Deer University
Science & Ideas
About
The Deer University podcast focuses on deer biology and management, featuring Drs. Jacob Dykes and Eric Michel, co-directors of the Mississippi State University Deer Lab. As hunters, deer biologists, and wildlife professors, they're passionate about bridging the gap between research and management. In each episode, they discuss the latest deer research from around the country, breaking it down to show how it can improve wildlife and habitat management on your land. Whether you're a hunter, a land steward, or simply interested in deer biology, Deer University is for you. Hosts of Deer University:Dr. Jacob Dykes, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Management, Mississippi State University Extension ServiceDr. Eric Michel, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Management, Mississippi State University Forest and Wildlife Research Center
Episodes
- Episode 098 – Deer Management from MS to TX
Dr. Marcus Blum, Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist at Texas A&M University, joins Deer University to discuss deer management in Texas. Topics include involving students in deer management and how practices differ across…
- Episode 097 – Checking Boxes on Warm-season Food Plots
In this episode, Jacob and Eric are joined by John Gruchy, Coordinator of the Private Lands Program for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, to discuss warm-season food plots. They also mention resources like the M…
- Episode 096 - Mississippi Deer Season Recap
Deer University Episode 096 features Jacob and Eric discussing the recent deer season with William McKinley and Kamen Campbell from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Topics included the acorn crop, deer surveys,…
- Episode 095 – Getting Back to the Basics of Deer Management
In Deer University Episode 095, Jacob and Eric converse with Mr. Lann Wilf about the fundamentals of deer management, including managing expectations and understanding what drives deer populations. Information on MSU Deer Lab seminars is p…
- Episode 094 – Deer Season is Over: What Now?
In Deer University Episode 094, Jacob and Eric discuss post-deer season management with Dr. Bronson Strickland. They mention the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series, which is free for general viewing and covers natural resources topics.
- Episode 093 – Energy and Antlers
Jacob and Eric sit down with Dr. Levi Heffelfinger of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute to discuss their work evaluating how dietary energy affects antler and body size of white-tailed deer. Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online…
- Episode 092 - Deer-Pig Interactions
Jacob and Eric sit down with MSU Assistant Research Professor Dr. Melanie Boudrou to discuss the results of a recent project that used GPS collars to study deer-pig interactions. Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series ( here )…
- The Rut
Jacob and Eric catch up to discuss the rut. They cover everything from what triggers the rut to phases of the rut, changes in buck behavior, and hunting strategies. Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series ( here ) and select the…
- Episode 090 - Arkansas Chronic Wasting Disease Deer Study
Jacob and Eric sit down with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Research Division Chief, Cory Gray and Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Dr. Marcelo Jorge to discuss the results of their 5-year project evaluating the effects of…
- Episode 089 - Cool-season Food Plots Part 2
We're back with Part 2 of discussing cool-season food plots. Hosts Jacob and Eric catch up with MSU Deer Lab graduate student Luke Resop to talk about seed mixes and weed management. Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series ( her…
- Episode 088 - Cool-season Food Plots Part 1
In this episode, hosts Jacob and Eric discuss cool-season food plots with MSU Deer Lab graduate student Luke Resop. They cover key topics such as food plot placement, soil testing, and seed-bed preparation in part 1 of this 2-part series.…
- Episode 087 - Late Summer Stressors
In this episode, hosts Jacob and Eric dive into the challenges of the late summer stress period for deer. They explore key topics, including the declining nutritional quality of plants, the demands of antler growth, late gestation, and lac…
- Episode 086 – Taking the Reins and New World Screwworm
In this episode, the new co-directors of the MSU Deer Lab, Drs. Jacob Dykes and Eric Michel, share their plans for the deer lab and their vision for research and outreach. They discuss hosting in-person events and the construction of the n…
- Episode 085 - The New MSU Deer Lab
In this episode, Bronson and Steve introduce the new Co-Directors of the MSU Deer Lab. Dr. Eric Michel succeeds Steve and now serves as Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Taylor Chair in Applied Big Game Research and Instruction. R…
- Episode 084 - Steve's Dispersal Event
In this bittersweet episode Bronson visits with Steve as he reflects on his retirement from the MSU Deer Lab after a long and impactful career in wildlife management. Steve discusses some of the research that he considered very important i…
- Episode 083 - When You Can't Hunt: Fertility Control as a Deer Management Tool
In this episode, Stephanie Boyles-Griffin, Jessica Tegt, Steve Demarais, and Bronson Strickland discuss the complexities of urban deer management, exploring the challenges posed by growing deer populations in urban areas. While recreationa…
- Episode 082 – Effects of Weather on Buck Movements
In this episode Natasha Neary, Luke Resop, Steve Demarais, and Bronson Strickland discuss the MSU Deer Lab's recent analyses that disentangle the intricate relationship between buck movement and weather conditions. They use various metrics…
- Episode 081 - Lunar Table Fables - Does the Moon Affect Buck Activiy?
