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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

New States Climb into the Top-10 in Mature Buck Harvest

Mar 11, 2026 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

I keep thinking whitetail hunters can’t get any more selective when it comes to buck harvest, and then every year when NDA’s Deer Report compiles all the data from around the nation – we do….

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Hunting

How Long Does it Take the Average Hunter to Harvest a Deer?

Mar 4, 2026 Cole Gander

For many hunters, myself included, harvesting a deer is the culmination of many months of hard work, preparation and countless hours spent afield. Sometimes everything falls into place perfectly, and a hunt ends with a…

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Deer Science

How Do Whitetails Survive Harsh Winters? The Answer Might Surprise You.

Feb 25, 2026 Kip Adams

February is the perfect month for ice fishing, winter habitat work, and watching a highly-anticipated football game. It’s also the month that after a few hours of good outdoor exercise my dogs sleep more soundly…

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Hunting

Shed Hunting Public Land: Timing, Pressure and Tactics That Work

Feb 18, 2026 Brian Grossman

Shed hunting was created for hunters like me who can’t stand the thought of spending three long months indoors between deer and turkey season. Sometimes I need an excuse to hit the woods and stretch…

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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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To Kill Mature Bucks, Go Somewhere Else

Mar 16, 2012 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

  I had an interesting phone conversation with deer researcher Dr. Mark Conner while I was working on an article for Quality Whitetails. Mark, who works in Maryland, has led a number of recent groundbreaking studies…

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The Hunter’s Guide to Deer Vision

Mar 15, 2012 NDA 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…

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QDM: Frequently Asked Questions

Mar 14, 2012 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

Why practice QDM? Do I have to wait for a “wallhanger” or a “trophy” before I can kill a buck? I hunted all season and did not see a buck that was legal under my…

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5 Tips for Photographing Mature Bucks

Mar 9, 2012 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

A number of trail-camera images in QDMA’s book, Deer Cameras: The Science of Scouting, belong to Todd Reabe of Brillion, Wisconsin. Todd is a QDMA member who, over many years, has shared numerous trail-camera photos…

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Harvesting the Right Number of Deer

Mar 9, 2012 Kip Adams

In other articles, we’ve talked about harvesting the right number of does and bucks in your QDM program. Once you set your harvest goals, it is critical that you monitor the results by collecting harvest…

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How Many Bucks Can I Harvest?

Mar 9, 2012 Kip Adams

Let’s continue our discussion of harvest prescriptions with another common question: “How many bucks can I harvest?” The number of bucks you can harvest will depend highly on your level of restraint and the age…

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