‘Where We’ve Been…’

Kip Adams

Certified Wildlife Biologist

Director of Education & Outreach

‘…Where We’re Going’

Where Did we Come From?

Overharvest &

Habitat Destruction

Restocking &

Recovery

Traditional Deer Management

U.S. White-tailed Deer Population

Growth (1900-2005)

0

5,000,000

10,000,000

15,000,000

20,000,000

25,000,000

30,000,000

35,000,000

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2005

Year

U.S

. W

hit

eta

il P

op

ula

tio

n

Rise of Quality Deer Management

1975 - Al Brothers and Murphy Ray published

their landmark book, Producing Quality

Whitetails.

Al Brothers – QDM Pioneer

Joe & Donna Hamilton in front

of the QDMA “National

Headquarters” from 1994-1997

Joe married the principles of

QDM from Texas with the

organizational structure from

Australia and established the

South Carolina Quality Deer

Management Association

1988 – The QDMA is Born

1989 – “The Signpost”

newsletter was launched

1990 – Name changed to the

North American Quality Deer

Management Association

1991 – Name changed again to

the Quality Deer Management

Association

1993 – The QDMA reached

3,000 members & launched

Quality Whitetails journal

1995 1993

Rise of QDMA Educational Resources

QDMA began to spread outside the Southeast

1998

First official

National

Headquarters

opened in

Watkinsville,

Georgia

2000

Membership topped 10,000 and momentum

began to build

2001 1st National Convention was Held in Athens, GA

QDMA received the “Group

Achievement Award” from

The Wildlife Society for its

educational Achievements

2003

Secured $1 million land

donation for permanent

headquarters and education center

2005

QDMA National Headquarters

& Education Center opened in

Bogart, Georgia

2006

QDMA’s

Mission

QDMA’s Landmark REACH

Program was Launched

Research

Design, coordinate and fund practical research

projects that increase our understanding of whitetail

biology, ecology, management, hunting, diseases and

human dimensions

Research

Secured ~$450,000 for research projects in:

Alabama Georgia

Mississippi New York

Oklahoma Pennsylvania

South Dakota Tennessee

Texas West Virginia

Michigan

Multi-state Living with White-tailed Deer project

Multi-state food plot project

(over 20 states in total)

Expand existing educational activities for QDMA

members and the public while pursuing new

delivery methods such as television, DVDs and web-

based learning modules

Educate

•Quality Whitetails magazine

•Annual QDMA Whitetail Reports

•Deer Cameras: the Science of Scouting

•Quality Food Plots

•Living with White-tailed Deer

-High school & community versions

•Cyber Deer (1,000 copies to NY DEC in 2010)

•Re-vamped poster and map series

Increase involvement in all aspects of whitetail

hunting and management at all levels while

strengthening ties with members, conservation

organizations, wildlife agencies and other key

stakeholders

Advocate

•Engaged in 38 policy or management issues

in 15 states in 2011

•Have already engaged in 53 policy issues in

2012

•Engaged in over 400 major deer initiatives

-APHIS CWD ruling,

-World Hunting Association proposal,

-captive cervid industry, etc.

•Supported agency initiatives in many states

•MOU with FSA, USFS, etc.

Develop individual and property QDM certification

programs that allow members to maximize their

understanding of deer biology, management and

habitat improvement

Certify

Through 2011, more than 550 people from 36

states, 3 provinces, and 1 U.S. Virgin Island

have attended at least one Deer Steward class.

(>600 DS I, ~300, DS II, ~25 DS III)

On-line Deer Steward I course in 2012

LCP also fully launched in 2012

Develop a youth program and mentored

hunting program to educate and recruit

future hunters and conservationists to help

secure the future of our hunting heritage

Hunt

Youth Education & Outreach Program

•Youth hunts and events

•Youth website

•Scholarship program, etc.

Mentored Hunting Program

•Long term commitment between mentor

and youth/first time hunter

•Heavy focus on woodsmanship skills and

small game hunting

•Ends with induction into hunting fraternity

2011 Key Programs / Initiatives

• Neared completion of new youth program

(Rack Pack) and hired program manager

• Completed new land certification program and

held first two inspector training courses

• Completed on-line Deer Steward Program

• Hosted 5 successful Deer Steward courses

• Produced 3rd annual Whitetail Report

• Conducted 7th annual National Youth Hunt

• Neared completion of re-vamped Website

• Hosted record National Convention

2011 Grants and Research • Secured $40,000 grant from USFWS to host first-ever

North American Whitetail Summit in 2014

• Secured $50,000 grant from National Fish and

Wildlife Foundation to establish model co-ops in

three regions

• Secured $50,000 grant from Budweiser and NFWF to

support QDMA’s Land Certification program

• Secured $60,000 grant from the Musselman Family

Foundation to support QDMA’s new

Development Program

• Continued work on whitetail and habitat projects in

multiple states from prior grants

2011 Key Honors & Awards

• Received “Career Achievement Award” from the

Wildlife Society (via Southeast Deer Study Group)

• Joe Hamilton recognized as the 2011 Budweiser

“Conservationist of the Year”

• Brian Murphy selected as one of Outdoor Life’s “Top

25” Conservationists of the Year

• QDMA’s Trail Camera book honored with the

“Pinnacle Award” from POMA

• QDMA’s Whitetail Report received a 2nd Place Award

from SEOPA in best “Industry PR Program”

category

QDMA Membership

1988-2011

QDMA referred to as “smart and scrappy, but small and struggling”

… perhaps another organization should be formed to “advocate for deer”

Approximate Number of Banquets and Regional

Directors Within Select Conservation

Organizations

QDMA Net-to-Gross by Revenue Sector

QDMA

fights for…

…every deer

hunter in

North

America

…at QDMA…

Our Legacy Awaits!