Episode Player
Do We Need Deer Population Estimates
Wildlife Investments
Chapters
0:00
Welcome to Wildlife Investments
0:22
The Obsession With “How Many Deer Do I Have?
2:00
Why State Population Estimates Are Basically Useless
5:12
Carrying Capacity: A Number That Sounds Smart
8:05
Stop Counting Deer, Start Measuring Deer Condition
13:48
The Trap of High Deer Density
17:30
Why Hunters Panic When Numbers Drop (Even When That's the Plan)
20:16
Trophy Goals vs. the Reality Check: You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
26:06
Genetics and the "Rolls of the Dice" Strategy for Big Bucks
30:47
The Lag Problem: Why Better Antlers Don't Show Up Right Away
36:13
What Data Should You Actually Be Collecting at the Skinning Shed?
41:04
Reading the Signs: Lactation Rates, Yearling Weights, and Carcass Condition Scores
45:04
The Takeaway: Worry Less About the Count, More About Condition
Wildlife Investments
Do We Need Deer Population Estimates
Mar 11, 2026
Season 1
Episode 7
Moriah Boggess
How many deer are on the property you hunt, or state you live in? Do we really need to know these numbers to effectively manage deer populations? Deer management is saturated with talk about deer population estimations, but seldom do you hear discussion on why we monitor populations and more importantly what information we need to do so. Bronson, Bonner, and Moriah discuss these questions and how they approach deer population monitoring effectively and realistically.
