Purdue Researcher Seeks Deer Samples from Indiana Hunters

Indiana hunters have a chance to help science this season, and it’s as simple as saving a few samples from your harvested deer.

A researcher from Purdue University's Department of Forestry & Natural Resources, Julie Buchanan-Schwanke, is building an “epigenetic clock” to more accurately age white-tailed deer and develop easier ways to monitor herd health across the state.

Julie posted her request for help in the Indiana Deer Hunting group on Facebook, asking hunters to share samples from their hunts. She explains in the comments how the samples can be used to age an animal without having to actually have physical contact with it.

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… the end result of this research is to develop a better (and hopefully more accurate) technique for aging white-tailed deer, not just for hunters, but for wildlife managers too. In theory, a wildlife manager, hunter, biologist, etc., would be able to go out and determine age structure of a herd of deer (or a single deer) without having to come into direct contact with the animals.

If this works the way Purdue expects, wildlife managers could estimate ages from something as simple as a fecal pellet. That means better population data, smarter management decisions, and healthier herds in Indiana.

The team is also working towards fecal pellet testing to detect common deer diseases. These include:

EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease)
BTV (bluetongue virus)
AHD (adenovirus hemorrhagic disease)

Julie and the team at Purdue are requesting samples from legally harvested deer in Indiana, including:

Front incisors
A fecal sample (must be kept frozen)
A small tissue sample, like tongue, liver, ear, or muscle (must be kept frozen)
Antler drilling (if you are willing)

Label samples with your name, county, and harvest date, and keep frozen until you coordinate drop-off or shipping. If you’re willing to contribute or have questions, you can reach out to Julie at buchana7@purdue.edu

A few minutes of your time could directly improve Indiana’s deer data and disease monitoring. So, if you’re heading into the woods for deer hunting, consider setting aside samples to support Hoosier research.

[Source: Facebook]

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