One of Michigan's most exotic farms is tucked away unobtrusively on Saunders Road northwest of Hudson. There are no cows or horses to be seen, but hundreds of exotic species of deer and sheep, along with wild boar, emus, and a cranky old bison. "Bishop's Outback" is operated as a fenced hunting preserve, where about 700 animals are raised, mostly for meat or to be sold to hunters to be shot. Owner Steve Bishop and his family, Tammy, Mandy and Joshua, have run the business for ten years this month. He claims that it's more of a self-supporting hobby than it is a profit-making operation, but the love and enjoyment of the animals is obvious when you talk to him. The operation was actually started over 20 years ago by Dr. Bob Wiley, mostly keeping Fallow Deer; Bishops acquired the operation, including the deer, in April of 1992 and have greatly expanded it since. The list of various species, mostly from outside North America, is long. It includes European Red Stags, Fallow Deer, Sika Deer, Silk Deer (a cross of either Elk and Sika or Elk and Red Deer); several varieties of wild sheep, including Barbado, Black Hawaiian, Corsican, and Dall Sheep; European wild boars, and emus. Among North American species, here are a few whitetail deer --Bishops is licensed by the state to raise them -- and the bison, of course, 1700 pounds of bad attitude. Hunters looking for a trophy head of any of these species might have to spend thousands of dollars to travel across an ocean to even try to see, let alone shoot, any of these species. Having an assured success at the hunt brings hunters from all over the country. Many hunters are interested in the meat -- but trophy heads are a big draw, said Bishop. Last year, a hunter at the farm shot the third largest red stag ever harvested in North America any kind of weapon. Bishop proudly displays a photo of the deer, which had an awesome rack. The biggest season of the year for the hunting is the winter -- January, February and March -- after the regular hunting season is over with. Most of the hunts take place on a 200-acre woods on the property The biggest such fenced hunting preserves are in Texas, but Michigan has the second largest number of them and Bishop's is one of several in Michigan. Some of the preserves are much more elaborate, with luxury accommodations, fine dining, swimming pools, and a family atmosphere, Bishop says, although he prefers to keep the animals the main point of interest. The animals at Bishops eat about 300 pounds of grain a day, along with hay and forage; feeding and care of the animals is an ongoing chore, and Bishop and his family are familiar with each animal and its history. The animals are actually fairly wild. Although they appear somewhat docile around the feeding troughs, they can be dangerous, especially during the rutting season, when the deer and sheep get very territorial. One of the major concerns is animals killing or injuring each other in territorial battle, since there is a high density of animals that sometime get combative, especially in breeding times. There are a number of pens, all with high fences, to allow for animals to be separated. Still, it's interesting to see the sheep butt heads like they do in wildlife films, Bishop says. In addition to the exotic species, the Bishops also keep a herd of goats and some other domestic animals, like a llama. Visitors are welcome but should make prior arrangements at 547-6095. The Bishops are a busy family, what with caring for all the animals and running the hunting business; Bishop also sells machinery, and the family has operated Howe's Kountry Kettle for the past year, although they are in the process of selling the restaurant -- it took them too much time away from their first love, the animals at the outback.

                  (Click on photos for full image)

STEVE BISHOP at feeding time in the front display pen with an European red deer, three fallow deer, and a South American llama -- which is a family pet.
 

IT WILL COST some hunter over $3000 to harvest this European Red Stag when he reaches his full maturity, with an even bigger set of antlers. This stag is one of a number of trophy stags on the property.

EUROPEAN WILD BOAR, a pig species, during feeding time. The trailing piglet is only a few weeks old. All pigs existing today are descendants of this species; the meat is redder and leaner than domestic pigs.


IT'S SPRING, and the sheep are getting rid of their winter coats, so they look rather shaggy. There are a number of varieties of wild sheep at Bishop's, including Barbado, Black Hawaiian, Corsican, Texas Dall and Strawberry Dall.

A HERD OF EUROPEAN FALLOW DEER in the back lot at Bishops. Notice the wide flat areas in the antlers, called "palmations". These deer run a little smaller than whitetails, but the largest Fallow buck ever shot in North America was taken at Bishops two years ago.


     

THE HUGE EARS on this friendly red deer look like wings ready for takeoff.




TWO LARGE, wild, flightless emus have adapted well to the colder climate in Michigan.