Wildlife Investments

Long debated in deer hunting stories, the subject of wild deer culling for genetic improvement is a debate that never dies, but there is a lot of sound research that has examined this question. This is the first of a three part series reviewing the results of genetic culling research. On this episode we're joined by Dr. Mickey Hellickson to discuss foundational deer culling research that he helped lead on the famous King Ranch looking at genetic culling via hunting in a free-range setting.
 The full study can be found below
https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/wmon.70013
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You may have never considered how psychology might be intrinsically linked to deer management, but it is. On this podcast Bronson and Moriah discuss a psychological phenomenon called the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and specifically how this psychological bias affects all of us. From taxes, car repair, and highway driving to fine-scale deer movement, the guys discuss how they consider this bias in deer management and life.
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Herbicides are becoming an increasingly contentious subject in the habitat and food plot management world. There are many valid concerns surrounding their use, but do these concerns outweigh their value? Bronson and Moriah are joined by Luke Resop of the MSU Deer Lab to tackle this topic and discuss how they approach the herbicide issue when managing habitat for game species.
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A historical winter storm ripped across the southeast in late January 2026, leveling some forest stands and severely damaging others. This is a pivotal point for these properties, as landowners must decide how to best manage stands after this catastrophe. Dr. Brady Self, an extension forestry professor for Mississippi State University, joins Bronson, Bonner, and Moriah on this episode to discuss the damage and parameters that should factor into these management decisions.
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We're joined by Dr. Marcus Lashley today for a discussion on density dependence in deer populations, and more interestingly, when populations break from this typical relationship. We also spend time discussing challenges of habitat management in the lower coastal plain and how seeds get moved into freshly thinned, burned, or disturbed habitat units.
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