The Southeastern Section of The Wildlife Society recently honored Kent Kammermeyer, Wildlife Biologist in Northeast Georgia, with the 2005 Career Achievement Award, announces the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Kammermeyer is the first state biologist honored, and is one of only eight people ever to receive this award. This award is presented for outstanding contributions to white-tailed deer management in the Southeastern United States.

“Kent is eminently qualified for this award, his efforts in deer management are far above and beyond that required for his job,” says Larry Marchinton, UGA Professor Emeritus, within his nomination letter for Kammermeyer. “He is a pioneer in applying population modeling to practical deer management and in recent years has become a leading advocate and expert on food plot management, influencing the way white-tailed deer are managed by agencies, landowners and hunters in the Southeast and probably further.”

Kammermeyer, due to retire in 2005, has worked for WRD for 28 years. During that time, he has received numerous recognitions, published prolifically (300+ publications) and served on numerous committees. Recognitions received by Kammermeyer include: UGA Stoddard-Sutton Wildlife Conservation Award (1977), DNR Game Management Wildlife Biologist of the Year Award (1983), Wildlife Biologist of the Year for 2000 (first ever Georgia recipient of this Southeastern Section of the Wildlife Society Award). Some of his publications include: Deer Herd Management for Georgia Hunters (now in its 4th revision), Feral Hogs in Georgia and over 50 scientific papers and over 250 popular articles.

Kammermeyer is Chairman of the Georgia White-tailed Deer Committee and has been since its inception over 20 years ago. He supervises eight wildlife technicians and operations on six wildlife management areas (WMA) totaling over 150,000 acres. He was instrumental in the restoration of white-tailed deer, wild turkey and Canada geese in Northeastern Georgia. He compiles, analyzes and models deer harvest data for 57 WMAs in Georgia, an ongoing project for 27 years. He developed a prototype deer population model, which now is in use by several other southeastern states and developed a perennial clover food plot mixture for deer and turkeys in Northeast Georgia WMAs, which now is in use nationwide. Kammermeyer’s nomination letter, written by Dr. Marchinton, was supported by over 20 letters from professors and biologists from Texas to Maryland and many states in between.

For more information on the management of white-tailed deer in Georgia, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com .

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