We have 92 domestic cervidae facilities located all throughout Idaho. Amongst these, ranchers raise their animals for many different purposes...
Elk Meat
Our state has numerous elk ranches who raise elk for their meat, due to it's reputation for being lean and naturally low in harmful cholesterols. Elk Meat is naturally high in protein and high in your good cholesterol. Many physicians actually recommend game meats to their heart patients for these very reasons.
These ranches of ours play a vital role in Idaho's economy, and even service many out-of-state restaurants & Customers in addition to within our own state. Many neighboring states no longer allow domesticated elk ranching due to political campaigns such as the one that is being waged against us at this very moment. Thus, many neighboring states depend on us Idaho Elk Ranchers to supply them with locally Raised Idaho Elk. Our Customers are very drawn to our industry due to our strict health testing guidelines, and the overall superior quality of our meat products. Our Meat producers work very hard to raise their animals in the healthiest fashion possible by providing nutritional feed, along with regular health testing, and the absence of any hormones or antibiotics.
Many of our meat producers also provide an invaluable service to it's neighbors and others within their communities. We have all played a vital role in supporting our military troops, along with donating elk jerky to our BLM firefighters who risks their lives daily during fire season. Our fellow Idahoans have year-round access to buy locally raised Idaho elk, whether it be at the local Farmers Market, online, at their favorite restaurant, or directly from our ranches.
Elk Velvet Antler
Decades of research both in North America and abroad, have shown that velvet antler is valuable in treating a variety of joint conditions. The United States Federal Drug Administration allows one claim to velvet antler, that it benefits “ joint structure and movement”.
Anti-inflammatory Effects
There are many anecdotal reports of velvet antler being used to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis, and some preliminary Korean research on osteoporosis showed good results. Dr. Glenn Buchan was commissioned to investigate further.
Dr. Buchan measured inflammatory response by counting neutrophils - the more inflammation the more neutrophils. He compared deer velvet extracts with a corticosteroid (dexamethasone) for ability to negate a standard inflammatory challenge. Two of the velvet extracts were able to suppress inflammation to the same degree as the corticosteroid at 50mcg/ml while the other extracts had little or no effect. The same velvet got a good result in the immunostimulatory trial above. To test whether the suppression was due to a cytotoxic response rather than a true anti-inflammatory response healthy peritoneal macrophages were cultured with the antler extracts. No cytotoxic effects were noted.
Immunostimulatory Effect
Traditionally Koreans take a course of velvet antler at the onset of winter as a tonic to help ward off infections. Dr. Glenn Buchan of Otago University's Department of Microbiology was commissioned to investigate the scientific basis for this practice. He measured the ability of various velvet extracts to stimulate the production of lymphocytes (white blood cells), using human recombinant interleukin as a positive control.
Although some extracts were more effective than others they all exhibited a high level of immunostimulation. There was even significant activity from one extract at the very low level of 15mcg/ml.
Athletic Performance Effects
A trial was undertaken using 24 physical education students; with neither athletes nor coordinator knowing which treatment each group was receiving. The project was conducted at Otago University supervised by sports physician Dr. David Gerrard and exercise physiologist Dr. Gordon Sleivert. A strong trend was identified. The group taking velvet antler showed almost twice the improvement of the group taking a placebo in the amount of work they were able to do in a strength test. The athletes were also tested for changes in body composition using a sophisticated DEXA scanner. Although all students lost body fat as a percentage of their body weight, the group taking velvet antler lost more body fat than the control group. Scanning showed no bulking up of muscles, which suggested the positive results were due to an improvement in the muscle dynamic activity of the students taking velvet antler.
Why Should I Give This Product to My Pets?
Author: Clinton Balok, DVM
In today's society, pets have become and integral part of the family structure. Because of the importance of pets, owners have become very conscientious about the health and quality of life of those pets. With the average person far outliving their pets, the want for health and longevity of the family pet is certainly understandable.
In North America, millions of pets suffer from chronic arthritis and other aging diseases. The vast array of conventional drugs used to treat these conditions often has serious and even fatal side effects. Because of these side effects, animal health care providers are continually seeking quality alternative treatments. In Gallup, New Mexico, velvet antler, which has no known side effects, has had remarkable results on almost 80% of the 200 animals with clinical arthritis.
In addition to regenerative effects on joint cartilage and joint fluid, velvet antler also has a positive effect on the immune system. This boost often creates a feeling of well being, which affects the appetite and attitude of animals under treatment.
Why does velvet antler work better than some single nutrient natural products on the market? The combination of nutrients available in velvet antler provides a synergistic effect. The result of combining efforts of many nutrients shows a much greater gain than the effort of a single nutrient.
Some more positive effects of velvet antler in animals are:
- Improved hair coat.
- Improved kidney function.
- Increased reproductive performance.
- Accelerated wound healing.
All are important issues for pets from young to old.
Average daily cost for an owner to supplement his/her pet with velvet antler is generally cheaper than a cup of coffee.
Work is currently underway to study effectiveness of velvet antler in young animals of breeds that have a high incidence of hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is an inherited disease of the hip and elbow joints. The joints begin deteriorating early in life, leading to severe pain and loss of function. Some breeds, such as the German Shepherd and Labrador, have a greater risk than smaller breeds. Velvet antler appears to slow the progression of the disease and increases the animal's quality of life.
There is also some indication that velvet antler's use in puppies promotes bone and muscle growth. With athletic animals, velvet antler is useful in speeding up muscle recovery and preventing soreness after hard workouts.
In horses, positive effects are being noted in musculo-skeletal conditions, hoof and hair growth, and wound healing.
Velvet antler is not a panacea or cure-all, but it can definitely improve the quality of life for animals in a safe and affordable manner. It has a place in the diet and nutiritonal supplementation program of pets and is a natural and annual renewable resource that every pet and horse owner should consider.
