Individuals possessing farmed deer (Cervidae), excluding white-tailed deer, in Minnesota must register with the Board of Animal Health and meet all requirements outlined in Minnesota Statutes 32.153, 35.155, and Minnesota Rules 1721.0370 to 1721.0420. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources oversees white-tailed deer farming. Farmed deer are considered livestock and not wildlife under game farm, hunting, or wildlife laws.
To register with the Board of Animal Health, owners must submit a registration application and an annual inspection fee. The fee is $500 for producers managing deer herds for profit or monetary gain, engaging in trade or exchange for consideration, selling shooting privileges of animals in the herd, or if the herd includes more than one species. The fee is $250 for all other herds.
Upon receiving the application and fee, a Board agent will contact the applicant and schedule an inspection. This inspection must be conducted before any farmed deer are moved onto the premises.
Each registered farmed deer facility must be inspected annually, at a minimum, by a Board of Animal Health agent to verify compliance with Minnesota Statutes and Rules. Routine inspections help ensure herd health and prevent the spread of disease.
All farmed deer must be individually and uniquely identified. This facilitates effective herd management and allows for tracking the growth and development of individual animals. This process also aids in traceability if necessary.
A complete animal inventory must be conducted every 12 months, verified by the owner and an accredited veterinarian, and submitted to the Board of Animal Health. Additionally, a physical inventory must be conducted every 36 months with the same process.
Producers must report all farmed deer that die or are moved from the herd to other locations to the Board of Animal Health within fourteen (14) days of death or movement. For white-tailed deer, producers must report death or movement to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Board of Animal Health staff will reconcile inventories with previously submitted animal information to verify all animals have been accounted for. Timely reporting assists officials in disease control and management of the overall farmed deer population in the state.
