005 figures where appropriate.

 I. Operation

1. Year started: _______________                    2. Area of breeding operation: ________________ (acres)

3. Land purchased: ______________ (acres) 3a. Purchase value: $________________ (per acre)

4. Land inherited: _______________ (acres)

 II. Herd Inventory (Final 2005 Inventory)

1. Total number of deer: ______________

2. Number of breeder bucks: ________    3. Number of stocker bucks: _______________

4. Does: ______________

5. Fawns, 2005: _____________      5a. Fawning rate (surviving at weaning): _________ (fawns per doe)

6. Fawns, 2006: _____________      6a. Fawning rate (surviving at weaning): _________ (fawns per doe)

7. Annual herd mortality rate (including fawns after weaning): ___________ %

 8. Annual sales (Final 2005 figures)                                           9. Annual purchases (Final 2005 figures)

Breeder bucks (#):	Total receipts: $	Breeder bucks (#):	Total cost: $
Stocker bucks (#):	Total receipts: $	Open does (#):	Total cost:$
Open does (#):	Total receipts: $	Bred does (#):	Total cost: $
Bred does (#):	Total receipts: $	Buck fawns (#):	Total cost: $
Buck fawns (#):	Total receipts: $	Doe fawns (#):	Total cost: $
Doe fawns (#):_	Total receipts: $	Semen Straws (#):	Total cost: $
Semen Straws (#):	Total receipts: $

 III. Facilities

1. Number of pens: _______________                        2. Area of pens: ________________ (acres)

3. Capital cost of fencing: $_________________     4. Capital cost of shelters: $_______________

5. Capital cost of improvements: $______________

6. Capital cost of buildings: $__________________       7. Capital cost of working pens: $_____________

8. Do you have a handling facility? Yes No                     8a.  If yes, capital cost of handling facility: $______

9. Approximate area of food plots: ______________ (acres)

            9a. Annual cost of seed: $_________________

            9b. Annual cost of fertilizer: $_________________

10. Annual cost of maintenance and repair: $_____________________

 IV. Equipment

1. Purchase price of all large equipment, combined (i.e. tractor + bobcat): $____________________

2. Purchase price of all ATV(s), combined: $_______________

3. Purchase price of all ranch vehicle(s), combined: $___________________

4. Purchase price of all implements, combined: $___________________

5. Purchase price of all trailer(s)/transport crate(s), combined: $_____________________

6. Purchase price of all bulk feed bin(s), combined: $___________________

7. Purchase price of all feeding equipment, combined: $___________________

8. Purchase price of all watering equipment, combined: $____________________

9. Purchase price of all video equipment, combined: $__________________

10. Annual cost of rental equipment: $__________________

11. Purchase price of semen storage tank(s): $___________________

12. Purchase price of dart gun/sedation equipment: $________________

 V. Veterinary & Supplies

1. Annual cost of operating supplies: $____________   2. Annual cost of feed and hay: $____________

3. Annual cost of medical supplies: $_____________     4. Annual veterinary expense: $_____________

5. Annual number of sedations: __________ (per doe)                6. Annual number of sedations: ____ (per buck)

7. Average cost per sedation: $_______________          8. Number of does AI’d: ______________

9. Number of necropsies performed: ____________    9a. Average cost per necropsy: $___________

10. Number of CWD tests performed: ______________              10a. Average cost per CWD test: $__________

11. Number of deer DNA certified: ____________         11a. Annual cost for DNA certification: $______

 VI. Labor

1. Number of employees: 1a. Paid salary: __________                  1b. Paid hourly: __________

2. Total wages paid: 2a. Salaries: $__________________            2b. Hourly: $____________________

3. Annual expense from outsourced services: $____________________

 VII. Utilities

1. Annual cost of utilities: $_______________

2. Annual cost of fuel: $__________________

 

VIII. Miscellaneous Expenses

1. Annual insurance expense: $_________________

2. Annual advertising/marketing expense (includes taxidermy services): $_________________

3. Annual travel expense: $____________________

4. Annual property tax: $_________________

 

