The NDA prides itself in keeping up with the latest in deer research and management and presenting that information to our members in easy-to-understand articles, videos, and podcast interviews.
Deer Science
The Two Best Times to See Deer, Every Day of the Year
Sep 7, 2022Matt Ross
It was inevitable. The mature buck stepped into my shooting lane, broadside, within easy bow range – and I just couldn’t bring myself to draw back and shoot. Up until the 2021 season, I routinely…
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Deer Science
To Hear More Gobblers, Stop the Squeal
Aug 24, 2022Lindsay Thomas Jr.
If there are feral hogs in the woods you hunt, there may not be as many wild turkeys as there could be. Hogs have previously been named among many suspects for causing the recent national decline…
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All Articles
All Articles
Deer Science
The Biggest Buck Harvest in 21 Years
Jan 26, 2022NDA Staff
Deer hunters in the United States harvested an estimated 6.3 million white-tailed deer in the 2020-21 hunting season, the most since 2011, according to the National Deer Association’s latest Deer Report released this week. Harvests…
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Where Do Deer Sleep?
Jan 18, 2022Kip Adams
Where do deer sleep? The quick answer is, “anywhere they want.” Deer sleep anywhere they bed and may do so singly or in groups. However, during daylight it’s far more common for deer to sleep…
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How Many Fawns Does the Average Buck Produce?
Dec 15, 2021Randy DeYoung
Forty-two is the number that comes to my mind when I’m asked this question, but not because it’s accurate or has anything to do with deer. Instead, “42” is the line from Hitchhiker’s Guide to…
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The Science of the Second Rut
Dec 8, 2021Cheyne Matzenbacher
I hit the grunt call three times, and within minutes a nice mature buck jumped the fence and came in with his ears laid back in search of whatever buck just made that sound in…
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Anatomy of a Whitetail Tarsal Gland
Nov 17, 2021Matt Ross
Of the seven glands that deer use to communicate with one another, hunters are probably most familiar with the tarsal gland and its role when deer make a scrape. But have you ever wondered exactly…
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The Mysterious Adventure of an Exceptional Buck
Nov 3, 2021Lindsay Thomas Jr.
it’s difficult to trap a good deer scientist. They leave themselves room to maneuver when you ask them for certainty about deer behavior, a sort of scientific CYA. Good deer scientists say “usually” instead of…
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Cold Fronts May Get Hunters On Their Feet, But Bucks Answer a Different Call
Oct 6, 2021Lindsay Thomas Jr.
Don’t say it. Do not say it! Don’t say the cold front has got the bucks on their feet. You are going to say it, aren’t you? Seriously, listen to yourself this fall. You’re going…
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Should You Shoot a Deer Wearing a Tracking Collar?
Sep 29, 2021Lindsay Thomas Jr.
Our knowledge of deer behavior and biology, and our ability to hunt and manage deer effectively, expands all the time thanks to the remote tracking collar. You’ve seen their movements as dots on a satellite map…
