Interested in starting your own deer farm in Alberta? See below for a quick overview on what it takes.

Getting Started

1. Download and review the Alberta Domestic Cervid Industry: Directives and Procedures Manual
2. Apply for a Game Farm License from Alberta Agriculture. Must submit detailed plans for fencing, and handling system.
3. Buy some land. All land must be privately owned.
4. Build a fence. Perimeter fence and gates must be a minimum of 9 ft for deer. Use mesh wire with maximum spacing of 6 inches wide. A minimum of 10 acres must be fenced for a game farm.
5. Build a handling facility. Handling facility must consist of a squeeze or alley way to hold animals securely, for testing and identification purposes. Facility must not form any part of the perimeter fence.
6. Purge all wild animals from the game farm prior to any domestic animals arriving.
7. Purchase animals from existing registered game farms.
8. Apply for a transport permit from CFIA. Permits are required each time animals are moved off a farm.
9. Transport animals to your new game farm.
10. Start deer farming! See the deer farmer calendar for a list of operations.

Notes:

• All heads of deceased animals older than 1 year of age must be submitted for CWD testing.
• All animals must be tested for TB every 5 years.

  Alberta Domestic Cervid Industry: Directives and Procedures Manual
    ( Download PDF, 170KB )

  A Deer Farmer's Calendar