Herd about this farm? Owner fawns over deer

For a small fee, visitors will be able to see seven bucks.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LARRY SALMONS IS A DAY AWAY FROM REALIZing a lifelong dream, but not without a lot of help.
Seven young white-tailed fawns followed Salmons around their enclosure Wednesday, crowding around him as he made last-minute adjustments to a fence. The inquisitive deer nibbled on Salmons' hammer, searched his coat pockets for treats and repeatedly untied his shoelaces.
The seven "button bucks" are part of a herd of white-tailed deer at Salmons' Blazing Bucks Deer Farm in Negley. The farm is on part of the 13 acres Salmons owns east of Negley at 51820 state Route 154.
Beginning Friday, it will be open to visitors daily from 9 a.m. to dusk. A small admission fee, with children 3 and younger getting in free, helps defray operation costs.
The fawns were raised in captivity and bottle fed. They are all about 6 months old and all bucks.
They are known as button bucks because they sport antler "buttons," the beginning of what Salmons hopes will be trophy racks next year.
About the deer
The button bucks are twins Blaze and Breeze, and Cowboy, Festus, Rambo, Comet and Buckshot.
Salmons said each deer has its own personality, whether it be bold, shy or jealous in seeking attention. Blaze and Breeze are the most friendly and always the first to seek attention.
A deer hunter, Salmons has for years wanted to create a family destination where visitors could see the region's native white-tails up close. With lots of help and encouragement from family and friends as well as the herd's button bucks, Blazing Bucks is ready for visitors.
The farm is a joint effort involving Salmons, his wife, Jeannette, daughter, Shirley, and family friend Peggy Bish. Salmons said Bish helped his dream along when she said her family raised deer when she was growing up.
Shirley Salmons is a taxidermist, and some of her work is on display in the farm office.
"It's a lot of work, but it's worth it," Salmons said. "The deer are just amazing. They have a really calming effect. If I'm having a bad day, spending time with them is the cure."
In their wooded enclosure, the adult bucks exhibit many of the instinctive behaviors they would in the wild.
They are attentive to each movement and noise around them and nearby does. They dart and run with white tails flashing. They rub their antlers on trees. They use their antlers to pick up and toss tree limbs and logs to strengthen their neck muscles, a behavior that prepares them to do battle with rival bucks.
Keeping control
Salmons controls the herd by selling most of the female fawns. He believes all six does were in season and bred to Stevie, the herd's top trophy buck.
Normally docile and friendly, the bucks are unpredictable when does are in season, and Salmons knows to keep a close eye on them.
Stevie, a 3-year-old, weighs about 220 pounds and sports a 16-point antler rack.
Although he has a smaller rack than Stevie, 2-year-old Freddy weighs about 270 pounds, Salmons said.
Smaller bucks are 2-year-old Sparky, and Killer and Chance, both yearlings.
The size of the bucks and their antlers is determined by genetics and how much food they eat, Salmons said. He wants to breed does to produce offspring with trophy racks area hunters will want to see.
Spring will give visitors the opportunity to see young fawns soon after birth, usually during April, May and June. Fawns lose their white spots after about three months, about the same time antler buttons begin to appear on the buck fawns.
He said return visitors can track progress of the bucks' rack growth, which occurs as much as 1/4 to 1/2 inch per day. Midsummer visitors can see the young bucks sporting their new velvet-covered racks.
Longer lives
Salmons said the white-tailed deer live 10 to 12 years in captivity, compared with two to five years in the wild. He said many deer in the wild die when an area is too densely populated, resulting in a food shortage.
The main staple of Salmons' herd is a sweet grain mixture. The deer also eat hay and apples, and there are salt blocks for them to lick. Salmons said they also eat maple leaves and acorns from the trees in their enclosure.
"For many people, the only time they see a deer is in the split second it takes for them to run across the road in front of their car," Salmons said. "Some days hunters are lucky to see a flash of white tail running away from them. Here, people can watch the deer as long as they want. Hunters can see our young bucks, many with trophy racks they only dream of spotting in the wild."
The deer are behind a 10-foot fence in a wooded area with room to run and plenty of food and water. Salmons purchased adult deer from licensed local farmers who no longer wanted to raise them.
Salmons emphasized his deer farm is licensed by Ohio wildlife officials. He said many people try to raise deer without being licensed, which is usually an unsuccessful venture that results in heavy fines.
tullis@vindy.com