Deer University

In this episode Natasha Neary, Luke Resop, Steve Demarais, and Bronson Strickland discuss the MSU Deer Lab's recent analyses that disentangle the intricate relationship between buck movement and weather conditions. They use various metrics of deer activity, like movement rates and bedding percentages, and control for time of day and rut phase to isolate any additive effects of weather conditions....

Natasha Neary, Luke Resop, Steve Demarais, and Bronson Strickland delve into the relationships between moon phases, positions, and their potential effects on buck movement and bedding behavior. They review their research findings from a complex and exhaustive analysis of GPS-collared bucks to determine if moon phase and/or position has any relationship with buck movement behaviors.   They emphasiz...

In this third episode with Dr. Mark Turner, we discuss Mark's research exploring the factors that contribute to the variation in population-level buck antler size. He explains that deer tend to be larger in areas further north due to heat retention and dissipation. He also highlights the importance of landscape characteristics, such as row crop agriculture, in influencing deer size. Additionally,...

In this episode, Dr. Mark Turner discusses his research on the nutrient requirements of deer and the availability of native plants to fulfill those requirements. He sampled common deer forages throughout the Eastern US and found that only 44% of the forages sampled met the minimum crude protein requirement, and only 19% met the minimum phosphorus requirement. This highlights the importance of prov...

In this conversation, Bronson, Steve, and Mark Turner discuss the relationship between doe body weight and buck antler size. Mark's research at the University of Tennessee aimed to evaluate how deer body and antler size varied across the eastern US and what habitat characteristics were associated with bigger deer. The results showed a consistent relationship between doe body weight and buck antler...

In this conversation, Bronson and Steve discuss various topics related to deer management during the summertime. They start by addressing recent concerns about hunters contracting CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) from consuming deer with CWD and emphasize the importance of following public health guidelines and not eating venison from CWD-positive deer. They then move on to discuss deer management...

In this episode we visit with Dr. Natasha Ellison to review her findings relative to buck use of food plots during the hunting season.   How often are bucks visiting food plots pre-rut, peak-rut, and post-rut?   When are bucks spending more time on food plots?   How does hunting pressure affect these relationships?   Natasha is a Mathematical Ecologist and is helping the MSU Deer Lab dig deeper in...

In this episode we visit with Luke Resop to discuss buck beds and bedding areas.   How often are they bedding?   What's their affinity to certain bedding areas?   What's the circuit time for returning to a bedding area?   Day beds and night beds are all discussed.   We also introduce our newest member to the MSU Deer Lab, Dr. Natasha Ellison.   She is a Mathematical Ecologist and is helping us dig...

The latest Extension publication from the MSU Deer Lab is "Understanding Buck Movement: How, When, and Why Bucks Navigate the Landscape" is now available for viewing and download.   You can find the publication here: https://www.msudeer.msstate.edu/results.php?q=deer%20movement In Part 2, Steve and Bronson discuss more of the findings presented in the publication and explain how you can interpret...

The latest Extension publication from the MSU Deer Lab is "Understanding Buck Movement: How, When, and Why Bucks Navigate the Landscape" is now available for viewing and download.   You can find the publication here: https://www.msudeer.msstate.edu/results.php?q=deer%20movement In Part 1, Steve and Bronson discuss some of the findings presented in the publication and explain how you can interpret...

The Deep South and other parts of the whitetail's range are experiencing severe drought and many cool-season food plots are struggling or failing.   In this episode we visit with Dr. Erick Larson, an Agronomist and Extension Specialist at Mississippi State University, that works with many of the forages hunters and managers plant for deer.   Erick will discuss when is too late and what steps we ca...

What is a deer signpost?   In this episode Steve and Bronson visit with Dr. Karl Miller, the former professor and researcher of deer biology and management at the University of Georgia. Karl and his students and colleagues have studied white-tailed deer signposting behavior for decades and he shares key findings regarding the biology and ecology of this research, and how you can apply it to huntin...

What the heck is buck breeding value?   In this episode Steve and Bronson visit with Dr. Randy DeYoung, a professor and researcher at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Randy and his colleagues and students have worked for many years analyzing genetics data related to maternity and paternity assignment in South Texas deer herds.   Randy will share re...

There's no doubt that prescribed fire is good for wildlife habitat, but what's the best time of year to burn?  What are the pros and cons of burning during the dormant season (winter) and the growing season (spring and summer)?  In this episode Bronson and Steve visit with MSU Deer Lab graduate student Luke Resop and discuss the findings from his research where he examined the response of vegetati...

Seems like you either love dog hunting, or hate it. There's no in between.   But what does the research say about the effects of dog hunting on deer herds? In this episode we visit with Dr. Gino D'Angelo, a professor at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia.   Gino is one of the few biologists that has studied a deer population routinely hunted with dogs...

Do all the habitat recommendations that deer biologists make also benefit turkey?  In this episode, Bronson and Steve visit with Marcus Lashley and Will Gulsby to discuss habitat limiting factors for turkey, and how to incorporate habitat management techniques that benefit both deer and turkey. Stay tuned until the end for a big announcement… Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series ( he...

This is a crossover episode with A Talk On The Wild Side podcast, hosted by Dr. Sandra Rideout-Hanzak. Dr. Mike Cherry is the Stuart W. Stedman Chair for White-tailed Deer Research at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and has experience researching and managing deer from Texas to Florida to Virginia.  Mike and Bronson talk about deer management and habitat management in the Southeaste...

We're back with another Q & A, this time with questions focused on buck movement and hunting strategy. Enjoy! Be sure to follow us on social media @MSUDeerLab and subscribe to our YouTube channel MSU Deer Lab TV .

We asked and y'all delivered…Bronson and Steve sit down to answer your questions from social media on deer biology. Stay tuned for the following two Deer University episodes where more of your questions get answered! Be sure to follow us on social media @MSUDeerLab.

Bronson and Steve are joined by a special guest and founding father of the MSU Deer Lab, Dr. Harry Jacobson. Travel back to the early Deer Lab days and learn of the pioneering research conducted, achievements gained throughout the years, and lessons learned along the way.

This episode is devoted to doe harvest.  Steve and Bronson spend a lot of time talking about which bucks to harvest, but in this episode, they discuss the need for doe harvest, when to harvest, and what does to select. Enroll now in our free wildland fire course ! For more information, follow us on  Instagram ,  Facebook  &  Twitter How has our outreach affect you? (survey)  https://ufl.qualtrics....

It's summertime - bucks are growing antlers, does are lactating, and Steve has returned from Europe just in time to sit down with Bronson to inform listeners on what they can be doing now to help meet nutritional demands for deer this summer and following seasons to come. Get the overview of tools, resources, and science behind deer nutritional timelines in this episode you don't want to miss.

This episode is devoted to mineral stumps.  Marcus Lashley joins the podcast and reviews all the details. How to make them, when to make them, where to make them.

Summer can be a nutritionally stressful period for deer. When bucks are growing antlers and does are gestating or lactating, there should be abundant high-quality food for them. In this episode we visit with Dr. Craig Harper from the University of Tennessee and discuss the important role of habitat and warm-season food plots during summer. Craig talks about the best summer food plot forages, and s...

A topic of much debate and argument is cull bucks. Do cull bucks exist?  Are they different from management bucks?  All good questions.  In this episode we review this terminology and discuss scenarios where harvesting cull bucks, or management bucks, makes a lot of sense. At the beginning of the episode we revealed a new Deer Management Online Seminar Series.  Below is the link to this program, a...