Auburn University DeerLab

11/23/2025

11/19/2025

🎯 Harvesting more antlerless deer can actually benefit both the herd and the land. When populations get too dense, removing some does helps improve nutrition and boosts antler growth in bucks. Reach out to your local REA to see if it’s time to take action on your land. 🦌🌾

🔗 https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/setting-the-scope-reasons-to-take-more-antlerless-deer/

11/12/2025

Have you ever seen a deer with wart-like growths present on their bodies? Those lumps are probably cutaneous fibromas.

These photos were submitted to us from a former darter of ours, seen during an archery hunt near the Alabama River.

Fibromas are flesh growths present on the skin and can be caused by poxviruses or papilloma viruses. These viruses CANNOT be transmitted to humans, but can transmit from deer to deer through direct contact of lesioned skin or indirectly via insect vectors like fleas and mosquitos. Some animals can have an immune response and completely fight off the virus, for other animals, these fibromas can keep them from seeing or feeding and can lead to more harmful infections. As long as the fibromas are only present on the skin's surface, and the animal doesn't appear to be suffering from secondary infections, the meat is safe to consume.

For more information on fibromas, check out these resources:
https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/disease/fibromas
https://www.outdooralabama.com/wildlife-related-diseases/cutaneous-fibromas
https://deerassociation.com/5-things-deer-hunters-should-know-about-deer-warts/
https://youtu.be/xbm6ckNii9U?si=GemkfK0eHlWvN9G_

11/11/2025

The Auburn Plainsman recently wrote an article about the Auburn Deer Lab and highlighted the unique research opportunities our deer research facility offers to both graduate and undergraduate students.

The Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE) offers many opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in...

11/11/2025

Thermal drones are an emerging technology increasingly used in wildlife research and management (ie. deer population counts and density estimates) but standard practices for the effective, rigorous implementation of this tool have yet to be developed.

New research from our lab, led by Graduate student Kevin Gerena, shows that thermal drones CAN produce accurate and precise estimates of white-tailed deer densities.

To better plan your deer drone survey, Gerena suggests considering flight paths, transect spacing, seasonality, and time of day. Population estimates improved by using narrowly spaced straight-line transects, a minimum of two complete survey flights with takeoffs occurring away from deer and thermal video footage being recorded.

To read the full text of his research, check out this link, ( aub.ie/deerdrones ) or scan the QR code

10/02/2025

We are back in the field for the season! Last week marked the start of our deer darting and data collection at our research facility. Our undergraduates get to learn a wide range of wildlife handling skills while helping us collect long term data on these deer!
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We began this research in 2007 when our lab fenced in ~430 acres near the town of Camp Hill. All deer in our property consist of those original deer and their offspring.

09/30/2025

After decades of agencies pushing for quality deer management (QDM), how does the public react to new protocols in the age of chronic wasting disease (CWD)?
New research from our lab examines how the changing landscape of CWD is affecting hunters’ perceptions of deer management in America.
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This work was done by former graduate students, Travis Stoakley and Catherine Cummings, Dr. Steve Ditchkoff, and Dr. Kelly Dunning, and is part of our continual work to better understand deer biology, hunting, and management.

Read the full article using this link: https://www.tandfonline.com/share/ZAZRRWZXSAXPTEJKJVUW?target=10.1080/10871209.2025.2561714
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Title: Linking deer hunter perceptions of quality deer management
(QDM) and chronic wasting disease (CWD)

Summary:
Over the past three decades, white-tailed deer management in the eastern USA has largely shifted from maximum sustained yield to quality deer management (QDM), focusing on increasing the abundance of mature males. However, the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) introduces challenges to cervid management for wildlife agencies. The CWD management framework necessitates rapid shifts in harvest strategies, often targeting reduction of the demographic which spreads CWD in most – mature males. We investigated how hunter adherence to QDM related to perceptions of CWD and the CWD management framework. We surveyed 9,713 deer hunters in Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, and South Carolina and found that perceptions of QDM were related to perceptions of CWD; specifically, hunters who were experienced with and supportive of QDM showed more concerns of CWD impacts on human and deer health. Our findings aid wildlife agencies in balancing conservation decisions with public perceptions of wildlife diseases and management frameworks.

09/05/2025

Ready to take your deer hunting skills to the next level?

Join us THIS WEEKEND for Deer Hunting Public Land 101 & 202:
🦌 Saturday - Perdido River WMA
🦌 Sunday - Upper Delta WMA

This two-in-one beginner + intermediate workshop is the perfect foundation to build confidence for independent hunts or prepare for our advanced Deer Hunting Public Land 303.

Don’t miss out! To register visit: https://www.outdooralabama.com/LearnToHunt

08/27/2025

Gearing up to dart some deer💪🏽🦌🎯 look at that slow motion bullseye hit! .We use .22mm blanks to propel our darts, which are equipped with radio transmitters and a tranquilizer mix, which takes ~5-10 minutes to take full effect. Then, we use those transmitters to track down our deer and get our data!

08/25/2025

Though many of you know, wild pigs are a big problem for both humans and wildlife, we are just beginning to quantify the exact ways they impact other species.

Travis Stoakley recently graduated from the AU Deer Lab, and his research measured just how devastating wild pigs are to wild turkey behavior and habitat use.

His most recent publication can be found here:

Impacts of invasive species on the movements and space use of native fauna have potential implications during the reproductive period. Over the last three decades, native wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) have experienced a notable decline in productivity while invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) have....

08/22/2025

08/22/2025

We enjoyed getting to talk deer and deer darting with all the students at the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment’s Welcome Back Picnic yesterday! Our deer darting program is a great way for students to get their first fieldwork and animal handling experience, opening doors for later in their career! We can’t wait for Darting Season!