At the end of Deer Steward 2 training, attendees can plan and implement advanced deer management strategies where they hunt. As it stands now, over 5,000 people have become Deer Stewards since the program began in 2007.
Program Overview
Deer Steward is the National Deer Association’s (NDA) individual certification program. This program includes three levels of potential achievement, and each must be completed in sequence.
Deer Steward Level 1 will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the key principles of deer and habitat biology, ecology, and management.
Deer Steward Level 2 will teach students how to apply the principles learned in Level 1 through hands-on and field experience.
Deer Steward Level 3, the most prestigious, must be earned through an individual’s long-term service to NDA, and/or wild deer.
In addition, starting in 2015, we also now offer the Deer Steward Modules where attendees dive into one particular topic that makes up part of an “umbrella” QDM plan, such as food plots, prescribed burning, or predator control. For more on the online or in-person modules, use the menu in the upper right-hand corner.
2025 Deer Steward 2 Course
July 11-14, 2025
in Eufaula, Oklahoma
Join us for the first time in the Sooner State with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation just south of Tulsa!
The Deer Steward 2 course will focus on the application of principles covered in Deer Steward 1. Those principles being the Four Cornerstones of QDM: herd management, habitat management, hunter management and herd monitoring. Level 2 will include a mix of classroom and field instruction, and the course will end by having the students apply their knowledge and develop an actual deer management plan.
Field and classroom instruction will be on Muscogee (Creek) Nation Tribal Lands and is extensively managed for deer and other wildlife with a rich history of responsible land management and conservation!
This is a unique Deer Steward experience that you don’t want to miss!
By taking Deer Steward Levels 1 and 2, attendees will have gained enough knowledge to write and implement their very own property-specific deer management plan!
Program Instructors
- Kip Adams, Wildlife Biologist, NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer
- Dr. Craig Harper, Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist, University of Tennessee
- Matt Ross, Wildlife Biologist, Forester, and NDA’s Senior Director of Conservation
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Ben Westfall, Wildlife Biologist, NDA's Senior Conservation Coordinator
Note: Not all instructors will be at each course and others may be added.
Program Costs
Level 2 In-person Course:
$1,000 Basic NDA Members, Non-NDA Members (includes a Premium NDA membership)
$950 Premium NDA Members
$900 NDA Life Members and Corporate Sponsors, Partners, and Supporters.
NOTE: Early Bird discount ($100 off per level) will be applied if paying on/before March 1, 2025. Special group savings are also available for NDA Branch officers/directors (up to 25% off). Discounts cannot be combined. Contact Ben Westfall for more info.
Cost includes instruction, most meals, a course notebook, and a course certificate. Travel and lodging are not included. Once your course application form has been received and processed, you will be provided instructions regarding lodging, directions to course venues, course agenda and other information specific to the course.
Level 2 courses also include continuing education credits from the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and/or The Wildlife Society (TWS).
If you are a government or Tribal wildlife agency employee, please reach out to Ben Westfall directly at ben@deerassociation.com to register.
How to Register
Fill out the registration form below, or you can register by phoning the NDA customer service at: 800-209-3337. Spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to register early to ensure your opportunity to attend!
Once all openings for the courses are filled, applicants will be placed on a waiting list for the next available course in the order their applications were received.
Scholarship Opportunity
For each of the in-person Level 2 classes, the NDA will also award a high school junior or senior, or college student, interested in a career in wildlife management a scholarship to attend free of charge. Travel and lodging are not included in the scholarship. Applicants for the scholarships should have a strong interest in wildlife conservation and the Quality Deer Management (QDM) philosophy. Applications are due by March 1, 2025.
Download the Deer Steward 2 Scholarship Application
Cancellation Policy
Applicants of in-person Deer Steward courses shall be entitled to a full refund of course fees if NDA customer service is notified within fourteen (14) business days of the course date. Cancellations made less than fourteen (14) business days from the course date shall entitle the applicant to a fifty percent (50%) refund of course fees. No refunds shall be made for cancellations less than two (2) business days before the course date.
Deer Steward 3
Deer Steward Level 3 is the final step in NDA’s Individual Deer Steward Certification Program. Unlike Levels 1 and 2, Level 3 is not a course and no test is required. Level 3 is achieved through personal achievement and long-term service to the wild deer resource and/or the NDA. For many, Level 3 status will take years to qualify. Fortunately the effort needed to meet the qualifications will be replaced with pride and satisfaction upon attaining Level 3 status.
DOWNLOAD THE DEER STEWARD 3 APPLICATION FORM
Questions?
If you have questions regarding course availability or registration, please contact NDA customer service at 800-209-3337.
If you have any questions regarding course content, including online Deer Steward, please contact:
Ben Westfall
Conservation Coordinator
Ben Westfall is NDA’s Conservation Coordinator and previously held positions as Deer Outreach Specialist and QDM Cooperative…
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As a company that makes gear for sportsmen and women, it’s in our best interest to support those protecting our wildlife and our hunting heritage. We sponsor the NDA because they are the leading voice for deer and deer hunters in North America.