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Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo

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Bhreandain
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
4
Reviews
14
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Editor Pick

Enjoyable Morning with the Animals

  • September 10, 2008
  • Rated 3 of 5 by pbpd81 from Poplar Bluff, Missouri
Enjoyable Morning with the Animals

My daughter absolutely loves animals and was looking forward to visiting the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm. We had plans for the afternoon so wanted to get there when they opened. It was located several miles from town on a side road in a semi residential area. The further we drove the more apprehensive I became about what to expect. I was imagining a seedy little carnival side show setup. We finally arrived by a long drive way that circled around a pond where the road was blocked by a flock of geese who weren’t sure they wanted to get up and let us through. Once we had arrived the place didn’t look near as bad as I had begun to fear. We eventually got parked and walked up several steps to the little souvenir shop where we paid the entrance fee and purchased a cup of food. We used one of the $1 off coupons, which were found in every discount booklet we had, to save a little on the $10.95 entrance fee. We also purchased a cup of food, $2.50 for about a 20 oz plastic souvenir cup full. The clerk gave us instructions on feeding the different animals and directed us out the back door. We first came to the pen of goats which we entered through a set of double gates. We had been told to only take a handful of food in or they would knock you down trying to get the cup and I’m sure that was very sound advice. Personally I don’t find goats to be very pretty animals but there was one baby black and white kid that was just as cute as could be. We tried to get around all the others to feed him but he was jumping and bouncing around playing so much we finally gave up and just enjoyed watching him frolic. When we were ready to leave the pen we figured out why it had 2 gates. Before we could get the first gate shut a goat had slipped out. When I tried to get it back in the main pen another one got out. A second attempt to get one of those 2 back in only resulted in a third one getting out, and with that I decided this was not the best approach to our problem. Afraid to even attempt to get out the second gate, for fear of letting them loose on the grounds, we were standing there fretting about what to do when one of the care takers came by and offered to help. Of course she had no problem herding them back in so we could get out. A little embarrassed we moved on to visit the camels, emu, kangaroos, and several other animals. When we made it to the deer pen, which was the only other pen guest were allowed to enter, we were a little leery about going in due to the goat experience. But we decided to give it a go and hope for the best. The deer were not overly friendly unless you were feeding them and it wasn’t like you could just stand and pet them. Katie feed them most of the food we had left while I snapped some pictures and we slipped out of the pen without incident. We followed the path on down to see the Zonkey, a zebra donkey mix. It wasn’t quite what I expected as far as looks. The black and white stripes of a zebra didn’t stand out much from the brown shades of a donkey. One of our favorite sights was the several peacocks that wondered the property including a solid white one which I had never seen but was gorgeous. The park wasn’t that large and it was easy walking the loop back to the entrance. We lingered at some of the pens to watch the animals and ended up being there about 2 hours. We were the first guest of the day and several other families came and left before we finished but it was never crowded. Our first cup of food was enough and we didn’t need the half price refills that were available. Even though the place didn’t have the professional feel of a zoo it appeared to be well maintained. The 15 or so varieties of animals all looked health and well feed. It was a nice place to spend a couple hours and I’m sure most younger children would really enjoy interacting with the animals.

From journal Our Tennesse Adventure

Editor Pick

Smoky Mountain Deer Farm

  • October 24, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by vampirefan from Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina
Smoky Mountain Deer Farm


Located only a few minutes from either Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, you will find the delightful Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo. Situated on 140 acres you will find fun for the whole family. 

When you first walk in you purchase your ticket and you can buy big cups of animal kibbles. Then you walk on out the back and into an animal lover’s playground. This place is absolutely wonderful for anyone who loves animals like I do. They have zebras, monkeys, camels, reindeer, kangaroos, and wallabies… just to name a few of their hundreds of God’s creatures who call this place home. The highlight is walking into a pen with over 100 hand-tamed deer. Who hasn’t seen deer on the side of the road or in the woods and just wanted to jump out and pet them? Well if you come here then you have your chance. These cute little guys will follow you around like a lost puppy all while trying to thief your kibbles. And they will nibble on your coat, shirt, hair, or what ever to get your attention.

