By: Matt Ross

Matt Ross of Saratoga Springs, New York, is a certified wildlife biologist and licensed forester and NDA's Director of Conservation. He received his bachelor's in wildlife conservation from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and his master's in wildlife management from the University of New Hampshire. Before joining the NDA staff, Matt worked for a natural resource consulting firm in southern New Hampshire, and he was an NDA volunteer and Branch officer. He and his wife Sadie have two daughters, Josephine and Sabrina.

The Two Best Times to See Deer, Every Day of the Year

Sep 7, 2022 Matt 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…

Deer Diet Breakdown: What Do Deer Eat?

Mar 30, 2022 Matt Ross

White-tailed deer are absolute plant-eating machines, but understanding what foods they prefer to eat will vastly improve your knowledge and effectiveness in both managing and hunting them. A deer needs to consume about 6% to…

Anatomy of a Whitetail Tarsal Gland

Nov 17, 2021 Matt 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…

Why Science Matters in Deer Hunting

Sep 22, 2021 Matt Ross

“Bull$h1t!!!” That was one person’s response when we recently posted a video on NDA social channels about how wildlife agencies use science to calculate deer harvest estimates every year. For whatever reason, this individual…

Shaken, Not Stirred: Science Gets Closer to CWD Field Testing

Jun 1, 2021 Matt Ross

I’m not a huge 007 fan. However, like the heart of every Bond heroine, I downright “stole” the title for this post from my colleague and NDA’s Deer Outreach Specialist, Cheyne Matzenbacher. Why would I do…

The 20 Biggest Deer Research Discoveries of the Last Decade

Nov 17, 2020 Matt Ross

I had the pleasure of giving one of the educational seminars at NDA’s Whitetail Weekend this spring, right before all heck broke loose with COVID-19. My talk led day one and was entitled the 20…

Now You See Him: 9 Things We Know About Deer Excursions

Nov 6, 2019 Matt Ross

Nothing about whitetails ever seems routine, does it? Just when you think you’ve got ‘em figured out, they seemingly throw another curve ball in the grand scheme of World Series play we call “hunting.” But that…

The Deer Hunter’s Guide to Finding a Forester

Jan 30, 2019 Matt Ross

I recently received a question from an NDA member that went something like this: “I just purchased some land, and I’m looking to turn it into a great deer hunting property. I contacted a forester…

The 3 Biggest Obstacles to Early-Season Deer Hunting

Sep 10, 2018 Matt Ross

Unbelievable, but it’s here. Deer season is actually here! Well, despite the fact it’s 86 degrees outside as I write this and my calendar says the current month starts with the letter “S”, my email…

Public Land: A Young Buck’s Death Sentence?

Mar 27, 2018 Matt Ross

You hear it commonly from all ranks of hunters, no matter their experience level. It’s the kind of thing grizzled veterans exclaim loud enough at the local coffee shop everyone within earshot catches it, or…