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Articles

Learn all about wild deer behavior, habitat improvement, food plots, hunting techniques, and much more with over 500 free articles available on our website. If you enjoy our content, we'd love to have you as an NDA member!

Hunting

Shoot or Pass This Buck? New Wisconsin Study Paints a Portrait of the Picky Deer Hunter

Mar 25, 2026 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

Between the sound of the alarm clock and the punching of a buck tag, there’s a series of decisions for every deer hunter. Do I go hunting today? Yes. Is that a deer I see?…

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Hunting

Hunters Aren’t Eating Enough Deer to Manage Populations. Here Are The Solutions.

Mar 18, 2026 Kip Adams

Hunters are enjoying near record-high deer populations across much of the whitetail’s range. The antlered buck harvest has only topped 3 million three times this century, and they’ve all been since 2020. However, the national…

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Hunting

New States Climb into the Top-10 in Mature Buck Harvest

Mar 11, 2026 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

I keep thinking whitetail hunters can’t get any more selective when it comes to buck harvest, and then every year when NDA’s Deer Report compiles all the data from around the nation – we do….

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Hunting

How Long Does it Take the Average Hunter to Harvest a Deer?

Mar 4, 2026 Cole Gander

For many hunters, myself included, harvesting a deer is the culmination of many months of hard work, preparation and countless hours spent afield. Sometimes everything falls into place perfectly, and a hunt ends with a…

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How Do Whitetails Survive Harsh Winters? The Answer Might Surprise You.

Feb 25, 2026 Kip Adams

February is the perfect month for ice fishing, winter habitat work, and watching a highly-anticipated football game. It’s also the month that after a few hours of good outdoor exercise my dogs sleep more soundly…

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Shed Hunting Public Land: Timing, Pressure and Tactics That Work

Feb 18, 2026 Brian Grossman

Shed hunting was created for hunters like me who can’t stand the thought of spending three long months indoors between deer and turkey season. Sometimes I need an excuse to hit the woods and stretch…

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What is Forest Stand Improvement? A Starting Guide for Deer Habitat

Feb 11, 2026 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

On a drive home from Thanksgiving with family, a trip that took me through several eastern states, I spent a lot of time looking out the window at bad deer habitat. Acre after acre in…

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Kick Off Your Super Bowl Party With These Venison Crowd-Pleasers

Feb 4, 2026 Ben Westfall

My wife and I are always experimenting with new venison recipes, especially ones our toddlers and non-hunting friends and family will enjoy as well. Appetizers and small plates are a great way to introduce venison…

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The Best Timing and Frequency of Prescribed Fire for Deer Habitat

Jan 28, 2026 Mark Turner and Craig Harper

Prescribed fire is the most effective and efficient tool to manage and improve deer habitat in most areas. Fire can be used to improve food and cover in ways that other practices cannot, and fire…

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Firebreaks First: How to Plan a Safe Prescribed Burn on Your Property

Jan 21, 2026 Brian Grossman

Prescribed fire is one of the most effective tools we have for improving wildlife habitat — but it’s also one that can go wrong fast if it isn’t planned carefully. During my time with the…

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Deer Report: Doe Harvest Jumps, Mature Buck Harvest Sets Another Record

Jan 9, 2026 NDA Staff

U.S. deer hunters gave the antlerless deer harvest a much-needed boost in the 2024-25 season, putting the total back above 3 million for only the third time in 11 years and ahead of the antlered…

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How to Make Venison Sausage Like a Professional Chef

Jan 7, 2026 Evan Barrett

Please allow me to be frank. Making sausage is fun, easy, and once you know the basics, the possibilities seem limitless. As a professional chef who became a deer hunter through NDA’s Field to Fork…

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