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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!

Deer Science

Which Deer Aging Technique is More Accurate, Jawbone or Cementum?

Sep 20, 2023 Kip Adams

There are two methods hunters can use to estimate the age of harvested deer, and both rely on deer teeth. There is a lot of misunderstanding, misapplication, and misinformation shared about these valuable deer management…

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Hunting

4 Ways to Avoid Bonehead Mistakes of the First Deer Hunt

Sep 20, 2023 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

The long wait was over. Opening morning of archery season and with it a new deer-hunting season had finally arrived. I rose early, showered, dressed, geared up and headed to the woods. In the glow…

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Deer Science

My Birthday Buck Had Upper Canine Teeth. Yes, Deer Fangs!

Sep 13, 2023 Cheyne Matzenbacher

Fangs on a whitetail? Yes, both whitetails and mule deer can sometimes grow small, upper canine teeth. I was aware of this rare phenomenon in deer, but I got some hands-on experience in fall 2022…

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Hunting

Dos and Don’ts of Deer Carcass Disposal in CWD Country

Sep 13, 2023 Cole Gander

Which taxidermist should I use? What recipe should I try when cooking up these backstraps tonight? How should I dispose of the carcass? These are just a few of the practical questions that go racing…

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Food Plot Species Profile: Sugar Beets

Nov 21, 2012 Bob Westerfield

For a unique addition to your whitetail food plot smorgasbord, try adding sugar beets. Sugar beets are actually an agricultural crop that is commonly grown for sucrose production. Farmers grow this large root-producing plant and…

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Tips For Using Tree Shelter Tubes

Nov 14, 2012 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

I’ve planted a lot of tree seedlings over the last 25 years, and almost all of them were protected by plastic “tree tubes” or shelters in the seedling stage. I highly recommend you use a…

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When Do Bucks Visit Scrapes?

Nov 1, 2012 Matt Ross

Have you ever set up on a fresh scrape, only to sit for hours and not see a thing? Well, wildlife researchers have shown that most scraping activity (nearly 85 percent) occurs at night. So,…

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Hunt Does to Find Bucks in November

Oct 30, 2012 Matt Pudenz

When November arrives, everyone is on the lookout for that big buck. However, it’s easy to overlook the main factor controlling buck movements in November – does. As the rut kicks in, bucks will be…

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Spike On One Side: Genetics or Injury?

Oct 15, 2012 Gabe Karns

Among hunters, few topics stir discussion like hunting over bait or hunting deer with dogs – but the dispute over “cull bucks” comes close. While ethics play a major role in other debates, the dispute…

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Estimating Deer Age with Cementum Annuli

Oct 12, 2012 NDA Staff

The cementum annuli (CA) aging technique is based on the annual addition of cementum, a specialized calcified substance deposited on the roots of teeth in many mammals. Layers of cementum produce “rings” similar to those…

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How to Hunt Native Warm-Season Grasses

Sep 25, 2012 Jennifer Pudenz

Just 170 years ago, a seemingly boundless prairie blanketed the Midwest, one of the largest ecosystems in the world, and it provided natural cover for whitetails and many other wildlife species. Today, only one tenth…

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How to Blood-Trail a Deer

Sep 21, 2012 Bob Westerfield

You have worked hard on your land all season long preparing food plots, hanging stands and clearing trails. Finally, the season has arrived and the moment of truth has just walked into your luscious food…

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