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Thermoformer Lets Farmer Grab the Buck by the Horns

After designing a new animal tranquilizer dart that is free from the problems with those already on the market, this deer farmer then revisited the secondary issue with existing darts: a poor user-experience with packaging.

Printed, branded lidding material seals product in thermoformed trays. Both the larger dosage and the petite darts are then cartoned for retail at a 24-count.
Printed, branded lidding material seals product in thermoformed trays. Both the larger dosage and the petite darts are then cartoned for retail at a 24-count.

Kevin Grace is a long-time deer farmer/rancher at the Whitetail Sales & Services deer farm in Eldon, Mo. He found one part of his job was a constant cause of frustration, not to mention a waste of money. When his deer needed tranquilizing, or perhaps needed to be given an antibiotic, the standard delivery method was and continues to be via darts fired from a distance away. And Grace had significant issues with the darts that were widely available in the marketplace. 

The number one problem Grace and his fellow farmers and ranchers experienced was never knowing if the animal received the total dose of medicine. He saw a need in the market for a better product and took the bull (or in this case, buck) by the horns and built one himself. After coming up with and tinkering on multiple design iterations, he worked with a machinist to create a prototype dart.

“I just had the idea. I didn’t know how to do it,” Grace says. “Once we figured out what we needed, I said, ‘this is what you need to build me.’ So, they built me a completely automated machine that builds the dart from A to Z.

“We wanted a dart you could fill right when you get ready to use it,” Grace adds. “That way, you know what level of drug you’re using. Or if you’re going to use an antibiotic, which antibiotic to use.”

After tackling various conspicuously named challenges like “bounce outs” and “tissue plugs,” ClearDart developed a needle and hub partnership that eliminates these issues and allows for a more accurate medicinal dosage. The result offered a clear chamber tube so the contents would be visible, and features a fill-port in two different sizes.

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