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2008 - First Annual Deer Camera Survey. High School Students from C. Milton Wright High School started a camera deer survey at Harford Glen Environmental Education Center. Harford Glen located near Bel Air in Harford County hosts students from Harford County schools with hands on environmental projects and studies. Harford Glen also hosts the Gifted and Talented program. The seniors from Sharyn Denbow’s class will be participating in the first of four camera deer surveys throughout the state sponsored by Maryland State Chapter QDMA. The Camera Deer Study includes the use of aerial mapping, GPS locating camera sites and identifying deer browse. This camera survey technique was developed and refined by Mississippi State University researchers Dr.Stephen Demarais, William McKinley and Dr. Harry Jacobson. It was illustrated in Quality White-Tails (Journal of the Quality Deer Management Association) by Jason R. Snavely (Drop-Tine Wildlife Consulting) in his four part series of articles. Data compiled from photographs and carefully counting the numbers of bucks, does and fawns will be used in estimating the population of deer in the study area. Repeating this survey over multiple seasons, they will be able to compare trends with the estimates. Ask your City, County and State Park in your area what if any programs they have for estimating deer populations. Teachers and students anxious to learn more about whitetail deer and methods of estimating populations and management strategies can contact EW Grimes or the Maryland State Chapter QDMA. Go to the Contact Us Page. |
EDUCATIONAL CAMERA SURVEY STUDIES |
Preview of Instructional DVD for the 15 Inch Rule |
Educational Programs |
The Maryland State Chapter QDMA has an Instructional DVD for the 15" Rule available for $10 each plus S & H. Contact E.W. Grimes if you would like to purchase one. |
Maryland State Chapter QDMA has a brochure which includes information about QDMA on a National Level as well as for Maryland! <<click on image for printable PDF Brochure>> |
SEMINAR LISTINGS Contact E.W. Grimes, Director of Maryland State Chapter of QDMA if you would like to book for one or more of these seminars. There are no fees for seminars however donations to help cover fuel costs would be greatly appreciated. |
1. Quality Deer Management What is QDM and QDMA? How it started and where. The benefits of QDMA. |
2. Managing for Quality Deer How Deer effects the habitat. Determining how many antlerless deer to harvest. |
4. Exclosures The use of Utilization Cages and why. |
5. Trail Cameras How and where to set up camera sites. What time of year is best. What to do with camera data collected and why. |
3. Habitat Improvements Understanding deer Nutrition needs and stress periods. |
6. Urban Deer What is urban deer? Why are they here. Why are they so hard to manage. How to manage urban deer populations. |
7. Buck Ecology From buttons to 150" of antlers. Factors that influences buck growth and development. |
8. Aging Deer on the Hoof How to age live deer and what to look at. Why do we age deer live and harvested. Last part of seminar, you age the deer. |
9. Antler Abnormality How they grow and why. Causes of antler abnormalities. Agind deer by points or not? |
12. QDMA Working in Maryland This seminar has an in-depth look at State Harvest Numbers for the past three years and how they relate to QDM with the yearling buck harvest by county. A good QDM plan works for all! |
10. Jawbone Aging of Deer This seminar will show you how and why to age the deer you are harvesting. One of the most overlooked parts of a good management plan. |
13. Romancing the Rutting Moon This seminar takes a look into the timing of the rut and the Rutting Moon theory. Does the moon have an effect on whitetails? Also includes the data for the First Maryland Fetus Study conducted by the MSC. You don't want to miss this one! |
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2009 - Carroll County Students Take Part in Second Annual Deer Camera Survey. Century High School students have taken a leading role in this year's Deer Camera Survey at Piney Run Park. The study like last year was offered to all high schools in Carroll County. Kim Moyer's Century High students expanded their class room to include Piney Run Park. Their field trip started in the nature Center with a presentation by E.W. Grimes, Maryland State Chapter Director and Bachman Valley Branch President. The first part of QDMA's "Living with Whitetail Deer" Educational DVD program, was viewed and discussed. The remainder of the "Living with Whitetail Deer" program will be conducted back at the school. Even with snow and cold temperatures the student's enthusiasm to get in the whitetail's woods was amazing. The trip to the camera location gave the students an opportunity to look at deer tracks, browse and deer pellets. With tracks and pellet easy to see we talked about the use of Pellet Count Survey technique. The camera survey requires a seven day pre-baiting period which gives the students the hands-on opportunity to install the camera and place the corn for bait. This pre-bait time would prove useful this year. After the per-bait seven days the survey continues for fourteen more days for data collection. With the window of opportunity for the schools to participate with this study very small and limited, we had an unfortunate act of a camera being stolen and timely data taken. We were able to fill the gap with data from the per-bait days. Any information about this person(s) would be appreciated. Because this is an ongoing study by students I'm not revealing any numbers from this year's program. However, season to season trends are in fact more valuable and useful than any one year. Last year over 1400 pictures were taken and this year over 1800 was taken. Fifteen (15) unique bucks (antlered and shed) were counted last year and this year only six (6) and this is used in determining the population factor. Other data includes fawns(less than one year old), button bucks and adult doe. The overall population numbers showed about 11% decline from last year's study and to add to this, Carroll County's total harvest numbers went up 9%. I will provide the park with a full report later this year. The camera survey technique we are using was developed and refined by Mississippi State University and researchers Dr. Stephen Demarais, William McKinley and Dr. Harry Jacobson. Research has shown that these camera surveys provide sufficient, reliable data to make sound deer management decisions. The text these students are using came from Quality Whitetails journal published by QDMA. The journal provides articles by Jason Snavely on infrared triggered camera placement and Do-it-Yourself Deer Survey. The primary focus of QDMA along with the Maryland State Chapter and Bachman Valley Branch will always be on education, research and on-the-ground whitetail deer management. This educational study would not have been possible without the support of Alan Warner of Warner Feed in Lineboro for the baiting corn and the QDMA member which supplied the cameras. The Maryland State Chapter and The Bachman Valley Branch would also like to thank Kelly Vogiol, Naturalist and the staff at Piney Run Park, the teacher from Century High, Kim Moyer along with her students. Their hands-on desire to expand their knowledge of whitetail deer while exploring community deer management and biodiversity issues is what will continue to keep this program so successful for years to come. |
11. Food Plots What, Where, How and When to Plant your food plots. |