Natasha Neary, Luke Resop, Steve Demarais, and Bronson Strickland delve into the relationships between moon phases, positions, and their potential effects on buck movement and bedding behavior. They review their research findings from a co…
- Episode 080 - Buck Antler Size and Landscape Context
In this third episode with Dr. Mark Turner, we discuss Mark's research exploring the factors that contribute to the variation in population-level buck antler size. He explains that deer tend to be larger in areas further north due to heat…
- Episode 079 - Estimating nutrient requirements for deer
In this episode, Dr. Mark Turner discusses his research on the nutrient requirements of deer and the availability of native plants to fulfill those requirements. He sampled common deer forages throughout the Eastern US and found that only…
- Episode 078 – Predicting Antler Size from Doe Body Weight
In this conversation, Bronson, Steve, and Mark Turner discuss the relationship between doe body weight and buck antler size. Mark's research at the University of Tennessee aimed to evaluate how deer body and antler size varied across the e…
- Episode 077 - Your Summer To-Do List
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 CW…
- Episode 076 - Buck Food Plot Use During the Hunting Season
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 ti…
- Episode 075 - Pulling the Covers Off Buck Beds
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 a…
- 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.msst…
- Episode 073 – Understanding Buck Movement – Part 1
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.msst…
- Episode 072 – Fall food plots, how late is too late?
The Deep South and other parts of the whitetail's range are experiencing severe drought and many cool-season food plots are struggling or failing. In this episode we visit with Dr. Erick Larson, an Agronomist and Extension Specialist at Mi…
- Episode 071 - Rubs and Scrapes with Karl Miller
What is a deer signpost? In this episode Steve and Bronson visit with Dr. Karl Miller, the former professor and researcher of deer biology and management at the University of Georgia. Karl and his students and colleagues have studied white…
- Episode 070 - Buck Breeding Value and Management Implications
What the heck is buck breeding value? In this episode Steve and Bronson visit with Dr. Randy DeYoung, a professor and researcher at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Randy and his colleagues…
- Episode 069 – Burn baby burn!
There's no doubt that prescribed fire is good for wildlife habitat, but what's the best time of year to burn? What are the pros and cons of burning during the dormant season (winter) and the growing season (spring and summer)? In this epis…
- Episode 068 – Just how bad is dog hunting on deer?
Seems like you either love dog hunting, or hate it. There's no in between. But what does the research say about the effects of dog hunting on deer herds? In this episode we visit with Dr. Gino D'Angelo, a professor at the Warnell School of…
- Episode 067 - Is habitat management for deer and turkey the same?
Do all the habitat recommendations that deer biologists make also benefit turkey? In this episode, Bronson and Steve visit with Marcus Lashley and Will Gulsby to discuss habitat limiting factors for turkey, and how to incorporate habitat m…
- Episode 066 – South Texas Deer Management
This is a crossover episode with A Talk On The Wild Side podcast, hosted by Dr. Sandra Rideout-Hanzak. Dr. Mike Cherry is the Stuart W. Stedman Chair for White-tailed Deer Research at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and has…
- Episode 065 - Buck Movement & Hunting Strategy
We're back with another Q & A, this time with questions focused on buck movement and hunting strategy. Enjoy! Be sure to follow us on social media @MSUDeerLab and subscribe to our YouTube channel MSU Deer Lab TV .
