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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

This “Frosty” Silver Buck Has Biologists Stumped. See the Photos.

Dec 10, 2025 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

For three seasons now, Kevin O’Brien and his uncle and cousins, who all hunt in the same area of northwest Wisconsin, have been seeing and photographing a ghostly deer. Lots of whitetail bucks “ghost” us,…

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Deer Science

Bucks, Does, and Dewclaws: Clearing Up One of Hunting’s Biggest Myths

Dec 3, 2025 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

At NDA, we frequently share emerging science that sometimes shatters old beliefs about deer, so we’re accustomed to hearing from skeptical hunters who are reluctant to let go of time-honored ideas. Lots of hunters have…

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Hunting

Two Does, One Lesson: The Value of CWD Testing

Dec 1, 2025 Nick Pinizzotto

It was one of those evenings when you just feel like something good is about to happen. While I would have obviously taken a shot opportunity on a mature buck if presented, my focus was…

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Deer Science

What Deer Research Really Says About the Rut (Most Hunters Get This Wrong)

Nov 19, 2025 Brian Grossman

While there’s still much to be learned about the whitetail rut, decades of deer research has taught us a lot about this special time of year. And much of this information will not only improve…

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10 Shooting Tips From Army Marksmen

Apr 11, 2012 Walter Stroman and SFC Kyle Ward

Harvesting an appropriate number of does each year to maintain a deer population in balance with local resources is at the heart of sound deer management, making your rifle a critical tool. As a hunter,…

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Ryegrass: Going Against the Grain

Mar 29, 2012 Bob Westerfield

I might get shot just for mentioning the use of annual ryegrass as a potential food plot crop, but the truth is I have killed too many whitetails over this stuff to completely ignore it….

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Mixing Corn and Soybeans in Food Plots

Mar 28, 2012 Craig Harper

The species and rates of plants included in a seed blend is an important consideration when planting food plots. Certainly, you want to include species that are compatible with each other in terms of growth…

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Sex Among the Persimmons

Mar 28, 2012 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

If you think this is about people having sex in the woods, I’m sorry to disappoint. It’s about persimmon trees having sex in the woods. Far less interesting, I know, at least until hunting season…

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Don’t Get Burned by Fireblight

Mar 27, 2012 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

A southern crabapple planted at QDMA Headquarters in Georgia was one of those uncommon trees that blows past all of its sister seedlings planted the same year – rocketing upwards in height, spreading a beautiful…

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Create Living Thicket Cover by Hinge-Cutting

Mar 21, 2012 Jeff Jackson

Timber stand improvement (TSI) involves removing unwanted trees that are competing with desirable trees. What is the best thing to do with the unwanted trees? Cutting them off at the ground line is a standard…

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Tarsal Glands: What We Know

Mar 21, 2012 Kip 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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Know Your Deer Plants: Partridge Pea

Mar 20, 2012 Matt Ross

A member of the pea family, partridge pea is best known as a producer of valuable cover and food for upland game birds, waterfowl, and various small mammals. However, it also happens to be found…

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