Online Modules Online learning of individual topics

Start from the beginning and explore the history of deer management, how it has changed over time throughout North America, and where it is today. Jump into the basics of deer biology, how they behave and why, their movement patterns and how they communicate with one another and their environment. This session wraps up with an exciting deep dive into the science behind the fastest growing tissue in the animal kingdom, the iconic deer antler.  

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Deer Management Today – Ben Westfall – 30 minutes

Look back into the history of deer management and see how it has changed throughout the years. Learn about historical deer populations in North America, the rise of quality deer management and its impact, and how the National Deer Association has played a major role in how deer are managed today.

Biology and Behavior – Kip Adams – 45 minutes

Deer exhibit a variety of specific behaviors for many reasons. Learn everything you need to know about social behavior and how deer interact with their environment, breeding patterns, fawns, and what drives behavioral patterns and changes in deer.

Movements and Home Range Use – Matt Ross – 45 minutes

Deer are very active and mobile animals, sometimes covering very long distances at a time. This module explains several key components of their movements including dispersal, home range and core area use, seasonal shifts, average daily movement, excursions, and the factors that influence these movements.

Senses and Communication – Dr. Gino D’Angelo – 45 minutes

Deer have the same five senses we do but experience them in an entirely different way. Learn all about the mechanisms that allow deer to navigate their surroundings through sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste. This module helps you understand the various ways in which deer gather information and communicate with one another.

Antler Growth, Deformities and Genetics – Dr. Bronson Strickland – 45 minutes

We all love big antlers, and they are one of the most fascinating characteristics in all of nature. This module goes in depth to teach you all about how antlers grow, what determines their size and shape, their purpose, and the cause of specific unusual and unique characteristics they may exhibit.

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Understanding and managing both the buck and the doe population will ensure that the deer you are hunting have a balanced sex ratio and age structure, which in turn creates competition for breeding, more bucks realizing maximum antler potential, and a healthy deer population in balance with the available habitat. Discover the vast nutritional requirements of deer and what they choose to eat and when. You’ll not only learn about what deer eat, but also what eats deer!

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Buck Management – Kip Adams – 60 minutes

Everybody loves to talk about bucks and managing them is an important component of any comprehensive deer management program. From antler restrictions, aging bucks on the hoof, selective harvest, genetics and more, this module will arm you with the tools necessary to make wise decisions and carefully choose which bucks to harvest.

Predators and Predation – Dr. Will Gulsby – 45 minutes

Deer are a prey species, and there are several different animals that hunt and eat deer, especially fawns. Learn all about deer predators and predation rates, predator effects on deer behavior, and how to manage predator populations. If you want to learn how to minimize deer predation on your property, this module has you covered!

Doe Management – Matt Ross – 45 minutes

Managing the doe population is something that should always be considered when managing for deer, and harvesting the right number of does is a key principle of quality deer management. Learn how to better understand population ecology, doe behavior, when and why you should harvest does, and how to tell does and fawns apart. Doe management is a crucial subject that every hunter should know!

Nutrition and Food Habits – Dr. Marcus Lashley – 45 minutes

We already learned about what eats deer, but what do deer eat? How much do they eat? You might be surprised just how much a deer needs to eat every day. Here we cover everything you need to know about a deer’s diet, including nutritional requirements, minerals, diet selection, and the dangers of supplemental feeding. Learning what deer eat and when they eat will increase your hunting success by knowing which food sources to hunt throughout the season.

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Packed full of the most in-depth and detailed research available, start off this module by learning how to manage the forest to improve the diversity and quality of trees and ground level vegetation. Discover how herbaceous plants serve as both food and cover for deer and other wildlife and what you can do to maximize their nutrient availability. This session wraps up with an immersive look into how to develop a food plot program and the best seed mixtures to plant at different times of year. The Habitat Management module is your one stop shop for all things land management and how you can use it to your advantage for a successful hunt.

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Forest Management for Deer – Dr. Craig Harper – 45 minutes

Forested areas are a major component of where deer spend much of their time, and managing the forest in a way that benefits deer greatly improves food and cover and will directly increase your opportunities to see and harvest deer. This module covers everything from setting management objectives, forest types, various management methods, how foresters make decisions, and which trees are the best for deer!

Managing Fields and Other Open Areas – Dr. Craig Harper – 60 minutes

Deer are known to eat over 600 different species of plants, and providing the ones that deer love the most will not only improve the health of the herd but also your hunting success. Fields full of herbaceous broadleaf plants, better known as forbs, are ideal for providing food and cover. This module will teach you everything you need to know about various vegetation types, their importance, how to properly manage them, which plants deer prefer, and how to identify them.

Implementing Prescribed Fire – Dr. Marcus Lashley – 45 minutes

Native Americans first documented the use of prescribed fire for wildlife management hundreds of years ago, and it remains one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to manage the land for deer and other wildlife. You can significantly influence the diversity and quality of plant communities with a well-timed prescribed fire. You will learn the time of year to burn for specific goals, the effects of fire on different vegetation, firing techniques, and how to safely conduct your own burn!

