West Virginia farmers seek transfer of deer farming to agriculture department

West Virginia farmers are optimistic about the prospects of a bill that will permit deer farming to join the industry, which is possible by transferring the industry from the Department of Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture, according to WBOY.

Ham, turkey, chicken and beef are part of the farming industry thus venison from deer ought to be as well, according to president Steve Toth with the West Virginia Deer Farmers Association. He argues that Pennsylvania last year capitalized on deer meat to the tune of $15 million in revenue so West Virginia ought to be able to do so as well.

"We're controlled by the DNR right now and most other states are controlled by the Department of Agriculture and we consider our deer as livestock," Toth told the news source. "There is a difference between a domestic turkey and a wild turkey so why can't there be the same thing for a deer?"

The West Virginia Extension Service indicated deer farming last year contributed 66 jobs and $1.44 million in sales.

The ability to host a deer farm will serve additional purposes like allowing visitors such as children to pet and feed the deer.

West Virginia senate to wrestle with who should oversee deer farming

The full senate of West Virginia is preparing to debate whether the state Department of Agriculture should oversee operations at deer farms, according to West Virginia Metro News.

The state senate finance committee earlier this week passed the bill, which proposes pulling the responsibility away from the Department of Natural Resources.

"The biggest thing we're trying to accomplish is the slaughter and sale of our animals for venison product on the open market," deer farm owner Jack Oliver in Marion County told the publication. "Last year alone I sold $12,000 worth of semen out of my bucks. We sell breeding stock. We sell antlers. We sell semen out of our animals, we sell urine out of our animals. There are endless amounts of ways to make money."

But the rules do not permit the sale of meat to restaurants as venison.

The Register Herald reports Frank Jezioro, director of the Department of Natural Resources, said earlier this month that the department he leads should oversee deer farms.

He said one of the biggest threats to the industry is disease, which would cause significant damage to the wild deer industry, which is valued at $250 million.