About the Deer-Forest Study
Pennsylvania forests face many challenges - invasive plants, insect outbreaks, soil acidity, tree diseases, and even deer. This study is being conducted to better understand the role of deer in the context of all these challenges and to help Pennsylvania’s forest and wildlife managers better manage deer and the forest.
February 16, 2021
The Real Does of the Deer Forest Study: Maternity Ward
Doe 12866, heavy with fawn, has made her way to State College after an all night trek. The only plausible […]
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February 8, 2021
The Real Does of the Deer Forest Study: Pregnant and On the Move
In our last installment, Doe 12866 was acquainting us with her movements around her home range. Nothing out of the […]
February 1, 2021
The Real Does of the Deer Forest Study: The New Norm?
None of the Deer Forest Study objectives have anything to do with deer movements specifically. Deer are collared to understand […]
January 25, 2021
Gretel
Most of us know the tale of Hansel and Gretel. Siblings abandoned in the forest and seduced with sugary treats […]
January 12, 2021
No Such Thing
For many of us, winter can also be called “waiting for spring.” Unlike our Nordic friends, most of us do […]
January 5, 2021
January Blues?
Many look forward to December 11 months of the year. If we surveyed the general populace as to why, the […]
September 28, 2020
Two Bucks, Three Years
This week I have 2 different bucks we tracked for 3 years. That means these bucks were at least 2.5 […]
September 21, 2020
Same Thing, Different Year?
We have shown a lot of movies of deer movements. Our most famous deer died outside his home range at […]
May 8, 2020
Spidey Sense
Our favorite arachnid superhero can sense imminent danger. Can deer?
November 22, 2019
The Ultimate Guide to Hunting Big Woods Deer
Five years of blog knowledge wrapped up in one post! Will it help you this hunting season?
October 9, 2019
Does – The forgotten rut participants
Hey, there are other deer in the woods during the rut. Does anyone care?
A (Ridge and) Valley Buck
Do they run the ridges? Hang in the valley? Or go vertical?
November 25, 2025
Rut Tracker is Updated
We have posted deer movements collected through 24 November. This has been a below-normal year for males and females – […]
November 15, 2025
The rut is half over
If you wanted to wager when 50% of females are bred, I’d recommend picking November 13th. Every year. The PGC […]
2025 Rut Tracker
Last updated through November 24, 2025 (As data are uploaded, the most recent estimates may not include data from all […]
September 6, 2024
Pennsylvania’s Wild Kingdom
When I was a kid, I was a voracious consumer of facts. We had the Encyclopedia Americana and all the […]
February 7, 2024
Deer Crew Diaries – Entry 24-4
[Comments in brackets are by Jeannine and Duane] ———————————————————————————- From the Northern Crew: Greetings from the North. Last week we […]
August 16, 2023
Better than the Lottery
There is an ongoing debate in my house. Well, there are a lot of ongoing debates in my house, and […]
May 18, 2023
Pieces of the Puzzle
Springtime has always been a favorite for me. Even though we didn’t have much of a winter, I can’t wait […]
February 7, 2023
Deer Crew Diaries – Entry 23-1
It’s that time of year again! After a bit of a rough start filling positions, the trapping crews have started […]
November 2, 2022
Playing the Lottery – Part 2
I was sitting in my daughter’s tree stand this week (it’s really my tree stand that is named for her, […]
October 26, 2022
Playing the Lottery – Part 1
What’s the chances a buck lives 3 years? When you radiocollar a deer to monitor movements and survival you need […]
November 24, 2021
I’m Outta Here!
Don’t panic, neither Jeannine or I quit (although some days…). But we do have a buck who said “See ya […]
November 22, 2021
Thinking About Rifle Season
It has been a busy fall. In fact, so busy that Jeannine and I have had little time for writing […]
