Meet The Owners

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The Velvet Standard is more than a consulting firm—it’s a promise that every client receives the level of care, attention, and strategy that we once wished existed when we began our careers. Co-founded by Dayden Shaffer and McKenzie Gunter, our business is rooted in resilience, first-hand experience, and a shared vision to elevate standards across the cervid industry. Together, we’ve worked with thousands of whitetail deer across Texas and beyond, blending hard-earned knowledge with a passion for mentorship and strategy.

With over a decade of experience managing large-scale whitetail programs, Dayden blends scientific breeding strategy with an instinctual feel for program design. Her journey began at Whitetail Deer of Texas under Jim & Judy Taylor in 2014. After graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in Animal Science, she worked with High Roller Whitetails and later became ranch manager at MVP Whitetails and P-Bar Whitetails. She currently manages Paragon Whitetails in Trinity, TX.

Dayden’s focus lies in pedigree design, AI planning, and record system implementation. She’s built reproductive calendars and breeding lineups that have shaped top-tier herds across the state. But more than strategy, she brings empathy—knowing what it means to wake up for 2 a.m. bottle feedings, scramble through fawn pens, and juggle motherhood on the ranch. She believes great breeders build great records and that informed decisions lead to generational success.

McKenzie’s entry into the industry was trial by fire—and she didn’t just survive, she thrived. Her first internship at M3 Whitetails in Franklin, TX, quickly turned into a management role. Since then, she’s served as Herd Health Manager at Kaiser Creek Whitetails and now manages Tecate Creek Whitetails, responsible for over 1,000 deer daily. Her expertise spans illness triage, nutritional management, vaccination protocol development, and field-side diagnostics.

Her strength lies in bridging instinct and protocol—knowing when to stick to the manual and when to write a new one. McKenzie is passionate about sharing her experiences with new breeders and equipping clients with real tools that work. Whether she’s diagnosing a fawn illness or walking a client through a barn redesign, her calm leadership and deep field knowledge elevate every operation she touches.

We believe that when you understand an animal — truly understand it — you take better care of it.

Our vision is a future where every cervid herd, whether in a breeding program, a conservation effort, or a private facility, is managed with purpose, precision, and respect. We want to see a world where science and experience work hand-in-hand to improve herd health, preserve genetic integrity, and raise the overall standard of care for these incredible animals.

At The Velvet Standard, we aren’t just trying to fix short-term problems — we’re here to build long-term systems that support healthier herds and better outcomes, for both the animals and the people who work with them.

We envision a cervid industry that’s informed, ethical, and forward-thinking — and we’re proud to help lead it there.