IX. Feeding

Fawns

1. Do you bottle feed your fawns? Yes ______(continue with 1a-1e)       No______ (skip to 2)

          1a. If yes, what percent of all fawns? ________%

          1b. Average bottle feeding days until weaning: ___________

          1c. What product do you use? __________________________________

          1d. Units fed per fawn until weaning: _______________ (gal/bags/lbs)

           1e. Product price: $___________ (per gal/bag/lb)

2. After weaning:

          2a. Approximate daily feed rate: ___________ (lbs per fawn)

          2b. Feed price: $_____________ (per bag/ton)

          2c. Approximate alfalfa/hay daily feed rate: ____________ (lbs per fawn)

          2d. Alfalfa/hay price: $____________ (per bale)

          2e. Average bale weight: _____________lbs

Does

1. Approximate daily feed rate: _______________ (lbs per doe)

 2. Feed price: $_______________ (per bag/ton)

3. Approximate alfalfa/hay daily feed rate: _______________ (lbs per doe)

Bucks

1. Approximate daily feed rate: __________________ (lbs per buck)

2. Feed price: $___________________ (per bag/ton)

3. Approximate alfalfa/hay daily feed rate: _________________ (lbs per buck)

 Hunting

Instructions and clarification are provided at the end of this survey. For combination Scientific Breeding & Hunting operations, please separate hunting expenses from breeding expenses. Include annualized 2005 figures where appropriate.

 What is the purpose of your hunting operation?

 Personal use only _____  Corporate clients, no fee_____    Paying clients_____

 I. Operation

1. Year started: _______________                      2. Area of hunting operation: _______________ (acres)

3. Land purchased: ______________ (acres)   3a. Purchase value: $________________ (per acre)

4. Land inherited: _______________ (acres)

 

II. Facilities

1. Capital cost of lodge(s): $_______________

2. Capital cost of fencing: $_________________

3. Capital cost of improvements: $__________________________

4. Capital cost of buildings: $__________________

5. Annual cost of maintenance and repair: $_____________________

6. Approximate area of food plots: ______________ (acres)

            6a. Annual cost of seed: $____________________

            6b. Annual cost of fertilizer: $___________________

 

III. Equipment

1. Purchase price of all large equipment combined (i.e. tractor + bobcat): $____________________

2. Purchase price of all ATV(s), combined: $_______________

3. Purchase price of all ranch vehicle(s), combined: $_______________

4. Purchase price of all implements, combined: $___________________

5. Purchase price of all trailer(s)/transport crate(s), combined: $_____________________

6. Purchase price of all bulk feed bin(s), combined: $___________________

7. Purchase price of all feeding equipment, combined: $___________________

8. Purchase price of all watering equipment, combined: $___________________

9. Purchase price of all video equipment, combined: $___________________

10. Annual cost of rental equipment: $____________________

11. Purchase price of dart gun/sedation equipment: $___________________

12. Purchase price of cooler/freezer equipment: $__________________

13. Purchase price of other equipment: $_____________________

 

IV. Supplies

1. Annual amount of protein feed purchased: ___________ (tons)        

1a. Protein feed unit price: $___(per bag/ton)

2. Annual amount of corn purchased: _______________ (tons)              

2a. Corn unit price: $______________ (per bag/ton)

3. Annual cost of operating supplies for lodge: $________________________

4. Annual cost of food and beverages for lodge: $_________________________

 

V. Labor

1. Number of employees: 1a. Salary: __________               1b. Hourly: __________

2. Total wages paid: 2a. Salaries: $________________      2b. Hourly: $_________________

3. Annual expense from outsourced services: $____________________

 

VI. Utilities

1. Annual cost of utilities: $_______________

2. Annual cost of fuel: $__________________

 

VII. Miscellaneous Expenses

1. Annual insurance expense: $_________________

2. Annual advertising/marketing expense (includes taxidermy services): $_________________

3. Annual travel expenses: $__________________

4. Annual property tax: $_________________

5. Other annual miscellaneous expenses: $_______________

 

