You are here

Deer University

Steve Demarais and Bronson Strickland recording a Deer University podcast.
Steve Demarais and Bronson Strickland
recording a Deer University podcast

Deer University podcasts are all about deer biology and management. Drs. Bronson Strickland and Steve Demarais are both deer hunters, deer biologists, professors of wildlife management, and co-directors of the Mississippi State University Deer Lab. Steve and Bronson are so crazy about deer biology and management that they made it their career!

Our goal is to explain how you can use deer research to improve your hunting and management experiences. Don’t take for granted what your buddy says or what you read in a hunting magazine – we’ll train you to think like a deer biologist. As national leaders in deer research, we’ll keep you up to date on the latest and best information, and deliver episodes that cover every deer management topic you can imagine, and then add some that will surprise you.

If you are interested in deer hunting and management, this is your podcast! Every shot you take this fall is either a step forward or backward in your management program, so use our knowledge to make every shot count!

Hosts of Deer University:

Dr. Bronson Strickland, Professor of Wildlife Management, Mississippi State University Extension Service

Dr. Steve Demarais, Professor of Wildlife Management, Mississippi State University Forest and Wildlife Research Center

Listen

March 13, 2024

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.

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 create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits.

Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

January 11, 2024

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 seminar series (here) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu.  You will have to create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits.

Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

December 19, 2023

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 seminar series (here) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu.  You will have to create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits.

Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

November 13, 2023

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) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu.  You will have to create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits.

Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

September 12, 2023

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 from the Categories drop down menu.  You will have to create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits.

Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)