EXPLOITATION AND DOMESTICATION OF DEER - COMMENTARY

The modern deer farming industry can be traced back through the centur ies at least to Roman and Greek times. Archaeological evidence from Ch ina and Europe suggests that deer of several species may have been par tially domesticated or at least habituated to humans many centuries be fore that, including during the Mesolithic. The techniques described b y Aristotle and Roman authors are used today by deer farmers in many c ountries. The farming of wapiti in North America was first described i n 1877, and seriously considered by the U.S. Biological Survey in 1908 . As of February 1993 deer farming was being carried out in 21 countri es.