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
Top 3 Factors Influencing Deer-Vehicle Collisions
Apr 7, 2025Casey Rotenberger
In my home state of Pennsylvania, everyone has either hit a deer with their vehicle or knows someone who has. The Keystone State was identified as “high-risk” in 2024 by State Farm, with the likelihood…
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Deer Science
Meet the Smallest Deer in North America, Florida’s Key Deer
Mar 5, 2025Ben 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…
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All Articles
All Articles
Deer Science
Why We Can’t Manage Deer Genetics
May 30, 2012Lindsay Thomas Jr.
The power of selectively controlled breeding is incredible. With it, we transformed a wolf into a chihuahua over the course of 15,000 years – mere milliseconds in the echoing depths of geologic time. We transformed…
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Will Dominant Bucks Dominate the Breeding?
May 17, 2012Kip Adams
“Do a handful of bucks sire the majority of the fawns?” This question is often followed with a series of questions, such as: “If the dominant buck in my area has narrow antlers, will I…
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A Leg Up: Judging Buck Age From Body Proportions
May 7, 2012Lindsay Thomas Jr.
Is there a wall or door somewhere in your childhood home bearing pencil marks that track your height through the years? If we could just as easily track the body proportions of whitetail bucks as…
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The Antler Growth Bell Curve
Apr 23, 2012Lindsay Thomas Jr.
There’s a simple rule underlying antler development in whitetail bucks that all hunters should understand. Awareness of this rule provides a bridge over many of the false expectations, myths, mistakes and frustrations that lie waiting…
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How to Run a Trail-Camera Survey
Apr 19, 2012Lindsay Thomas Jr.
A trail-camera survey – put simply – is the most powerful deer herd monitoring tool you can use that doesn’t require the assistance of a professional wildlife biologist. On your own, you can estimate deer…
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Top 5 Rookie Trapping Mistakes
Apr 18, 2012Todd Menke
Scientific research confirms that effective trapping prior to the annual fawn-drop can, in some instances, improve fawn survival rates depressed by predators. For deer hunters in many areas, trapping has become a vital addition to…
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Tarsal Glands: What We Know
Mar 21, 2012Kip Adams
The tarsal gland, arguably the most important gland in deer communication, is found on bucks and does. Each hair is associated with an enlarged sebaceous or “fat” gland that secretes an oily material that coats…
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The Hunter’s Guide to Deer Vision
Mar 15, 2012NDA Staff
It’s happened to every bowhunter—a deer spots you for no apparent reason while perfectly concealed. Was it your scent, your noise, your movement, or perhaps what you were wearing? While all hunters agree that deer…
