Deer University

In this episode we discuss the anatomy and physiology of deer relative to making effective shots that result in a rapid recovery. Our guest is Dr. Joe R. Bumgardner who is a retired surgeon.  Dr. Bumgardner practiced abdominal and chest surgery in Starkville, MS for 28 years and took his expertise from the operating room and applied it to white-tailed deer.  Dr. Bumgardner explains how broadheads...

In this episode we discuss a food plot system that integrates both cool season and warm season food plot forages in the same plot.  Mitt Wardlaw has been using this system for over 5 years with great success. During the hunting season, Mitt has both high-energy grains (soybean or corn) along with high-protein clovers in his food plots. Join us for this episode to learn how to make this food plot p...

We've all heard time and time again that the biggest problem a landowner faces is their neighbor. But what if instead of competing with your neighbor, you joined forces? Join Dr. Marcus Lashley and Dr. Bronson Strickland, hosts of Fire University and Deer University, as they sit down to discuss the benefits co-ops provide and how working with your neighbor can give you a tangible return on investm...

Over the past couple decades Kansas has turned into a destination state for deer hunters chasing big whitetails. But what exactly about the Kansas landscape promotes the growth of large antlers?  Dr. Drew Ricketts is an Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist for Kansas State University and is an expert on habitat management in Kansas.  In this episode Drew, Steve, and Bronson crack...

Dr. Brady Self rejoins the Deer University team for their second installment of timber harvesting, this time focusing on hardwoods. Tune into today's episode to discover what you need to know for successful hardwood management on your land.

Dr. Angus Catchot and Dr. Bronson Strickland visit the Mossy Oak GameKeepers Podcast team to discuss management of armyworms in wildlife food plots and duck holes.  In this episode, you'll learn exactly what armyworms are, what you can do about them. Special thanks to Bobby Cole, Lannie Wallace, Dudley Phelps, and Toxey Haas for sharing this episode of GameKeepers with the Deer University podcast...

Dr. Brady Self is an Extension Forestry Specialist at Mississippi State University. In this episode of Deer University, Dr. Strickland and Dr. Demaris chat with Brady on the ins and outs of pine management and how it may impact management of wildlife species.

Supplemental feeding has become a common practice, but deer biologists are often concerned about the indirect effects and how the practice could degrade habitat quality and impact the native plant community.  In this episode we interview Beau Navarre, a graduate student in the MSU Deer Lab, about his research where he measured all sorts of plant data around feeders that concentrated deer.  So, doe...

Supplemental feeding of deer has become a common practice throughout most of the white-tailed deer's range. Deer biologists often warn of the potential risks of supplemental feeding related to transfer of disease among deer, other wildlife, and people.  In this episode we interview Miranda Huang, a graduate student in the MSU Deer Lab, about her research where she quantified disease risk from para...

William McKinley is a deer biologist and coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks and has been assisting hunters, managers, and landowners with deer management strategies for 20 years.  William has seen a lot of mistakes, but also has many success stories.  Join us for a fun and informative conversation with William.

John Gruchy is a Private Lands Biologist for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks and has been assisting landowners with habitat management for deer and other wildlife for over a decade.  During that time, John has compiled a list of habitat management mistakes he sees over and over again. Join us as we review these mistakes with John and discuss how you can avoid these pitfa...

Dr. Mick Hellickson joins Deer University again to compare deer management in South Texas and the Midwest.  Mick was born and raised in Iowa and grew up hunting in that agricultural environment, but then moved to South Texas for graduate school and now works there managing deer herds.  Mick will review the most important limitations he faces managing deer in these very different environments.

We get asked all the time "what's the best food plot forage to plant for deer?"  Well, as hunters and managers, we were interested in that question too. Bronson, Steve, and Marcus discuss a food plot forage selection project conducted by former graduate student, Jacob Dykes. Cereal grains, clovers, and brassicas all have different growth rates and maturation dates, making their quality and nutrien...

Most hunters and managers are aware of the benefits of prescribed fire on deer habitat.  Fire can be used to set back plant succession (reduce the woody vegetation) and stimulate the growth of forbs (increase the herbaceous vegetation). In the Southeastern US, deer nutrition is often limited during the summer when bucks are growing antlers and does are producing fawns and lactating. Often limitati...

Some hunters think Chronic Wasting Disease is no big deal, some hunters even think CWD is good for a state wildlife agency because the disease will bring with it an abundance of federal funding. Our interview with Jason Sumners of the Missouri Department of Conservation, and Cory Gray of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will fully explain the issues this disease brings to wildlife management...

Want to hear more science-based information regarding natural resources? We have you covered. We are introducing the Natural Resources University Podcast Network which is much like the Deer University podcast, but we have expanded to cover other critical natural resource management topics. Habitat, Prescribed Fire, and Pond management are all covered.  Just search for Natural Resources University...

Just when are deer most attracted to acorns?  You might think – all the time! And hey, you may be right. In this episode with former MSU Deer Lab graduate student Moriah Boggess we review his research where he monitored deer acorn use throughout the year and see that deer can be attracted to acorns much later in the year than you might expect. This can have important implications when hunting duri...

Where do bucks go during hunting season?  Does hunting pressure change where bucks spend time? In this episode Bronson, Steve, and former MSU Deer Lab graduate student Colby Henderson, review research findings from a 2-year study where about 50 bucks were marked with GPS-enabled collars and we monitored their movements throughout a hunted landscape over the hunting season. First, what is habitat "...

Bronson and Steve have a conversation with Donnie Draeger to discuss the topic of culling. Two concepts are discussed in our conversation 1) culling to improve genetics, and 2) culling to manage the buck population to maintain a proper density and conserve food.  In free-ranging deer herds, culling to improve genetics simply does not work for several reasons explained in the podcast. However, if y...

What are the most common habitat management mistakes? In this episode we visit with Deer Habitat guru, Dr. Craig Harper, of the University of Tennessee. Over his 20+ year career, Craig has worked all over the US helping hunters and managers create habitat for deer in forests and old fields. He is also the author of several books on food plots for deer and other wildlife.  Craig will share his insi...

Bryan Richards and Paul Shelton have been studying and managing Chronic Wasting Disease for almost 20 years. Bryan provides information on CWD in his home state of Wisconsin, and Paul describes how the Illinois DNR has managed the disease. These two biologists are a wealth of information and they describe the disparity in how their states are managing CWD.

Steve, Marcus, and Bronson discuss the importance of summer nutrition for deer. We review some research on seasonal fluctuations in plant quality, nutritional requirements of bucks and does, and some of the most common warm-season food plot forages. Also, Marcus has an announcement to make.

The deer herd located in southern portion of the Mississippi Delta region is undergoing an unprecedented flood event.  Some experts estimate that about ¾ of a million acres are currently flooded, and many of these areas have been flooded for months. Deer are undergoing extreme nutritional stress as they are confined to the high ground and their food supply has been exhausted. In this episode, Stev...

Forest management matters! Steve, Marcus, and Bronson discuss how forest management affects where deer spend time. Want to draw more deer to your property? Want deer to spend more time on your property? Manage the forest on your property to produce food and cover. 

So you want to start a supplemental feeding program? You better listen to this episode. We again visit with deer biologist, Donnie Draeger, and discuss the pros and cons of supplemental feeding. Donnie and colleagues designed a study to determine exactly what impact a supplemental feeding program would have on antler size and body weight of free-ranging bucks. If you are expecting immediate result...