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 and helping us get the word out. Find this episode and others at the Mossy Oak GameKeepers Podcast pa...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr 19 min
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.
Jul 28, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 51
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, does feeding affect the native plant community? Well, it depends.
Jun 30, 2021•54 min
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 parasites and aflatoxins. The results were surprising!
Jun 03, 2021•51 min
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.
May 04, 2021•1 hr 16 min
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 pitfalls.
Apr 09, 2021•49 min
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.
Mar 09, 2021•55 min
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 nutrient profile change over the hunting season. What’s more, the availability of certain nutrients in the n...
Feb 09, 2021•1 hr
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 limitations in summer nutrition is addressed with warm-season food plots, but what about addressing this need...
Jan 05, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 44
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 agencies.
Dec 15, 2020•48 min
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 in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher service. We hope y...
Dec 15, 2020•25 min
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 during the post rut.
Dec 08, 2020•56 min
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 “selection”? Selection is a measure of how much time an animal spends in a particular vegetation type ...
Dec 01, 2020•53 min•Ep. 41
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 you are in an area where deer density must be controlled, and high-quality foods are limited, you shou...
May 27, 2020•57 min•Ep. 40
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 insight into the most common mistakes he encounters, as well as strategies for success. Enjoy!
Feb 23, 2020•58 min•Ep. 39
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.
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 38
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.
Sep 09, 2019•58 min
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, Steve and Bronson review the effects of floods on deer herds adjacent to the Mississippi River, and discu...
Jul 23, 2019•57 min
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.
May 18, 2019•1 hr 6 min
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 results, and/or you only have a few feeders…don’t waste your time and money.
Mar 22, 2019•55 min
Jeremy Flinn is graduate of the MSU Deer Lab and is now the Chief Marketing Officer for Stone Road Media, a company that represents many of the well-known brands in the hunting industry. We talk about the influence "brand-name" hunters have on the education of the hunting public and how Jeremy is working to insure accurate, biologically sound information is being distributed. We also talk about habitat management differences in the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest, and how Jeremy uses biological...
Feb 06, 2019•56 min
Culling to improve genetics is likely one of the most hotly debated topics among deer hunters. How often have you heard “that spike buck is genetically inferior.” Or, “I culled that buck to get him out of the gene pool”? Heck, you may have even said this yourself! In this episode we listen to deer biologist Donnie Draeger of the Comanche Ranch in South Texas as he describes the results from a landmark, 13-year study, designed to answer this question once and for all – to determine if culling can...
Dec 20, 2018•1 hr 23 min
Steve and Bronson discuss implications of the 2nd positive CWD sample in Mississippi and have a conversation about common questions surrounding eating venison.
Nov 03, 2018•40 min
Today we visit with MSU Deer Lab graduate students Ashley Jones and Colby Henderson about their research project where they are tracking GPS-collared bucks and measuring their habitat preferences. We discuss buck movement patterns during the rut and what particular cover types bucks are selecting. We talk about focal areas and how often bucks are moving to and from different focal areas. Cover is critical for bucks, but cover that simultaneously provides food is the best! We will also hear from ...
Oct 24, 2018•55 min
Jarred Brooke and Adam Janke are Professors and Extension Wildlife Specialists at Purdue and Iowa State Universities, respectively. Today we will discuss the most common habitat management strategies used for deer in the agriculture-dominated landscapes of the Midwest.
Oct 09, 2018•50 min
John Gruchy is a Private Lands Biologist and habitat management specialist for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. He is an expert on government programs designed to assist landowners with the costs associated with wildlife habitat management practices. If you own land, or are hoping to purchase land in the near future, this episode is for you.
Sep 14, 2018•55 min
Wildlife Biologist Joe Wiley has been managing deer and wildlife habitat in Maine and the Northeastern US for 50 years. In this episode we get a look at how deer management in the Northeast differs from much of the Eastern US. Joe will explain how wildlife managers manipulate the habitat to help deer survive those long, harsh winters up North.
Aug 22, 2018•36 min
Marcus and Bronson discuss a new way to use prescribed fire on a very small scale that anyone can do. You can use this burning technique to your advantage for hunting this fall. Along with fall food plots, you should consider bow-range burnin' too!
Aug 09, 2018•36 min
Is is possible does actually play some role in selecting the bucks they breed with? Most people think that when does are in heat they simply breed with the buck that's available. But what if a doe actually had the opportunity to choose which buck to breed with? Would she choose older bucks? Larger-bodied bucks? Or, larger antlered bucks? Exciting new research from the MSU Deer Lab explains what does are looking for in a buck, and why.
May 05, 2018•54 min
Marcus Lashley tells us why prescribed fire is so important for deer and other wildlife. When should you burn to get the most benefit? What kind of fire should be used in hardwood stands? All this and more.
Mar 27, 2018•58 min
