West Virginia
Deer Farmers Association
Established in 2002, the West Virginia Deer Farmers Association is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to promoting deer farming as an agricultural venture. We strive to provide educational opportunities to our members and those interested in becoming a deer farmer. We serve as a collective voice for our state's captive cervid facilities both with any legislative issues and within the national organization.
We are here to help and happy to answer any questions! If you would like to become a deer farmer, join WVDFA, or just want some more information about deer farming, please reach out on Facebook or by using the contact us form at the bottom of this page. Please also check out the various resource and educational pages on this website including a step-by-step guide on the Become a Deer Farmer page.
Deer Farming in WV
Thanks to the lobbying of this organization, management of captive cervid facilities in West Virginia was transferred from the Division of Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture in 2015. This significantly benefited deer farmers in this state as cervid farming is an agricultural venture at heart. Because of this, becoming a deer farmer in West Virginia is a straightforward and uncomplicated process with a supportive state system.
West Virginia currently has around 40 cervid facilities. These facilities include two type of licenses: breeding farms and hunting preserves.
West Virginia farmed cervid breeding herds are CWD certified and tuberculosis and brucellosis accredited. Farmed cervids may be imported into WV from other states if Federal and State movement requirements have been met. The WVDA animal health staff collect required CWD samples and complete annual inspections.
Why Deer Farming
Though we typically refer to it as "deer farming," this industry and licensing encompasses all cervids (members of the Cervidae family of two-toed, ruminant mammals). This includes whitetail, mule, sitka, fallow, axis, and red deer as well as elk and reindeer.
With family-run agricultural pursuits dwindling accross the country, deer farming is giving many families a new way to save the family farm and preserve the landscape for future generations.
Deer farming can take place on land otherwise unusable for other agricultural uses including rocky and mountainous terrain. This makes it an extremely advantageous endeavor for our state.
It also requires far less land than other livestock like cattle and sheep. The average deer farm in the USA is less than 20 acres.
Deer farming is one of the fastest growing industries in rural America; it generates $7.9 billion for the U.S. economy and supports tens of thousands of jobs.
This alternative agricultural pursuit is a promising way to preserve the traditional rural way of life while taking advantage of a booming industry.
Related Industries
There are a wide-variety of business opportunities that go hand in hand with cervid farming.
Direct Markets
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Meat Market
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Breeding Stock
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Trophy Market
Indirect Markets
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Semen Sales
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Velvet Antlers
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Hard Antlers
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Urine
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Hides
