Quality Deer Management Group Reorganizes

With the number of whitetailed deer in the region down by at least one-third over the past decade, some local whitetail enthusiasts are working on the concept of quality over quantity.

The Bucktail Branch of Quality Deer Management Assn., formed in 2003, is anxious to grow as an advocacy and public education organization.

"We need more interest, ideas and efforts to build the organization," said Jerry Crosby of Emporium, who is the Cameron County coordinator for a chapter that also covers Potter, Elk and McKean counties.

Bucktail Branch QDMA has already held seminars on food plot basics, deer development and nutrition.

With just a handful of volunteers, it's difficult for the chapter to fulfill its mission, Crosby said.

Member benefits from a more vibrant organization could include bulk purchases of seed, lime and fertilizer; habitat improvements on public and private land; seminars on environmental and wildlife management and fun events such as pig roasts and marksmanship competition.

"We're going to be holding a public meeting in the coming weeks to reorganize the Bucktail Branch and keep it going," Crosby told the Endeavor.

He joins Steve Trupe of Potter County and John Stratton of McKean County in leading the local organization.