The Scientific Outdoorsmen Podcast

Ep 22 - Can culling give you bigger bucks?

Should you harvest bucks with smaller antlers to get their genes out of the population, leaving more big bucks in the woods to pass on their trophy racks? Probably not. In this episode, we explore models led by scientists at Mississippi State University that evaluate how selectively culling deer herds can influence antler growth based on the number of points and overall antler size. We discuss two models from the paper that predicted generational changes in antlers for simulated deer in a captive, controlled breeding population and those in a free-range environment that most hunters would experience hunting public and private land. Listen in to find out why culling deer in the free-range environment is not practical to have any substantial population-level effect on the deer you’re seeing in the woods. Announcements: - Florida BHA small game hunt at Triple NNN Ranch WMA, January 2026 - Florida BHA small game hunt at Upper Hillsborough WMA, February 2026 - Saddle Hunter 3D Archery Challenge and Workshop – February 7 (more info at this link [https://www.facebook.com/share/17hNe8sbGN/]) - Florida Archery Unleashed – Skullhill Archery – February 6-8 (more info at this link [https://www.facebook.com/share/17nPLNU5ho/]) - Purchase your 2026 NWTF gun calendar at this link [https://events.nwtf.org/EVT-19096] - Get your tickets to the Montrose CO NWTF annual banquet at this link [https://events.nwtf.org/EVT-20826/tickets?type=22054]

Ep 21 - How do deer use scrapes?

In this episode, we dive into whitetail deer scrape networks to learn how individual deer use scrapes during fall. We look at results from a manuscript out of Tougaloo University that used trail cams on a bunch of fresh scrapes to see which deer came by and how often. Turns out not all deer interact with scrapes the same way and time of day and within the season can change whether that big buck is going to stop by. Join us to find out how deer communicate through their scrapes and learn how you can use scrapes to help your success in the woods! Read the full article at this link [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mSNWXyqv6hPgLrAEZ8c-AgGr2_o8CwXr/view?usp=drive_link⁠] Purchase your 2026 NWTF gun calendar here [https://events.nwtf.org/EVT-19096⁠] Get your tickets to the Montrose CO NWTF annual banquet here [https://events.nwtf.org/EVT-20826/tickets?type=22054]Join us at the 2026 Saddle Hunter 3D archery event [https://www.facebook.com/share/15orVeL6Le/]in Okeechobee FL Florida BHA small game hunt [https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events/eventid/4671/e/south-florida-small-game-hunt-13-dec-2025]at Dinner Island Ranch (Dec 13th)

Ep 20 - What drives elk habitat selection?

There are lots of factors that influence where elk, deer, and other animals decide to spend their time. In this week's episode, we dive into research from Colorado led by researcher Storm Crews that tracked movements of over 400 elk from four elk herds in the Rocky Mountain state. The researchers determined if individual elk had resident or migratory movement strategies and from there, looked at how resource selection varied based on season, herd, and movement strategy. No surprise, all elk tend to avoid areas associated with development, but selection for other habitat characteristics differed, especially among elk herds. So it pays to know what your herd is doing, and you can't assume they all act the same. If you want to see more from the paper, you can find it at ⁠⁠this link⁠⁠ [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HHdEF_ZAljauveGhas3_whBL9_NBjfHW/view?usp=drive_link].

Ep 19 - How do elk respond to hunters?

Have you ever wondered how elk or other big game change their distribution when facing hunter pressure? Do they respond to different hunters differently whether it's archery or rifle season? What if elk aren't targeted but other hunters are in the area? This week, we dive into research by Joshua Smith and his colleagues out of Oregon to answer these questions. In this study, bull elk are tracked during various hunting seasons and the researchers looked at how they changed the amount they move around, the habitat that they select, and their distribution on the landscape. Check it out to increase your chances on your next hunt! If you want to see more from the paper, you can read the document at this link [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HbN4MRsYV-rgPIIO6yFtWHcmgfcy8GK-/view?usp=drive_link].

Ep 18 - Elk responses to trail-based recreation

This week we are excited to have Brittney Parker from BHA join us to talk about the ways recreationists impact wildlife in the outdoors. Britt has spent a lot of time thinking about this topic and wrote up a great article on it that you can find at this link [https://www.backcountryhunters.org/trail_based_recreation_and_its_impacts_on_wildlife]. As the human population grows and more people access public lands, recreational trails will see more use and become more present on the natural landscape. But what does that mean for the wildlife that depend on those places? We dive into a study by Michael Wisdom and colleagues that assessed how elk in Oregon respond to four types of recreation: ATVs, mountain bikes, hikers, and horseback riders. As you’d probably expect, elk aren’t too happy when people are in the woods with them. We consider how all outdoor recreationists, not just hunters, impact wildlife and discuss ways we as outdoors enthusiasts may be able to minimize that impact. Enjoy the episode! You can read the full paper by Michael Wisdom at this link [Read%20the%20Wisdom%20et%20al.%20article%20here:%20https:/drive.google.com/file/d/1804_2Gw85kqRZGyUt8l9GwgFZx-6NY1D/view?usp=drive_link]