Developing a Food Plot Program – Dr. Craig Harper – 60 minutes

Food plots are an incredibly popular management tool among hunters and have proven to considerably improve hunting success. A healthy food plot can provide thousands of pounds of food per acre for deer and other wildlife. Productive plots provide the nutrition necessary for maximum antler growth in bucks and milk production in does for healthy fawns. Explore the benefits of food plots, different plot types, how to arrange, plant and maintain them, and how to make sure they produce at maximum capacity!

Effective Food Plot Mixtures for Deer – Dr. Craig Harper – 60 minutes

Now that you’ve developed a food plot program, how do you know what you should plant? How much should you plant? There are so many options out there, so here’s your chance to explore a large variety of different seed mixtures, what rate to plant them, when to plant them, how to keep them weed free, and how to choose what’s best for your individual needs and goals. Healthy plots equal healthy deer and a successful harvest!

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Monitoring your efforts is crucial in helping to understand what’s going on with the deer herd and the effects of your management on the population. The first step in monitoring is to understand approximately how many deer use a particular property and if the available food and cover can support that number. You will learn how to conduct a variety of population surveys to answer that question and fine tune your management. Also, every deer that you harvest contains vital information that you can use to your advantage. Collecting and interpreting specific biological data from harvested deer can shed light on the overall health, age structure, dynamics, and impacts of your management, and this module will teach you how!

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Survey Techniques for Deer – Dr. Bronson Strickland – 45 minutes

Population surveys are a valuable way to estimate the number of deer that are utilizing the resources on your property and can even give some insight into how many bucks, does and fawns there are. Surveys are a fun and fantastic tool to monitor deer herds and gain valuable information about the deer on your property. Here you will learn about various types of surveys, the information gained, and even how to conduct your very own deer survey!

Harvest Data Collection and Interpretation – Matt Ross – 45 minutes

There is no better way to make wise management decisions than by collecting harvest data from every deer that is taken. Harvest data allows you to track changes in harvest numbers, monitor the sex ratio and age structure, better understand herd health, and track your progress towards objectives. Consider this your step-by-step guide in collecting deer harvest data and how to interpret those numbers like a professional biologist. A crucial skill for all hunters!

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Just like humans, deer are susceptible to a variety of unique and interesting diseases that can pose a serious threat to the overall health of the population. It’s important for hunters and land managers to understand these diseases and their causes, symptoms, and effects. We are the key to minimizing the spread of many deer diseases, and here you will learn how you can help! Certain parasites and strange anomalies have also been known to impact deer, so join us in learning about these critters and conditions that are found in North America’s favorite game animal.

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Diseases and Implications to Hunters – Kip Adams – 30 minutes

There are a variety of diseases that affect deer, and they are among the biggest threats to the future of deer herds, deer hunting, and wildlife management. Learn all about the different major diseases of deer and how their presence can influence regulations, management practices, and even hunting opportunities. We cover everything from their causes, symptoms, prevalence and what that all means for you!

Parasites and Other Health Concerns – Dr. Gino D’Angelo – 30 minutes

Just like all wild animals, deer are vulnerable to a variety of health concerns, ranging from bacteria, to parasites, to extremely rare physical conditions that may surprise you! Come investigate the various health concerns that deer may encounter, what causes them, symptoms, their impact on management, and if they ruin your venison!

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Hunter Management is an often overlooked and underappreciated aspect of any deer management program. Hunting is fun, and the best way to keep it fun is to make sure that every hunter sets realistic goals and expectations before heading to the woods. Adjusting hunting pressure is a great way to ensure those expectations are met and can drastically increase the number of deer you see. It can also help you experience a safe and successful deer season. Since you’ll be seeing more deer, it’s equally important to know exactly where to aim your gun or bow when the magic moment presents itself, and you’re in the right place to learn just that!

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Anatomy and Shot Placement – Kip Adams – 15 minutes

Making clean and ethical shots is something every hunter should strive for. In this brief module, you will learn exactly where to aim on a deer from a variety of positions: aiming at a deer walking away from you, standing broadside, from an elevated position, and many more. Using an anatomically correct model, we show you precisely where the vital organs are and where you should aim to ensure a perfect shot and easy recovery. A must for all hunters!

Managing Hunter Expectations and Pressure – Matt Ross – 45 minutes

Am I going to harvest a deer this year? Do we have too many hunters? These are questions that come up quite often at deer camp. It’s important to keep expectations realistic, set harvest goals, minimize hunting pressure, and keep hunters happy. Hunting is enjoyable and relaxing, and setting realistic expectations while not stressing the deer is crucial in making sure that everyone has an enjoyable and successful season eager to return next year!

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