Welcome to the Deer Research Program

The mission of the Deer Research Program is to develop a scientific basis for the sustainable management and harvest of free-ranging white-tailed deer throughout south Texas and elsewhere.

Deer Researchers

David G. Hewitt
Stuart W. Stedman Chair for
White-tailed Deer Research
Ecology and Nutrition

Charles A. DeYoung, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Population Dynamics

Randy W. DeYoung, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Genetics

Timothy E. Fulbright, Ph.D.
Meadows Professor in Semi-arid Land Ecology
Habitat

 

Our Commitment

Scientists associated with the Deer Research Program are committed to conducting research relevant to free-ranging white-tailed deer in southern Texas and northern Mexico.  This research seeks to increase understanding of white-tailed deer ecology and thereby increase the effectiveness of deer management.  Scientists at the Institute are committed to promoting habitat management and conservation because of its importance to deer and all other wildlife.  We are committed to working with landowners and deer managers in southern Texas in meeting our goals.

Featured News

Vampire bucks - go figure

Teen-aged girls and their moms who watch Twilight movies, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries and other blood-sucking shows may want to steer clear of Frio County. The vampire bucks are there. [more]

New Sightability Model Improves Accuracy of Mule Deer Census

Mule deer are considered by some to be the iconic species of the west. A trophy mule deer is most certainly one of the most highly sought game animals in the Trans-Pecos and Panhandle. For the avid mule deer hunter,... [more]

Biology and Management of White-tailed Deer: The Definitive Reference for the Whitetail Enthusiast

WHITE-TAILED DEER occupy the broadest geographical expanse of any big game species in the Americas, spanning Peru to boreal Canada. This enormous range has made whitetails the most popular and accessible big... [more]

Upcoming Events

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  • Depending on location, white-tailed deer are managed as an endangered, game or over-abundant species.
  • The recreational value of white-tailed deer is over $16 billion.
  • Male white-tailed deer may lose up to 30% of their autumn body weight during the rut.
  • White-tailed deer are found from western Peru and the northern coast of South America, north to central Alberta in Canada.
  • Annual diets of white-tailed deer commonly contain over 100 plant species.
  • To reduce predation, white-tailed deer does consume the feces and urine of their fawns during the first 2 weeks after birth.
  • The greatest daily requirements for protein and energy are by a lactating doe with twin fawns.

2012 Deer Associates Meeting

The 2012 Presentations are now available online.
[View presentations]