Steve, Marcus, and Bronson discuss the importance of summer nutrition for deer. We review some research on seasonal fluctuations in plant quality, nutritional requirements of bucks and does, and some of the most common warm-season food plot forages. Also, Marcus has an announcement to make.

Episode 037 - Deer Summer Nutrition

Deer University podcasts are all about deer biology and management. Drs. Bronson Strickland and Steve Demarais are both deer hunters, deer biologists, professors of wildlife management, and co-directors of the Mississippi State University Deer Lab. Steve and Bronson are so crazy about deer biology and management that they made it their career!
 
Our goal is to explain how you can use deer research to improve your hunting and management experiences. Don’t take for granted what your buddy says or what you read in a hunting magazine – we’ll train you to think like a deer biologist. As national leaders in deer research, we’ll keep you up to date on the latest and best information, and deliver episodes that cover every deer management topic you can imagine, and then add some that will surprise you.
 
If you are interested in deer hunting and management, this is your podcast! Every shot you take this fall is either a step forward or backward in your management program, so use our knowledge to make every shot count!
 
Hosts of Deer University:
Dr. Bronson Strickland, Professor of Wildlife Management, Mississippi State University Extension Service
Dr. Steve Demarais, Professor of Wildlife Management, Mississippi State University Forest and Wildlife Research Center

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In this conversation, Bronson and Steve discuss various topics related to deer management during the summertime. They start by addressing recent concerns about hunters contracting CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) from consuming deer with CWD and emphasize the importance of following public health guidelines and not eating venison from CWD-positive deer. They then move on to discuss deer management tasks for the summer, including getting soil tests and adjusting pH for food plots, moving hunting blinds off food plots to reduce disturbance, controlling ryegrass in food plots, and using prescribed fire for habitat management. They highlight the benefits of burning during the growing season and the importance of providing high-quality forage for deer. Bronson and Steve emphasize the importance of analyzing harvest data and deer observations to make informed decisions about deer population and harvest strategies. Additionally, they discuss the benefits of forest management, improving road access, and diversifying food sources. The conversation concludes with a reminder to start planning larger-scale projects, such as timber harvest, well in advance. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series (here) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu.  You will have to create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits. Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

Episode 077 - Your Summer To-Do List

In this episode we visit with Dr. Natasha Ellison to review her findings relative to buck use of food plots during the hunting season.  How often are bucks visiting food plots pre-rut, peak-rut, and post-rut?  When are bucks spending more time on food plots?  How does hunting pressure affect these relationships?  Natasha is a Mathematical Ecologist and is helping the MSU Deer Lab dig deeper in the buck movement dataset to answer questions about buck behavior relevant to hunters and managers. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series (here) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu.  You will have to create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits. Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

Episode 076 - Buck Food Plot Use During the Hunting Season

In this episode we visit with Luke Resop to discuss buck beds and bedding areas.  How often are they bedding?  What’s their affinity to certain bedding areas?  What’s the circuit time for returning to a bedding area?  Day beds and night beds are all discussed.  We also introduce our newest member to the MSU Deer Lab, Dr. Natasha Ellison.  She is a Mathematical Ecologist and is helping us dig deeper in the buck movement dataset to answer questions about buck behavior relevant to hunters and managers. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series (here) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu.  You will have to create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits. Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

Episode 075 - Pulling the Covers Off Buck Beds

The latest Extension publication from the MSU Deer Lab is “Understanding Buck Movement: How, When, and Why Bucks Navigate the Landscape” is now available for viewing and download.  You can find the publication here: https://www.msudeer.msstate.edu/results.php?q=deer%20movement In Part 2, Steve and Bronson discuss more of the findings presented in the publication and explain how you can interpret the data and use the information for management and hunting. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series (here) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu.  You will have to create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits. Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

Episode 074 – Understanding Buck Movement – Part 2

The latest Extension publication from the MSU Deer Lab is “Understanding Buck Movement: How, When, and Why Bucks Navigate the Landscape” is now available for viewing and download.  You can find the publication here: https://www.msudeer.msstate.edu/results.php?q=deer%20movement In Part 1, Steve and Bronson discuss some of the findings presented in the publication and explain how you can interpret the data and use the information for management and hunting. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series (here) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu.  You will have to create an account to view the seminars.  The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits. Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

Episode 037 - Deer Summer Nutrition

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