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Oklahoma landowners are able to help develop the next generation of hunters through the youth hunt program.

A look at 2016-2017 deer harvest numbers and trends for Oklahoma, Texas, the Southeast and U.S. provides insight for land managers and hunters.

Chronic wasting disease attacks the brains of white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose and caribou. Hunters can help reduce the spread of CWD in infected areas by eliminating practices that encourage deer-to-deer contact and participating in state-organized deer population reduction plans.

Habitat includes food, water, shelter, space and the arrangement of these components, though land managers and popular press most popularly discuss food. Food can easily be managed, and many times the focus is only on food plots and feeders. Native vegetation can take a back seat to these intensive management practices, but people should be aware how to manage existing native vegetation to provide a high quality diet.

While many hunters feed deer with several goals in mind, supplemental feed is not a substitute for good quality deer habitat.

The best deer population management strategies involve hunting more does and less bucks, which means land managers should choose hunters who want to harvest does.