The National Deer Association is pleased to name Fabio Terlevich of Pennsylvania as its 2025 NDA Deer Manager of the Year Award winner, an award presented to a person or persons who demonstrate outstanding commitment to sound management of deer habitat and populations.
Terlevich is the co-founder and treasurer of the Eastern Shore of Maryland Prescribed Burn Association, where he aims to advance safe, science-based use of prescribed fire across private lands to improve plant communities and their value for wildlife. He actively manages more than 1,500 acres on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and in western Indiana. He also serves as part of a co-management team overseeing 20,000-plus acres in Pennsylvania.
“Although my early efforts focused on white-tailed deer, I quickly recognized that effective land and vegetation management underpins a far broader suite of game and non-game species. Those species form the foundation of healthy ecosystems,” said Terlevich. “My work has since evolved to improve soil, water, and diverse plant communities, through sunlight allocation and active disturbances —while also benefiting deer as a result.”
Terlevich has spent over a decade implementing intensive, hands-on habitat management of targeted species including techniques for whitetails, eastern wild turkeys, northern bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse, small mammals, migratory and local birds, pollinators, and healthy soil biology. As a result, Terlevich was selected as the 2024 Conservation Cooperator of the Year by the Kent County Soil & Water Conservation District in Maryland and later received the 2025 Outstanding Cooperator of the Year for the entire state.
“I am honored to receive this award and deeply grateful to the many wonderful mentors, biologists, researchers, foresters, farmers, loggers, and friends who have encouraged my work in land management,” said Terlevich. “Many have become really good friends, enriching the human aspect of managing the land. I have been motivated and inspired by the longstanding guidance and actionable research-based recommendations from Joe Hamilton, Dr. Craig Harper, and Kip Adams, just to name a few.”
In 2024, Terlevich earned the prestigious Deer Steward Level 3 designation from NDA, joining ranks with some of the most knowledgeable, devoted, and hard-working deer managers in the country.
“Fabio is an extremely dedicated steward of the land and has undoubtedly gone above and beyond to create an ideal landscape for deer and other wildlife on several properties in multiple states,” said Ben Westfall, NDA’s Senior Conservation Coordinator. “It is evident that conservation is his true passion, and Fabio cares deeply about improving the habitat to support stronger populations of both game and non-game species.”