Contact the WV Department of Agriculture and request a cervid farming packet. They will send you this in the mail. Shelly Lantz 304-558-2214 (9am-3pm)

Plan, plan, plan. The planning phase for a deer farm is incredibly important. We highly recommend considering building your facility with alleyways and a handling facility if possible. Visit the Considerations portion of this site for more information. This article is also helpful.

Familiarize yourself with the WV cervid farming code/requirements.

Contact us here at WVFDA using the contact us form on the home page or our Facebook page. You can also contact other deer farmers from the Directory page. Go out and visit as many farms as you can. Chat with them and ask questions. Our board and our members are a wealth of knowledge and are very willing to help new farmers with any questions. We would love to have you as a member!

Follow the steps on the WV state website to start a business. This will include naming your business, determining its structure, obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, and registering your business in WV. Follow steps 1-3 on this link before proceeding.

Apply for a free Premise ID.

Apply for a farmed cervid facility license.

​Familiarize yourself with the various forms required for the Department of Agriculture. These include inventory, birth/death forms, movement requests, movement confirmations, and farm inspection requirements. Make sure you have a way to keep thorough records.

Once your facility is ready, arrange your farm inspection. Our WV Agriculture inspectors are great to work with and can help walk you through this process. This inspector will also be the person you will contact in the case of a death of a deer over 12 months of age to submit for mandatory CWD testing.

Find a USDA licensed cervid vet from the map below who will work with you for both your farm's 3-year Tuberculosis and Brucellosis testing as well as for any health certificates you may need.

Join NADeFA and sign up for an account with NADR. NADeFA is the national organization for deer farmers; they are a huge asset for our community and are constantly pushing research and legislation for deer farmers across the country. NADR is the registry where you will submit samples for genetic marker testing and pedigree verification.