Welcome to our new website. Cove Creek Lodge (CCL) is now Cove Creek Whitetails. CCL was located 45 minutes from our home in Chambersburg and for various reasons Barbara and I decided to sell the lodge and continue a breeding only operation at our home. It is much more enjoyable having your deer out your front door.

We accepted an offer on August 11, 08’ and began turning an open field into a breeding facility. By November 8th we were AIing in our new facility. Barbara and I concentrated on moving the deer once the pens were up in mid October.  Although we were late weaning and put a lot of stress on our does moving them to a new property close to breeding – we had few options given the timing of the sale.

Currently our herd of 55 consists of 1 – 2 year buck (Ebenezer), 12 mature does, 9 yearling doe (all from 07’ AI) and 16 yearling buck (all from 07’ AI) and 17 09’ fawns all from AI.

Bloodlines.
We were fortunate when we started 9 years ago to purchase 6 bred does from Gsell. Click on link to read Randy Bark’s “Patrick Line Unraveled” article. Gsell Patrick is the same “Patrick” that the Borkholder’s and others prosper with. The difference is theirs came from the does 110,111 and 112 and Gsell’s from a buck Patrick Jr.

Our objective is to line breed using the bloodlines of Patrick, Max and Pa Geronimo with a little Sundance thrown in thru Rolex (Highroller). We plan to limit ourselves to 15 breed does and be known for our focus of these lines.

2009 has been a breakthrough year for us. Our 16 yearling bucks will average somewhere in the 160’s with 3 going near or over 200” and Ebenezer got big @ 2 with the Maxbo look. Proof that our does have what it takes to produce big bucks with predictable consistency.
Royal Flush and Ivanhoe are producing big sons and more importantly their daughters are really producing. There are many 200” + 2 year old Royal Flush sons or sons of daughters around the country. I apologize to my customers for not keeping our previous website current with his exceptional offspring.

Going forward we will continue building on our strong doe base thru AI and selective line breeding. If you would like to discuss how we may be able to strengthen your program please contact us. I enjoy talking deer and have appreciated the generous help of many friends in the industry and want to pass it on.

I hope you enjoy the new website and notice if you click on the buck picture it will take you to his page which features a video at top, a photo gallery (click on green bar) and an expanded printable pedigree below the displayed pedigree. Enjoy.


Sincerely,
Bruce and Barbara Ritchey