In the first post about deer bio-data collection, I talked about where wildlife biologists go to collect information and measurements from harvested deer. In this part, I’ll tell you what measurements and samples we collect and why. The first thing the biologist takes note of is the seal number. This is the seven digit number on the registration tag which is affixed to the animal at the tagging station. This number provides an easy way to keep all of the samples and meat connected to the specific deer organized.

The firearms season on deer is in full swing and while hunters scramble seeking deer, biologists scramble seeking successful hunters. During the month of November, wildlife biologists across the state are in a frantic race to collect as much biological data as possible from harvested deer; to do this they are making regular visits to tagging stations and meat processors. Don’t be surprised if they also show up on your door step. The first step to bulk data collection is getting to know the people who handle deer every day all season: the processors.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="390"] Photo by Doug Albert.[/caption] The great blue heron nesting season went by as quick as a flash this year.  Fall is when I collect all the HERON volunteers’ data and enter it into the database to get an idea of how the season went for herons (which I will blog about at a later date).  It is also a great