You can hand feed most of the other animals in the zoo, but when we were here you were only allowed inside the deer's pin. The rest of the animals are kept in their own pin but since the fence is only about mid-waist high you can easily pet and feed them. Now I am a huge animal lover and have stated in many of my reviews that if a place doesn’t treat their animals with love and respect then I don’t visit. One way to find out abut that is to call the local humane society and ask. And that I did. I did check them out before I left and was told that the animals were cared for and met with their approval. Another thing to look for is how they are housed. Only creatures such as birds or reptiles should be kept in enclosed cages. In the case of these animals they all have large open pens to keep them safe and happy. Just walking around the cages were clean and the animals seemed to be healthy and well taken care of. They also had a number or peacocks running around.

In addition they do offer pony rides and fishing. They have picnic tables, a gift shop, and restrooms, and they are handicapped accessible. Comfortable clothing is suggested. You may want to carry tissue and hand sanitizer with you. The animals get plenty slobbery and you don’t want to have to run to the bathroom every time your hands get dirty.

hours/admissions

$7.50 adults; $4 children. They do offer AAA, group, and senior citizen’s discounts.

They are open from 10am to 5:30pm year round but are closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. They do offer several seasonal events.

For more information about this amazing place just simply go on over to www.deerfarmzoo.com  and then when in town make sure to stop by.


From journal Love, Happiness, and a Wedding in Pigeon Forge

Editor Pick

Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo

  • December 3, 2003
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Kweartz from Cincinnati, Ohio
Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo

The Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo offers a unique experience. You can’t just go anyplace and walk among, pet, and feed over 100 hand-tamed deer. Besides the deer they also have zebra, zonkeys (part zebra, part donkey), camels, reindeer, kangaroos, wallabies, prairie dogs, miniature goats, exotic cattle, miniature horses and donkeys, emu, and a bunch of peacocks that just wonder around the property. Our four-year-old daughter loved it, especially feeding the reindeer pieces of apples. You can feed just about all the animals except for the kangaroos and wallabies. Word of caution: the camels will slobber all over your hand when you are feeding them.

We went twice on the same day (had to go back because the memory card in our digital camera went bad). The first visit was in the morning and the animals were not as active as the second time we visited, which was around 5pm.

You can buy cups of food for to feed to the animals there. A large cup costs $3.50. We found that one large cup of food was enough for us to go around and feed all the different animals. If you run out you can get a refill at a discounted price.

Since everything except the gift shop is outdoors, you might want to watch the weather when you go. I don’t think it would be nearly as nice to go in the rain.

Besides the petting zoo, they also offer pony rides for the kids and horseback riding for adults.

One other piece of advise: if you are going in with the goats, do not wear very loose clothes. The baby goats tend to try and chew on any loose clothing.

From journal Long Weekend in Gatlinburg

Editor Pick

Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo

  • September 29, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Bhreandain from High Point, North Carolina
Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo

The Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo is just a little off the beaten path outside of Sevierville. It feels a little more like a farm than a zoo. Upon arrival, go through the welcome center and gift shop, where you will pay for admission and get a very brief orientation. Then you'll simply head through the rear of the welcome center to the grounds, where among others, you'll be able to see both one (dromedary) and two-hump (bactrian) camels, as well as zebras, llamas, reindeer and scottish cattle ("hairy coos").

The animals are contained in spacious open pens on a gentle slope with easy to follow foot paths. Most of the animals are extremely tame. Those that aren't, like certain male deer during mating season, are in specially marked pens, and you are advised of them as you start your tour. Any animal that approaches you either through, or as in the case of camels, over a fence can be treated as tame, and is usually just looking for a handout. Some animals prefer their solitude. Kangaroos, wallabies and prairie dogs in particular are usually out in plain sight, but don't normally approach their fences.

There are animals here that would be difficult to find anywhere else in the USA, most of which will eat right out of your hand. Feed can be purchased on site for as little as $1.50 and includes a souvenir cup. The goat and deer pens are gated so that you can wander among them if you wish. Children especially enjoy the goats.

Pony and horseback rides are available as well. Pony rides are $3.75, which is refundable if your child won't get in or stay in the saddle. Thirty and sixty minute horseback rides, for which reservations are recommended, are $14.95 and $19.95 respectively.

There are picnic tables at the pony stables so that this outing can be combined with lunch.

See the web site at http://www.deerfarmzoo.com/

From journal A Week in the Smokies

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