White-tailed Deer standing alert. / © K.P. McFarland
Biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland visited a deer reporting station in Barre during Youth Hunting Weekend. They talked with biologist John Buck of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department about how the state manages the deer herd and the key role that deer play in Vermont’s forests. We also learn about why biologists are extracting deer teeth for study this year. Much like counting the rings on a tree to determine it’s age, slicing an incisor reveals rings that show us the animal’s age.
Listen to the show
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More Information about White-tailed Deer and Herd Management
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department Tooth Collection Project
- Vermont’s White-tailed Deer management plan
- Facts about the health of Vermont’s deer herd
- Sightings of White-tailed Deer on iNaturalist Vermont, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life
- Basic facts about the White-tailed deer
Outdoor Radio is a monthly feature produced in collaboration with Vermont Public Radio with support from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation. The program is produced by Vermont Public Radio chief audio engineer Chris Albertine.
Images from the Show
John Buck weighing a deer. © K.P. McFarland
An extracted incisor ready to be sent to the lab to determine the age of the deer. © K.P. McFarland
Photo courtesy of Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept.
Harvested deer are recorded on the station poster for hunters to compare when they visit. © K.P. McFarland