VIII. Hunters

1. Annual number of hunters: ______________

2. Total annual deer harvest: ______________

3. Approximate total number of deer in hunting area: ________________

          3a. Approximate percentage of total deer in the hunting area that are from breeding: __________

4. Annual number of stocker bucks released from breeding operation into hunting operation: _________

5. Annual number of does released from breeding operation into hunting operation: _____________

6. Annual number of stocker bucks purchased for release into hunting operation: ______________

          6a. Total expense: $__________________

7. Annual number of does purchased for release: ______________

          7a. Total expense: $__________________

8. Annual number of does harvested: _______________

          8a. Total receipts from doe hunts: $________________

9. Annual number of management bucks harvested: ________________

          9a. Total receipts from management buck hunts: $_________________

10. Annual number of trophy bucks harvested: ______________

          10a. Total receipts from trophy buck hunts: $_______________

11. Average processing cost: $_______________ (per deer)

12. Approximate percentage of harvested bucks seeking taxidermy services: ______________%

13. Average taxidermy cost: $___________________ (per deer)

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Economic Impact Survey
Texas Deer Association Members

Survey Instructions

1. This survey is to be completed by scientific breeding operations, combination scientific breeding and hunting operations, and hunting operations that utilize outside scientific breeding operations as a genetic supplement for their deer herd. All other industry participants may disregard this survey.

2. For the sections and categories below, please provide annualized 2005 records of actual or accurate estimates of expenditures rather than a range estimate of expenditures.

3. For those who have multiple facilities under separate permits (uniquely identified), please contact us for additional surveys for each operation.

4. It is important to separate records for each facility, and between hunting and breeding operations. Contact us for additional surveys if you have multiple permitted breeding and/or hunting operations.

5. It is also important to use the provided categories for records for each section, rather than combining records from breeding and hunting operations and submitting that in a breeding or hunting category.

Please provide an accurate estimate when your records do not match these categories.

6. If a question does not apply to your operation, please indicate this with an “N/A” response.

7. Please indicate units (lbs, tons, gals, etc.) where applicable.

8. For further explanation of general and selected lines of the survey, please refer to the information below.

Scientific Breeding

I. Operation: Area of breeding operation refers to the total acreage dedicated to your breeding operation. Purchase value refers to the cost per acre for the initial purchase of the land.

II. Herd Inventory: This category refers to your herd inventory, fawning rate, purchases and sales towards your inventory for 2005, and number the of fawns born and fawning rate for 2006. Annual herd mortality rate refers to the annual mortality loss on the total breeding herd, including loss of fawns after weaning. Fawning rate refers to the number of surviving fawns born per doe, specifically, the total number of live fawns at weaning divided by the total number of bred does (i.e. 0.7, 1.5, 2.3, etc.).

III. Facilities: Area of pens refers to the total acreage enclosed by all pens combined. Capital cost refers to the overall cost of construction for each of the items listed, including clearing, foundation, electrical, plumbing, etc. Capital cost of improvements refers to land clearing, roads, forage, water (well drilling, ponds), etc. Annual cost of maintenance and repair refers to all maintenance and repair for facilities, equipment, fencing, roads, etc.

IV. Equipment: Purchase price refers to the original cost of the equipment at purchase, not an annualized loan payment. Large equipment refers to tractors, bobcats, dozers, etc., used in your breeding operation. Please combine all applicable equipment into one figure for lines 1-9.

V. Veterinary & Supplies: Annual cost of operating supplies refers to the yearly expense for all operating supplies, such as office supplies, sedation supplies, AI supplies, etc. Annual cost of medical supplies refers to the yearly expense for medicine, syringes, etc. Annual number of sedations refers to the average annual number of sedations on a per doe/buck basis. Average cost per sedation refers to the average expense of supplies and labor to sedate or dart a deer. Number of necropsies performed refers to the number of post mortality veterinary examinations performed to determine the cause of death. Average cost per necropsy refers to the average labor and labwork expense of performing a necropsy on a single deer. Average cost per CWD test refers to the average labor and labwork expense of performing a CWD test.