- Episode 064 - Deer Biology & Behavior
We asked and y'all delivered…Bronson and Steve sit down to answer your questions from social media on deer biology. Stay tuned for the following two Deer University episodes where more of your questions get answered! Be sure to follow us o…
- Episode 063 - Dr. Harry Jacobson, Founding Father of the MSU Deer Lab
Bronson and Steve are joined by a special guest and founding father of the MSU Deer Lab, Dr. Harry Jacobson. Travel back to the early Deer Lab days and learn of the pioneering research conducted, achievements gained throughout the years, a…
- Episode 062 – Harvesting Does
This episode is devoted to doe harvest. Steve and Bronson spend a lot of time talking about which bucks to harvest, but in this episode, they discuss the need for doe harvest, when to harvest, and what does to select. Enroll now in our fre…
- Episode 061 - Deer Nutritional Demands During Summer
It's summertime - bucks are growing antlers, does are lactating, and Steve has returned from Europe just in time to sit down with Bronson to inform listeners on what they can be doing now to help meet nutritional demands for deer this summ…
- Episode 060 - All About Mineral stumps with Marcus Lashley
This episode is devoted to mineral stumps. Marcus Lashley joins the podcast and reviews all the details. How to make them, when to make them, where to make them.
- Episode 059 - Effective Warm-Season Food Plots for Deer
Summer can be a nutritionally stressful period for deer. When bucks are growing antlers and does are gestating or lactating, there should be abundant high-quality food for them. In this episode we visit with Dr. Craig Harper from the Unive…
- Episode 058 - Wait, so cull bucks do exist?
A topic of much debate and argument is cull bucks. Do cull bucks exist? Are they different from management bucks? All good questions. In this episode we review this terminology and discuss scenarios where harvesting cull bucks, or manageme…
- Episode 057 – Using Science to Improve Deer Harvest Success
In this episode we discuss the anatomy and physiology of deer relative to making effective shots that result in a rapid recovery. Our guest is Dr. Joe R. Bumgardner who is a retired surgeon. Dr. Bumgardner practiced abdominal and chest sur…
- Episode 056 - The 12-Month Food Plot System
In this episode we discuss a food plot system that integrates both cool season and warm season food plot forages in the same plot. Mitt Wardlaw has been using this system for over 5 years with great success. During the hunting season, Mitt…
- Episode 055 - The Value of Co-Ops: Meeting Management Goals
We've all heard time and time again that the biggest problem a landowner faces is their neighbor. But what if instead of competing with your neighbor, you joined forces? Join Dr. Marcus Lashley and Dr. Bronson Strickland, hosts of Fire Uni…
- Episode 054 - What's So Special About Kansas?
Over the past couple decades Kansas has turned into a destination state for deer hunters chasing big whitetails. But what exactly about the Kansas landscape promotes the growth of large antlers? Dr. Drew Ricketts is an Assistant Professor…
- Episode 053 - Timber Harvesting & Wildlife Management, Part 2: Hardwoods
Dr. Brady Self rejoins the Deer University team for their second installment of timber harvesting, this time focusing on hardwoods. Tune into today's episode to discover what you need to know for successful hardwood management on your land.
- Episode 052 - Armyworms and Food Plots
Dr. Angus Catchot and Dr. Bronson Strickland visit the Mossy Oak GameKeepers Podcast team to discuss management of armyworms in wildlife food plots and duck holes. In this episode, you'll learn exactly what armyworms are, what you can do a…
- Episode 051 - Timber Harvesting & Wildlife Management, Part 1: Pine Stands
Dr. Brady Self is an Extension Forestry Specialist at Mississippi State University. In this episode of Deer University, Dr. Strickland and Dr. Demaris chat with Brady on the ins and outs of pine management and how it may impact management…
- Episode 050 - Can Supplemental Feeding Impact the Plant Community?
Supplemental feeding has become a common practice, but deer biologists are often concerned about the indirect effects and how the practice could degrade habitat quality and impact the native plant community. In this episode we interview Be…
- Episode 049 – Can Supplemental Feeding Increase Disease Risk?
Supplemental feeding of deer has become a common practice throughout most of the white-tailed deer's range. Deer biologists often warn of the potential risks of supplemental feeding related to transfer of disease among deer, other wildlife…