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Learn all about wild deer behavior, habitat improvement, food plots, hunting techniques, and much more with over 500 free articles available on our website. If you enjoy our content, we'd love to have you as an NDA member!

Hunting

Deer Hunting Tips from a Master Naturalist: Listen to Other Wildlife

Sep 18, 2024 Elizabeth Kligge

Earlier this year, I sat down with professional naturalist and Maine guide Dan Gardoqui. He practices a technique, familiar to indigenous people worldwide, called bird language. This practice develops a deeper awareness of the environment…

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Hunting

“Age This!” Celebrates 10 Years. Why is Buck Age Still Important?

Sep 17, 2024 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

We’ve been featuring an “Age This!” buck survey in this organization’s weekly e-newsletter for 10 years now. September 17, 2014 was the first newsletter to include a reader-submitted trail-camera photo and age poll. That’s not…

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Deer Science

Can You Tell Bucks From Does by Their Tracks?

Sep 11, 2024 Matt Ross

A lot can be learned from investigating deer tracks where you hunt. I’ll even go as far as saying that deer tracks could be the number one type of deer sign to look for when…

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Hunting

4 Ideal Deer Stand Setups Boosted by Habitat Enhancements

Sep 11, 2024 Ryan Rothstein

Too often when I read articles about deer stand setups or strategies for picking stand sites, it’s usually surface-level information. We get it by now – hunt funnels, set up downwind of trails, yada yada….

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3 Factors in Smart Food Plot Seed Mixtures

Jul 3, 2024 Mark Turner

About this time each year, shelves at sporting goods stores begin filling with bags of food plot seeds, many with a picture of a large buck or two on the bag. Some hunters purchase these…

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We Use Straight-Wall Cartridges at NDA’s Back40 Deer Hunts. Here’s Our Experience.

Jun 26, 2024 Hank Forester

My first deer hunt with a straight-wall cartridge was December 28, 2020. It was a cold day in Michigan, at least to my standards, and the Back40 property was mostly dormant with a light dusting…

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3 Reasons Deer Attack People

Jun 26, 2024 Matt Ross

No matter your age, race or upbringing, the cast of beastly characters that headline our nightmares typically involves sharp teeth, claws or an overall slimy, creepy-crawly “ick factor.” Cute and cuddly are never traits conjured…

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Know These 7 Natural Deer Forage Species When You See Them

Jun 19, 2024 Kyle Hedges

It’s no secret deer consume a long list of plants. In fact, there have been hundreds of articles, research papers and even books written on the subject. Much of the analysis of a deer’s appetite…

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Meet the Mule Deer, Western Cousin of the Whitetail

Jun 18, 2024 Ben Westfall

The white-tailed deer is often referred to as “North America’s favorite game animal,” and while that may be true, there are multiple whitetail subspecies and other deer species in North America that we enjoy pursuing,…

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Winter Rye Food Plots Can Be a Lifesaver for Northern Deer

Jun 12, 2024 Ryan Rothstein

“Here comes another one,” my dad whispered. “That’s got to be over a dozen already, they’re coming out like ants!”  We were tucked in a box blind overlooking a food plot, hoping that a gobbler…

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Deer Antlers Come in Many Colors. This Hunter Wanted to Know Why.

Jun 5, 2024 Dr. Tim Lewis

Hunters have long been intrigued by variation in the color of deer antlers. Archibald Rutledge’s writings immortalized the dark racks of South Carolina’s lowland swamp bucks as unique and special. Others have admired the glistening…

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Meet Deer Hunters of R3 Who Were Recruited, Retained and Reactivated

Jun 5, 2024 Cole Gander

It’s no secret that participation in hunting has been on the decline since the early 1980s. Because hunters carry wildlife conservation on their shoulders, efforts to grow hunter numbers – known as Recruit, Retain, and…

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