Recent Content

Hunting

How to Secure Permission to Hunt Deer on Private Land

Mar 19, 2025 Autumn McEntee

Mentoring a new hunter at an NDA Field to Fork event is about as rewarding as it gets. Time spent in the blind is especially interesting because new hunters are full of questions about anything…

Habitat

Hinge, Girdle, Fell or Leave? A Guide to 50 Tree Species in Deer Habitat Management

Mar 12, 2025 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

So, you read an article or watched a video about Forest Stand Improvement for deer habitat, and now you’re standing in the woods ready to work. You hold a chainsaw in one hand and a…

Deer Science

Meet the Smallest Deer in North America, Florida’s Key Deer

Mar 5, 2025 Ben Westfall

What do you picture when you think of deer? The iconic whitetail is likely what comes to mind for most of us, but there are several other deer species found in the wild lands of…

Habitat

Do Deer Use Hinge-Cut Bedding Blocks? New Study Results Out

Feb 26, 2025 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

Dr. Craig Harper and his students at the University of Tennessee seem to love fact-checking untested but long-held assumptions about deer habitat. Their scientific work confirmed some popular theories and crushed many others. The latest…

Habitat

Beat Cabin Fever: 8 Offseason Tasks for Deer Hunters

Feb 19, 2025 Brian Grossman

Deer season may be over, but if you’re like me, the itch to be in the woods hasn’t gone away. Instead of sitting around waiting for next fall, though, this time of year is perfect…

Habitat

5 Takeaways From My First Growing-Season Prescribed Fire

Feb 12, 2025 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

With a growing body of science urging deer managers to diversify the timing of prescribed fire, I planned and lit my first growing-season fire on June 14 last year. It was a success, and I…

Venison

Venison Steamed Buns

Feb 11, 2025 NDA Staff

Craving a flavorful twist on a classic favorite? These venison steamed buns from Elevated Wild are the perfect blend of tender, juicy venison and soft, pillowy dough. Packed with rich, savory flavors and a touch…

Deer Science

How Far Apart Do Bucks Drop Their Antlers? Shed Hunting Tips From New Science

Feb 5, 2025 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

You just found a nice shed antler. How far away is the matching side? How likely are you to find it? We now have scientific data to help answer these questions, thanks to a new…

Hunting

6 Reasons to Leave Your Trail-Cameras Out Post Deer Season

Jan 29, 2025 Brian Grossman

For years, I’d put my trail-cameras out a couple months prior to deer season, watch them intently through the rut, and as soon as the season wrapped up, I’d venture back out to pull them…

NDA Podcasts

Talking Deer and Habitat Management With Jeb Burton of Crossroads with the Burtons

Jan 29, 2025 NDA Staff

On this episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, host Brian Grossman is joined by NDA CEO, Nick Pinizzotto; NDA Chief Conservation Officer, Kip Adams; and special guest, Jeb Burton, of Crossroads with the Burtons to discuss…

Habitat

5 Easy Steps to Better Deer Forage and Cover

Jan 22, 2025 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

One of the easiest ways to quickly improve forage and cover for deer is to remove a plant that doesn’t belong here. Whether it’s a non-native tree, shrub or vine, the space and resources it…

Hunting

Mature Buck Harvest Rises to Another New U.S. Record

Jan 15, 2025 NDA Staff

U.S. deer hunters took more than 3 million whitetail bucks in the 2023-24 hunting season and set a new record in mature buck harvest, as 43% of those bucks were estimated to be 3½ years…

Deer Science

4 Reasons Mature Bucks Are Critical to Deer Herd Health and Hunting

Jan 8, 2025 Kip Adams

Mature bucks can take your breath away. Whether it’s a frosty fall morning in the woods or a summer evening in an alfalfa field, the mere glimpse of a mature buck will make your heart…

Habitat

A Guide to the Most Important Weather Factors in Prescribed Fire

Jan 7, 2025 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

Prescribed fire is a fantastic deer habitat management tool, and nothing is more important when using it than ensuring a safe, effective and contained burn. By planning and waiting to burn under the right conditions,…

Hunting

8 Worthy Resolutions for Deer Hunters

Jan 1, 2025 Brian Grossman

A new year always brings with it a mix of emotions for me. I’m saddened because it marks the final days of Georgia’s deer season, but at the same time I love the feeling of…

Hunting

I Tagged My Oldest Doe Ever. Was it a Warning Sign?

