Deer and Elk

Welcome to the OMAFRA Deer and Elk website. Here you will find a wealth of information relevant to Ontario's Deer and Elk industry. The resources listed below include OMAFRA Factsheets and Information Sheets, as well as key links to information on internal and external sites.

Animal Welfare

• Best Management Practices to Recover Escaped or Released Farmed Deer or Elk - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Order No. 06-077)
• Code of Accepted Farming Practice for the Welfare of Deer - Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia
• Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Farmed Deer - Department of Food and Rural Affairs, UK
• Deadstock Disposal - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Factsheet: Recommended Code of Practice for the Care & Handling of Farm Animals - Farmed Deer - Canada
• Recommended Code of Practice for the Care & Handling of Farm Animals Transportation - Canada
• Recovery Protocol for Escaped or Released Farmed Deer and Elk - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Production Management

• Cervid Feeding - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Deer and Elk Farming in Ontario – OFAC
• Deer & Elk Farming - Rutgers Cooperative Extension
• Deer & Elk Research & Factsheets - Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), Australia
• Deer Net - University of Alberta
• Elk Production - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
• White-Tailed Deer - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
• Virtual Farm Tour–Deer & Elk – OFAC

Nutrition & Feeding

• Feeding Standards for Farmed Deer - University of Alberta
• Nutrition of Farmed Whitetail & Mule Deer - University of Alberta
• Pasture and Forages for Wapiti - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
• Pasture and Forages for White-Tailed Deer - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization

Manure and Nutrient Management

• How Many Nutrient Units Do I Have? Deer and Elk Operations - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Pub 831- Case Study - A Mixed Farm Example: Your Livestock Operation Under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002

Elk

• Elk Breeders Homepage - Wapiti Net
• Elk Behaviour & Habits - North American Game Species
• Elk - North Dakota State University Extension Service
• Elk Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension
• Ground Level Elk Handling Facilities - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
  
  

Red Deer

• Red Deer and Fallow Deer - North Dakota State University
• Red Deer Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension
• Red Deer Statistic Analysis of Production - Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), Australia

Fallow Deer

• Fallow Deer Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension
• Red Deer and Fallow Deer - North Dakota State University
  

Health Management

• A Review of the Diseases and Parasites of Farmed Cervids - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance
• Chronic Wasting Disease Update - (Order No. 07-025)
• Chronic Wasting Disease - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), United States Department of Agriculture
• Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) of Elk & Deer - Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development
• Chronic Wasting Disease of Deer & Elk - Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Diseases of Deer - Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
• Guidelines and Eligibility Criteria for the Ontario Chronic Wasting Disease Voluntary Surveillance Project for Farmed Cervids - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Ontario's CWD Surveillance & Response Plan - Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• Parasites and Deer - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Tuberculosis in Bison and Captive Cervids - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), United States Department of Agriculture
  
• Velveting of Deer and Xylazine - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Withdrawal Times for Medicines Used in Deer - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
  

Housing

• Elk Calf Shelter on Pasture - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Farm Layout or Deer and Elk - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Order No. 99-017)
• Fencing for Deer and Elk - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Order No. 97-027)

Producer and Industry Groups

• Alberta White-Tail and Mule Deer Association
• British Deer Farmers Association
• Deer Farmers Information Network
• Deer Industry Association of Australia
• Directory of Associations for Deer and Elk
• New Zealand Game Industry Board
• North American Deer & Elk Farmers Association
• North American Elk Breeders Association
• Ontario Deer & Elk Farmers Association
  

Resources & Publications

• Deer Farmer's Digest Newsletter
• Deer Farming Publication - New Zealand
• DeerMail Discussion Group - University of Alberta
  
  

Legislation, Regulation & Policy

• Chronic Wasting Disease and Cervidae Regulations in North America - CWD Alliance
• Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act & Regulations - Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• Health of Animals Act - Department of Justice, Canada
  

Marketing

• Provincially Licensed Abattoirs - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Protocol Respecting the Importation of Cervids into Quebec from Other Provinces - Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (External Link - Disclaimer)
• Virtual Farm Tours
• Animal Density Maps for Canada - University of Manitoba
• Agricultural Business Management

Research

• Deer Research Reports - Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Australia

Statistics

• Alternative Livestock on Canadian Farms - Census Years 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 - Statistics Canada
• Game Sector Statistical Briefer - Deer & Elk - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
• Number of Alternative Livestock and Gamebirds Processed for Meat in Ontario Federal/Provincial Combined Statistics - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Other Livestock on Canadian Farms - Statistics Canada