By: Cheyne Matzenbacher

Cheyne Matzenbacher is an NDA Deer Outreach Specialist in Missouri. A Missouri native and lifelong deer hunter, Cheyne works with private landowners to establish and support Wildlife Management Cooperatives in the southern half of the state.

NDA Participates in Missouri Governor’s Mentored Deer Hunt

Oct 17, 2023 Cheyne Matzenbacher

On the first weekend of October in Missouri, NDA Deer Outreach Specialists Cheyne Matzenbacher and Cole Gander had the opportunity to cooperate with multiple organizations and partners to participate in the Governor’s Mentored Deer Hunt. …

read more

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…

read more

The Many Coat Colors of White-tailed Deer: Albino, Piebald, Melanistic and More

Aug 2, 2023 Cheyne Matzenbacher

Deer come in a wide variety of colors. Though most are brown or gray, you also see shades or red, coats of silver, and there are several rare color phases that include white and even…

read more

Deer Hunters Should be Weed Farmers

Apr 19, 2023 Cheyne Matzenbacher

Deer hunters should be weed farmers. Wait, not that kind of weed! I’m talking about forbs – all those non-grass, broad-leaved, herbaceous plants that most people call “weeds” and most deer consider food. Common ragweed,…

read more

Creating Deer Food Plots With Minimal Equipment

Mar 1, 2023 Cheyne Matzenbacher

Many hunters want to maximize their hunting success by planting a food plot but might not think they have the equipment to do so. However, if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and…

read more

Top Soft Mast Species for Early Season Deer Attraction by Region

Aug 3, 2022 Cheyne Matzenbacher

Early hunting season can be a bountiful time in the deer woods if you do your homework, scout, and know where to place your stand or blind for a better shot opportunity. One of the…

read more

The Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP): What It Is and Why You Should Enroll

Jul 12, 2022 Cheyne Matzenbacher

What is DMAP? Better known as DMAP, a Deer Management Assistance Program is offered by many state wildlife agencies to help manage deer populations when management can’t otherwise be accomplished solely through regularly issued hunting…

read more

The Science of the Second Rut

Dec 8, 2021 Cheyne Matzenbacher

I hit the grunt call three times, and within minutes a nice mature buck jumped the fence and came in with his ears laid back in search of whatever buck just made that sound in…

read more

Know Your Deer Trees: Ozark Chinquapin

Sep 29, 2021 Cheyne Matzenbacher

Once thought to be extirpated from its range, the Ozark chinquapin (Castanea ozarkensis) is a drought tolerant hardwood tree that reaches up to 65 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.  Ozark chinquapins bloom in…

read more

5 Easy Ways to Meet Your Deer-Hunting Neighbors

Jul 8, 2020 Cheyne Matzenbacher

I know I’m not the only one who has been guilty of assuming that any deer management I tried to accomplish would be negated when a deer crossed the fence onto the neighbor’s land. It…

read more