Evergreen Revival of Episode 27 (Originally released December 28, 2013)

In 2013, Big Buck Registry recorded Episode 27 — a conversation that quietly became one of the most important episodes in the show's history. In it, we interviewed certified wildlife biologist Jeff Makemson of the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, exploring a topic most hunters never think about:

Where does conservation funding actually come from?

The answer leads directly to the Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 — the law that rebuilt America's wildlife, restored whitetail deer from near extinction, and created the modern system of game management we rely on today.

In this revived evergreen episode, we:

• Revisit the original 2013 interview

• Clarify a few points that time and research have refined

• Update what has changed since then

• And deliver a deep-dive monologue explaining the full story behind the Act

If you hunt deer today, this law is part of your story — whether you knew it or not.

• How close deer and other game species came to disappearing in the early 1900s
• Why unregulated market hunting devastated wildlife populations
• How sportsmen themselves pushed for federal conservation funding
• What the Pittman–Robertson Act actually does
• How the firearms and ammunition excise tax funds wildlife restoration
• How states receive and use Pittman–Robertson funds
• How deer populations rebounded from a few thousand to tens of millions
• Why hunters are America's largest conservationists
• What has changed in conservation funding since 2013
• Why this system still matters for the future of hunting

Jeff Makemson
Certified Wildlife Biologist
Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

Jeff shares firsthand insight into:

• Managing public wildlife lands

• Restoring deer populations

• Funding realities inside state agencies

• Why most hunters don't realize they fund conservation

• How habitat, research, and enforcement are supported

Without the Pittman–Robertson Act:

• Whitetail deer would be rare or nonexistent in many states

• Public hunting lands would be minimal

• Wildlife agencies would lack scientific staff

• Modern hunting culture would not exist

Every rifle, box of ammunition, and bow sold today continues to fund the system that keeps wildlife thriving.

• New opening introduction and historical context
• Summary and clarification of the original 2013 interview
• Updated facts and modern funding perspective
• Full deep-dive monologue on the Pittman–Robertson Act
• Playback of the original 30-minute Episode 27 interview
• Closing summary and reflections on hunters as conservationists

If you value hunting, share this episode.
Every hunter who understands this story becomes a stronger advocate for conservation.

In this special year-end Deer News episode, the Big Buck Registry team takes a comprehensive look at the deer hunting stories that shaped 2025 across the United States.

This episode moves state by state through the most consequential changes in deer hunting policy, access, and management—connecting regulation, science, enforcement, and biology into one clear picture of where deer hunting stands today.

The episode begins in the Northeast, where long-running debates finally gave way to major access changes. New York legalized crossbows for deer hunting, New Hampshire expanded legal hunting equipment, and Connecticut widened Sunday hunting opportunities. In Massachusetts, efforts to address deer overpopulation on Martha's Vineyard highlighted conflicts between wildlife management goals and the state's firearm and crossbow laws.

From there, the focus shifts west, where pressure on opportunity continued to build. Montana reaffirmed limits on nonresident deer licenses, reinforcing resident-priority access as demand for Western tags continued to rise.

Chronic Wasting Disease remained one of the most influential forces shaping deer management in 2025. At the federal level, increased funding supported research and state response efforts. Minnesota expanded late-season CWD management hunts, Iowa broadened mandatory testing and reporting requirements, and Missouri reassessed its approach—ultimately rolling back part of its CWD firearms season after evaluating impacts on effectiveness and hunter participation.

The episode also examines how changing rules affected hunters on the ground. Pennsylvania tightened in-season trail camera restrictions, Wisconsin continued to experience hunter fatigue tied to long-term CWD policies, New Jersey reaffirmed Earn-A-Buck as a population control strategy, and Michigan expanded depredation authority allowing deer removal outside traditional seasons.

Beyond policy and regulation, this episode highlights important research and technological developments shaping the future of deer management. New scientific findings raised questions about how early Chronic Wasting Disease infection may occur, including the possibility of transmission from doe to fawn before birth. Emerging technologies also showed promise—from thermal detection systems designed to reduce deer-vehicle collisions, to drone-based surveys improving accuracy in deer population estimates.

Enforcement remained a critical part of the story in 2025. The episode reviews major poaching cases in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, including multi-county investigations, organized poaching rings, and one of the stiffest trophy buck restitution penalties on record.

The year closes in Maine, where consecutive harsh winters and the loss of critical deer wintering habitat served as a reminder that biology still sets the ultimate limits—regardless of policy decisions or technological advances.

The episode also includes an update on Big Buck Registry itself. The team discusses the launch of the new website, a return to in-depth interview-style episodes, and the tools built to help hunters better understand conditions and context—including BBR Weather, Deer Move by Weather, and Deer Move by Moon. Listeners will also hear about new ways to engage with BBR, including suggesting guests, submitting deer for social features, and using long-term reference pages designed to keep information accessible beyond a single season.

This episode is a complete snapshot of deer hunting in 2025—where rules changed, science advanced, enforcement drew clear lines, and biology reminded everyone who ultimately sets the boundaries.

• Major deer hunting law and access changes across the U.S.

• Chronic Wasting Disease management strategies and policy reversals

• New research on CWD transmission and persistence

• Emerging technology in deer safety and population monitoring

• High-profile poaching cases and enforcement outcomes

• Habitat loss, winter severity, and biological limits on deer populations

• Big Buck Registry platform updates, tools, and community features