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. Does a cold front get bucks on their feet and cause them to be more active during daylight hours? En...
Feb 06, 2025•2 hr 45 min•Season 1Ep. 82
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 emphasize the importance of accounting for individual buck personalities and behaviors during the rut and high...
Nov 15, 2024•2 hr 59 min•Season 1Ep. 81
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, he emphasizes the significance of managing forage availability on individual properties, including i...
Sep 20, 2024•42 min•Ep. 80
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 providing a diverse range of forage options for deer. Mark also emphasizes the need to consider both the...
Aug 23, 2024•39 min•Ep. 79
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 size, with an 8.5-inch increase in antler size for every 10-pound increase in doe body mass. This r...
Jul 30, 2024•42 min•Ep. 78
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 tasks for the summer, including getting soil tests and adjusting pH for food plots, moving hunting b...
May 22, 2024•55 min•Ep. 77
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 the buck movement dataset to answer questions about buck behavior relevant to hunters and managers. Check o...
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 76
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 deeper in the buck movement dataset to answer questions about buck behavior relevant to hunters and managers. C...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 75
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 data and use the information for management and hunting. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online semin...
Jan 12, 2024•54 min•Ep. 74
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 data and use the information for management and hunting. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online semin...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 73
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 can take to make the best of a bad situation. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series ( here ) ...
Nov 13, 2023•41 min•Ep. 72
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 hunting. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series ( here ) and choose the Natural Resources option...
Sep 12, 2023•1 hr 7 min
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 results from the buck side of the equation and tell us how they impact management. Check out the MSU Deer ...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 70
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 vegetation to dormant and growing season fire. Which is the best? You guessed it…IT DEPENDS. Check out the MSU...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 69
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. Gino will fill us in on the effects of dog hunting and best management practices if dog hunters hunt a...
Feb 28, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 68
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 ( here ) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu. You will have to cre...
Jan 18, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 67
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 Southeastern US as compared to South Texas. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series ( here ) and cho...
Nov 28, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 92
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 .
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 65
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.
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 64
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.
Aug 31, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 63
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.com/jfe/form/SV_9ZdpHVy5wwkAt4q...
Jul 20, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 62
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....
Jun 21, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 61
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.
May 14, 2022•1 hr 3 min
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 strategies to ensure their success. He also discusses his recent research on the effects of mowing pe...
Apr 07, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 59
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, and if you have questions, please reach out to Bill Hamrick at [email protected] https://reg.extensio...
Feb 08, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 58
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 and bullets disrupt the primary physiological systems of deer and cause their death. Additionally, he ...
Dec 21, 2021•1 hr 16 min
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 planting system work on your property.
Nov 24, 2021•40 min
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 investment. In this episode they interview Hunter Pruitt - founder of the National Wildlife Cooperative, an...
Oct 19, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 55
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 the code on why Kansas produces so many record-book bucks.
Sep 28, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 54
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.
Aug 31, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 53
