The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will host the annual gathering of the top deer researchers and managers in the Southeast and beyond, Feb. 19-21in Nashville.
The 41st Annual Meeting of the Southeast Deer Study Group at the Millenium Maxwell House Hotel will bring to Music City biologists, managers, and researchers who oversee the management of the country’s most popular game animal.
“We are excited and looking forward to hosting this gathering of our friends and professional peers,” said Ed Carter, executive director of the TWRA. “Deer are important to our entire country for many reasons and this group is vital in helping share knowledge and expertise that helps properly manage them.”
The SEDSG meets annually to share the latest information on white-tailed deer research and management. Meetings provide a forum to share research results, management strategies, and foster discussions. The theme of this year’s meeting will focus on the management of white-tailed deer at the statewide scale and what a responsible, defendable state agency deer management program entails.
Hosting the meeting is a responsibility that rotates annually among each of the SEDSG’s 17 member states which include: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
However, the meeting regularly has presenters and/or attendees from states outside the Southeast including Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Also featured at the meeting will be an exhibit of many of the largest bucks ever harvested in Tennessee. More than 60 deer mounts have been loaned to TWRA.
“To the best of our knowledge this is the largest and most geographically comprehensive exhibit of top-ranking bucks ever assembled in the state of Tennessee,” said Dale Grandstaff, TWRA District 21 Law Enforcement captain.
Although there is a registration fee to attend the SEDSG meeting, the event is open to all deer enthusiasts. More information about this year’s meeting may be found by visiting the event website at regonline.com/sedeerstudygroup2018.