Save 20% on NDA’s Deer Steward Level 1 Through Halloween

October 18, 2022 – Enjoy a 20% discount off NDA’s Deer Steward Level 1 online course between now and October 31, 2022, when registration officially closes. NDA is preparing to launch an updated 3rd Edition of the popular deer management training course in 2023.

“We are in the final stretch of a full-blown renovation of our online Deer Steward 1 course, and as usual this brand-new course will include the latest deer and habitat research from the nation’s top deer experts,” said Ben Westfall, NDA’s Conservation Coordinator. “While we renovate, we are pleased to offer a 20% discount on the 2nd Edition from now until we close registration on October 31.”

Everyone who registers between now and October 31 will still have the full 180 days (6 months) of access to 2nd Edition course materials for completing the sessions and exams. To register visit www.deerassociation.com/ds1.

The current edition includes an agenda packed with deer research and management information, helping hunters learn more about deer, how to hunt them, and how to manage habitat and herds. Attendees gain access to a digital recording of one of our previous Deer Steward Level 1 courses (filmed in front of a live audience) and will have up to 180 days to complete the series of six sessions (broken down into approximately 16 hours over 20 topics) at their own pace.

Level 1 Instructors Include:

Kip Adams, Wildlife Biologist, NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer

Joe Hamilton, Wildlife Biologist, NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer

Dr. Craig Harper, Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist, University of Tennessee

Dr. Karl V. Miller, Professor, University of Georgia

Matt Ross, Wildlife Biologist and Forester, NDA’s Director of Conservation

Just like the in-person Deer Steward course, registrants must pass an exam to graduate and continuing education credits from either the Society of American Foresters and/or The Wildlife Society are available; in addition, we’re proud to also announce that Level 1 is now compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Graduates of online Deer Steward Level 1 will be eligible to take one of the in-person Level 2 courses upon completion.

The 3rd edition of Deer Steward Level 1 will become available on February 1, 2023, and will offer a new look, new platform, wider variety of topics, updated deer research, and new speakers.

About the National Deer Association

The National Deer Association is the leading non-profit deer conservation group and works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Formed by combining the strengths of two long-serving, successful organizations, the National Deer Association has a combined 40 years of action that has changed deer management for the betterment of hunting and protected North America’s most vital and admired game species for future generations. Visit DeerAssociation.com or follow @deerassociation on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

Elizabeth Kligge Joins NDA as Pennsylvania Field to Fork Coordinator

October 4, 2022 – Through a new partnership with the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), the National Deer Association (NDA) is pleased to announce the hire of Elizabeth Kligge as the Pennsylvania Field to Fork Coordinator.

The new-of-its-kind, Field to Fork Coordinator position will oversee the expansion of Field to Fork, adult food-focused learn-to-hunt programs and other Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3) initiatives. PGC and NDA currently host nine Field to Fork events each fall, covering the state from private land near Erie to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia. These new programs will aim to increase hunting participation and the societal acceptance of hunting in Pennsylvania. 

“I am so excited to embark on this journey and be part of a team that is blazing a trail for the future of conservation, said Kligge. “The NDA has given me the opportunity to combine so many of my skills and passions into one job. I can’t imagine a better fit.”

Kligge is a former vegetarian who now sees hunting as a way to educate and help others explore their relationship with food. She believes that it is the responsibility of today’s hunters to pass on their knowledge and skills to the next generation.

Kligge is an adult-onset hunter with vast experience as a wilderness skills instructor, video

editor and project manager. Kligge has a been an admirer of NDA for some time, and has had a buck featured in the "Age This!" Feature of the NDA’s e-newsletter in the past.

“We’re thrilled to bring together these two organizations with significant experience and success in converting people interested in hunting into active hunters,” said Hank Forester, NDA Director of Hunting. “With these additional personnel and resources, we will be able to do more for the thousands of aspiring hunters in the Commonwealth.”

Over the years, she has gained experience in survival education, project management, self-discipline and served as an organizer and instructor for a 6,000-plus member locavore group. Additionally, she is a board member for a land trust where she leads the group’s deer management efforts. With this mindset and her wide array of skills, she joins NDA to ensure the fulfillment of the association’s mission. 

PGC and NDA are looking for Pennsylvania landowners interested in hosting new hunters on their property, as well as experienced hunters to help mentor new hunters. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Kligge at elizabeth@deerassociation.com.

Join NDA and support their mission today, or sign up for their free e-newsletter to receive the latest on deer hunting and management at DeerAssociation.com

About the National Deer Association

The National Deer Association is the leading non-profit deer conservation group and works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Formed by combining the strengths of two long-serving, successful organizations, the National Deer Association has a combined 40 years of action that has changed deer management for the betterment of hunting and protected North America’s most vital and admired game species for future generations. Visit DeerAssociation.com or follow @deerassociation on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

NDA Reports 282 New Deer Stewards and 2.3 Million Acres Impacted in 2022

September 13, 2022 – The National Deer Association (NDA) tallied another successful and exciting year for their Deer Steward program with a powerful lineup of courses.

“This program has proven to have such a large impact across the country and it’s really exciting to see it continue growing,” said Nick Pinizzotto, NDA President & CEO. “These programs give deer hunters the knowledge they need to go make an actual difference where they hunt. That is an extremely powerful tool when implemented on this scale and we are already seeing noticeable changes.”

2022 began with a unique in-person Deer Steward Level 1 custom course for Whitetail Properties in Illinois, followed by a Habitat Enhancement Module for their Land Specialists in Kentucky. This year also marked their biggest Deer Steward course yet, featuring a custom training for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission in Little Rock. With nearly 90 biologists, technicians, foresters and WMA managers in attendance, this proved to be the largest audience in the program’s history. NDA has held custom courses for five other state wildlife agencies including Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee.

In August, NDA wrapped up another public Level 2 course in Wisconsin alongside event partner, Vortex Optics. Vortex Optics offered a private tour for all attendees to experience their impressive headquarters and world class shooting and training facility, the Vortex Edge. With nearly 40 students from 15 states, the organizations spent several days discussing all things deer biology, habitat management, population ecology, hunting strategies and more led by NDA’s Kip Adams, Matt Ross, Ben Westfall and Dr. Craig Harper from the University of Tennessee.

Across all of NDA’s Deer Steward in-person and online courses this year, the nearly 300 attendees are projected to impact more than 2.3 million acres by implementing course knowledge on the lands they hunt or manage. The friendships, knowledge, and appreciation for deer management gained through these in-person courses are an integral part of the program. It is extremely important to the NDA that they are back in full swing, educating and interacting with deer hunters, landowners, and natural resource professionals.  

With big things planned for the Deer Steward program next year, NDA plans to announce the dates and locations of their 2023 in-person courses in the next issue of Quality Whitetails, along with exciting news about the online Deer Steward 1 program.

About the National Deer Association

Formally launched on November 10, 2020, the National Deer Association is a non-profit deer conservation group that leads efforts to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Formed by combining the strengths of two long-serving, successful organizations, the National Deer Association has a combined 38 years of action that has changed deer management for the betterment of hunting and protected North America’s most vital and admired game species for future generations. Visit DeerAssociation.com or follow @deerassociation on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.