VI. Labor: This category refers to the labor expense for your breeding operation. Owners, spouses, and children must be accounted for in this category as an employee(s) and in total wages, if labor is performed by these individuals. Total wages paid refers to annual wages for all employees. Owner/operators must include amount allotted or withdrawn for family living for line 2a. Annual expense from outsourced services refers to all additional contracted labor from those not on the payroll, including consulting services, accounting services, legal services, herd survey services, etc.

VII. Utilities: This category refers to the annual utilities expense for the annual electric, phone, water, sewage, refuse disposal, etc., and the annual fuel expense for breeding operations.

VIII. Miscellaneous Expenses: Annual insurance expense refers to the yearly cost of auto, property, liability, health, etc. insurance. Annual advertising/marketing expense refers to the annual cost of advertising and marketing materials, which includes taxidermy services for genetic display (horn molds or shed mounts, or deceased buck mounts). Annual travel expense refers to the annual cost of travel, such as fuel, food, lodging, airfare, etc.

IX. Feeding: This category relates to feeding rates for fawns, bucks, and does. For those who bottle feed fawns, please indicate the percent of all fawns that are bottle fed, number of days of bottle feeding until weaning, the product used (i.e. goat milk, milk replacer, etc.), units of this product used per fawn until weaning, the per unit product price (please indicate units-gal, bags, lbs).

Hunting

I. Operation: Area of hunting operation refers to the total acreage dedicated to your hunting operation. Purchase value refers to the cost per acre for the initial purchase of the land.

II. Facilities: Capital cost refers to the overall cost of construction for each of the items listed, including clearing,

foundation, electrical, plumbing, etc. Capital cost of improvements refers to land clearing, roads, forage, water (well drilling, ponds), etc. Annual cost of maintenance and repair refers to all maintenance and repair for facilities, equipment, fencing, roads, etc.

III. Equipment: Purchase price refers to the original cost of the equipment at purchase, not an annualized loan payment.

Large equipment refers to tractors, bobcats, dozers, etc., used in your breeding operation. Please combine all applicable equipment into one figure for lines 1-9.

IV. Supplies: This category relates to supplemental feed, corn, operating, food, and beverage supplies for hunting operations on an annualized basis.

V. Labor: This category refers to the labor expense for your breeding operation. Owners, spouses, and children must be accounted for in this category as an employee(s) and in total wages, if labor is performed by these individuals. Total wages paid refers to annual wages for all employees. Owner/operators must include amount allotted or withdrawn for family living for line 2a. Annual expense for outsourced services refers to all additional contracted labor from those not on the payroll, including consulting services, accounting services, legal services, herd survey services, etc.

VI. Utilities: This category refers to the annual utilities expense for the annual electric, phone, water, sewage, refuse disposal, etc., and the annual fuel expense for hunting operations.

VII. Miscellaneous Expenses: Annual insurance expense refers to the yearly cost of auto, property, liability, health, etc. insurance. Annual advertising/marketing expense refers to the annual cost of advertising and marketing materials, which includes taxidermy services for display. Annual travel expense refers to the annual cost of travel, such as fuel, food, lodging, airfare, etc.

VIII. Hunters: This category relates to the annual number of hunters, number of deer harvested, number of deer purchased and/or released into hunting operation, and the expenses and receipts from hunting. Total expense in lines 6a & 7a refer to the cost of purchasing, sedating, and transporting deer for release into hunting operation. Average processing cost refers to the cost of processing each harvested deer. If it is processed in-house, please provide an accurate estimate of this cost from based on local processor costs. Line 12 relates to the percentage of harvested deer that will have some type of taxidermy service performed, such as a shoulder or full body mount. Line 13 allows for the average per deer expense of this service for the hunter.