Dec 18, 2024 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

I was desperate. I was down to my last few days of hunting for the year, and my freezer would have been chirping if it was a smoke detector. The woods seemed desolate, too. I…

NDA Podcasts

Deer Hunting Gear We Can’t Live Without and Retiring the Coffee and Deer Podcast

Dec 18, 2024 NDA Staff

After 87 episodes of the Coffee and Deer podcast, we’ve decided to retire the show and instead focus solely on NDA’s Deer Season 365 podcast. The details behind this decision are explained in this episode….

Deer Science

Weak Excuses and Legitimate Concerns of Late-Season Doe Harvest

Dec 11, 2024 Kip Adams

During my career as a deer biologist, I’ve heard many weak excuses for why hunters pass up opportunities at antlerless deer late in the hunting season. I’m sure you’ve heard some of them, too. Conversely,…

Hunting

The Rut’s Winding Down. Now What?

Dec 4, 2024 Brian Grossman

As deer hunters, we eagerly anticipate the the rut — that magical time of year when deer movement is at its peak, and you never know what may show up in front of your deer…

Venison

How to Make Venison Roast Beast Sandwiches

Dec 3, 2024 Evan Barrett

Editor’s Note: Evan Barrett of Michigan learned to hunt deer through NDA’s Field to Fork program, and he has continued to participate in the program as a mentor to other new hunters. As a professional…

Deer Science

How Long Before You See Bigger Deer After Improving Nutrition?

Nov 20, 2024 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

You were present in your maternal grandmother’s womb. I know this is a strange way to begin a story about deer, but stay with me: It’s the simplest way to explain an important concept of…

NDA Podcasts

Techniques for Hunting the Rut and Beyond With Michael Perry

Nov 20, 2024 Brian Grossman

In this week’s episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, we discuss rut-hunting strategies with Michael Perry of Alabama as he follows the rut across his home state and beyond. Michael has killed some tremendous…

Hunting

8 Ways Hunters in CWD Zones Can Fight for Healthy Deer

Nov 13, 2024 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

For many deer hunters in North America, chronic wasting disease is the new normal. If you hunt in a county where CWD has been found in deer, you aren’t alone. The disease has been found…

Hunting

Top-10 States in Mature Buck Harvest

Nov 13, 2024 Kip Adams

Deer hunters in the United States are taking more mature bucks than ever in modern history. That’s true both as a percentage of the antlered buck harvest and in actual numbers of bucks harvested. This…

Hunting

Why Bucks “Vanish” When They Are Tending Does, and How to Find Them

Nov 6, 2024 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

I’ve been hunting deer for 40 years, and I’ve never seen it. Only a few of the veteran deer hunters I know have seen it, and even those encounters were fleeting glimpses. Many wildlife biologists…

NDA Podcasts

Buck Behavior During the Rut With Wildlife Photographer Tes Randle Jolly

Nov 6, 2024 Brian Grossman

In this episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, we talk with wildlife photographer Tes Randle Jolly all about her observations of various buck (and doe) behavior leading up to and during the rut. Tes…

Hunting Land Liability Insurance Don't put yourself or your family at risk!

Whether you are a landowner, or a hunter who leases land or is a member of a hunting club, hunting land liability insurance is essential because both parties assume some legal risk while on a property.

Landowners have a duty to guests and those paying to hunt (leaseholders). Hunters need liability insurance to protect themselves, other members of their hunting group, and even guests against acts for which they could be held legally responsible.

It is simply not worth risking your personal assets or your family’s financial security for unfortunate accidents or acts of others on the property you hunt.

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Advocating for wild deer and hunting

The NDA regularly engages on important conservation issues impacting wild deer and deer hunting at the local, state and federal levels. We ask all our members and followers to get engaged with these important policy issues to help us ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting.

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New York Hunters: Take Action Against A1089 & A1898

Mar 21, 2025 Mason Vliet

New York hunters are facing an immediate challenge to their hunting practices with the introduction of A1089 and A1898 in the State Assembly. These bills aim to prohibit the use of lead and other “toxic”…

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Many of the greatest joys in my life have come amidst deer, deer hunters, and deer habitat, so my decision to support the National Deer Association is an easy one.