This podcast has given me the hard cold scientific facts and knowledge to improve my property and learn the difference between the myths and facts of deer behavior. 100% recommend. MSUs deer lab is on the cutting edge of deer science.

This podcast has help take managing my land to the next level!!!

Excellent material and delivery. Makes me want to become a student at MSU!

I wait for every new episode so that I can go through and hear accurate research so that I can put to actionable plans. I usually have to delisted so that I can make sure I heard it all. Thank y’all for putting this research out here so we can have access to research to refute the bad science or all the myths that steer management plans in a negative direction.

Enjoy the pods, always gain some useful information. Maybe y’all have a pod on this and I’ve missed it but what’s your take on deer challenge whistles? I worked for a man who first told me about this years ago. He told me about hearing this unique sound while stalking in the woods one year around Coffeeville, MS. He got between the two bucks and was able to harvest the larger one. He said he had only heard it one other time in the woods but wasn’t able to get between those bucks and make a harvest. He did his best to mimic the sound and I always remembered that. Some years later on government land off Arkabutla Lake around the Coldwater, MS area, I had a stand over a dried up ditch. Right about dawn, I heard a deer walking on the other side of the ditch where I was sitting, then not long, I heard a deer walking behind me. They paralleled one another walking down each side of the ditch. Right at dusk, I heard the deer across the ditch make this challenge whistle like my friend had mimicked to me. I couldn’t believe it! About 3 minutes before last shooting light the deer across the way stepped into the dry ditch north of me about 75 yds. as the deer behind me went walking towards that area to meet up and I assume the fight was going to be on! I was fortunate enough to get the buck crossing the ditch in my crosshairs & make the shot. Never saw the deer fall, run, or move, and the other buck coming to him, ran off. I backed out of the stand as it was getting cold that evening, chose to take a chance I got the buck, went home and came back early the next morning. As it was frosty that morning and plenty cold over the night, I went back and right where I had shot the buck in the ditch, there he lay all frozen, stiff, & covered w/frost. He turned out to be a nice 9 point but w/many battle scars on his head and neck. When I told the man who had told me about challenge whistles that I had harvested this buck, he said I told you they have a challenge whistle. I sure didn’t believe him when he first told me but I found this out first hand. I, like he, have only heard it one other time in the woods live, and was not able to get between the bucks to make a harvest. I mounted this 9 pt in super sneak position and it still hangs on my living room wall to this day. I often wonder how big the buck behind me may have been since I never saw him clearly but the battle scars on the buck I killed sure suggested he’d been fighting w/other ole boys in the area. Just would like to hear some information, if any you all may have/know, on deer challenge whistles as it just seems to be a very unique and not common to hunters experience in live hunting situations. Thanks if you can and enjoy the information provided on deer, hunting, and land management in these pods.

I’ve always loved that fact that these guys are hunters and nerds about deer ecology. They let the science speak for itself, dumb it down for those that might need it, and tell it like it is whether it’s the accepted norm or a “taboo” idea. Another BIG factor for me is that they’re from the south and are talking about southeastern deer populations (for the most part). It does me NO GOOD WHATSOEVeR to listen to a podcast about deer hunting in the northeast or out west. Where I’m from in West Alabama (Sumter co) my property is big timber and creek bottomlands and the vegetation is thick! The only place where I’ll ever be taking a shot over 100yds is in one of my little .5 acre food plots. Other than that, I’m either up in a tree or spot and stalking. Since there is no lack of browse or water sources, the majority of my buck are gonna be found cruising through thicker vegetation-crossing a road in the open a few times very quickly. These guys understand that because MS is a lot like AL on the landscape. Last thing about this specific pod, I’ve made mock scrapes and put my own scent inside it and I’ve had multiple bucks and does stopping at it-always at night and the bucks I have on video working the ground and depositing their scent in it-some of them hit it once a day and they’ve used it now for 2+ years. Blows my mind that human scent does the same thing as doe urine/estrus. And not only does it work but it seems to have them pretty interested. Thanks y’all can’t wait for some more pods Coming up! Get Craig Harper again I love him!

Truly grateful for all the habitat and science information in these podcasts. Very relevant and well presented. Also, thankful for the clean language -makes it easier to share. Again, very well presented and very useful information. Thanks a lot!

Love listening and learning! Would love o hear about the science associated with recovering deer with a tracking dog.

Just what deer hunters need to improve the herd. Very educational. Thanks guys. Quality as usual.

Awesome information! Thank you so much for educating us on how to make habitat better for the wildlife we love.